Governor Bruce Rauner has proclaimed Friday, November 4, 2016, as World Champion Chicago Cubs Day across Illinois in celebration of the Cubs’ historic World Series win over the Cleveland Indians.
“The Cubs winning the World Series is bigger than baseball. It is especially meaningful for the generations of Cubs fans who have stood by this team, through thick and thin, for the last 108 years,” said Governor Rauner. “I’m a North Sider. I was born a few blocks from Wrigley Field, and I remember watching the Cubs every summer on Channel 9. We have been through every emotion with this team. To see this historic win, to see the players lift the Commissioner’s Trophy, that’s a moment for all of us. This is a celebration for past and present fans along with all the Cubs’ legends who never gave up hope.”
Below is the language of the official proclamation. A copy of the signed proclamation is attached.
WHEREAS, on Wednesday, November 2, 2016, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, beating the Cleveland Indians in Game Seven, by a score of eight to seven in extra innings; and
WHEREAS, the 2016 World Series win is the first world championship for the Cubs in 108 years; the team last won the World Series in 1908; and,
WHEREAS, during the regular season, the 2016 Chicago Cubs won 103 games, the most wins for the franchise since 1910; and,
WHEREAS, on their run to the World Series, the Cubs defeated the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series in four games and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series in six games; and,
WHEREAS, a true team effort all season led to the Cubs’ stunning and momentous World Series victory, and this achievement is proof of their commitment to baseball excellence; and,
WHEREAS, the historic accomplishment also honors Cubs’ greats like Ron Santo, “Sweet-Swinging” Billy Williams, and “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks, who never had the opportunity to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy, as well as other Cubs legends like Harry Caray; and,
WHEREAS, the World Series is especially meaningful for the generations of Cubs fans who have stood by the team, through thick and thin, over the last 108 years; and,
WHEREAS, the State of Illinois could not be prouder of all the Cubs players, along with Chairman Tom Ricketts, President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, Manager Joe Maddon, and all the coaches and staff, for winning the 2016 World Series;
THEREFORE, I, Bruce Rauner, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim November 4, 2016, as WORLD CHAMPION CHICAGO CUBS DAY in Illinois in celebration of the Cubs’ historic World Series win, and join the City of Chicago and the rest of the State of Illinois in congratulating the Cubs on their remarkable championship season.
Why no mention of the players’ union? /snark
* The Question: Your all-time favorite Cubs player? Don’t forget to explain your pick.
The backlash against Kirk was swift, after he said “I’d forgotten that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington” in response to his Democratic opponent, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (who is of mixed heritage) saying her family members have worn miliary uniforms since the American Revolution.
Critics say the comment was at least offensive and ignorant; at most, racist.
Kirk says it was meant as “a snarky remark.”
“I have been known for being too quick to turn a phrase,” he said. “Which of us in the last six years would have never said anything that anybody was not offended by?”
* She also asked him about the decision by the Human Rights Campaign and Gabby Gifford’s gun control group to pull their endorsements after the debate…
“Those organizations tend to be pretty supportive of the Democratic party,” he said. “I’m sure the DNC brought pressure to bear. And that was effective. So kinda disappointing to me because I have a great record on supporting gay rights and marriage equality.”
Subject: AFSCME Informational Picketing
Importance: High
Hello,
As you are aware, AFSCME has indicated they will be conducting an informational picket on November 17th in reaction to the expected Labor Board ruling due on November 15th.
As a result, I wanted to resend an email I sent to you last year regarding information on our recommended response.
I would ask each of you to keep your agencies informed that we need to be calm throughout this process. Please share this with your respective agency principals and management supervisory staff.
My advice to you is simple. Keep calm and do not overreact. The unions have used this tactic over the years with very mixed success. They may get some media coverage, they may get some employees revved up but in the overall scheme - the public pays little attention to their antics.
The union’s intent is to draw attention to their rally. Don’t be a part of that attention. Heavy handed management responses will serve to turn a demonstration (however small or large) into a union rallying cry. Remain calm and keep your CMS Labor Relations liaison informed. […]
In the meantime, if you have any reason to believe that any other labor organization may be conducting an informational picket at your agency, please immediately report this to your liaison at CMS Labor Relations.
* I asked AFSCME for a response…
State employees are making plans for a statewide day of action on the theme “Don’t Dictate, Negotiate,” to urge the Rauner administration to return to the negotiations they broke off 10 months ago.
Many of those actions are likely to be “speak-outs” where employees talk about the important public services they provide. Others may involve community outreach. Some may be informational pickets. Each local union is planning action that works best for them and their particular worksites.
Fall is here and the time of year when motorists need to be especially vigilant watching for deer on roads throughout the state, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The reason: Autumn coincides with the mating season and increased deer movement, especially at dusk and dawn.
“Deer have other things on their minds at this time of year. They aren’t looking out for motorists, so motorists need to be looking out for them,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn. “If you are in areas where you know deer to be active, please pay special attention to avoid putting yourself and other drivers at risk.”
Approximately 40 to 45 percent of crashes in Illinois involving deer in 2015 occurred in October, November, and December – with November being the highest-risk month. Almost 80 percent happened in rural environments, with nearly 75 percent of all crashes taking place at twilight or nighttime.
Last year, there were 15,754 vehicle-deer crashes in Illinois, an increase of 2.5 percent from 2014. There were 15,206 crashes that resulted in damage to property or vehicles, up from the 14,854 in 2014. Injuries resulting from such crashes tallied 628 in 2015 versus 505 in 2014. The number of fatalities doubled, from four in 2014 to eight in 2015.
The top 10 Illinois counties for crashes involving deer in 2015:
1. Madison 440
2. Cook 431
3. Will 408
4. Fulton 376
5. Sangamon 359
6. Rock Island 322
7. Williamson 304
8. Peoria 297
9. Lake 290
10. Pike 289
Our campaign has recently become aware of a lewd, fake photo of Rep. Bourne being mailed to voters in the area. We take this disgusting threat and act of intimidation very seriously and are working with state and local law enforcement to investigate. If anyone has information about who is behind this sickening stunt, we ask that they call 217-836-2177.
I’ve been trying to get a copy of the mailer, which I’m told photoshops her head onto another woman’s body, which, I’m told, isn’t clothed.
* The pic came in a manila envelope with first class postage…
More info as it comes in. But whoever did it is supremely stupid and evil.
…Adding… From her Democratic opponent…
State Representative candidate Mike Mathis issued the following statement Thursday condemning an offensive postcard sent to some area residents:
“Late last night, some local residents brought to my attention an offensive postcard found in their mailboxes that had been manipulated to embarrass State Representative Avery Bourne.
“I denounce this offensive piece in no uncertain terms. This goes beyond a late campaign dirty trick. It degrades and insults all women and is an insult to Representative Bourne, our families and our values.
“I have a daughter. The thought of someone using her image and degrading her in this way for any reason at all, let alone for a political purpose, turns my stomach and, as a father, makes me furious.
“I’m angry for Representative Bourne, and I’m outraged and truly saddened that politics in our own small towns have come to this. I urge any law enforcement and local, state and federal agency with any jurisdiction over this incident to investigate the matter and severely punish whomever is responsible for this offensive and degrading material.”
Needless to say, the Republicans ain’t buying it.
…Adding More… For those of you who are claiming without evidence in comments that Bourne must’ve done this to herself, just stop it now. Her grandmother and her great-grandmother both received copies of this mailer.
Again, stop it. Banishments will commence henceforth.
…Adding Still More… From all House Republican women…
We have recently become aware of a lewd, fabricated photo of State Representative Avery Bourne being mailed to individuals across Central Illinois. The contents of the doctored photo are designed to intimidate Rep. Bourne and alter the outcome of the upcoming General Election on November 8th.
As women dedicated to serving the people of Illinois, we find these sexist tactics on a fellow woman legislator disgusting and appalling. We are all keenly aware that politics and campaigns can be rough at times, but these sickening attacks are an affront to our democratic process and strongly discourage women, whether intentionally or not, from stepping up and serving their communities in an elected capacity.
As the youngest member of the General Assembly, Rep. Bourne has worked tirelessly to shatter any preconceived notions about her age or gender and her capacity to serve her constituents of the 95th House District. Voters in Central Illinois should be honored to have a State Representative as dedicated and committed to them as Rep. Bourne, especially as she undergoes such nasty and vile attacks from her detractors.
We look forward to her returning to the General Assembly and stand with her during this time of adversity. Those responsible for creating this repulsive mailer must be held accountable and punished to the fullest extent of the law.
* National liberal pundits have mostly ignored Illinois’ political war, which is kind of odd since Illinois is such a large and important state. They write about Kansas all the time, yet haven’t taken notice of a similar economic fight here, even though that little state means far less to the nation as a whole than Illinois.
But our comptroller’s race and the implications for the economic/budget battle did get some pixels in Esquire this week…
So this is an obvious proxy war, but it’s an obvious proxy war in a state in which the entire state government is engaged in an ongoing rockfight over its budget—not simply over the budget itself but, apparently, over whether to have a budget at all. Inspired by success stories like Sam Brownback’s Kansas and Scott Walker’s Wisconsin, Illinois’ Tea Party plutocrat governor, Bruce Rauner, has tried to create a similar dark miracle in Illinois, only to be thwarted by the Democrats in the state legislature, especially Madigan.
The result has been political bloodletting remarkable even by the standards of Illinois politics, which are considerable, and policy wreckage better suited to a failed state. So maybe Rauner’s producing the Kansas he wanted after all. […]
There seems to be little doubt that both sides see this race as a possible break in the logjam over the state budget. It can be argued that the difference is that only one of the two sides—the Democrats in the state legislature—see a break in the logjam as a good thing. Right now, with a governor and the comptroller both being Republicans, the Democrats have fought Rauner to a standstill. With a Democratic comptroller, they could force a settlement on their terms.
And the people who finance both sides have backed their cash barges up the Sangamon River to Springfield. […]
This is the kind of race that is just obscure enough to hide real and important issues and Illinois is a helluva big and important state. Keep an eye on this. It’s going to matter.
Over-heated rhetoric, for sure, but at least it’s something.
The [University of Illinois] has lost more than $750 million in state funding over the last two years, UI President Tim Killeen noted during his annual meeting with the faculty Monday.
“That’s three-quarters of a billion dollars. That’s a lot,” Killeen told a couple of faculty members lamenting cuts in their units. “We are under huge stress, and Rome is burning around us. These are not normal times.”
At the UI Board of Trustees’ meeting on Nov. 10, officials will roll out the proposed new contract with the state, which has been rechristened the Investment Performance and Accountability Initiative, Killeen said. Members of the UI’s bipartisan legislative caucus will be on hand.
In exchange for meeting specific benchmarks — such as limiting tuition to the rate of inflation, providing adequate financial aid or achieving certain graduation rates — the UI would receive guaranteed funding for five years, regulatory relief and procurement reform, which faculty have pushed to speed up the process of purchasing research equipment and other materials.
“Imagine what we could do if we had that kind of predictable environment,” Killeen said.
Sounds like an interesting concept. Slimming its bureaucratic bloat ought to be a part of it, however.
The Bureau County Sheriff’s Department is investigating cannabis-laced candy given out Sunday night during trick-or-treat in this town of 350 people.
According to a sheriff’s department news release, parents provided officers with candy labeled Crunch Choco Bar, with cannabis leaves on the packages, that were given out Sunday night in the village about 40 miles east of the Quad-Cities.
Bureau County Sheriff Jim Reed said the candy was tested and found positive for cannabis.
But, wait. Marijuana edibles aren’t cheap enough to be giving them to trick-or-treaters. And handing out a unique piece of candy makes it pretty easy to trace back to the source. You’d have to be a really weird person to do that. Then again, weird people abound.
First of all, the report claims it was one candy bar, but the picture showed four. Google image search of the candy pic turned up only articles related to the Bureau Sheriff’s claims. I could find no candy listed by that name, either. Odd.
So I looked closer. Turns out, I didn’t even need to look that close. There are clearly Japanese characters printed on the candies. Japan is even more strict about marijuana and other drugs than America, so there is almost no chance whatsoever that some Japanese cannabis candy made its way to rural Illinois and into trick or treat bags. The marijuana leaves on them? Those are Japanese maple leaves. They are a popular design image, and do rather look like marijuana leaves.
A sheriff’s department in Illinois is being mocked after warning that children may have received pot-infused Halloween candy with cannabis leaf wrappers. The suspicious trick-or-treat candy apparently is Japanese and marketed with a maple leaf.
Sgt. Gary Becket of the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office in north-central Illinois would not say Wednesday that the Crunch Choco Bar candies were subject to mistaken identification but suggested cautious reporting on the matter.
“I’m not making any official statement right now. A follow-up press release will be sent out once the final lab testing has been done,” Becket told U.S. News after the blog Dankspace and Jacob Sullum of Reason reported the apparent mix-up.
Becket said an initial press release, posted on Facebook with a warning to parents, “was an immediate alert sent out because of the nature of the day, which was Halloween.”
On Tuesday, Bureau County Sheriff Jim Reed admits there is room for error in the field test, however, he said he’s never seen a false positive test for cannabis throughout his time with the force.
Reed said the candy has been sent into a laboratory, where it will be confirmed 100 percent whether or not it does contain cannabis.
Wednesday afternoon, Reed sent out a press release stating results from the Illinois State Crime Lab in Morton confirmed the candy did not contain THC and was safe for consumption.
The sheriff is living in a fantasy world. As we’ve discussed before, there’s plenty of evidence that these field tests routinely produce false positive results.
So, yeah, better safe than sorry, I suppose. But it’s time that law enforcement fesses up to a very real problem with these $2 field test kits.
Gov. Bruce Rauner gave a Halloween treat to state Comptroller Leslie Munger, sweetening her campaign coffers to the tune of $1 million.
The governor and his wife, Diana, made the campaign contribution to Munger on Monday, bringing the total Rauner has personally given to Republican funds, including his own, in the past month to $15,010,800.
Munger received an additional $1 million from the governor’s Citizens for Rauner political fund last month. And she took in $5 million from hedge fund manager Ken Griffin and $2 million from packaging magnate Richard Uihlein since late September.
Election officials say early voting is increasingly popular. Illinois has expanded its early voting period.
Daily pre-election early voting totals weren’t available for previous years.
Officials say during 2012’s general election, nearly 16 percent of registered voters voted early at polls, representing 22 percent of the nearly 5.3 million votes.
Newly filed campaign finance paperwork shows Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk raised less than $300,000 during the first 19 days of October, leaving him with $576,279 for his re-election effort’s final push.
That contrasts with the Democratic challenger, two-term U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates. Duckworth’s pre-election report for the same time period showed her raising $860,559, with $2.5 million left ahead of Tuesday’s election.
That comes after the two candidates released third-quarter fundraising numbers last month. Kirk reported raising nearly $1.2 million for his re-election bid from July through September, compared with $4.1 million for Duckworth during the same time period.
Kirk had more than $3.1 million in July but spent almost $3 million during the third quarter, leaving him with nearly $1.4 million to start October. Duckworth had more than three times that amount at $4.3 million.
Ouch.
There are rank and file Illinois state legislators and challengers who raised way more money than Kirk last month. Quite a lot of them, in fact.
* Scott Reeder: Kirk’s comment about Duckworth’s mother all about race: The parents in question weren’t of immediate European descent, leaving Trump, Kirk and others of their ilk free to attack their children’s patriotism. Don’t believe me? Well, how often have you heard anyone attack Trump for having a mother born in Scotland?
New Jersey became the state with the worst-funded public pension system in the U.S. in 2015, followed closely by Kentucky and Illinois.
The Garden State had $135.7 billion less than it needs to cover all the benefits that have been promised, a $22.6 billion increase over the prior year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Illinois’s unfunded pension liabilities rose to $119.1 billion from $111.5 billion.
The two were among states whose retirement systems slipped further behind as rock-bottom bond yields and lackluster stock-market gains caused investment returns to fall short of targets. The median state pension had 74.5 percent of assets needed to meet promised benefits, down from 75.6 percent the prior year. The decline followed two years of gains. The shortfall for states overall was $1.1 trillion in 2015.[…]
While New Jersey only has 37.5 cents available to pay each $1 of benefits, South Dakota, the state with the best-funded pension, had $1.04, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Kentucky, the state with the second-worst funded retirement system, had a ratio of assets to liabilities of 37.8 percent, followed by Illinois at 40.2 percent.
So, New Jersey and Illinois together make up about 23 percent of the combined unfunded liability of all states in the nation.
Lovely.
* Related…
* Illinois gets more awful news from its largest pension fund: On Oct. 28, TRS’ board of trustees voted to seek a state contribution in fiscal 2018 of $4.56 billion—up a whopping $561 million, or 14.5 percent, over this year’s $3.99 billion.
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown says the speaker “complies with all of the applicable law. If someone wants to change (the law), file a bill and we’ll have a debate.”
But shouldn’t the speaker disclose his taxes voluntarily if the governor is doing so?
No. “There’s a vast difference in the powers” of the offices of speaker and governor, Brown replied. And besides, “the governor has a practice” of releasing his taxes and ought to stick with it. Madigan has a different practice.
* The Question: Should Speaker Madigan release his income tax returns? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* Possible gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy lambasted Gov. Rauner in Crain’s for staying mostly mum on Donald Trump…
In the face of this very partial accounting of Trump’s misdeeds, Rauner’s silence must be called what it is: complicity with Trump’s hate.
Does Rauner remain quiet because he’s not a woman, Latino, African American, Jewish, Muslim, LGTBQ, or a veteran? Does Rauner not understand he is the governor of a state whose citizens are numerously represented among those groups? Does he not appreciate Illinois’ diversity is its strength and a reason businesses locate here? Does he not recognize his duty as his party’s leader to take a stand on behalf of Republicans (and everyone in our state) against Trump’s ugly words? Does he agree with what Trump says?
We are left to wonder. Rauner’s haughty dismissals of questions about his Trump support, as if Illinoisans don’t deserve to know why, is especially unfortunate considering how many Republican officials have spoken out against their nominee.
Whether it’s because he is afraid of the electorate, deliberately malicious, or incompetent, Rauner’s defective moral compass is an embarrassment to the Land of Lincoln, named for our greatest president who gave his life to defend the democratic values Trump would destroy. Illinoisans will not forget Rauner chose to remain mute in the face of Trump’s demagoguery, unwilling to be counted when it mattered by saying what all decent people know is true: Donald Trump is unfit for the presidency and a danger to our republic.
I dunno. People have pretty short memories. We’ll see.
The truth is that the governor is focused on one thing: fixing Illinois. Taking his milquetoast statement supporting the future Republican presidential nominee as proof of Rauner’s true intentions is an insult to the intelligence of the electorate. People subjected to those misguided and inane ads will remember that—both on November 8th and into the future.
I think the “people” Gidwitz is talking about mostly reside in the governor’s orbit. But, maybe not.
* Which threat do you think is more credible? Or is neither threat credible?
Seth Lewis, a Republican who has benefited from Rauner’s generosity, is running for the state Senate in Chicago’s western suburbs, including Villa Park and Bartlett. He has raised $1.7 million in the last three months. […]
Lewis, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, is spending much of this money on sending mailers to voters and airing expensive TV ads.
“Has (the money) had an impact? Absolutely,” Lewis said. “But in my particular case, I think it’s just been able to keep us even with our opponent.”
Lewis claims all that money from Rauner is helping Republicans stay even with the Democrats’ fundraising. Over the last three months, Cullerton raised about $1.5 million from labor unions, attorneys — traditional Democratic funders — along with Democratic leaders.
Cullerton said it’s the Democrats who are trying to keep up with the Republicans. He won the Senate seat four years ago with a fraction of the cash he’s spent this year.
“With the amount of money the governor has put in, I don’t know if anybody can keep up with the kind of money that he’s got and the kind of money he’s moving around the state,” Cullerton said.
* And speaking of money, the Tribune has a much better piece today on spending than you’ll normally find in a mainstream media outlet. Click here to read it. And click here for some very handy charts that show money raised by each legislative candidate.
Unions and trial lawyers largely are funding Madigan’s troops, while Rauner and wealthy allies are bankrolling the Republican efforts. One longtime Illinois campaign finance expert questions whether the influx of all that campaign cash is good for either side or for the state’s politics.
“If having someone who is, or appears to be, a wholly owned subsidiary of the speaker is bad for representative democracy and local control, then replacing them with someone who is, or appears to be, a wholly owned subsidiary of the governor — I don’t think that gets us any closer to democracy and local control,” said Kent Redfield, emeritus professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
“If we were keeping score and asking if it is now a more balanced fight, that begs the real question of whether this is how we really ought to be electing people and making decisions and representing local legislative districts and communities. That’s the big picture part of it. It’s not healthy for the political system on either side,” he added.
Yeah, well, this is nothing compared to what will likely happen in 2018.
Total spending has topped $2 million in 16 state legislative races this year, including a dozen that have gone above $3 million and six that have surpassed $4 million through Oct. 31, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Two years ago, just one Illinois Senate race topped $4 million while one House contest exceeded $2 million, a sign of how the current battle has intensified between Rauner and Democrats, especially House Speaker Michael Madigan.
* From an October 28th e-mail from Veritone, a company I’d never heard of until last week…
Hi Rich,
I saw your Madigan post and wanted to provide you some insight that you may find helpful.
We track local news talk radio within the state of Illinois. Within the past week “Madigan” was mentioned over 180 times. Here is a brief collection of advertisements from radio in the state of Illinois to include an interview with Jason Gonzales. Can I provide you any additional information that may be helpful for you?
Best regards,
Elisa Henry
The link she provided is here. It even has that new Jim Durkin radio ad paid for by Gov. Rauner’s Turnaround Illinois PAC - the independent expenditure which broke the contribution caps and allowed Durkin to collect unlimited contributions from Rauner and Ken Griffin.
Not every reference will be about Speaker Madigan, but it’s close enough.
* Here’s what Ms. Henry says the data covers…
Local news talk radio information that consists of
What hosts are saying
Interviews
Constituent call-in conversations
Advertisements
Transcription Engines convert spoken audio recordings into readable text. They are built and trained to recognize different languages, dialects, and topics, even in the presence of background music or noise. Veritone utilizes a continuous machine-learning combination of several transcription engines to provide the best possible transcription of audio recordings. For those occasions where 100% accuracy is required, the request can be routed to human transcription professionals as well.
* Anyway, I asked Elisa how far back she could search for “Madigan” in Illinois and she sent me this report…
2015
July - 108
August - 31
September - 19
October - 160
November - 75
December - 149
2016
January - 114
Feb. - 96
March - 105
April - 24
May - 159
June 1 -30 - 225
July - 371
August - 121
September - 34
October - 498
* If you click here you’ll see the latest TV ads for Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC. There’s quite a lot of them. And almost all the recent ones (at least 30 of them) feature a woman speaking to the camera identified as “Kathleen, single mom.” The woman is actually the Illinois Opportunity Project’s Director of Communication Kathleen Murphy. That group was co-founded by Proft.
State and federal authorities are trying to find out why 1,500 absentee ballot applications were left in a Rock Island post office box for three weeks. Michelle O’Neill reports.
Rock Island County Clerk, Karen Kinney, says one of the first tips about a potential problem with absentee ballot applications came from her own mother. Voters also started to call her office asking, “Where’s my ballot?” Kinney called the sheriff, state’s attorney, and the Illinois Attorney General for help. She learned that a Dekalb woman from the Illinois Opportunity Project rented the Post Office box. The project is a Chicago-based non-profit, co-founded by Dan Proft who’s a radio host and former Republican candidate for governor. [Emphasis added]
Co-founder Pat Hughes said his organization has done nothing wrong.
“We’re doing a vote-by-mail program,” Mr. Hughes said. “We’ve delivered thousands of applications in Rock Island County and throughout the state.”
While Ms. Kinney said the 1,500 absentee applications were piled up at the Rock Island Post Office on 11th Street before being delivered last Thursday and Friday by a man, Mr. Hughes refutes there was any voter suppression on behalf of his organization.
“They’re (applications) being picked up and delivered every single day,” Mr. Hughes said. “Any comments on voter suppression are false. If those statements are coming from the Rock Island County clerk or any other Democratic elected official, they are politically motivated.”
Mr. Hughes said the Illinois Attorney General’s Office has made many inquiries and demands over the last week of his organization related to Rock Island County and other counties, but he said it has done nothing wrong.
Hughes said the Illinois Opportunity Project mailed applications to voters on Oct. 11, and picked up the returned applications from the Rock Island Post Office on Oct. 26, after receiving inquiries from law enforcement. Hughes says the group didn’t break any laws by not grabbing the applications sooner. He also says that because the group distributed applications on the 11th and collected them on the 26th, it disproves the Democratic clerk’s claim that the applications languished for three weeks.
Mark Curley, postmaster for the Rock Island Post Office, corroborated Hughes’ timeline.
“There was no three weeks,” Curley said. “They didn’t languish.”
* Ron Gidwitz, chairman of Trump-Pence Victory Illinois, writes in Crain’s…
Two things are guaranteed out of every political campaign season:
• We all get tired of the rhetoric and non-stop campaign ads; and . . .
• Outlandish accusations will describe mole hills as mountains.
That second point may best be illustrated by Illinois Democrats’ piercing shrieks about Governor Bruce Rauner’s support for Donald Trump. Unless you’re wise enough to take an extended vacation off the planet during election season, you’ve undoubtedly seen the breathless accusations splashed across the airwaves that Governor Rauner deeply and profoundly supports Donald Trump—punctuated with one single damning phrase: “I will support the Republican Party’s nominee.”
Be still my heart! A half-hearted phrase muttered demurely and without mentioning He Whose Name Will Not Be Spoken suddenly has become video proof that Rauner will go to the ends of the Earth to get Trump elected so he can steal from the poor and give to the wealthy. Clearly, Rauner’s terse phraseology can be interpreted as a sign of complicity and access to the pots of gold the governor has in his possession!
So, lemme get this straight. The Illinois chairman of Donald Trump’s campaign has now stridently come to the defense of his party’s governor for not explicitly by name endorsing… Donald Trump.
The Illinois Republican Party on Tuesday called on Chicago City Clerk and Illinois State Comptroller candidate Susana Mendoza to explain why she was sued by national electronics retailer Best Buy for unpaid personal bills after months of non-payment.
Cook County Sheriff’s Deputies served Mendoza with a summons to appear before a Cook County Judge to answer allegations that she opened a Best Buy credit account and ran up charges, but then failed to pay her bill. Mendoza later reached a settlement agreement with the retailer.
“It is concerning that anyone running for elected office would have to be sued to pay their bills,” said Nick Klitzing, Illinois Republican Party Executive Director. “But when that candidate is asking to serve as the state’s Chief Fiscal Officer, such an incident is disqualifying. If she can’t take care of her own finances, how can she be trusted to manage the state’s checkbook?”
Mendoza was personally served with papers requiring her to appear in Cook County Circuit Court on the morning of December 28, 2000. In the lawsuit, Best Buy maintained that Mendoza failed to make monthly payments as required in the credit agreement she signed. The retailer asked that Mendoza be required to pay a debt of $1,561.32.
“Susana Mendoza disqualified herself for this office by spending 10 years in Springfield voting at the behest of Mike Madigan for the very unbalanced budgets, tax increases and pension holidays that have landed our state in fiscal crisis, but this revelation is even more alarming,” Klitzing said. “Human services, small businesses, hospitals, schools and others depend on the Comptroller to swiftly process state payments – they simply can’t afford to take chances on someone that doesn’t even pay her own bills.”
Mendoza was 27 at the time of the purchase, and was elected to the Illinois General Assembly as a state representative in November 2000, at the age of 28. […]
Mendoza’s campaign dismissed the allegations, saying Mendoza bought a Best Buy laptop with an agreement that she’d have a year to make a payment, and no interest charges. After a year passed, she didn’t receive a bill. She was later sent a letter from a collection agency demanding the amount owed, plus a fee from the agency. Mendoza took Best Buy to court to prove that she did not receive a bill, and the case was settled with Mendoza paying what she owed for the laptop, her campaign said.
In a statement, Mendoza’s campaign manager Lauren Peters called the information release from the GOP a “desperate attempt to distract voters” from issues Munger wants to “run away from,” including her role in late payments for court-ordered disability payments during the budget impasse.
“The state of Illinois has never been worse off than it has been under the Rauner/Munger team,” Peters said. “And they will say or do anything to distract the voters of Illinois from the truth, including a decades old dispute, in order to avoid explaining how they managed to push the state further into debt while slashing social service.”
