* Man, I’ve been sick this week. Caught that cold that’s going around. I was hoping to do another post today, but maybe I’ll put it up tomorrow.
Anyway, we have a big week coming in just a few days, so I’m going to get as much rest as possible over the weekend. Until then, the Turnpike Troubadours will play us out…
A major business story got overlooked in the holiday hubbub—and it’s a doozy: Illinois’ biggest economic development weapon is being decommissioned.
As Crain’s political columnist Greg Hinz reported Dec. 19, the state’s Edge tax credit program expires Dec. 31, barring a last-minute legislative rescue that, as of this writing, seems unlikely.
Edge tax credits—while controversial and in need of reforms—are the state’s main lure for companies looking to locate and keep jobs here (see the PDF). Illinois has offered $1.3 billion in tax credits to create 34,000 jobs here and retain an additional 46,000 since the program was created in 1999.
And yet Edge is set to expire at year-end. Why? As usual, everyone in Springfield is pointing fingers: Gov. Bruce Rauner’s team suggests that House Speaker Michael Madigan would have demanded too high a price to renew the program. Team Madigan, meanwhile, says the governor dropped the ball and allowed the program to sunset.
* Greg Hinz did some digging and came up with some of the framework put together by Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno over the holidays…
Rauner and the Republicans reportedly would get the term limits the governor desperately wants, but only for legislative leaders, not the rank-and-file workers. And those term limits wouldn’t kick in for a few years, so Madigan—who can’t live forever, can he?—would still have some time.
The deal would also lack the permanent property-tax freeze that Rauner wants, but would have a two-year one. That would allow time for a legislative panel to redraft the state’s school-funding code, something that Democrats have pushing.
Also in the package, I’m told, are some relatively modest but face-saving changes in the workers’ comp system. And unspecified changes in state worker pensions, perhaps the “consideration” mode that Cullerton has been pushing for awhile.
In exchange, adequate votes would be guaranteed to boost the state income tax back to around the 5 percent level it was at under ex-Gov. Pat Quinn, with a new statewide tax on sugary drinks tossed in to raise more money.
As I told subscribers earlier this week, the personal income tax level would be set at 4.9 percent - just a hair under the 5 percent level when Rauner was elected governor.
There’s plenty more, and the package is expected to be unveiled on Monday. If you want more deets, you can always subscribe.
* So far, neither the governor nor the House Speaker have overtly dumped on the plan, which is a positive sign.
Since Madigan was cut out of the Senate deal-making, he’ll likely want to put his own stamp on whatever emerges (some Democrats have suggested moving the statewide elections to presidential years, for example).
But putting his own stuff in there isn’t necessarily bad. As long as Madigan doesn’t kill off too much or insert too many poison pills, whatever he does will be a de facto counter-offer to the Senate’s counter-offer to Rauner. And that’s progress.
On the other hand, Madigan could try to shave votes off in the Senate or refuse to move anything in the House. I don’t think his members, who’ve barely been paid in 7 months and are growing more sick and tired of this war with every passing day, will love that idea, however. The union stuff that I’ve been briefed on by folks in both parties isn’t horrendous. And it doesn’t appear to be a blatant attack on the middle class (except for the raising their taxes part, that is).
If Madigan does kill it, Rauner can then blame Madigan yet again for not playing ball even when the Democratic Senate President wants to act like an adult.
Of course, there’s always the very real possibility that Rauner might try to kick the legs out from under it as well. He should resist that temptation because he can’t escape blame forever. And he should also keep his own comment in mind from this week…
“Both sides need to want an agreement in order to get one,” Rauner told WGN’s Tahman Bradley during a one-on-one interview. “I certainly want an agreement and I`ll be flexible on everything.”
Then do so.
It’s time to move forward.
*** UPDATE *** Rauner was asked about this topic in southern Illinois today. He said he was briefed by Leader Radogno two nights ago and added that he didn’t yet have all the details and said he wouldn’t comment on those details (including the tax hike) because the talks are “still in flux” and that the two leaders need “space to continue to negotiate.” He also said this…
“I’m heartened by that. I’m optimistic they’re negotiating in good faith to come up with changes to our system so it’s not broken anymore… They’re working on some really important things that can all help us get balanced budgets for the long term. So, I’m optimistic. It’s gonna take work, but I’m very supportive of the Democrats and Republicans continuing to negotiate and trying to get some solutions.”
State records show [Auditor General Frank Mautino], who has also served 24 years as a state representative, stood to receive a starting pension of over $74,000 which is 85% of his final salary of more than $87,000. After just one year at the higher Auditor General salary, Mautino will receive 85% of his $157,000 salary, a starting pension over $133,000. That pension will compound at 3% annually for the rest of his life upon retirement.
“Frank Mautino has a campaign finance problem that mirrors those of Aaron Schock and Jesse Jackson Jr.,” stated State Rep. Jeanne Ives. “By all appearances, he is just filling a seat to maximize his taxpayer-funded pension benefits. Illinois doesn’t currently have a mechanism in place to strip legislators convicted of crimes related to campaign finance of their pensions. This is just another example of political insiders looking out for themselves at the expense of families and businesses.”
The State Retirement Systems of Illinois acknowledged Tuesday it provided incorrect information about former state Rep. Frank Mautino’s pension earlier this year.
According to that information, Mautino, D-Spring Valley, was slated to receive a nearly $60,000 jump in his pension after a year as the state’s auditor general.
But a spokesman for the retirement systems said Tuesday the increase actually will be about $19,000. The earlier mistake came to light in September, he said. […]
The pension agency, Houch said, miscoded Mautino as a Tier 1 employee, which means he was hired before Jan. 1, 2011, and would get greater benefits. But Mautino should have been classified as Tier 2, in which those hired on or after Jan. 1, 2011, receive less, Houch said. Mautino was Tier 1 as a legislator, Tier 2 as auditor general.
This basic math mistake happened in September and we’re only finding out about it now? Really?
“He will still receive a substantial increase, assuming he doesn’t get convicted of a job-related felony,” [Houch] said.
Nothing like rubbing salt into the wound.
* Look, Mautino still has a whole lot of explaining to do. I won’t make any excuses for him at all. It would be nice, however, if the feds expedited this inquiry so we could find out if our auditor general was sloppy, or crooked, or whatever.
But given the times we live in, the criteria for charging someone with a hate crime can’t be based on outrage and political correctness.
The most mind-boggling part of this recent drama, and apparently the part that has led to hate crime charges, is that these losers live-streamed the abuse, posting it on Facebook. That’s what brought this sick episode to the attention of millions.
With Chicago in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons of late, the case is a test for newly installed Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx and offers testament that racist behavior toward whites in the wake of the Trump presidency isn’t going to be overlooked.
But let’s be clear. As ugly as the assault upon the special needs young man was, this incident pales in comparison to what happened in Joliet in 2013.
Then, an even more depraved group of young white people lured Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover, two African-Americans, into a Joliet house, strangled them and then had sex on top of the corpses.
Adam Landerman, Alisa Massaro, Joshua Miner and Bethany McKee were each charged with first-degree murder and attempting to dismember the bodies.
Although the victims were black and the attackers white, a spokesman for the Will County state’s attorney’s office said at the time that prosecutors were unsure whether race was a factor in the murder.
Where was the outrage then?
When a victim is a different race than the attacker, the offense isn’t automatically a hate crime. It’s utter nonsense to suggest anything like that. And there was plenty of outrage back then over that grotesque Joliet crime.
Also, it wasn’t the live-streamed video itself, it was what was in the video that caused so much outrage and led to the hate crime charges. C’mon.
The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights condemns the vicious attack on a young man with developmental disabilities that was live-streamed on Facebook by one of the perpetrators and dominated local and national news yesterday. Authorities in Chicago completed their preliminary investigation and have charged four young people with hate crimes, as well as kidnapping, aggravated assault, and additional charges that carry stiff criminal penalties.
The shaky video that went viral Tuesday overnight and generated outrage from millions of viewers shows the 18-year-old victim bound by his wrists and neck, his mouth taped closed, crouching in a corner, as his attackers taunt him, slash his clothing with knives, and take turns slapping, punching and kicking him. On cropped video segments available all over the web, the perpetrators can be heard making comments about the victim being white, and “representing Trump.” They also mock his appearance and force to him drink from a toilet. At one point, one of the attackers cuts a chunk of his hair and scalp off with a knife.
Around homes and offices, millions of people saw the news clips and asked one another, “Who would do such a thing?” “What was the motivation?” “How do we, as a society, respond to and prevent these despicable acts?”
Let’s be clear: Violent acts committed against any person because of that person’s disability status and/or race are hate crimes under Illinois law. The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee has worked to support victims of hate crimes for over 25 years. We helped to make Illinois’ Hate Crime law as strong as possible for protected groups, and we have used the law to assist multiple victims in both criminal and civil proceedings. We have represented African American victims who were attacked by skinheads in Fox Lake, Latino families harassed and assaulted in Chicago, and we have secured multiple large civil verdicts to penalize offenders and send a strong message condemning and deterring such actions.
What we saw on the video clips looks very much like a hate crime against a young man because of his disability status and race. The Chicago Police Department has determined that four people committed certain crimes against a young man because of his disability and race. And now prosecutors and the courts must do their work to enforce the law. Under the Illinois Hate Crime Act, crimes motivated in whole or in part because of racial or disability bias are hate crimes, even if there were other motives for the crimes. The perpetrators should be held accountable for their brutal acts against a particularly vulnerable victim.
But let us also acknowledge history and context here: Most victims of hate crime in our country are people of color; this has been true every year since the FBI has collected hate crime statistics. Over the past year, African Americans, Latinos, people of color, immigrants, Muslims, Jews, LGBTQ individuals, and people with disabilities have all been targets of hate crimes far more often than white individuals. What happened to this young man in Chicago is heart-breaking and intolerable. We must seek justice and healing for him and his family and demand appropriate punishment for his attackers. But as we do so, let us remember to speak up and insist on justice just as vociferously and promptly every time we hear of a hate crime, no matter the race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or disability status of the victim.
Most hate crimes are not reported and they must be. The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee is committed to supporting individuals and communities targeted by hate speech and violence. We encourage all people who are victims of hate crime, or who need additional information and support, to call our Hate Crime Project at 312-202-3663. Hate crime is bigotry at its worst. In a country that stands for equal rights and equal protection for all, violent intolerance is unacceptable.
* The recently elected House Democrat did not come prepared for this line of questioning. From the ILGOP…
In an interview yesterday with WQAD, incoming Democrat Rep. Mike Halpin doubled down on Boss Madigan.
It’s no surprise that Halpin would back his political patron – Madigan funneled $345,000 to help get Halpin elected this cycle.
Asked whether he will support Madigan for Speaker, Halpin replied:
“Again, I’m gonna vote for, I’m gonna vote for the Speaker who I believe as a Democrat, represents the values that I as a Democrat represent, and what I ran on when I talked to people.”
Boss Madigan only values protecting the broken status quo.
“Mike Halpin is a bought-and-paid for hypocrite. He claims on his campaign website to reject ‘politics as usual’ and ‘insider politics’, but by doubling down on his support of Boss Madigan, the literal definition of politics as usual, Halpin betrays his own words.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
Gov. Bruce Rauner stopped in Rockford today for a low-key visit with local officials, residents and members of the media.
The Republican governor held court at Prairie Street Brewhouse, going table to table to shake hands and talk with residents about issues that affect the state. He also met with local TV news stations and members of the Rockford Register Star Editorial Board.
Eighteen months and counting. That is how long the State of Illinois has gone without a budget.
Governor Bruce Rauner was in Rockford Thursday and 13 News anchor Sean Muserallo sat down for a one-on-one interview with him to dig deeper into the things that will affect citizens around the Stateline, including taxes, social services and how the governor views Rockford.
Rauner will give his State of the State Speech at the end of this month.
Right now, the state looks like this: $11 billion in unpaid bills; $130 billion in unfunded pension liability; and a shrinking population, with a loss of nearly 40,000 people from the state last year, the highest in the nation.
“Boss Madigan treats Illinois like his own personal kingdom, undermining democracy and disrespecting taxpayers. That’s why the Illinois Republican Party is announcing the contest to win your very own Boss Madigan Starter Kit. House Democrats need to be reminded that their political patron rules over them with an iron fist, putting the needs of his machine before everyday Illinoisans.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Following the release of the digital ad 46 Years, the Illinois Republican Party continued its countdown towards January 11th, the election for Speaker of the Illinois House. With five days left until Decision Day, the Illinois Republican Party is announcing a contest to win your very own Boss Madigan Starter Kit!
Running a corrupt political machine for more than three decades is hard work and requires much experience making backroom deals and catering to special interests, but with this Boss Madigan Starter Kit, you can get started in no time.
To enter the contest, visit BossMadigan.com/Contest.
The Boss Madigan Starter Kit includes:
A $50 Gift Card to Saputo’s - Boss Madigan frequents the secluded backroom of this Springfield Italian restaurant, treating it as his own Godfather-like meeting space.
A Crown and a Scepter - Boss Madigan treats Illinois like his own personal kingdom, now you can pretend to be a king too!
A Red Apple - Boss Madigan is said to meticulously slice an apple a day for lunch. Share a connection with Madigan with this (non-perishable) centerpiece!
Copy of “Boss” by Mike Royko - Boss Madigan learned how to run the political machine from his mentor, Former Chicago Mayor and Political Boss Richard J. Daley. Read about Daley and learn what it takes to run a political machine for your own benefit!
I’m guessing the good folks who own Saputo’s ain’t gonna be too happy about this, especially since they’re Republicans.
Also, Madigan doesn’t frequent the restaurant’s “secluded back room.” That’s where the Rauner folks go. And those guys quote the Godfather movies like gospel. Nice ethnic stereotyping, though. Way to go, ILGOP. A new low.
But, hey, it’s all about finding a solution to the impasse, right?
The longest consecutively serving House Speaker in the United States was Tom Murphy from Georgia, who served 29 years from 1973-2002. Speaker Madigan has served 19 years consecutively.
The title for most total years as House Speaker is held by Solomon Blatt of South Carolina, who served 33 years, from 1937-1946 and 1951-1973. If Michael Madigan is re-elected on January 11th and completes the 2-year term, he will become the longest serving state House Speaker in the last century.
* But the Illinois Policy Institute has now pivoted to the second vote House members will make next week: The rules…
Illinois Democrats possess oversized power in Springfield.
Democrats control both houses of the Illinois General Assembly. Though this majority will not be veto-proof in the 100th General Assembly, whose members will assume office in January 2017, it still allows Democratic politicians to easily pass their party’s legislation through the House and Senate – and to block any spending or economic reform Gov. Bruce Rauner proposes.
But there’s another source of power the majority party of Illinois holds that allows its leaders a more underhanded influence over the legislative process and, ultimately, the daily lives of Illinoisans.
That power emanates from the little-known legislative rules that Illinois House of Representatives Speaker Mike Madigan – who’s held that position for more than 31 years since 1983 – uses on an everyday basis to orchestrate the legislative and political outcomes he wants.
Those rules allow Madigan to influence the makeup of legislative committees; how lawmakers vote; and when, if ever, the bills get voted on. But the most obstructive rule of all keeps bills – even those with popular support, such as term limits – from ever seeing the light of day. Madigan, and not the General Assembly, has the power to decide what has the chance to become law.
Virtually no state grants the types of powers to its legislative heads that Illinois grants to Madigan.
Those rules have contributed to the failed policies that exist in Illinois today and to the fiscal debacle Illinoisans must contend with as they try to make ends meet.
Many, if not most of the onerous rules the group looks at were actually formulated by the Senate Republicans back in the 1990s. But it’s still an interesting read. A few charts…
For the second year in a row, Chicago Public Schools officials are looking to slash expenses after failing to cash in anticipated funding from Springfield.
The budget hole created by Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a state aid measure is less than half the size of the nearly half-billion-dollar gap CPS faced last year, but the district could use familiar measures to patch it. […]
The district has said in financial disclosures it will turn to budget cuts, unspecified legal action and borrowing in efforts to close budget gaps left by shortfalls in expected state assistance. This week, CPS used the threat of budget cuts to stoke its public battle with Rauner.
“Gov. Rauner is using Chicago children as his political pawns, so we will continue to fight for fair funding in Springfield using every tool we can. Our priority is to protect CPS classrooms from Gov. Rauner’s draconian agenda,” CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner said in a statement. […]
“Blaming 20 years of fiscal mismanagement on a governor who has been in office for two years is ridiculous,” state education secretary Beth Purvis said in her own statement.
The two Democratic and Republican leaders in the Illinois Senate have been talking about ways to try to break the long-running Springfield impasse ahead of next week’s lame-duck session, but both sides are being tight-lipped and downplaying the possibility anything will actually happen.
The private talks illustrate the delicate politics at the Capitol: After two years without agreement on a broad spending plan, neither side wants to spill the beans and compromise even the potential for movement.
The talks between Democratic Senate President John Cullerton and Republican Leader Christine Radogno come after a temporary spending plan that funneled money to universities, social service providers, prisons and veterans’ homes expired with the new year. Negotiations between the four legislative leaders and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner came to a halt in December amid a disagreement between the governor and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan about how to proceed.
A Cullerton spokesman declined to confirm or deny new negotiations with Radogno. A spokeswoman for the Republican leader said Radogno and Cullerton chat all the time.
As they brief more of their members, more stuff will come out.
