* If the administration is planning to release minor drug offenders, I have no problem with that at all. I’m opposed to locking them up in the first place, so an early release would be a rare bright side of the budget crisis. They should pardon them while they’re at it and get those people out of the parole system as well.
But if they’re gonna put convicted home burglars or the like back out on the street before they finish serving their time, then I would not be cool with that whatsoever. “Nonviolent” does not always mean “no threat”…
Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan to slice $125 million from the Department of Corrections’ budget by laying off more than 1,000 employees and “downsizing” institutions likely will mean fewer inmates.
Derek Schnapp, Corrections spokesman, confirmed today that the department is drawing up lists of low-level offenders with less than a year on their sentences who could be released early and put on parole.
Furthermore, Schnapp said, more than 500 employees will be laid off from prisons in East Moline, Lincoln, Logan, Decatur, Vandalia and Vienna effective Sept. 30. Another round of layoffs that will result in 500 more employees losing their jobs will be announced in the future, Schnapp said, but he couldn’t say when.
Either way, this governor flip-flops so much that nobody really knows what could be next. He just vetoed an appropriations bill after soundly thwhacking the GA for sending him legislation that included his introduced spending levels for crying out loud.
…Adding… If you missed the governor’s presser, or you want to hear it again, IIS has a couple of links…
The governor just said he would “veto a bill that the General Assembly sent to me last week.” It’s another budget bill. Dealing with “a lot of parts of state government.”
Quinn said he would veto the bill and send it back with instructions for “how they can save money.”
Bill didn’t follow principles of sacrifice. Some agencies got the same amount of money as last fiscal year, for instance, Quinn said.
$185 million cut from state operations. 2,600 layoffs. Notices “have begun to go out already.”
Furlough days.
Remember, none of these announced cuts are new, except for this new veto.
Most telling line so far, Quinn says lawmakers wanted cuts so he’s giving them what they want.
* The appropriations bill Quinn is vetoing is reportedly HB 2145.
This is a full veto.
* Question: How will you get the unions to go along with furloughs? Answer: I support unions, etc., etc., etc. but no real answer except to say furloughs will limit layoffs and he hopes to convince the unions of that.
Quinn also wants to talk to the union about killing off the scheduled raises.
* Quinn: No furloughs will mean another 2,500 layoffs.
* Quinn won’t confirm a report earlier today that he might implement early release for some inmates. He would only say the Dept. of Corrections would have to change the way it operates.
* Quinn: “They are cuts in [Fiscal Year] ‘09 spending.”
* “They want me to do it,” Quinn said about the GA’s desire for him to make cuts.
* The governor is blaming the GA again, but he won’t admit that he could use the item reduction and line item vetoes on his own. Instead, he wants to get together with the GA to work out the cuts.
* It sounds like he just took a question at his press conference from a non-reporter. That would be very Blagojevichian.
* QUINN: “We’re going to keep vetoing it and vetoing it until we get spending in line.”
* Quinn: At least $25 million in savings from constitutional officers. Hello, Lisa?
* The governor’s press release is now out…
July 7, 2009. Governor Pat Quinn today vetoed House Bill 2145 saying the General Assembly’s bill fails to make any significant cuts in state operations. Instead, the Governor proposed passing a responsible “Tough Choices” budget, which calls for cutting an additional $1 billion in state costs.
“I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because it favors preserving the government status quo and fails to make the necessary cuts and reductions in state government operations,” said Governor Quinn. “It does not reflect the spirit of shared sacrifice that must prevail throughout our state government, particularly during these harsh economic times.”
HB 2145 appropriates $3.8 billion to fund state operations. However, HB 2145 fails to adequately cut the cost of state operations, including the budget of the General Assembly and other Constitutional Officers, including the Attorney General, Treasurer, Comptroller and Secretary of State.
Governor Quinn said the General Assembly and all statewide officers should cut their budgets by at least 10 percent, a cost-cutting move that includes an option of ordering up to 12 furlough days for all employees.
“I presented my budget to the General Assembly on March 18 with a clear message: When it comes to making cuts, we have to make tough choices, not bad choices. It was true then and it’s true today,” said Governor Quinn. “My goal has always been to pass a fair and comprehensive state budget that serves the fundamental needs of the people of Illinois.”
The Governor’s “Tough Choices” budget proposes cutting $1 billion from the state budget including:
· $185 million from state operations, including approximately 2,600 layoffs and 12 furlough days for state employees
· $140 million from Medicaid and health insurance
· $250 million in targeted reductions in grant programs
· $125 million from the Department of Corrections
· $175 million cut from proposed increases for K-12 education
· $25 million from other state offices, departments and agencies not under the Governor
· $100 million in additional reserves
* Quinn said the budget bill is “so flawed” from “beginning to end” that he couldn’t just do reduction or line item vetoes. Instead, he believes they must “start from scratch” and begin again.
Quinn: legislative leaders to meet Monday, lawmakers could have “busy Tuesday”
* Quinn is again complaining (valid complaint, by the way) about how this approp bill unconstitutionally bars him from letting professional and artistic contracts.
* “We vetoed your first effort, now let’s get serious,” Quinn said, talking to the GA.
* Quinn said he would sign another approp bill dealing with Medicaid reimbursement.
* The governor also said he “just got” the capital bill and that’s why he hasn’t moved on it yet. That’s such a bogus claim. He could’ve looked at the capital bill online for weeks.
A day after he said he’d take responsibility for $1 billion in budget cuts, Gov. Pat Quinn today instead threw the issue back into the laps of lawmakers.
Refusing to wear the collar alone for painful choices, Gov. Pat Quinn today said he’s rejecting a budget bill approved by lawmakers and directing them to cut $1 billion from state operations.
*** The governor’s veto message can be read by clicking here *** [Fixed link]
* If you look at the veto message linked above, you’ll see the governor never outright claims that the budget is out of balance. Instead, he relies on other constitutional issues within this one bill - issues that, while mentioned at today’s presser, were not the governor’s prime focus at all.
* Does this mean we can now assume Mark Kirk is out of the US Senate race?
The head of the Illinois Republican Party is making a move to run for the U.S. Senate. Andy McKenna Jr. is due in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to meet with the National Republican Senatorial Committee and with GOP members of the state’s congressional delegation. Key among the latter is North Shore Congressman Mark Kirk, who so far has not heeded pleas by party leaders to run, creating a political vacuum.
Mr. McKenna already has spoken with NRSC Chairman Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and has been encouraged to proceed, according to a source familiar with their conversation.
I’ve been hearing about this for weeks, but was loathe to post it here since McKenna’s name draws so many hateful comments. Please, try to contain yourselves today, OK? Thanks.
* I’m sure former Chicago Ald. Billy Ocasio has good reasons for wanting Rev. Wilfredo De Jesus to replace him on the city council, now that Ocasio has taken a high-level position with Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration. Rev. De Jesus is being slammed by some as being way too insensitive on gay rights, but, again, I’m sure he has his reasons.
Still, why would Ocasio want a replacement who doesn’t even live in his ward? Wasn’t there a qualified candidate who was actually a constituent?
Not that it will probably matter, since Mayor Daley makes the choice, doesn’t particularly care for Ocasio and has a list of four candidates. Presumably, at least one of them lives in Ocasio’s ward.
* Why would Gov. Quinn support an old plan for eleven stops on the proposed high speed rail line between Chicago and St. Louis? Isn’t that a bit much?
Will Cook County Board Commissioner Bill Beavers retire . . . thereby enabling beleaguered Cook County Board President Todd Stroger to run for Beavers’ job — and step aside from the board presidency . . . before the juggernaut of Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, who wants Stroger’s job, runs him down?
* Assume, for the moment, that Attorney General Lisa Madigan runs for US Senate next year. If so, who would be the strongest Democratic candidate for governor? Explain.
* The Sun-Times editorial board gets to the real heart of the matter on this “Clout goes to U of I” Tribune series…
The rich kids, in short, got the break — not the kids who really needed it.
Yesterday’s Tribune published a list of some kids who got bumped ahead of others. Check out their schools…
Highland Park applicant: 24 students above him denied or wait listed
Loyola Academy applicant: 42 students above him denied or wait listed
Benet Academy applicant: 27 students above her denied or wait listed
Highland Park applicant: 23 students above him denied or wait listed
Highland Park applicant: 20 students above him denied or wait listed
Devoted donors to the Fighting Illini are often thanked with prime stadium seats, first crack at tickets to bowl games or a chance to meet some of the school’s marquee players.
But a few patrons of the University of Illinois’ athletic programs also try to use the department’s prestige to give applicants they know an edge in the competitive admissions process, according to newly released campus records.
Why? The Benjamins, baby…
Boosters gave about $12.7 million, or 21 percent, of the $61 million budget last year. That money, which includes endowment funds, provided scholarships for 400 student athletes. The school’s athletic department does not receive state funds, Arner said.
* Higher education budgets were never a priority during the Blagojevich era. Universities had to fight for every additional dollar. Perhaps this is a big reason why the clout list became so important. That’s no excuse.
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich sent two letters of recommendation on behalf of applicants to Southern Illinois University’s law school, the university said Friday after a search of its admissions records in response to a federal subpoena.
The university, based in Carbondale, said it discovered the 2005 letters but found that neither applicant was admitted to the law school.
Little ol’ SIU could resist but the U of I couldn’t?
[University of Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman] said he didn’t feel he could refuse demands from trustees, particularly from former board chairman Lawrence Eppley, who often presented candidates on behalf of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
“I’m not sure,” Herman said. “I felt my job in danger, but did I feel some need to do what would secure the broader best interests of the institution? Yes.”
* And we might soon find out about even more troubles. The university now as a website listing all FOIAs filed, including this one…
I request a copy of all electronic and paper correspondence with employees of the Chicago Tribune, CLTV, WGN, WGN radio and Tribune Company regarding student admissions.
Heh.
The Sun-Times asked for any Barack Obama correspondence to the university, including recommendations. The university then asked the paper to narrow its search.
* The ongoing investigation surrounding state Rep. Paul Froehlich’s use of property tax appeals to allegedly boost his campaign fundraising and his reelection prospects has turned over a much overlooked rock.
Victor Santana.
As a result of the probe, Fox Chicago reports that Santana, who is about as close as you can get to Cook County Board of Review member and county Democratic Party Chairman Joe Berrios, has been banned from doing any business with the Board of Review.
Part of the problem with Santana is that he’s allegedly been charging people for his interventions with the Board of Review, which would be illegal since he’s not an attorney. He’s reportedly been helping Froehlich with property tax appeals in Froehlich’s district.
But was Froehlich getting help on the inside? Judy McCurdy, who ran Froehlich’s office until she was fired last year, says she was instructed by Froehlich not to follow the standard procedure of mailing the tax appeals to the board.
“The forms were mailed to an individual by the name of Victor Santana, who was the connection for Paul Froehlich.” Said Judy McCurdy
Even though Santana hadn’t worked at the board of review in years, he still had open access to staffers and private areas controlled by commissioner Joseph Berrios. Now, all three commissioners, including Berrios, have banned Santana from their offices…
Placko: “Have you ever taken this kind of action before, banning someone from the board of review?”
Houlihan: “Well I’ve been here two and a half years and we have not banned anyone since I’ve been here.”
And the mystery gets even deeper. Remember Mike Gray, the owner of the Schaumburg furniture store? He told the board, that’s not his signature on his tax appeal which was notarized by Victor Santana.
Gray says he paid Santana two thousand dollars to handle two appeals. Problem is, Santana is not an attorney.
“The concern with Victor Santana is that he, according to certain individuals, has earned money for his involvement and assistance in handling real estate appeals. And unless he’s an attorney he should not be doing it.” Said Larry Rogers Jr.
Here’s the full Fox report…
* Doing research on Santana is not easy. He doesn’t show up much on campaign reports, for instance. What appears to be his company, QTA [Quick Turn Around] Services, gave money once to a committee he controlled that is now defunct, Citizens in Action. There’s another business named “RFG Consultants” that has the same address that he’s used. That company has given a few bucks. Santana’s apparently listed on one disclosure report as being paid $200 in 2001 for a “baptism.”
And I haven’t yet found anything that looks like an expenditure to him on Rep. Froehlich’s campaign finance report for the last six months of 2008. He did give to Froehlich’s township committee back when Froehlich was a Republican.
*** UPDATE - 10:23 am *** As I figured, all this Chicago media hype about today’s big budget cut announcement is simply a retread of the cuts Quinn outlined last week in Springfield.
[ *** End of Update *** ]
* Gov. Quinn held a meeting yesterday about the state budget with almost 40 suburban lawmakers. By looking at the media coverage, it didn’t really go very well…
Rep. Jack Franks, a Woodstock Democrat who attended today’s meeting, said the governor hasn’t proven to the public that a tax increase is a last resort. Instead of identifying specific spending cuts and negotiating with unions early in the spring, the governor has waited until the new fiscal year this summer to lay the groundwork for a tax hike. “This should have been the very last option on the table. And for him, it was the first and only,” he said. […]
Few legislators had high expectations for next week’s special session. “I think next will be a colossal waste of time,” said Rep. Dennis Reboletti, an Elmhurst Republican. “I don’t think any suburban legislators’ mind was changed by this meeting.”
Part of the problem, of course, was the audience itself. Many of those at the meeting were Republicans who won’t vote for a tax hike no matter what, or Democrats like Jack Franks who also will never, ever vote for a tax increase. And then there are those who are planning a statewide bid (Franks included), who won’t be on board no matter what…
“Again, until there is no more talk of a tax hike, I think we’re going down the wrong road,” [GOP gubernatorial candidate Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) said.
“We need a Quinn budget that isn’t based on a Blagojevich strategy,” [Rep. Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake)] said. “Would you give these guys more money to spend?”
South suburban Democrats emerged from the meeting aligning with Quinn, saying a combination of an income tax increase and cuts to services will solve the budgetary mess.
“There’s no way we’re going to get out of this without cuts and revenue enhancements,” said state Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields). “Walking around acting like we can do this without an income tax increase is disingenuous at best.”
State Rep. Al Riley (D-Olympia Fields) said the process now comes down to casting aside worries over what voters might remember when they next pull the ballot box lever.
* As for the cuts, Quinn already laid out a billion dollars in reductions last week, so it’s not clear to me if today’s announcement is for another billion or is just a retread of this. The press coverage indicates it’s a retread, which would mean today’s event is a complete fabrication…
$185 million: state operations
• 12 furlough days
• More than 1,600 layoffs for non-Department of Corrections staff
$140 million: Medicaid and health insurance
• Includes $100 million saved by moving Medicaid patients to managed care
$250 million: grants
• Cuts will be targeted to maximize federal matching funds
$175 million: education
• Maintains funding at fiscal 2009 levels and preserves all federal ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funds
$125 million: Department of Corrections
• More than 1,000 layoffs of DOC personnel
$100 million: additional reserves
$25 million: other state offices, departments and agencies not under the governor
* Raw video of the governor’s press availability from yesterday…
* AFSCME spokesman offered up his union’s side to Fox Chicago this morning…
Sources said the $85,068-a-year inspector was working a side job installing a flood-control system in the 3500 block of North Octavia — with no permit and none of the required city licenses — when he inadvertently broke the water pipe leading to the home.
Kendrick dialed 311 to report the break. When investigators arrived on the scene, he identified himself as a city inspector and asked them for city-owned parts — lead packs and copper — to repair the broken pipe, sources said.
Little did he know that one of the responding investigators was Pat McDonough, who helped blow the whistle on the Hired Truck scandal.
Illinois leads the nation in bank failures this year, though regulators say that is primarily because it has more banks than any other state.
The number doubled to 12 with the shutdown of six banks in two days last week. State and federal regulators said the Campbell Group, a family-operated holding company for all six, invested in the kind of risky mortgage-backed securities that brought down much larger financial institutions.
All the banks, which were spread from central to northern Illinois, were open Monday with new owners.
“They are a family-owned company. Six of their eight banks made some bad investments, while the other two made community loans, and they are doing fine. It’s the same type of loans that shut down AIG,” said Sue Hofer, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation.
BELVIDERE — About 1,700 Chrysler workers will report back to work Wednesday for the first time since May 1, when Chrysler LLC shut down production after entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
United Auto Workers Local 1268 President John Gedney confirmed Monday night that the company will restart production. The newly formed company that emerged from bankruptcy, Chrysler Group LLC, restarted production at the end of June at plants in Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Mexico and Canada.
United Airlines, the nation’s third-largest airline, said Monday its June traffic fell 7.5 percent, as an improvement in business at its regional affiliates failed to offset steep dropoffs on most domestic and international routes.
Like other airlines, Chicago-based United has been contending with a steep decline in traffic, especially in lucrative first- and business-class tickets, as the recession curbs travel.
UAL Corp.’s United said paying passengers flew a total of 10.57 billion miles last month, compared with 11.43 billion a year earlier. Excluding a 16.9 percent gain from regional carriers that United operates, traffic fell 10 percent.
Underserved by rapid transit, residents there would benefit from a proposed “Gold Line,” an innovative hybrid of both Metra and the CTA, according to Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, or SOUL.
With the city bidding for the 2016 Games, the line also would serve key Olympic venues, say SOUL members, who represent more than 20 churches and community organizations.
SOUL estimates that implementing the Gold Line would cost $159 million. This would pay for adding 26 Electric District Highliner cars for $91 million as well as for new tracks, station upgrades and fare equipment.
City of Springfield workers will rally outside Municipal Center West before Tuesday’s city council meeting, as a deadline looms for talks between the unions and Mayor Tim Davlin’s administration about potentially drastic cuts in city services.
“This is an action by a number of unions calling on the city council and the mayor to come together to try to work cooperatively to try to solve the fiscal situation in a responsible manner,” said Jeff Bigelow, regional director for Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
A combined union statement issued today called for the city council to “reopen the budget process and pass a reasonable and realistic budget for the remainder of the fiscal year, not one doomed to fail.”
“After this process, if there are sacrifices to be made by the employees of the City, then those sacrifices will be made in an informed manner,” the statement said.
Either way, there likely will be fewer sheriff’s deputies on the roadways of Kane County soon.
The Policeman’s Benevolent Labor Committee-Kane County Sheriff’s Office said in a release that the Kane County Board “is scheduled to permanently jeopardize the Sheriff’s Office’s ability to provide sufficient police services to the citizens of Kane County, especially those living in unincorporated areas, by reducing the number of sworn deputies that provide essential and required police services.”
The press release was issued just days after members of the county board finance committee approved a resolution that would decrease the number of sworn deputies on the force to 87 from 90 through an early retirement program. That resolution is expected to be approved by the board’s executive committee on Wednesday and then be discussed and probably approved by the full board on July 14.
The public should not be concerned about a lack of police enforcement next year even though the Peoria Police Department will enter 2010 with fewer employees than it has now, Chief Steve Settingsgaard said Monday.
“It’s a very good possibility we’ll have a reduction in staff,” Settingsgaard said during the first of five public forums on the 2010 budget. “This council, the city manager and myself will look at a lot of places to save budget money before we give up a position impacting true public safety.”
The Illinois attorney general’s office sued a Burbank furniture salesman Monday for allegedly bilking his customers out of more than $62,000.
Ziyad Suleiman, 5860 W. 75th Place, has had 54 complaints lodged against him and his four furniture businesses across the Southland, Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in the lawsuit.
Suleiman operated District Furniture Inc., in Chicago; US Furniture Inc., in Burbank; Express Furniture Gallery Inc., in Bedford Park and Chicago Ridge; and Export Furniture Inc., in Bedford Park, between 2001 and this year, the lawsuit said.
While running those businesses, the lawsuit alleges, Suleiman failed to deliver furniture, delivered damaged furniture and refused to give refunds to customers.
* The state’s Legislative Inspector General has opened an investigation into Rep. Paul Froehlich at the request of Illinois Review…
Subject: Representative Froehlich
I received in today’s mail your request for investigation into matters involving the above-referenced member of the Illinois House of Representatives, bearing a May 27, 2009 postmark. I am not sure the reason for the delay in actual delivery, but wanted to let you know that I have received it and will be opening an investigation into the matter. Thank you for bringing the matter to my attention. I will let you know when the investigation is completed. In the meantime, should you need to reach me, here is my contact information. For faster communication, you may feel free to use the following email address.
Thomas J. Homer
Legislative Inspector General
Actually, there is a new LIG and I sent him an e-mail asking for comment on this story. Wait and see, I suppose. [Same LIG, new executive director. Oops.]
North Shore Republican Congressman Mark Kirk, who has been contemplating a costly run for the U.S. Senate or governor, reported Monday that he has built up a campaign warchest of more than $1 million.
Kirk raised more than $580,000 during the second quarter of the year, according to a statement his campaign released. Such a fundraising performance is robust by the standards of U.S. House members but lags slightly behind the amount of money Kirk raised during the same period in the last election cycle.
A statement released by spokesman Eric Elk described the results as “on pace” with Kirk’s fundraising during the second quarter of last election cycle. Kirk raised $606,000 during the second quarter of 2007 and had accumulated a balance of $1.1 million at the end of the period. […]
The statement from Kirk’s campaign described this year’s fundraising as “strong” given the economic recession.
* Congressman Shimkus throws an Elton John fundraiser for the second time, but won’t attend…
At least two members of the House of Representatives–both of whom are on record opposing gay rights–will be hosting fundraisers at the upcoming Billy Joel/Elton John “Face2Face” concert at Nationals Park on July 11. […]
This isn’t Shimkus’ first Elton fundraiser. In 2005 the Kentucky Democrat reported:
“A spokesman for Shimkus, Steve Tomaszewski, said his boss’s fund-raiser at the Elton John concert was neither an endorsement of the singer’s politics nor a betrayal of Shimkus’ stand on gay marriage. Shimkus won’t attend himself, however, because of a scheduling conflict, Tomaszewski said.”
Tomaszewski confirmed Thursday to Party Time that the congressman will most likely not be attending the fundraiser on July 11 either.
* Gov. Quinn is meeting with suburban legislators and Carlos Hernandez Gomez is live Tweeting…
State Rep. Jack Franks says Illinois needs a two-year budget to fix the current fiscal mess which he says Gov. Pat Quinn has mishandled.
about 2 hours ago from mobile web
Waiting outside a meeting between Gov. Pat Quinn & suburban lawmakers over the state’s budget mess. Three plus hours I’ll never get back.
27 minutes ago from mobile web
* And the News Gazette is live-Tweeting today’s testimony before the commission investigating “clout” admissions to the U of I.
* In other news, the scandal-plagued Tribune Co. has agreed to sell the Cubs and Wrigley Field to the Ricketts family…
Tribune Co. intends to sell the Chicago Cubs to the Ricketts family, sources familiar with the matter said Monday, ending the company’s flirtation with another buyer after negotiations with the Rickettses had stalled two months ago.
After more than five months of negotiations, Tribune Co. has a written agreement to sell the baseball team and other assets to the Ricketts family for about $900 million. The two sides reached a deal over the weekend and forwarded an outline of their transaction — what is known as a term sheet — to Major League Baseball for its initial comments, according to sources who declined to be identified because an agreement has not been announced.
The two sides still have details to work out that will be included in a definitive agreement, sources said. The term sheet sent to MLB includes information on the deal’s capital structure and how the Ricketts family will finance the transaction, sources said.
Ricketts Field? Sounds appropriate.
…Adding… From a press release…
Former Deputy State Treasurer Raja Krishnamoorthi announced today that he has raised more than $390,000 for a potential campaign for Illinois Comptroller.
The amount is believed to be the most ever raised by a first-time Comptroller candidate this early in a campaign, according to records available on the Illinois State Board of Elections website.
Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, is exploring a run for Comptroller should incumbent Dan Hynes choose not to run for a fourth term in 2010. […]
Krishnamoorthi, 35, formed his exploratory committee on April 22, 2009 — just 10 weeks before the June 30 fundraising deadline.
* Who would be the strongest Republican gubernatorial candidate in a general election? Explain. Also, can that person win the GOP primary? Explain as well.
And, please, try to avoid snark. I know it’s an uphill climb, but take the question seriously. Thanks.
[Cook County] Police recently issued “IR” No. 2 million to a 38-year-old Indiana man arrested in the south suburbs on charges of possession of $10 worth of marijuana and a minor traffic violation.
IR numbers — the “IR” stands for “individual record” — are like Social Security numbers for criminals. They are assigned to criminal suspects the first time they are arrested in Cook County. The same number sticks with a person for every subsequent arrest in Cook County.
At the current pace, with police issuing about 5,000 new IR numbers a month, Cook County would reach IR No. 3 million in about 16 years.
That’s a far faster pace than it took to get to 2 million, even considering that the system of tracking has changed over the years. At one point, the Chicago Police Department assigned a new identification number for every arrest. But in 1962, department officials decided that a single number should track a person’s entire criminal history.
Has it occurred to anyone in charge that arresting people who are carrying a dime bag of weed is probably doing more harm than good?
Since this guy got a new IR number, I’m assuming this was a first offense, and not some notorious gang member whom the cops are keeping close tabs on. If so, how the heck does it do anyone any good to throw this man in the slammer? I am no Tony Peraica fan, but two of his recent Twitter posts are right on the money…
Read this for a perfect example as why or County Jail and Juvenile Detention are packed to the rafters. http://bit.ly/xknZp
Police arrest, SA prosecutes, arestees for $10 worth of marijuana as we spend $100/day to keep them locked up. A ticket and a fine better?
* And while the county coppers are busting some poor schmuck in the south ‘burbs for possessing a tiny amount of marijuana, we have mayhem on the city streets…
Four people were killed and at least 22 others, including an 8-year-old boy, were wounded in shootings and stabbings during a bloody six hours late Saturday into early Sunday.
Homicides in Chicago have dropped 12.7 percent, and crime overall has fallen 10.4 percent in the first six months of this year, according to preliminary statistics released Friday by Chicago Police.
When compared with the same period last year, crime has dropped or did not increase in 24 of the 25 Chicago Police districts, with fewer incidents of violent and property crimes in every category.
There were 199 homicides in the first six months of the year in the city, compared with 229 from January through June of last year.
Of course, considering last year’s homicide rate was the highest in five years, the (slightly) lower numbers are more a return to normal than a real decrease and the police department just recently lost another of its officers in the line of duty. Which couldn’t have helped already low morale in the CPD. Oh, and police arrested a guy with a loaded shotgun at the Taste last night. So…yeah.
* Related…
* Juvenile detention staffers face crackdown : Tensions have simmered to a full boil as Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center bosses crack down on employee abuse of sick time and family leave — and investigate employee abuse of the 10- to 16-year-old inmates.
* After last year’s violence city welcomes peaceful fireworks: This year’s Taste of Chicago July 3 fireworks spectacular transpired relatively peacefully, viewed by 1.25 million people and unmarred by the shootings that took place last year.
* Could Gitmo transplants end up in Illinois prisons? : While other cities across the U.S. have balked at taking in any of the more than 200 detainees from the infamous lockup in Cuba that President Barack Obama hopes to shutter, Marion is part of a small contingent seeking out the prisoners — and the money and jobs they might bring.
As with any state legislative overtime session and possible government shutdown, “Job One” right now is making sure somebody else gets the blame.
Last week, Gov. Pat Quinn dramatically vetoed an appropriations bill and then held a press conference to lay full blame for the overtime deadlock at the General Assembly’s feet. The bill, he said, would create too many hardships for social service agencies, spark never-ending lawsuits, prevent his administration from hiring much-needed contractors, etc.
Quinn also blamed House Speaker Michael Madigan for the impasse over extending the budget by a month or so to help buy more time to cut a deal.
Unbeknownst to many, Madigan was still in Springfield during Quinn’s press conference, so it was quite a surprise when he announced his own presser shortly after Quinn finished talking to reporters.
Speaker Madigan’s goal was simple: Paint the governor as a flip-flopper, and blame those flip-flops on the inability to come to a satisfactory conclusion of the spring session. Clean and concise.
Madigan listed four significant Quinn flip-flops which, Madigan said, were making it difficult to do business.
Quinn’s broken pledge not to tie the fate of the desperately needed public works projects legislation to the state’s budget, was one flip-flop, Madigan rightly pointed out. The governor’s support of the state Senate’s tax hike and then his opposition the very next day was another. And then there was Quinn’s early demand that the “shovel ready” capital projects bill be passed immediately, even though he is currently refusing to implement the program. Last week, Quinn heaped praise on legislators for moving forward on a pension borrowing plan to free up $2 billion for the state’s budget and then lobbied Senators to kill the bill a few hours later.
“So, these are all flip-flops,” Madigan said. “They are not helpful to his credibility.”
Quinn has his reasons for flip-flopping, and most of them aren’t very good. But the governor is not totally to blame here.
Who is to blame? As always, it’s really everybody.
Quinn said last week he opposed the pension borrowing plan in the Senate to send a “message” that an adequate budget resolution must be found right away. But that pension proposal would’ve pumped over $2 billion into private social service agencies that Quinn said he’s so concerned about. The veto means that many agencies are now staring at bankruptcy.
Quinn is right that Madigan’s complete opposition to any temporary budget extension killed the idea. Madigan said that budget extensions tended to delay decisions which needed to be made - the very same reason Quinn gave for his flip-flop on the pension borrowing proposal. Basically, they’re talking past each other with the same talking points. Not helpful.
Quinn’s flip-flops came from locking himself into positions that he eventually realized had damaged his end-game of passing a tax increase. He also mistakenly believed that the legislative leaders would play nice. They don’t. So, he radically changed course and infuriated the leaders, who say they operate on “Your word is your bond” - especially when it suits their purposes.
There can be no doubt that Speaker Madigan and other legislative leaders repeatedly attempted to maneuver Quinn into a corner for their own advantage.
You can trust the leaders most of the time when they give you their word on where they are on a certain bill or idea - but you can never trust them before they reach that point. They’ll always be looking out for their own self interests, or the interests of their respective caucuses. Quinn was just too green and naive and made the fatal mistake of failing to include in his inner circle enough people who understood the ways of the Statehouse world - and refused to heed the warnings of the few people who do.
This blame game stuff may all seem pretty petty while the world appears to be collapsing around Springfield - and it is. But it’s all they know. And in a world where political positioning means everything, being successfully blamed can blow even a reasonable position out of the water.
Quinn’s press conference shows he is now savvy enough to understand that. He said he’s planning to use the next two weeks to build public support for his positions. One of those appearances, he said, would be at a soldier’s funeral. He may be learning this game too well.
Who do you think will “win” this blame game battle?
* Related and semi-related…
* Governer Quinn Addresses Flip-Flop Critics: “In the legislative process, there are compromises. I’m willing to make reasonable compromises for the common good.” Quinn says Madigan complained the previous governor was too stubborn.
* Gov. Quinn appeals to legislators on proposed tax increase
* How reform failed in Illinois - Quinn, legislative leaders and activists all played role in passing weak campaign finance bill
* Quinn fires head of hospital board: Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board Executive Secretary Jeffrey Mark was dismissed quietly Tuesday — the same day the General Assembly and Quinn signed off on a plan to kill the five-member board and replace it with a new nine-member panel. Mark had been under fire for being the top health-board staffer when one of its former members, Stuart Levine, used his influence to try to get kickbacks on projects the board was reviewing.
* Brown: “You don’t wanna be too direct,” Weinstein cautioned Levine at one point about seeking a possible kickback, advising that it would be better to arrange “a quid pro quo in another world.” A quid pro quo in another world. That’s the most elegant description I’ve ever heard of how political corruption usually operates at the highest levels in this city and state. Instead of taking a direct payoff, your smarter corrupt politician or business person takes it in trade on the other end –out of sight or at least harder to prove.
* As I told subscribers this morning, Gov. Quinn’s campaign has posted a testimonial from former Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka, a usually reliable Republican…
That’s news and Ditka’s praise will only help the guv.
* But this testimonial from former Senate President Emil Jones? Also newsworthy, but not nearly as helpful…
Including Jones’ usual whacks at the House in this campaign spot probably won’t help Quinn with Speaker Madigan, either. And this campaign video, which includes a scene of Quinn clapping to the line “Shame on the General Assembly!” sure positively Blagojevichian to my eyes.
Nice music, though. Actually, most of the Quinn campaign videos have fairly strong production values, especially for what most people consider an amateur campaign effort so far. They’re much better than the vids posted at Lisa Madigan’s outdated YouTube site, for example.
I guess having a campaign staffer following his every move with a hi-def video camera is paying off.
* Meanwhile, Illinois Review picks up on GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Schillertrom’s alleged liberalism, which the retiring DuPage County Board Chairman talked about in a recent SJ-R piece…
[Schillerstrom] also doesn’t think his stand on abortion – “I am opposed to abortion,” he said in an earlier interview, “but I am pro-choice” — will keep him from winning a Republican primary. […]
He also has said he supports the Second Amendment right to bear arms, but “I would be opposed to concealed carry,” which would allow regular citizens in Illinois the right to carry concealed guns
Thoughts?
* Related…
* Comptroller’s documents detail history of IFDA trouble: Even as a pre-need funeral fund worth hundreds of millions of dollars began tanking in 2001, the state comptroller’s office ceased audits designed to ensure the money was safe.
* Dennis Cook to run for statewide office: Consolidated District 230 Board of Education President Dennis Cook announced last week he will run for the Republican nomination for either Illinois state comptroller or lieutenant governor in 2010.
* Rep. Davis says poll shows he could defeat Stroger: Asked whether he has talked to Stroger about Stroger’s political plans, Davis said: “I’m going to try and reach him tomorrow.” Even if Stroger doesn’t bow out, “I will go forward,” Davis said.
Madigan, whose office received a supplemental state appropriation this spring, was able to roll back a furlough policy, but some employees had begun taking them and continued to do so. Madigan also reduced her staff through 21 layoffs, retirements and vacancies. As of last week, her office was down 54 people compared with June 2008.
“We scrubbed through our operating budget lines as much as we could,” Madigan chief of staff Ann Spillane said. “We looked at every contract we had. We cut back on travel unless it was absolutely required, and we did things that may seem small, like reduce subscriptions and ordering different parts of the office to share subscriptions to legal publications.”
The attorney general’s office ought to be spared further cuts, Spillane said, because it produces revenue for the state, primarily from lawsuit settlements. Reducing its staff means reducing overall revenue for the state.
“We’re going to have a problem, a very serious problem,” she said. “I don’t know where else we would cut.”
For the sake of argument, let’s stipulate that Madigan’s office is correct and there are no more places to cut. So, shouldn’t the attorney general now come out in favor of a tax increase to balance the budget, and/or suggest some other “real” cuts or other revenue streams in order to spare her own allegedly decimated budget lines from the ax? Wouldn’t that be the responsible thing to do?
Instead, all we get is radio silence on the issue.
* She’s also been quiet about her political plans, but others haven’t. From the Politico…
The newest member of the congressional delegation, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), said he’s spoken twice to Madigan about running for governor. In his second conversation, early this month, Quigley told her it would be better if she ran for governor.
“Many members of the Illinois delegation would prefer that she run for governor, because they see her as the strongest candidate for governor,” said Quigley, who filled Rahm Emanuel’s old House seat in April. “There are a lot of Democrats who could run for the Senate and be successful.”
Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill.) spoke with Madigan this month by phone for about 45 minutes and told her that she’d make a “great senator.” But he added several caveats: The job would be tough, since she has young children; she would constantly be fundraising; Washington is an expensive city to live in; and unlike being a chief executive of a state, the slow-moving Senate can be a “frustrating” place to work, since 60 votes are needed to even begin debating pieces of legislation.
“She just asked me, really from the personal side, about this town and the job,” Hare said. “I said, ‘Look, I love this job, but it’s tough when you have little kids.’”
This whole premise about Lisa’s job hunt is starting to wear badly on me.
…Adding… From Quigley’s office…
The quote is accurate, however the paragraph preceding it is an incorrect interpretation of his statement. While he believes her to be a strong candidate like others do, Cong Quigley has not encouraged Lisa to run for either office in particular, but told her to ‘go with her gut’ when making the decision.
* Related…
* Zorn: Calls grow louder for prospective gubernatorial candidate Lisa Madigan to lay down her marker on the budget mess
* Madigan decision could change game for other politicians: “It’s a personal decision for him, just as it is for her,” Cobb said, noting that Madigan has two young children. “Does she want to commute back and forth between Washington and Chicago?”
* Birkett discusses run for IL AG: He also praised Lisa Madigan’s performance during her two terms in office. He seemed confident that Madigan was moving on to the senate or governor’s race.
* Finke: General Assembly ready to rumble: He could step aside and let the next in line of succession take over. Since we no longer have a lieutenant governor, the next in line is Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who may be running for the office before too long anyway.
* Sun-Times: State’s top Democrats bungle budget again: We can’t help but wonder if Madigan is loath to do anything — such as push through a tax increase — that might make Quinn look like a winner. Quinn, you’ll recall, remains on a collision course to run for governor against Madigan’s daughter, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, next year. It’s hard to know why Mike Madigan does what he does. Right now, all we care about is results. And what we see is not much.
* Sidestepping Madigan: “I have a number of other legislators — Democrat and Republican, House and Senate — I will be meeting with over the next few days,'’ Quinn told reporters. “We believe in consensus-building.'’ … “I ain’t scared to call the speaker out — he ain’t my daddy,'’ Meeks said. “If the speaker wanted this solved, it would be solved. For whatever reason, he doesn’t want to work this out. Pat Quinn is trying to do everything he can to save social services.'’
* Gov. Quinn appeals to legislators on proposed tax increase
* Lawmakers have some explaining to do: House Speaker Mike Madigan has said he might bring the House back at the last possible minute to deal with the mess. Of course, that pronouncement came with barbs at Quinn for creating a crisis. Memo to Madigan: It is a crisis. No extra creation needed.
According to the indictment, Carothers started taking bribes from Boender in 2004 in exchange for supporting the project that now includes homes, a movie theater and a job-training center for construction laborers that’s set to open next January.
Carothers is the only alderman who has been charged in connection with Galewood Yards. But Boender had relationships with several other members of Chicago’s City Council at the time they agreed to give the laborers council the money to buy Boender’s land, near Armitage and Central, on June 28, 2006. They include:
• • Burke, who’s chairman of the City Council Finance Committee. The city’s most powerful alderman, Burke also heads a law firm that has represented Boender in 14 property-tax appeal cases since 2005, a relationship the Chicago Sun-Times disclosed last week. Five of those cases were filed this year, and Burke won reductions for Boender on three of those properties.
In March 2007, Boender hosted a campaign fund-raiser for Burke’s wife, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, raising $58,250. Burke’s wife says she has refunded some of that money and has given the rest to charity.
County commissioners urged state authorities Thursday to shut down the Cook County Regional Education Office in the wake of a critical audit that revealed that Supt. Charles A. Flowers used a government credit card for personal expenses and approved questionable payments to relatives on his payroll.
The decision on what to do about the state-funded suburban education agency ultimately rests with the Illinois Legislature.
The Cook County Board’s unanimous resolution Thursday urged the Legislature to transfer the duties now handled by the regional education office to the Illinois State Board of Education.
“If Dr. Flowers is listening, he should resign,” Commissioner Larry Suffredin said. “He has really taken an office that has an important educational function and disgraced it.”
* Education Secretary Arne Duncan counting on business leaders to help push through school reforms
Duncan said he knows what needs to be done, but scaling up requires time and resources.
Is it even possible? Some heavy hitters think it is.
“You’ve got a window of opportunity,” said ex-Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, who has teamed with former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley in an effort to jump-start public education in Illinois — akin to what Duncan is trying to achieve on the national level.
As front men for a recently formed independent advocacy group, Advance Illinois, Edgar and Daley say the potential exists for progress — even “radical” progress. But they see the usual pitfalls too.
According to a new advocacy group, Advance Illinois, here are just some of the issues:
- Out of every four students who enter high school in the state, only one will graduate ready for college or a meaningful job.
- Only 55 percent of high school graduates in the state even start college (based on the Class of 2006.) In New York, 73 percent of its students attend college.
- Only 36 percent of Illinois residents have an associate degree or higher. In Massachusetts, for example, 45 percent of residents have at least finished community college.
An ongoing Tribune investigation reveals an admissions system subject to outside influences. The latest internal documents reviewed by the newspaper suggest the athletic department requested special consideration for non-athletes who applied to the state’s most prestigious public university.
The campus e-mails and correspondence provided under the state’s Freedom of Information Act show that admissions officials gave special consideration to candidates with ties to athletic donors at the request of the department director and his deputies. In several cases, athletic officials sought a reconsideration of a student’s rejection, a more thorough review of an application or to hasten the review process.
In the 2008-09 application cycle, one candidate had been tagged as an automatic denial by admissions officials because of poor academic credentials, but was accepted after being recommended by the athletic department, according to a log of special requests. At least three of six students recommended by the department this year got in.
Top athletic administrators said they only forward applicants they feel could succeed at the U. of I. And though they acknowledge the pressures of having to raise millions each year to keep the athletics program self-supporting, Ron Guenther, director of the division of intercollegiate athletics, said the “quid pro quo” does not extend to admissions.
* UI chancellor to testify Monday in admissions probe
University of Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman will testify Monday before a state panel investigating the school’s admissions procedures, including whether politically connected applicants received special treatment.
Herman is one of two UI officials on the agenda for Monday’s hearing at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago.
The other is Paul Pless, assistant dean for admissions at the UI College of Law, who complained vehemently in a 2006 e-mail about being forced to accept subpar applicants.
A Feb. 13, 2007, e-mail shows 11 candidates from the University of Illinois clout list were admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, even though the university ranked their applications lower than 149 of their high school classmates.
When an admissions officer questioned the orders, he was told to admit the students on the list. The 11 students were accepted while their more qualified classmates were denied or wait-listed.
* Report: Treasurer’s aide helped get teen in to UI
The Chicago Tribune reported Friday that the applicant had ties to the Rev. Alexander Karloutsos, a politically connected Greek Orthodox priest. After the student’s admission, Karloutsos helped with a Giannoulias fundraiser in New York that brought in at least $120,000.
Karloutsos told the newspaper he reached out to Giannoulias adviser Endy Zemenides on behalf of the applicant, the daughter of a family friend.
Zemenides, in turn, e-mailed information about the teen to university Provost Linda Katehi in February 2008. Katehi then forwarded the details to a vice provost…
The teen was subsequently lifted from the school’s waiting list and accepted.
The university says Blagojevich submitted letters of recommendation in 2005 for two applicants to the Carbondale campus law school, but neither applicant was accepted.
SIU says its review of applications to its other schools, including its campus in Edwardsville, from 2002 through last year turned up no other examples of Blagojevich trying to use political muscle to press admissions.
The two are among 50 students who will take advantage of a new policy allowing male and female undergraduates to room together — something that was forbidden throughout the 117-year history of the Hyde Park school.
The state of Illinois recently placed in two national Top Ten lists, but it’s nothing to be proud of.
Roughly one of every three children in Illinois is overweight or obese, putting Illinois 10th in the country for children from ages 10 to 17 who are too heavy, according to a new report.
Even worse, Illinois ranks fourth strictly in terms of obesity, with about one out of every five children being obese.
Attendance at the 2009 Taste of Chicago was down about 6 percent to 3.35 million, the event hampered by a struggling economy and several days of rain, organizers said Sunday at the close of its 10-day run.
State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. is boosting homeowners insurance rates an average of 13 percent in Illinois, the company said Thursday, joining other insurers that have hiked rates recently.
That would raise the average homeowners policy in Illinois from $592 to $669 or by $77.
* Tribune Co. profitability continues to deteriorate
The company is much less profitable than before its filing in December and is burning through cash, financial statements for the first five months of the year show. Tribune’s revenue declined about 23% in the first half of 2009, according to an estimate by Chicago-based Morningstar Inc. analyst Tom Corbett, who reviewed the company’s financials.
“They are just like every other newspaper company I am looking at,” Mr. Corbett said. “They are seeing vertiginous losses in ad sales and their profitability is suffering from having fixed costs.”
“These are difficult times, particularly for home builders,” said Mark Nora, vice chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Real Property Committee and a partner with Shefsky and Froelich in Chicago. “You see more and more of this.”
As many as half of the nation’s privately held builders have shut down during the housing bust, and many others are struggling to survive. In the Chicago metropolitan area, besides Kirk, Kimball Hill Inc. and Neumann Homes have filed for bankruptcy.
As a result, Chicago Transit Authority ridership using the 30-day pass has increased about 15 percent overall in the first five months of the year compared with the same period in 2008, according to the CTA.
Ridership on the 30-day pass option using the Chicago Card Plus fare card has shot up even more, increasing by about 22 percent.
Meanwhile, pay-per-use riding on the Chicago Card and the Chicago Card Plus has declined a total of 7.5 percent, while on the Chicago Card alone, ridership fell about 24 percent.
Regular CTA riders who haven’t made changes might want to stop and count the money they are wasting.
The law, which took effect Jan. 1 in Illinois, requires first-time drunken driving offenders to install breath-monitoring gadgets that prevent engines from starting until motorists blow into the alcohol detectors to prove they are sober.
At least 7,000 Illinois residents have had to use the devices so far this year - up from around 3,000 in all of 2008 under an old law that mostly targeted multiple DUI offenders. At least 5,000 more people could install them by the end of 2009, according to data obtained by The Associated Press from the Illinois secretary of state’s office.
Two years ago, Illinois law changed to take driving privileges away from people convicted of not having car insurance.
But despite the threat of a three-month license suspension, statistics appear to show people are driving without insurance anyway.
Since July 1, 2007, more than 115,000 Illinois drivers have lost their licenses after being convicted of driving without up-to-date insurance, according to state numbers. About 68,000 were suspended last year, and about 31,000 have been so far this year.
Last week, advocates unveiled an $11.5 billion plan for a Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail line that could cut travel time to two hours from the current five. If built, it would be among the fastest U.S. lines and would rival systems in Europe and Asia.
Under the proposal, electric-powered trains would zoom the nearly 300 miles between Chicago and St. Louis at speeds up to 220 mph — more than 100 mph faster than diesel-powered trains under a comparatively modest plan advocated by eight Midwestern governors.
The latest plan — announced as part of a study by the nonprofit Midwest High Speed Rail Association — is generating excitement among rail enthusiasts who pooh-pooh the governors’ proposal, which envisions trains reaching top speeds of 110 mph, as too conservative.
The proposal for a 220-mph service is intended to complement, not replace, the governors’ plan, Harnish said. The 110 mph trains would serve more communities and make more stops.
Newspaper and radio ads about the $15 billion O’Hare International Airport expansion have drawn the ire of supporters of a 160-year-old Bensenville cemetery in the path of a planned runway.
The ads, which ran in the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald and on WGN and WBBM-AM radio, notified relatives of people buried in St. Johannes Cemetery that Chicago “has commenced legal proceedings to acquire the cemetery” and move the graves to other cemeteries. The notice also encourages relatives to call the O’Hare Modernization Program’s cemetery administrator “to learn more about the relocation process.”.
“You may have an opportunity to participate,” the ad states. Chicago “will be responsible for paying all necessary and reasonable costs associated with the relocation of the graves.”
Gov. Pat Quinn was among dozens of elected officials, co-op representatives and residents to turn out for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in April. The governor used the occasion to express confidence the state can reach a requirement of generating 20 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020, including solar and wind turbines “in every nook and cranny of the state.”
An American Wind Energy Association report found the number of wind farms in Illinois has grown to 10 since the first farm was completed in 2005 in northern Illinois. At least three more are under construction.
Proposed projects also continue to pop up across the state, including a major wind farm planned between New Berlin and Pleasant Plains. Developers of that project, which eventually would have to be approved by the county board, are conducting environmental studies and negotiating with landowners…
“The idea is to sit back to see if it’s going to work they way they say it’s going to,” said committee chairman Kenneth Andersen. The 150-turbine farm would include 119 turbines southwest of DeKalb and additional turbines in an adjoining county.
Both probes were reportedly initiated by conservative prelates unhappy that American nuns are not sufficiently toeing the line of Catholic orthodoxy, not wearing habits, not living in convents and not keeping their mouths shut about the concerns of women in a modern world.
* Rep. Paul Froehlich, who has been hit hard by Chicago’s Fox TV station for using constituent property tax assessment appeals to boost his campaigns, won’t run for another term…
Democratic state Rep. Paul Froehlich of Schaumburg has announced he won’t run for re-election next year.
Implying that another political opportunity may present itself either before or after the end of his current fourth term, Froehlich said he wants to make his decision public before the start of the primary petition period on Aug. 4.
Froehlich created waves both locally and in Springfield in 2007 when he switched parties from Republican to Democrat. But he survived the political fallout to win re-election last year.
The National Society of Newspaper Columnists chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the winner of its annual Sitting Duck Award, a tongue-in-cheek honor that pokes fun at the most ridiculed newsmakers in the United States.
Palin beat out Democrat Rod Blagojevich, the ousted former governor of Illinois allegedly caught trying to sell President Barack Obama’s Senate seat.
Palin is resigning, so Blagojevich’s trial next year might put him on top. Operative word: Might.
I’ve compared the two governors at least once before. Read my Sun-Times column from last September (before the arrest) by clicking here.
Hey Rich – I know that you are “closed” for the weekend, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of 4 million Aqua-Leisure Inflatable Baby Floats [yesterday] after reports that the seats were tearing – causing children to fall into or under water. The attached alert includes pictures and descriptive information on the recalled items – and we have been working all day with different groups and organizations to help get the word out about this…
Thanks!
Elizabeth Norden
Director, Strategic Communications
Attorney General Lisa Madigan
