* US Sen. Dick Durbin underwent surgery to have a small tumor removed from his stomach…
Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat, underwent surgery in Chicago to remove a small gastro-intestinal stromal tumor (GIST) discovered during a routine check-up.
The Illinois Democrat’s doctors found no evidence of cancer, Durbin’s office said, and the tumor was able to be removed in its entirety using laparoscopic procedures.
“Senator Durbin went through today’s surgical procedure with flying colors and is resting comfortably,” said Durbin spokesman Joe Shoemaker. “He expects to be released from the hospital and resume a light schedule in the next couple days and should be able to resume a full schedule as soon as next week.”
The tumor was not present in the lining cells of the stomach and was completely removed, with preliminary biopsy results indicating a favorable prognosis, they said.
Durbin spokesman Joseph Shoemaker struck an optimistic note about the surgery.
“This particular type of tumor is a rare form of stomach cancer, so it is cancer, yes,” he said in an interview.
But he added that the type of tumor that was discovered cannot be classified strictly as benign or malignant since they all have potential to become malignant. “However, small ones such as Sen. Durbin’s can often be completely removed and the patient then runs a totally normal course,” he said.
* Because of the Blagojevich hearing right now, I don’t have a lot of time, but take a look at this Rasmussen poll which has Bill Brady stomping Gov. Pat Quinn 48-35. Here’s the new result along with past Rasmussen polls in brackets….
Thirty-six percent (36%) of Illinois voters now approve of the job Quinn is doing as governor, down seven points from earlier this month. Sixty percent (60%) disapprove. […]
Sixty-four percent (64%) view Brady as conservative, while only 16% see him as being moderate.
Forty-seven percent (47%) say Quinn is politically liberal, but 31% see him as moderate.
Despite these ideological differences, Illinois voters have similar perceptions of the two candidates’ views. Forty-two percent (42%) see Brady’s views as being in the mainstream, and 41% say the same of Quinn’s. But 38% of voters see Quinn’s views as extreme, while 32% feel that way about Brady’s. However, over 20% of voters have no opinion of either man’s views.
Brady is viewed Very Favorably by 16% of the state’s voters and Very Unfavorably by 19%.
Quinn earns Very Favorable marks from 10% and Very Unfavorable reviews from 33%.
“Your Honor,” their note reads. “In response to your communication of 11 August, 2010, we’ve deliberated on all acts and counts with the exception of the wire fraud counts. We have reached unanimous agreement on two counts. We have been unable to agree on any of the remaining counts.”
Judge James Zagel said he wanted to write back and instruct them to deliberate on the wire fraud — even if their final decision is that they cannot agree.
The jury has reached a unanimous decision on two counts, deadlocked on many of the others but still hasn’t deliberated on all 13 wire fraud counts, the judge announced in court.
Sun-Times says there are 11 wire fraud counts. No time to check. Update…
The judge proposed responding with a note that says, in part:
“You should deliberate on the wire fraud counts to the extent necessary to enable you to vote on those counts. We recognize that your stated inability to reach agreement on other counts may have established to your satisfaction that you would be similarly unable to reach unanimity on some or all of the wire fraud counts. Nonetheless, a deliberative decision by you on each of those counts should be made, even if it is a decision that you cannot reach unanimity on any of those counts.”
Back in court, attorneys say they are OK with the wording of the note with the exception of the word “vote,” which they want to change to the word “decide.”
“We don’t want a situation where this is viewed as a supplemental instruction,” a defense attorney tells the judge. Zagel agrees.
“The jury is at lunch,” the judge says. “When they return, they will receive this in written form.”
* The jury result so far appears to be: 11 counts deadlocked, 11 not considered and 2 unanimous.
* And that appears to be that. Court is adjourned. Watch the CLTV live webcast for some post-game interviews.
* From OneMan, Robert Blagojevich leaves the building…
* Terry Sullivan confirms on CLTV that the jury isn’t - at this point - coming back tomorrow. They’ve asked for Friday off.
* A group of Republican legislators held an informal hearing yesterday in Peoria to take testimony about the Quinn administration’s botched early release program. The reason they say they had to hold the hearing was that the administration wasn’t providing information and they were being blocked from pressing the matter further in Springfield…
“We introduced bills to have a bipartisan commission to review this type of issue, but we couldn’t even get the bill called for a hearing,” [said Rep. Jim Durkin of Countryside]
Quinn asked retired judge David Erickson back in December to do a thorough review of what went wrong. As subscribers know, Erickson has only been heard from intermittently since then…
“This meeting, hearing - whatever you want to call it - really is out of frustration,” [Sen. Dale Risinger (R-Peoria)] said. “The governor appointed Judge Erickson to get a quick report, a thorough report out of what happened so that we could take a look at what went wrong, why did it happen, how can we make corrections to it, how can we work forward and work through it.
“It’s eight, nine months later and we don’t have a report. I can’t imagine why it takes that long to write the report, release the report, that should have been out months ago.”
You could easily pass last night’s Peoria hearing off as a Republican political stunt, and it probably was. But the local Democrats aren’t fools. They showed up, too…
“I almost didn’t come tonight,” said Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, who along with Reps. Jehan Gordon, D-Peoria, and Mike Smith, D-Canton, joined committee members on the Arbor Hall auditorium stage. “But I think what happened here was significant.”
Everybody knows the volatility of this issue to the locals, because a prisoner released under the botched MGT Push program was reincarcerated, released again and allegedly committed a murder there. That second release also created a huge local controversy because Gov. Pat Quinn tried to place the blame for that second release on the Prisoner Review Board, but the PRB had documentation showing that a Quinn administration employee had recommended a relatively short incarceration period.
* Every time I write about this issue, some people come to the blog and complain that the director of the Department of Corrections was just doing his job. The real issue, they say, is the state needed to save money and Director Michael Randle did that when he released those prisoners early.
Their arguments are bogus. First, Randle allegedly defied a direct order from Gov. Quinn not to use his office’s discretion to release violent prisoners early without cause, and then allegedly covered it up. Second, the move probably cost a lot more than it saved because Corrections scrambled for weeks to round up all those violent parolees before they hurt an innocent citizen and cost Quinn the primary election.
Judge Erickson needs to release that report, which was due in January. Let’s find out what “really” happened.
* Yesterday, I told subscribers about this newsletter sent out Monday by the state’s school superintendent Christopher Koch. The superintendent’s main message was about the state aid bill which was then pending in the US House. It has since passed and been signed into law. Here’s what Koch had to say…
We believe that if the spending measure becomes law, the Illinois General Assembly would have to come back to Springfield to pass a supplemental appropriation and these funds would likely be distributed through General State Aid.
That certainly looked like we were going to need a special session to appropriate that cash, so I asked the governor’s office, the Senate President and the House Speaker for comment. Nobody was quite sure what they were going to do. The SJ-R has a story today which is essentially a carbon copy of mine…
Illinois lawmakers might have to return to Springfield in a special session if the state wants to spend more than $400 million in education aid it expects to receive from Washington.
Then again, maybe they won’t.
State officials were scrambling Wednesday to figure out just what they need to do and when in order for the cash-strapped state to tap into federal aid money approved by Congress Tuesday. The additional aid is expected to bring $550 million in Medicaid money to Illinois, along with the $400 million in education funds. […]
“We know some people feel (a special session is needed), but from our perspective we are reviewing the legislation, so it’s too early to make that decision,” said Kelly Kraft, spokeswoman for Quinn’s budget office, in a written statement. “It will probably be a few days before that decision is made.”
The reason legislative action could be required is because of the mechanics of the budget process. When lawmakers approve a state budget, they are authorizing the state to spend up to a certain amount in specific areas, like education or health care or public safety. The $400 million in federal education money wasn’t anticipated when lawmakers approved the budget, so at some point they have to formally authorize the spending.
Needless to say, a special session could get tricky, because there is so much unfinished business in Springfield. If they’re going to be in town anyway, why not address some of that other stuff, editorial boards, activists and Republicans might say.
* Meanwhile, the Tribune conducted a survey of several school districts and reports that about half the teachers laid off earlier this year will be called back, a number confirmed by the Illinois Education Association. The fight now will be over how this new federal money is used. The teachers unions want to make sure that it’s used to preserve jobs. The state may try to just catch up on overdue school payments. The schools may want to use the money for other stuff. It’s gonna be a battle, for sure. The Trib also looked at recent layoffs and hire backs…
Spring layoffs and summer recalls are part of the normal budgeting cycle because of the mismatch between when districts have to finalize staffing plans and when the legislature firms up a state budget.
In a normal year, the majority of teachers let go in March get asked back in the summer. For example, about 4,700 teachers were laid off during the 2007-08 school year, but nearly 60 percent were recalled. The following year, as the recession deepened, more teachers were laid off — 6,139 — and only about 50 percent were recalled, according to state figures.
This year, many districts plan to hold off hiring until they know exactly how many children enroll for class and how much money they have to pay teachers’ salaries — including the new jobs funding.
* Related…
* Funding from federal jobs bill could restore public school program cuts: Chicago’s financially-strapped public schools are in line for a $105 million windfall from the new federal jobs bill — enough to restore high school class sizes, bi-lingual education and other program cuts — but probably not in time for the start of school Sept. 7.
* A holiday from fiscal reality: It’s an annual ritual known as the sales tax holiday, which lets consumers make certain government-approved purchases without remitting the usual levy to the Department of Revenue.
* State closes 13 tourist centers to save money: The state government has shut down 13 of its 15 tourist information centers to try to save money. Alka Nayyar is a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. She says the closures could be short-term if the agency can get Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget office to sign off on a spending plan for the agency that includes contracts to run the centers.
* Eric Zorn has a pretty good analysis of the reports that the Blagojevich trial jurors asked Judge Zagle what they should do if they can’t agree “on any given count”…
This is a fascinatingly puzzling phrase, if accurately transcribed. If you read “any” as meaning a set that includes all (as in “Glenn Beck and I don’t agree on any issue”), it would suggest that jurors are deadlocked on all counts and that the word “given” is a gratuitous rhetorical flourish; what they meant to ask was what they should do if they “cannot agree on any count,” and “given” was a way of saying “the counts that were given to us by the judge at the conclusion of closing arguments.”
But if you read “any” as meaning “an unspecified item or items from a larger set of items” (as in “just pick any dessert on the menu, they’re all fantastic.”), it would suggest that jurors are deadlocked on just a few of the charges, perhaps even just one. In this translation, the words “any given” work together to underscore the lack of specificity (as in the famous cliche about pro football that “on any given Sunday” an underdog can upset a favorite.
I believe that when the jurors send out a clarifying note later this morning, we’ll find the latter translation is what they had in mind. If they truly were deadlocked on all counts, I doubt they would have indicated this to the judge using a note with gratuitous rhetorical flourishes in it. That note would have read simply, “What do we do if we can’t agree on any of the counts?”
I also believe this is bad news for Rod Blagojevich. A staunch handful of jurors is probably not holding out for convictions on the last few remaining charges after the panel has already voted to acquit on all the other charges. Not after 11 days. Not with that kind of momentum behind “not guilty.” Not without a specific victim crying out (from, say, beyond the grave) for justice. The “well, he’s suffered plenty already, let’s be done with this and go home” sentiment would have prevailed long ago.
Far more likely, it seems to me, is that most or all of the counts that have already been decided against the ex-governor are guilty verdicts, but a minority bloc of jurors is balking either at making it a clean sweep or of convicting Blagojevich’s brother Robert.
Since I tend to believe that Rod Blagojevich is guilty as all get-out, I choose to believe Eric. You?
…Adding… From a friend…
From what we know of that seemingly indecipherable note, the foreman may have a future as a Capitol flak. Not since [George Ryan spokesman] Dennis Culloton has their been such a cryptic message that sent reporters scurrying and yet provided no answers.
* While we’re all waiting on that 2:30 Blagojevich hearing and fielding all the rumors floating around, let’s distract ourselves with this video which will probably stick in your head for a very long time. I give you Sheila Simon and friends singing Bob Dylan…
Warning: This really will stick in your head for a long while.
*** UPDATE 26 - 5:58 pm *** Chuck Goudie was just on Roe Conn’s show and talked about how there seems to be an indication that there was something in that note which wasn’t shared with the public. The speculation focuses on what Michael Ettinger told reporters. He seemed to strongly indicate that the note meant Robert Blagojevich was off the hook. But, who the heck knows at this point?
Jurors said in their note that they are “hopelessly deadlocked” on every count that involves an act, an attorney for Robert Blagojevich told the media after court.
Lawyers are now scratching their heads, trying to figure out what that means, attorney Michael Ettinger said in a press conference at around 4:50 p.m.
The jury might be saying they are “hopelessly deadlocked” on the racketeering charges, Ettinger speculated. That’s a lengthy and complicated charge that is divided into six separate “acts.”
Attorneys saw the entire note sent out by the jury earlier today; only portions were read in court a little while ago. Judge James Zagel has responded in writing, asking the jury for clarification.
Ettinger responded with “I don’t know” over and over again when asked if he thinks the jury’s note meant they were deadlocked on every count or just some.
Blago jury gone for day. Will return in morning to tell judge on how many counts they are deadlocked.
What we really need is a full and accurate transcript of that jury note. Nobody seems to have it since the judge quoted bits and pieces and summarized it. From Susan Berger…
Bottom line. Everyone confused.
Yep. Me too.
*** UPDATE 22 - 5:00 pm *** Michael Ettinger, an attorney for Robert Blagojevich…
“We don’t know what it means, the judge doesn’t know what it means.”
*** UPDATE 21 - 4:54 pm *** Robert Blagojevich attorney Michael Ettinger just told NBC5 that he has been instructed to return to court tomorrow at 11.
*** UPDATE 20 - 4:52 pm *** I asked Susan Berger a few minutes ago whether everything but the post-game interviews were finished for the day. Here’s her response…
Not clear. Possible jury could respond with another note.
*** UPDATE 19 - 4:49 pm *** The Tribune has added this line to its blog post, which may give us a clue as to what’s going on…
The jury indicated it wanted to know what happens if it cannot agree on a unanimous decision on every count. The panel had matched up specific acts in the case to individual counts and was unclear on what to do next, the note said.
“What is the next logical step?” the jury asked in its note.
U.S. District Judge James Zagel, reading from a note from jurors, said they had made “a reasonable
attempt” after deliberating 11 days and had done so “without rancor.”
“What is the next logical step?” the jury asked in its note.
Zagel said in court that he needs further clarification from the jury before deciding the next step.
The jury wants to go home for the day, the judge said.
Zagel read from the note he will send back to the jury. It asks them which counts, if any, they have been able to agree on, and also explains that it’s “permissible” for them to submit a unanimous decision on some counts and be hung on others.
“I’ll give this to the jury and we’ll see what happens,” the judge said.
As the former governor arrived with his wife, Patti, shortly before 4 p.m. today, he was asked by reporters how he was feeling and he responded: “Butterflies.”
Word is blago just left his house in a Red Chevy 3:20 pm
Google maps says it’s a 17-minute drive, but I hardly think they can make it there that fast. Plus, he has to get through security. It’ll be awhile yet.
Ex-governor Rod Blagojevich and his brother, Robert, are expected to arrive at the Dirksen Federal Building shortly. Barricades have been put up on Dearborn Street and reporters and camera crews are slowly gathering outside.
It’s an unexpected development in what seemed at first to be — and which could still turn out to be — a simple court hearing about a jury question.
But the fact that the defendants were asked to show up does raise some eyebrows. Court personnel has not said anything about a verdict — they normally do, when one is reached.
If the jury reveals that it is deadlocked, Judge James Zagel will likely tell them to keep deliberating and do their best to come up with a verdict.
Somethings up. Word is barricades up outside. Blago on his way here? Just speculation
*** UPDATE 2 - 2:38 pm *** From Susan Berger’s Twitter page…
There are thoughts this must be significant- the lawyers have been in the courtroom for 30 minutes. We are not yet allowed in
*** UPDATE 1 - 2:32 pm *** From the Sun-Times’ Blago Blog…
But in the meantime, something a bit out of the ordinary — attorneys are having a closed-door conference with Judge James Zagel. They were told to meet him in the courtroom at 2 p.m.
We don’t know if they’re privately discussing the jury’s question before it is made public in open court, or if they’re talking about something else entirely. But it certainly has the media abuzz with the possibilities.
Lots and lots of rumors. Keep your powder dry. We’ll know soon.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* A hearing is scheduled for 2:30 this afternoon in Rod Blagojevich’s case. Apparently, the jurors have sent the judge another question…
Attorneys were told to be at the courthouse this afternoon and were not told that their clients must also attend.
The question comes on Day 11 of deliberations and eight days after the 12-member panel last communicated with the judge in the case.
The last communication from jurors came on July 30th when they asked for all the trial’s testimony.
Everybody, just take a deep breath. We’ll know more later this afternoon. The rumors have been swirling, but one of Blagojevich’s defense lawyers just tamped it all down…
But defense lawyer Sheldon Sorosky says his information suggests that the matter is only a procedural question, and nothing more.
* 11:25 am - Former Congressman Dan Rostenkowski has died. He’s been ill for quite a while.
Ald. Dick Mell’s office just confirmed that the viewing will be Monday at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, which is at Noble and Evergreen in Chicago. The funeral will be at the church on Tuesday.
Try to keep the comments respectful. Yeah, he did what he did, but the man is dead now.
…Adding… From Speaker Madigan…
“Dan Rostenkowski devoted his life to his community, Chicago and the state. His accomplishments are many. His efforts on behalf of the regular people who needed a friend to wade through the tangle of government are unparalleled.
“Shirley and I offer his family our deepest sympathies and prayers.”
At the federal level, they have a compliant grand jury and all the investigative tools they need: the agents of the FBI, Internal Revenue Service and every other federal agency. Plus eager assistants who will send their own grannies up the river to enhance their careers.
And the most dangerous and ruthless are those prosecutors who have political ambitions that are most easily fulfilled by hanging a well-known public figure.
That’s what did Rostenkowski in - a federal prosecutor’s personal ambitions. If I could put those federal headhunters on a lie box and ask: “Do you really believe that what he did was a terrible crime?” and they said “Yes,” the needle would clang when it went past the marking for “liar, liar, pants on fire.”
So now Rostenkowski goes to prison for a year or so. And the TV cameras go on the Chicago streets and ask people what they think.
And without having read one word of evidence, some glassy-eyed mope says, “Well, he did wrong and he gotta pay for it, right?”
Lord, please let a hard-nosed cop grab that mope the next time he runs a red.
Also, The Volokh Conspiracy published a very insightful story about the infamous incident with the angry senior citizens that’s mentioned in Marin’s piece.
Many of his friends and supporters saw the conviction as a farce. Sun-Times political columnist Steve Neal called it “wrong and vengeful.”
“Dan Rostenkowski unfortunately ended his career with legal problems,” the famously-upright Sen. Paul Simon noted in his memoirs, “but his contributions as chairman of Ways and Means helped the nation immensely. He had a quality not in abundance, backbone.”
Rostenkowski was issued a full and complete pardon by President Bill Clinton in 2000.
Survivors include his wife LaVerne, daughters Dawn, Kristie and Gayle — who all shortened their names to Rosten. One daughter, Stacy Rosten-McDarrah died of kidney ailment in 2007.
The wake will be held from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, 1255 North Noble Street. Funeral services are scheduled at the church at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Interment will follow at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Niles.
Some of the old-timers believe Rostenkowski took the fall for an underling. We’ll probably never know.
…Adding still more… For the other side of Rostenkowski’s career, check the Reader, which has excerpted several harsh, anti-Rostenkowski stories, including this one…
Rostenkowski and Gabinski controlÂled their villagers with the stick of brute force and fearmongering and the carrot of services like garbage collection and snow removal. On election day they sent out thick-necked patronage workers to lurk outside polling places, passing out palm cards and intimidating the locals so they wouldn’t stray from the fold. If intimidation didn’t work, there was always the race card. During the 1983 mayoral race, Rostenkowski and Gabinski put their support behind every white candidate who ran against Harold Washington—even a Republican, Bernie Epton. It was their way of letting the little people know they weren’t going to let the blacks take over.
…More… From Congressman Quigley, who represents Rostenkowski’s old district…
“Today, I offer my deepest condolences to the Rostenkowski family. Dan served the 5th District of Illinois for three and a half decades, and I join with his former and now my constituents in thanking him for his public service. Chicago and the nation have lost a political giant.”
…Still more… From Senate President John Cullerton, who ran against Rostenkowski in the 1994 Democratic primary…
“Dan Rostenkowski was a legendary Congressman and figure in Illinois. I had the pleasure of first working with him back in 1976 as part of the national convention delegation. He was one of the most productive
members of Congress and should be applauded for his work to bring federal investments back to Chicago for the benefit of all of Illinois.”
“He was a larger-than-life political figure whose legacy of accomplishments will outlive his years on this Earth.”
Illinois employers will no longer be able to run credit checks on those applying for jobs under a measure Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law today.
Supporters say the move is aimed at preventing employers from turning away job seekers due to poor credit amid an economic crisis that has left many unemployed and struggling to pay the bills.
“If you lose your job and your credit is damaged as a result, and employers use your credit to prevent you from getting a job, this is a vicious cycle folks will never get out,” said Sen. Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat who sponsored the legislation.
Under the new law that takes effect Jan. 1, employers cannot use credit history to determine whether to hire, fire or promote someone. If an employer is caught accessing such information, they can face legal action.
However, some industries and positions are exempt, such as those dealing with banking, insurance, trade secrets or state and national security.
* A new poll by Rasmussen Reports shows the US Senate race all tied up. Results in brackets are from July 26, July 7, June 7, April 28, April 5, March 8 and February 3…
Kirk earns support from 76% of Republicans, while Giannoulias is backed by 70% of Democrats. Kirk leads by better than two-to-one lead among voters not affiliated with either major political party in Illinois. […]
Kirk is viewed Very Favorably by 10% of Illinois voters and Very Unfavorably by 20%, up six points over the past two weeks.
Giannoulias’ ratings are 11% Very Favorable, up four points from late July, and 28% Very Unfavorable, also up slightly from the previous survey.
At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with strong opinions more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.
Fifty-four percent (54%) of voters in the state approve of the job Obama is doing as president, while 46% disapprove. This level of support has held steady in recent months and is well above Obama’s approval ratings nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.
Kirk’s “Very Unfavorable” upward movement has to be troubling for that campaign. The crosstabs have Giannoulias leading among moderates by six points.
* Other questions…
* How would you rate the job Barack Obama has been doing as President… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
35% Strongly approve
19% Somewhat approve
9% Somewhat disapprove
37% Strongly disapprove
0% Not sure
* How would you rate the job Pat Quinn has been doing as Governor… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
10% Strongly approve
26% Somewhat approve
23% Somewhat disapprove
37% Strongly disapprove
3% Not sure
The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Illinois was conducted on August 9, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/-4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
* Meanwhile, the Libertarian Party may make it onto the ballot here…
Looks like a Libertarian will join Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Mark Kirk on the November U.S. Senate ballot.
The word from insiders in both major parties is that the Libertarian Party’s Michael Labno has pretty well fended off challenges to his nominating petitions, throwing a potential curve into what is now viewed as a very tight race.
Sources say the electrical construction project manager now has several thousand ballot signatures more than he needs, and while a few more days are left for further action, the State Board of Elections is about done.
Mr. Labno, who was not available for comment, is a pretty conservative fellow who should please both Tea Party anti-government types and social conservatives.
That could be quite interesting. The conservative Constitution Party is barely holding on. We’ll know more next week.
Just a day after Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk said he was “inclined” to vote for a $26 billion “jobs bill” to funnel federal money to the states to stave off teacher lay-offs, Kirk voted against it.
The Democratic-sponsored bill passed anyway.
“When I returned to Washington for this special session, I read [Senate] Leader Reid’s bill and found it spent more, taxed more and borrowed more than any of the past bills I supported,” Kirk said in a written statement. “I did not support the Reid bill because it added $16 billion in new Medicaid spending and levied another $9 billion in new, permanent tax increases. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill adds over $12 billion to our deficit. As a fiscal conservative, I could not support this bill and will work to cut spending, taxing and borrowing in this and future Congresses.”
Just about every story I’ve read about this issue says the CBO scoring found that it would reduce the deficit by $1.4 billion over ten years. That’s one part of the CBO scoring. Another part, dealing with the Pay as You Go statue, which you can read by clicking here, says the bill adds $12.6 billion to the deficit over ten years. But a footnote says this…
Excludes savings in Titles II and III that would result from changes to programs and rescissions of funds previously designated as emergency, which total about $14 billion over the 2010-2020 period.
It’s all DC Speak, but it looks like that $14 billion in savings more than wipes out the $12.6 billion deficit spending that Kirk pointed to. The Sun-Times talked to the CBO yesterday and was told the bill adds only $5 billion to the deficit in ten years. That’s $500 million a year, on average. Pennies to the feds. And Kirk is the same guy who is demanding an infinite extension of the Bush-era tax cuts, which if not paid for with corresponding budget cuts will deprive the federal governor of $3.5 trillion over ten years. Kirk hasn’t said how he’d like to pay for those tax cuts, by the way.
That ad attacking Giannoulias which is running this month is being paid for by the US Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber opposed the state aid bill because it’s partially paid for with a closure of an overseas business tax loophole. It would be tough for Kirk to vote against the Chamber while the Chamber was spending big bucks on his behalf. Just sayin…
“I am stunned that he would vote against an emergency bill to keep teachers in the classroom - a bill that is completely paid for and will save at least 5,700 teaching jobs right here in Illinois,” Giannoulias said.
* But will this bill actually save all those teacher jobs? Maybe not…
Three Southland superintendents say they believe the extra money coming into the state will be used to pay the general state aid they have already been promised. General state aid is money set aside for districts by the state, and is based on the number of students and the income-levels of each district.
In Mokena School District 159, 14 teachers were laid off earlier this year. District 159 Supt. Karen Perry believes the federal dollars will be used to pay money the district is already owed.
General state aid payments at District 159 have dwindled from $4 million five years ago to $900,000 this school year, she said, which amounts to only $500 per student.
“We don’t think we will see an extra dollar,” Perry said. “This will just help them meet their $500 obligation.”
Supt. Lawrence Wyllie also doubts the bill would be a big financial boon for Lincoln-Way High School District 210.
Lincoln-Way, which fired 35 teachers earlier this year, should receive an estimated $825,000 from the feds, according to preliminary estimates the state gave to U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson’s office.
“If they gave me that money, would I hire new teachers? Absolutely not. I would use it to fill the (district’s) deficit,” Wyllie said.
* Related…
* Quinn to review federal funding before acting on furloughs: The passage of a $26 billion federal jobs bill Tuesday failed to persuade Gov. Pat Quinn to immediately rescind a furlough order affecting 2,700 non-union state workers. The bill, which includes $550 million in additional federal Medicaid funding for Illinois, reverses most of the $750 million federal funding cut cited by Quinn as the reason he ordered 24 unpaid days off for the non-union employees in the current fiscal year. But Kelly Kraft, spokeswoman for Quinn’s budget office, said the governor’s furlough order still stands.
* I’m not sure yet whether this is an Internet ad or a TV ad, but the Brady campaign has just posted this 30-second spot. Two young women discuss Pat Quinn’s pay raises for his top staff. Rate it…
I’m told Brady has a new radio ad up that connects Quinn to Rod Blagojevich. I’ll post it when I get it.
At a time when Gov. Pat Quinn is speaking of the worst economic crisis since “the great recesson” NBC Chicago has learned some 235 state employees have received pay raises this year.
Earlier this summer, the Associated Press revealed 43 employees — many of them in the governor’s office — had been awarded pay hikes, but NBC Chicago, through a Freedom of Information Request, has uncovered even more pay hikes.
Of the 235 who received a pay raise in 2010, 225 of them received more than a five percent pay hike. Those rewarded with a fatter check include a labor relations expert whose pay increase is more than $5,000, to the local tourism marketing manager who received more than a $10,000 pay hike. […]
“We cannot afford to raise pay for anybody when we owe $5 billion to vendors,” Brady charged.
The pay raises range from $300 a year to $40,000 a year. The average raise for these non-union employees is 11 percent — that’s four times higher than private industry expectations.
The governor’s order forcing those workers to take 24 unpaid furlough days will wipe out most of that average pay increase, but this is not a good story for candidate Quinn whatsoever.
* The AP interviewed former Gov. Jim Edgar about Rod Blagojevich today. Here’s a brief excerpt…
Q: (W)hy do you think Blagojevich was twice elected governor(in 2002 and 2006)?
A: “The first time, it was a vote against George Ryan. He was going to change, reform government. I can understand voters, after one person fails, they were going to turn to the other party.”
“The second time, I don’t think there is any good reason. The voters blew it. The media actually did a pretty good job of documenting Blagojevich’s ethical shortcomings.”
*** UPDATE - 5:07 pm *** The jury has left for the day without announcing a verdict.
The Secretary of the Board is in the process of updating it’s email distribution list. The office is issuing this test email to determine if we have correction email addresses. Please respond to this email if you information is incorrect.
OK, aside from the egregious typos, what’s wrong with this e-mail?
That shouldn’t take you long to figure out. How is somebody supposed to respond to an e-mail if they don’t receive it because the Secretary has the wrong e-mail address?
Cook County government in a nutshell right there. Simply amazing.
But I do wonder if you can top this with any memos you’ve received over the years.
* State Fair limits parade entries from politicians: Gov. Pat Quinn and other statewide officers, as well as their opponents in the November election, were allowed to sign up as entrants, but lower-level county officials and state lawmakers not from the Springfield area were strongly urged to stay away. “We would prefer to see a marching band, for instance,” Squibb said.
* Politics but no debate outside Kane center: A political debate almost broke out on the steps of the Kane County Government Center between state Sen. Michael Noland and Steven Rauschenberger, his Nov. 2 Republican opponent, over state finances and Kane County’s own finances.
“You can’t prepare for a guilty verdict,” he said.
He’d better try.
* Blagojevich’s attorney Sam Adam, Sr. told reporters today that Rod and Patti Blagojevich are trying hard to keep news of the trial away from their two daughters…
“Their biggest problem is not letting this get to their children,” said Sam Adam. “Little Annie who’s eight years old, they’ve got to keep all the news away from her, and it’s very difficult.
“She’s scared she’s going to lose her daddy.”
The concern about trial news is odd because they brought the kids to the trial. Adam addressed that topic too, saying Blagojevich’s older daughter demanded to go, and then the younger daughter said she wanted to go as well…
“I know the news media all said this was a play for sympathy, not at all.”
Asked if the parents had any regrets about bringing the kids to the trial, Adam said “Not at all.”
* Robert Blagojevich’s attorney said he has some regrets, however. He wanted Congressman Jackson to be called to the stand, but he wouldn’t say why…
“I don’t know if I can at this point go into it. But it would have shown, you know, you’ve got the Jesse Jr. alleged bribery extortion. You’ve seen one side of it that I believe the evidence shows really didn’t occur. I believe the jury would have seen the other side of Jesse and the Indians if Jesse would have testified,” Ettinger said.
*** UPDATE *** As noted below, Sen. Bill Brady was reported as saying that he could balance the budget in a year. The campaign later admitted to me that it would take two to three years to pay off the accumulated overdue bills, so actually he’s not really balancing the budget. I asked the Quincy Herald Whig for the audio recording, and you can click here for the clip.
Transcript…
“I believe we can better schools with less money. I believe we can have better health care with less money. But we have to adopt what the private sector does and that is weed out the inefficiency and the mismanagement. Make our government lean.
“But I have an obligation as governor to live within our means. And I will balance the state’s budget in the first year. Let me say that again because most people don’t believe it. I will balance the state’s budget in the first year, because i have a fiduciary obligation to the people of Illinois, to the Constitution, to do that.”
Discuss.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* A headline in today’s Quincy Herald Whig caught my eye…
Bill Brady, GOP gubernatorial nominee, pledges to balance Illinois budget in first year
A state senator and business owner from Bloomington, Brady said he would run the state like a business, trimming expenses that have built up during the past eight years. He has pledged to cut 10 percent of state spending and balance the budget in his first year, but offered no specifics on how plans to achieve those goals and work to eliminate a $13 billion state budget deficit.
When challenged on whether 10 percent funding cuts would cripple schools, Brady would only say putting professionals in leadership will help. He suggested that employees who agree to forgo pay raises could help school districts. He did not say how that would help school districts recoup money they are owed by the state — $5.8 million for Quincy Public Schools alone — or offset earlier education cuts, including a 42 percent reduction in transportation funding announced last week by Gov. Pat Quinn.
During a later stop, Brady pledged to eliminate the Illinois State Board of Education, trimming about half of the $80 million that currently goes to that agency. […]
“If we root out corruption and fraud and abuse … we can have better government, with 90 cents on the dollar, than we have now,” Brady said.
Can he cut 10 percent from spending, reduce taxes and balance the budget? Nope. Not even close. Pat Quinn’s campaign fired off a press release this morning…
After Senator Brady has spent 17 years in the legislature without achieving a leadership position or taking the lead on a single significant piece of jobs and economy legislation… After he spent months this legislative session without uttering a single real idea to fix our budget crisis… After Governor Jim Edgar called him “naïve” on the budget, and budget expert Ralph Martire called his positions “idiotic on every level”…
Senator Brady yesterday made unmistakably clear what many have long known: he doesn’t understand how our state budget works, but he’ll say anything to woo voters on the campaign trail.
Yesterday in Quincy, Senator Brady told a group of reporters and voters what could have been confused for a fairy tale. He promised not only that he could balance the budget with a 10% cut from the $54 billion annual budget, but that he could do it in only one year.
According to Brady, however, this wasn’t fiction, this was his budget plan.
But, just as no magic beans can actually grow into a beanstalk that reaches the sky, no 10% cut of state spending can eliminate a $12.9 billion deficit. Even worse, it would require catastrophic cuts to our schools and police departments across the state. It would mean skyrocketing property taxes. And it would still leave an $8 billion hole.
* I checked with Brady’s campaign. Hasn’t Brady said in the past that it would take a few years to pay off the backlog of bills and balance the budget? Here’s the response…
Bill has said he’ll have a plan in place to deal with the backlog of unpaid bills — but it could take 2-3 years to pay them off.
OK, so he won’t balance the budget in a year. I’m not sure what that hoopla was all about in Quincy, then.
* But there’s another angle to this story. The Quinn campaign’s press release says the budget deficit is $12.9 billion. I asked the governor’s budget office what number they were using, and they said it was about $13 billion.
OK, but that $13 billion figure was the projected deficit way back in February. I sent the budget office this question…
So, does this mean there was no net reduction in the deficit then? I mean it was projected to be $12-13 billion before the budget was passed, and it’s still that?
The response…
At this time we are still using the $13 billion figure.
So, in other words, according to the governor’s campaign and his budget office, there have been no net cuts to that original projected deficit figure.
Let’s go back to the Quinn press release…
Meanwhile, in the real world, Governor Pat Quinn is executing an economic strategy that continues to keep Illinois on the road to recovery. He cut a record $3 billion from the state budget in just two years, and protected funding for education and public safety.
Yeah, well, he cut the budget but he didn’t touch the deficit, apparently. And he also didn’t protect funding for education. He cut that, too.
… Kirk said he supports the “Heller decision.” That is a 2008 ruling that struck down the District of Columbia’s handgun ban and was used by the court in cutting down Chicago’s law.
“You know I’ve backed a number of measures to reduce gun violence,” Kirk said. “I look forward to looking at the details of how this turns out. … I think the critical thing to do here is to make sure that we don’t end up in endless, expensive litigation where the people of Chicago don’t know what the law is.” […]
“I very much strongly believe in the legal theory that the Bill of Rights attaches to you personally, and that no government — federal, state or local — can interfere with those rights, which is why I support that decision,” Kirk said. “But within that, I think there’s room.”
Kirk has always been a gun control guy in the past and has been endorsed by the Brady Campaign. But the Brady Campaign hasn’t really criticized the ruling, instead seeing it as an affirmation that gun control policies could still be implemented…
“Chicago can amend its gun laws to comply with this ruling while continuing to have strong, comprehensive and Constitutional gun laws, just as Washington D.C. has done. After the Heller decision, at least 240 legal challenges have been brought to existing gun laws, nearly all of which have been summarily dismissed. There is nothing in today’s decision that should prevent any state or local government from successfully defending, maintaining, or passing, sensible, strong gun laws.”
So, Kirk appears to be consistent with that view. Giannoulias, however, says he opposes the court’s ruling.
Kimberly Vertolli divorced Congressman Kirk last year and in a recent interview with Chicago Magazine, Vertolli said Kirk was working with an aide who was driving his campaign policies further to the right. Kirk today dismissed Vertolli’s statements.
KIRK: She was concerned about a couple of my votes and in the end, those are my votes. Kimberly and I are close friends and allies. I support her.
That didn’t really answer the question.
* The question of Israel has often been a major issue in Illinois US Senate races. As the legend goes, Republican Charles Percy lost his 1984 Reagan landslide year race to Paul Simon partly because Percy strayed too far from his former support of the Jewish state while Simon eagerly embraced it.
Much of Mark Kirk’s foreign policy speech yesterday revolved around his well-known steadfast support for Israel. Alexi Giannoulias even praises Kirk and says “Me too”…
“Congressman Kirk has been great on Israel,” Giannoulias said at a Town Hall at Ann Sathers restaurant last month. “If you look at my positions on Israel, we are essentially the exact same. I believe they are our strongest ally in the region. I believe in the safety and security of Israel, especially dealing with external threats like a nuclear-armed Iran. I think we need to continue to show our unwavering partnership with the only democracy in the region. I think Kirk and I agree on essentially every single element of that relationship.”
Kirk says he has the experience and leadership abilities that pro-Israel folks can trust. Don Rose sums it up pretty well…
Political consultant Don Rose said Kirk might get a higher percentage of the Jewish vote because of the friends he has won over on the North Shore in the last 10 years, “But that may not necessarily transfer to Lincoln Park Jews and Hyde Park Jews. If Giannoulias loses Jewish voters, it won’t be for foreign policy reasons. It will be because they feel he’s not ‘kosher’ in other ways.”
This morning, Kirk’s campaign claimed Giannoulias backed out of a planned debate on Israel and Middle Eastern policy…
“As Iran continues its pursuit of nuclear weapons and terrorists threaten Israel from Gaza and Lebanon, our next U.S. Senator should not be afraid to stand up for our strongest democratic ally in the Middle East,” Congressman Kirk said. “Treasurer Giannoulias’ decision to back out of the campaign’s premier pro-Israel forum is disappointing and concerning. Voters deserve a thoughtful series of debates and forums to discuss the complex economic and foreign policy challenges before us. I would hope Treasurer Giannoulias agrees.”
The Protect Our Heritage PAC is the chief sponsor of the candidates’ forum. The Giannoulias campaign claims that it never confirmed the candidate would attend, but the PAC sent out a press release saying the candidate agreed to the forum months ago and that the date was confirmed with the staff…
Although both candidates for the U.S. Senate seat, Congressman Mark S. Kirk and (R- IL 10th) and current Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) had agreed to participate in the forum several months ago, the Giannoulias campaign announced today that it had “previous commitments.” (Last March Giannoulias personally accepted the invitation to participate in the forum and his campaign confirmed his availability on the forum date.)
* Meanwhile, I forgot to post this earlier, but WBEZ talked with Congressman Bobby Rush after Rush said he wasn’t “sold” on Alexi Giannoulias.
On speakerphone from his Chicago office, Congressman Rush said, “It’s appalling to me that at this point in time there is no African American senator.” Noting that Illinois U.S. Senator Roland Burris came in “under conditions that were not the best,” the congressman vowed to “not rest comfortably until there is an African American in the Senate – at least one.”
Addressing his comments on Thursday, Rush said he does recognize Alexi Giannoulias as the Democratic nominee. But he said he wants to “have a meeting with him and discuss what his policies are, what his issues are,” and how the two Democrats could work together in Congress.
Although the Giannoulias campaign could no doubt provide examples to the contrary, Rush states that the young Democrat hasn’t talked about a number of what he called “gut level issues.” These include: jobs, crime, food deserts, business opportunities, entrepreneurship and home foreclosure. “What are his positions?” Rush asked in an exasperated tone. The congressman said he doesn’t think Senator Durbin, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, or President Obama have quizzed Giannoulias on those issues. “These are not Bobby Rush questions. These are black community questions.”
If, coming out of a meeting with Giannoulias, Rush is still not satisfied, will he endorse Kirk, or the Green Party candidate, LeAlan Jones? “I am not going to even go there right now,” Rush replied. “I would be shocked if [Giannoulias] didn’t come up with the right answers to those questions.”
Bottom line for Rush: He is “not ready to jump to Giannoulias’ candidacy” before meeting with him. “I’m not going to be stampeded into taking a position on a candidate.”
Translation: I’m Bobby Rush, darnit, and I want some attention, but I’m a Democrat and I’ll be with the program at the end.
* Related…
* Phil Kerpen and Joe Calomino: Illinois could have big lame-duck say
* Some major Illinois names have been scrubbed from the Right Nation 2010 home page. Right Nation 2010 is the big Republican, conservative, tea party conference next month in the Chicago suburbs featuring speakers like Glenn Beck and Andrew Breitbart. House Republican Leader Tom Cross, Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno, state party chairman Pat Brady and others were initially listed on the event’s main page, but those names are gone now. Why? Well, the spokesman says, the group just wanted to condense the info…
“There was so much information that we had to condense it all,” Right Nation spokesman Collin Corbett, who made the changes to the site over the weekend, said. “They’re definitely still on there as hosts and nothing’s changed.”
That last part is true. Click here and you’ll see that the host names weren’t completely removed from the site, just the front page.
* There’s also some professed ignorance about the conference by at least a few of the participants, including Leader Radogno…
Radogno said she wasn’t aware of “who all was going to be invited” when she was approached by the United Republican Fund about the conference.
“”I am grateful for any forum that’s going to get a lot of people excited and interested. And so it does not mean that I subscribe to all of their views,” she said. “Obviously, clearly I’m considered fairly mainstream and moderate. The same can be said about Tom Cross and Pat Brady. I just don’t think there is (a particular strategy). A lot of the party leadership is considered pretty mainstream.”
She said she will be unable to attend the conference because of a scheduling conflict.
Yeah. A scheduling confllict. That’s it.
* As we discussed the other day, Republican Congressman Aaron Schock said he didn’t even know what the event was called when he agreed to speak…
During the call, I asked Schock if he agrees with Beck that Obama is a racist. I also asked if his appearance with Beck, Breitbart and others means Schock sees himself as more conservative than his apparently moderate image.
“Well, I don’t agree with Mr. Beck’s comments,” Schock said.
And as for the strong-right bent to the event, he said, he wasn’t aware of what it was called.
“Beck has said that President Obama has a deep-seated hatred of white people and that he’s a racist,” Schoenburg said. “Do you believe that, and if not, why are you appearing at this event?”
Schock chuckled before responding evasively, “I don’t agree with Mr. Beck’s comments, and I’m not sure I’m familiar with the event you’re speaking about.”
“It’s at the Sears Centre,” Schoenburg pressed. “You’re listed on their website. Andrew Breitbart is going to be there, who released that Agriculture Department official video, and so is Dick Armey. It’s basically a very conservative event. I thought you had kind of a moderate … Do you fit into this super hard right kind of event with these folks?”
“Well, Bernie, I would say I’m my own person, and I stand by my own comments, and I would leave it at that,” Schock concluded.
If all these Republicans are so eager to portray themselves next month as one of the faithful, then why are they so adamant about distancing themselves from the conference and its other high-profile participants?
That’s a rhetorical question, of course. The answer is pretty simple. They want to have their cake and eat it, too, without any notice. They’re embarrassed by this association with the likes of Beck and Breitbart.
* The conference won’t be cheap…
Parking Cost: $20
Ticket Prices: $1202 VIP, $302, $152, $102, $77*
*applicable fees will apply to phone and internet ticket purchases
VIP tickets include: Meet & Greet with Glenn Beck including photo and signed copy of his book.
And where’s the money going? From the website…
Our goal is to raise a minimum of $500,000 to be immediately plunged into campaigns in order to negate the avalanche of liberal special interest cash that Democrat candidates always receive in the weeks before the election.
So, that’s why those Republican leaders want to be a part of the event. Cold, hard cash. But, they’d rather you not know about it. And some of them aren’t even attending.
“All the guys jumped in and tried to resuscitate him,” he said. “As soon as he hit the ground everyone was helping. It was bad, to be totally honest with you.”
An emotional Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff hailed Wheatley as “one of our finest” at a news conference outside Stroger Hospital on Monday morning.
“I really ask that everybody keeps him and his family in his prayers,” Hoff said.
RTA Chairman Jim Reilly recently left that post —to become the new all-powerful trustee in charge of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, or McPier, whose interim board Mr. Gates headed.
Among an audit’s 68 findings were questions about whether youths who were paid more than $1 million were even qualified to be in the program, why $31,000 in pension payments were made for temporary summer youth workers and why a payroll company was given $12,000 to administer wage payments of $38,000 for one pay period.
The bottom line is that the new inspector general may not be running on all cylinders — potentially embarrassing aldermen and their employees — until after the Feb. 22 aldermanic election.
In exchange for accepting the money, the district would have to bring back 68 teachers, keep class sizes within board-defined guidelines and restore art, music and physical education as well as other programs that fell victim to more than $6 million in cuts earlier this year.
If the board accepts those conditions, District 26 officials said they would be able to meet them with the donated funds - even though the sum is well short of the $6.6 million the district slashed from the 2009-10 budget.
In a move not surprising to anyone following recent news from the Buffalo Grove village board, trustees voted to put the recall of Trustee Lisa Stone on the Nov. 2 ballot.
Stone was the only trustee who voted against the measure.
The size of the Rockford School District budget — $404 million — is jaw-dropping. The city of Rockford’s budget is about $243 million, and Winnebago County’s is a little more than $187 million.
Wages and benefits make up 75 percent of the School District’s total budget and 95 percent of the education fund. The total budget is made up of 10 funds: education, tort immunity, grants, food service, operations and maintenance, debt service, transportation, IMRF/FICA, working cash, life safety.
In a state with an extremely unstable financial situation and a poor reputation for politics, FutureGen stood to be a bright spot - an asset capable of attracting researchers and experts from across the globe. It could have been a beacon of light for the economically depressed regions of central and Southern Illinois, as it would have created jobs and served as a boost to the coal industry.
