Question of the day
Thursday, Sep 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
University of Illinois trustees have approved a contract with football coach Lovie Smith that will pay him at least $21 million over six years.
Trustees approved initial contract terms for Smith after he was hired in March that paid him $10 million in salary over his final two years. The final contract now moves $2 million of that money to earlier years in his contract.
University spokeswoman Robin Kaler declined to say what the buyout terms are if he Smith is fired because he and others still need to sign the contract.
In addition to his salary, Smith is eligible for up to $8 million in bonuses.
* The Question: Do you think Lovie Smith will turn things around? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
polls
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I learned something new today
Thursday, Sep 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* John Kass…
Chicago hit 500 homicides the other day, with more killings this year than in New York and Los Angeles combined. So the magic number made national and international news.
Even the BBC dropped in to tell the tale of Chicago violence, of nihilistic feral boys, brandishing their guns in cars, waving their death sticks in rap videos, young African-American men who believe they have no future, waiting to die. […]
The shooters, these feral young men, aren’t an accident. They are the direct product of the Democratic welfare state that helped destroy families. The government became the father, the fathers became irrelevant or were driven off, and black families that had withstood decades of Jim Crow segregation began to collapse.
Now, there aren’t enough jobs for unskilled labor. There aren’t enough cops. City Hall’s disastrous handling of the Laquan McDonald case left police unwilling to engage, as they fear appearing in videos.
Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson has asked for tougher laws to keep shooters behind bars. But Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and her allies in the Black Caucus in Springfield keep dragging their feet.
* The partisan stuff and odd Jim Crow reference aside, his use of the word “feral,” which he wrote twice (defined as: of, relating to, or resembling a wild beast), has ignited a firestorm on Twitter (click here to see it, but it’s not very pretty, including one clown who I just reported to Twitter for threatening violence against Kass). This observation caught my eye…
I have to admit ignorance on this topic, so I used teh Google. Sure enough.
* From Daily Stormer, which bills itself as “The world’s most-visited alt-right site”…
* White Man Dies 2 Years After Brutal Beating from Feral Black
* White Army Captain Viciously Beaten by Pack of Feral Blacks
* Feral Black Spits at Prosecutor on Guilty Verdict for Murder of Elderly White Woman
* White Family Sees Justice at Last as Deadly Feral Congoid is Convicted of Murder
Lots more here. Whew.
* Kass’ retort…
Maybe use a different word next time?
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Security company responds to ILGOP attack
Thursday, Sep 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
The Illinois Republican Party on Thursday called on Chicago City Clerk and state Comptroller candidate Susana Mendoza to return more than $20,000 in campaign contributions that she has raked in from a former city police officer who resigned after twice being accused of brutality.
In one instance which led to a federal lawsuit, Juan Gaytan is accused of punching a motorist in the face and threatening to kill him before kicking the man’s mother in the stomach and applying fake blood to his own face to make it appear he had been attacked.[1] In the other, Gaytan was accused of beating two people with a flashlight and robbing them of $425.[2]
“Susana Mendoza should do the right thing, stand up to one of her biggest campaign contributors and return his money,” Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Nick Klitzing said. “She says that as Comptroller she’ll be independent from her self-proclaimed mentor Speaker Madigan. How can we believe that when she won’t even distance herself from sketchy campaign contributors?”
Gaytan moved on to create Monterrey Security Consultants, a politically-connected security firm that was awarded a $2.9 million contract with the City of Chicago before it was rescinded because it violated ethics ordinances.[3] Among other Chicago business, the firm received a $400,000 no bid contract providing security for Chicago Housing Authority buildings[4] and a $1.2 million subcontract tied to the city’s parking meter privatization project.[5]
Gaytan and his firm have given Mendoza $22,200 since 2011 and $18,200 in 2015 alone.
“Mendoza’s judgment may be clouded by her more than 16 years on the city of Chicago and state of Illinois payrolls – and ten years on both at the same time,” Klitzing said. “But everyone outside of government can see that it is simply wrong to set aside principle for campaign cash, and she should acknowledge that.”
You can go see the footnoted references by clicking here.
* Monterrey Security has often been said to be a “clout” company, but it recently landed a contract to handle security at Minnesota Vikings games…
SMG, the operator of U.S. Bank Stadium, along with the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority and the Minnesota Vikings, announced today that after an extensive RFP process, Monterrey Security has been selected as the official security provider of U.S. Bank Stadium.
As the trusted provider for events ranging from the NFL Draft to the NATO Conference/G8 Summit, Monterrey Security will provide services in the areas of crowd management and 24-hour security.
“Monterrey Security is an exceptionally qualified organization,” said Michele Kelm-Helgen, chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority. “Monterrey has experience working with stadiums, live events and family attractions. Furthermore, this major contract being held by a minority owned company keeps our equity focus on the stadium’s operations.”
Monterrey is the largest Latino-owned security firm in the Midwest and one of the fastest-growing minority-owned security companies in the country. Over two-thirds of their workforce is comprised of women or minorities from executive leadership to entry-level employees.
* Response from Monterrey Security…
Public records show that allegations made by two Chicago gang members more than 20 years ago against then-police officer Gaytan were determined to be unfounded.
The Chicago Police Merit Board conducted a full hearing into an allegation made by a gang member 22 years ago, resulting in Mr. Gaytan’s full reinstatement, with back pay. A civil suit filed by a different gang member over allegations made 21 years ago resulted in a federal judge tossing out the suit, with prejudice.
In the 17 years since Monterrey Security was founded, the company has grown to be the largest Hispanic-owned security company in the U.S. and one of the largest security firms in the Midwest. Mr. Gaytan and his leadership team have gone through extensive background checks by the U.S. Secret Service, White House Presidential Detail, N.A.T.O., four state licensing boards and five professional sports leagues, among others. Those reviews resulted in full clearance for Mr. Gaytan and his team and a rare designation as a Level One-certified security agency.
It is unfortunate that this organization did not take the time to review publicly available documents before making these statements. Mr. Gaytan has known Clerk Mendoza for many years and has always respected and supported her. He’ll continue to support her, as he does other political candidates, regardless of their party affiliation.
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Today’s number: 185,912
Thursday, Sep 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CNN Money…
Background checks for gun purchases surged in Illinois to an all-time high in August, far exceeding the national average. […]
The Illinois tally for last month was 185,912 background checks, compared to 94,314 in August 2015. Not only was this a record for the state, it’s the first time the monthly tally for background checks exceeded 100,000. […]
This happened as Chicago’s murder toll was heading for a grim milestone: 500 homicides by Labor Day weekend. That’s already exceeded the 480 murders recorded in Chicago for all of 2015.
But [Mike Harrah, manager of Marengo Guns in Illinois] said that his customers seem to be more focused on politics, than crime.
“They’re all talking about Hillary,” he said, referring to Clinton’s gun control policy. He said that AR-15s continue to sell briskly because customers fear she’ll make good on her promise “to keep military-style weapons off our streets.”
I dunno about the Hillary thing. According to the article, background checks increased just 6 percent nationally in August, compared to a year ago.
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* From Gov. Rauner’s campaign…
TOP MEDIA HIT OF THE WEEK
Gov. Rauner attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Richelieu Foods manufacturing facility in Wheeling that will create 100 new jobs. CBS2 Chicago covered the event, saying:
“Governor Bruce Rauner has been promising that he will create manufacturing jobs. And now, he has delivered. Massachusetts-based Richelieu Foods is bringing 100 new jobs to north suburban Wheeling - the private label pizza maker crediting Rauner for the hard sell.”
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Batting cleanup is never easy
Thursday, Sep 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz…
A much-heralded move by the Rauner administration to replace the private firm that operates the Illinois Lottery has a previously unreported string attached that will force the new operator to pay as much as $56 million if it wants to use its own supplier rather than incumbent firm Gtech.
The string—technically a clause dealing with “residual value”—is buried deep within a state bidding document that was quietly issued July 28.
Rauner administration and lottery officials say they had to include the clause because language originally drafted by former Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration “tied our hands” and that, despite the clause, the lottery will soon have a new and improved private manager.
But Rauner aides did not mention the clause when they fired Northstar Lottery Group as the lottery’s private manager a year ago. And a spokeswoman for IGT, which recently merged with Gtech, said it “negotiated with the Rauner administration and reached agreement on amicable terms.” […]
In a phone interview, [acting Lottery Director Tim McDevitt] defended the deal as better than the one struck by Quinn and still in the public’s interest. The new manager has the right to select its own supplier and may be able to run such an efficient and productive operation that it will be able to afford the payment and still make a profit, he said.
It doesn’t seem to cost taxpayers any money, so that’s good, at least.
The original press release from last year is here.
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Mistakes happen
Thursday, Sep 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Um…
A trade group representing small businesses has endorsed a slew of Republicans running for state office in Illinois and just one Democrat.
The National Federation of Independent Business has endorsed candidates in 59 state legislative general election races.
All are Republicans except for one. The group has endorsed a lone Democrat, House Speaker Mike Madigan of Chicago.
In a statement, the group which represents small businesses across the state, says, “these candidates have consistently voted or have pledged to support small businesses on the issues that affect their ability to own, operate and grow their enterprises.”
Except if you scroll down you’ll see that the NFIB endorsed Republican state Senate candidate Mike Madigan of Urbana, not Speaker Madigan of Chicago.
Oops.
The page is now gone.
And now you know why the Republicans are mostly taking a pass on that Senate race.
* Making a mistake like that keeps me up at night. This morning’s Capitol Fax, for example, had a line about a “Mac truck.” But as a subscriber was quick to point out…
And here I thought you were a man of the people, Rich. A Mac is a computer. A Mack is a truck. 
I stand corrected, and I blame my computer.
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Not exactly high praise for the frontrunner
Thursday, Sep 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Roll Call rates the Illinois Senate race…
Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, running against Republican Sen. Mark S. Kirk (previous ranking: No. 5)
Ranking Duckworth is difficult. She’s running a race that has yet to offer a stern test, given that Illinois’s deep shade of blue has made her a strong favorite from the get-go.
She’s a war hero, but also a former state official who faced an ugly civil lawsuit. She’s raised money at a steady, not stupendous, clip.
Democrats just need an average candidate win the race. By most indications, the congresswoman is up to the task.
Yeah. That’s about right, I think.
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* SJ-R…
Illinois’ Medicaid program would be able to cover housing, employment services and more intervention services under a proposal to bring $2.7 billion in new federal funds to the state for the care of people struggling with mental illness and substance abuse.
The five-year proposal from the administration of Gov. Bruce Rauner could help “change the trajectory” of many Medicaid recipients’ lives “by providing some needed resources,” said Felicia Norwood, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. […]
As many as 800,000 Illinoisans could benefit as a result of the waiver, Norwood said Wednesday. She noted that 25 percent of the 3.2 million people covered by Medicaid have mental health issues or substance abuse problems or both.
Many of the people who would be served are new to the Medicaid program because of the expanded eligibility levels provided and funded by the federal Affordable Care Act, Norwood said.
Candidate Bruce Rauner opposed expanding Medicaid. But, what’s done is done.
* A prime focus is on behavioral health. From the waiver request…
The initial focus of the transformation effort is on behavioral health (mental health and substance use) and specifically the integration of behavioral and physical health service delivery. Behavioral health was chos en due to the urgency of the issue as well as the potential financial and human impact. Building a nation - leading behavioral health strategy will not only help bend the healthcare cost curve in Illinois but also help turn the tide of the opioid epidemic, r educe violent crime an d violent encounters with police, and improve maternal and child health. There is also a large financial payoff in improving behavioral health: Medicaid members with behavioral health needs (referred to henceforth as “behavioral health members” ) represent 2 5% of Illinois Medicaid members but account for 56% of all Medicaid spending […]
Illinois ranks 30th in mental health workforce availability with 844 people per mental health worker compared to the national median of 752 and the 25th percentile of 520. Illinois ranks 32nd and 31st in the nation in pre-term birth and violent crime rates, respectively, both of which have links to behavioral health. Lastly, Illinois ranks 41st in the nation in mental health service coverage for children, with just 45% of children who need services receiving them. Given the State’s overall spending on the behavioral health population, these results demonstrate clear room for improvement.
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* Tribune…
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein campaigns in Chicago. She’s got a morning visit to the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, an afternoon “reality walk” in South Austin and an evening rally in Uptown.
* WLS TV…
A warrant is out for Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s arrest.
Stein, who is from north suburban Highland Park, tweeted a photo Wednesday that shows her spray-painting a bulldozer at an oil pipeline protest in North Dakota.
She was charged with criminal trespassing and vandalism. Stein campaign spokeswoman Meleiza Figueroa could not immediately comment on whether Stein plans to turn herself in.
Court records show Stein was charged Wednesday in Morton County with misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass and criminal mischief. The same charges have been filed against her running mate, Ajamu Baraka. […]
Morton County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Rob Keller said the warrant has been filed and if authorities were to come across Stein, “they would arrest her.”
* More…
Stein’s campaign, in a statement Wednesday, said the Green Party standard bearers were supporting Native American groups in protesting the construction of the Dakota Pipeline.
“In support of the action that stopped pipeline construction on Tuesday,Stein spray-painted the words ‘I approve this message’ onto the blade of a bulldozer that had been used to destroy sacred burial sites of the Standing Rock Sioux,” the campaign said in the statement.
A defiant Stein said in the statement that “I hope the North Dakota authorities press charges against the real vandalism taking place at the Standing Rock Sioux reservation: the bulldozing of sacred burial sites and the unleashing of vicious attack dogs.”
“I hope they take action against the Dakota Access Pipeline company that is endangering drinking water not only for the Standing Rock Sioux, but for millions of people downstream of the reservation who depend on the Missouri River,” she added.
*** UPDATE *** Sun-Times…
Morton County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Donnell Preskey on Thursday said Stein must be arrested in North Dakota, since the charges are misdemeanors.
“She has to be arrested in state, or unless she wants to cooperate,” Preskey said.
Both offenses are Class B misdemeanors.
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* BGA…
Gov. Bruce Rauner, who previously promised voters he would bring his well-honed business skills to get Illinois back on track, will be tested in coming months as he tries to fix a bad financial bet made more than a decade ago between the state and Wall Street banks.
This fall, the governor will decide whether to fight the banks or concede to at least $150 million in penalties that potentially must be paid to the institutions as the result of a financial arrangement that backfired – a cost borne by taxpayers.
When Illinois officials prepared to sell $600 million in bonds in 2003 for general spending uses, they were concerned that rising interest rates would drive up the cost to repay the debt. To protect themselves, they entered into contracts known as swaps that are supposed to protect against interest rate spikes. Such contracts work to keep the repayment of debt at a steady rate with few surprises.
Trouble is, the contracts are designed to work in a time of rising interest rates. After the financial markets collapse of 2008, rates plunged.
Through last year, Illinois paid almost $400 million in interest and fees for the single $600 million bond issue, a figure that would have been tens of millions of dollars less had the state entered into a lending agreement with a flat interest rate of around 4.75 percent, according to one analysis. (Bonds are essentially loans to government. Banks act as middlemen to sell the debt in pieces to investors.) […]
The unexpected drop in interest rates would have been bad enough. But the state’s deteriorating financial condition – due in part to its unpaid pension obligations – made matters worse. Continued downgrades by major bond rating agencies of the state’s credit rating can force a termination of the swaps – forcing the state to pay a penalty in the range of $150 million. […]
Rauner has three choices to mitigate the issue [before a November deadline on expiring letters of credit]. He can pay the full penalty to the banks in order to get out of the swaps and refinance the bonds at a lower rate. He can continue the current arrangement, although new guarantees will likely raise borrowing costs. Or he can sue the banks or use the threat of litigation as leverage to get a better deal, as some allies advocate.
Oy.
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The interconnected web
Thursday, Sep 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Here’s some Tribune background on the groups involved with that so-far failed lawsuit we talked about late yesterday against the legislative leadership committee spending law on general elections…
For some background, the Liberty Justice Center originally filed the case prior to the November 2012 elections. The center was started by the Illinois Policy Institute, a tax-exempt foundation that has embraced much of Republican Gov. Rauner’s agenda. Rauner previously donated more than $500,000 to the institute.
The institute’s CEO is John Tillman. Tillman was the original chairman of the Illinois Liberty PAC in June 2011, followed months later by conservative radio talk show host and unsuccessful GOP primary governor candidate Dan Proft. Proft also has been listed as a senior fellow at the policy institute.
In September 2012, Matthew Besler became chairman of the Illinois Liberty PAC. Besler also is president of the Illinois Opportunity Project, a Rauner-aligned organization, which Proft co-founded and where he still plays a role.
The Illinois Opportunity Project is a tax-exempt organization that has given political donations but does not have to disclose its donors. It also has given nearly $100,000 in donations and loans to the Illinois Liberty PAC, state records show. The opportunity project also has given $225,000 in loans this year to Liberty Principles PAC, records show. Liberty Principles PAC, which also received $2.5 million personally from Rauner in June, is chaired by Proft.
Got all that?
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* The plaintiffs in this case were represented by Liberty Justice Center, an arm of the Illinois Policy Institute that filed a recent lawsuit to halt in-precinct election day voter registration…
Illinois lawmakers did not trample on the U.S. Constitution when they gave the go-ahead for committees dedicated to electing state legislative candidates to make bigger contributions than many other donors, a federal judge held today.
In a written opinion, U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman rejected the argument that lawmakers were improperly playing favorites when they set higher contribution limits for legislative caucus committees than for such donors as individuals, corporations and political action committees.
Imposing lower contribution limits on those other donors does not violate the First Amendment or the equal protection clause, Feinerman held. […]
One sufficiently important interest, he wrote, citing cases that included Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), “is the state’s interest in preventing quid pro quo corruption or its appearance.”
Placing limits on the amount of money donors can give to a candidate is a way to serve that interest, Feinerman wrote.
And, he continued, lawmakers could legitimately believe the possibility that a large contribution is part of a pay-to-play transaction is greater when the donor is an outsider.
“Illinois reasonably concluded that corruption (or the appearance thereof) by private individuals and non-legislative entities poses a far more serious risk to the democratic process than does a legislative leader contributing to another legislator or electoral candidate in that leader’s own caucus,” Feinerman wrote.
The Tribune editorial board might disagree with that particular sentiment. Plaintiffs plan to appeal.
Spending by the leadership committees is capped during the primary, but not the general.
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Pointless press releases, Part 9,438
Wednesday, Sep 7, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Um…
Today, Patrick Harlan, the Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in the Illinois 17th District, issued a challenge to Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-East Moline):
“Congresswoman Bustos needs to commit to serving a full term for the office she is seeking,” Harlan said. “If she is plotting to climb the political ladder and run for governor in 2018, her constituents in the Illinois 17th District have a right to know.”
Harlan called on Bustos to sign a pledge indicating her intent to serve out her full term if elected in November.
“I am requesting that Congresswoman Bustos make a pledge that, if she were to be elected in November, she would uphold the duties of representing the constituents of the 17th District without resigning to run for Governor of Illinois and requiring a special election. If Bustos is not willing to make this reasonable pledge to her constituents, then we shall be safe to assume that she is going to deny her responsibilities to serve us as a representative, and we demand that she withdraws her candidacy for the November election.”
Earlier today, when Congresswoman Cheri Bustos’ campaign was asked about the rumor that she might run for governor in 2018, her campaign manager stated, “2018 is a long time away — her focus right now is on 2016, representing her district to the best of her ability.” But when pressed further about how Bustos might be able to compete with Rauner, her campaign manager proceeded to attack Rauner’s record.
She wouldn’t have to resign to run for governor. And her congressional term would end about the same time her gubernatorial term would begin if she won, so there’d be no need for a special election.
Weird.
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Today’s quotable
Wednesday, Sep 7, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Regarding Pat Quinn’s latest petition ideas…
Kent Redfield, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield, agreed that Quinn is clearly trying to remain in the spotlight.
“Now, to what end?” Redfield said, offering two possible scenarios: an attempt to rebuild an organization to push for political reform or an effort to lay the groundwork for a future bid for public office.
If it’s the latter, it seems doubtful that fellow Democrats would rally behind Quinn, Redfield said.
“I don’t know that a lot of down-ballot Democrats would view him as an asset in terms of being at the top of the Democratic ticket,” he said.
Understatement of the month.
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* Sheesh…
Southern Illinois University’s fall 2016 enrollment is down 7.55 percent, according to Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell.
The official enrollment number is 15,987, which is down from last fall’s reported number of 17,292.
SIU officials said Tuesday they weren’t surprised by the dip in enrollment. In fact, they knew it was coming. […]
Numbers from SIU show a 23.69 percent drop in the number of freshman, and a 17 percent drop in sophomores — which is the same number from last year.
There are increases in the amount of juniors and seniors, which Colwell said is a bright spot because it shows the university’s retention efforts are working.
Grad student enrollment fell 12 percent, or 431 students.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Oy…
With total enrollment for the fall semester showing a decline of more than 5 percent, Northern Illinois University President Doug Baker vowed Wednesday to take steps to put the school back on a path to growth.
Total enrollment was counted at 19,015 on the 10th day of classes this year, down 5.5 percent from fall 2015, according to data released Wednesday by the university. There are 1,115 fewer students enrolled at the school than there were at this time last year.
“Our largest decline is in the freshman class, while smaller declines took place among transfer and graduate students,” Baker said in a written statement sent to NIU faculty and staff. “We are clearly not where we need to be.”
Total undergraduate enrollment declined to 14,079, down 6.2 percent from 2015, according to data provided by NIU. Graduate school enrollment fell 3.7 percent to 4,672. Enrollment at the law school was a bright spot, growing 4.3 percent.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Down is still down…
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville saw 14,142 students register for this fall. Although that number is about 100 students fewer than the all-time high of 2015, it’s above the 14,000 student goal for the university.
*** UPDATE 3 *** And another one…
Western Illinois University says enrollment this fall has fallen by 7 percent.
ISU was up slightly.
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Online gang wars and manufacturing jobs
Wednesday, Sep 7, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Salon…
If you want to get a real first-hand look at gang culture in Chicago’s South Side, all you need to do is scroll through the Twitter feed of Gahrika Barnes.
The 17-year-old was a known member of the Gangster Disciples, a gang in the Woodlawn neighborhood, who’s suspected by police in multiple shootings.
Under the alias @TyquanAssassin, Barnes tweeted over 27,000 times to her 2,700 followers: boasting about her gang affiliation, posting messages of grief over friends who had been shot by rival gangs and threatening retaliation, and taunting the police. She describes herself in her bio as a “PAID SHOOTA.”
She was murdered on Eberhart Street, mere hours after tweeting the address of her current hangout.
The article goes on to talk about an effort by researches and activists to stop these social media fights from escalating into real life shooting wars. You should definitely read it all.
* And then…
As one of the few researchers in this field, [Dr. Desmond Patton, an associate professor at Columbia University in New York and one of the few academics looking into the language of gang members online] dominates the literature, most of which has been published this year. His January article in the academic journal Computers in Human Behavior, titled “Internet banging: New trends in social media, gang violence, masculinity and hip hop,” identified historical and cultural threads that have led to the intersection between social media and gang culture.
For starters, he notes the “relative low cost of smartphones, emergence of social media and SNSs, and increased technological literacy” has led to influx of tech-savvy teens. At the same time, Patton and his co-authors link urban growth and economic disenfranchisement to the rise in gang violence. They argue that the loss of factory jobs in urban areas “affected masculine identity profoundly. Almost overnight, many blue-collar men who embodied the American work ethic became unemployed and disenfranchised, severely damaging many urban men’s self images and representing an identity shift.”
Indeed, since 2000, America has lost over 5 million factory jobs. These losses have directly impacted the Rust Belt, America’s so-called manufacturing heartland, of which Chicago once reigned supreme. Yet, due to many factors including increased automation, free-trade agreements and the transfer of manufacturing plants, factory jobs have been on a slow decline since the 1980s and have, in part, contributed to the poverty of Chicago’s neighborhoods. A New York Times article from May of this year draws a link between the poverty in Chicago’s racially segregated neighborhoods and a lack of affordable housing to the rise in Chicago’s gang-related crime.
* And just as a reminder, here’s an excerpt from Greg Baise’s recent City Club address…
Just remember as you leave, in the last seven years….
Wisconsin created 44,100 manufacturing jobs
Ohio created 75,900 manufacturing jobs
Indiana created 83,700 manufacturing jobs and
Michigan created 171,300 manufacturing jobs.
Illinois created 4,600 jobs. Even Idaho created 9,100 manufacturing jobs. A state better known for its potato farms.
Can we “create” manufacturing jobs? Not really. I mean, we can hand out subsidies that could spark a few new jobs. But what we really need to do is make this state a less challenging place to start and grow businesses, including factories.
* Last weekend, I drove to Remington, Indiana for my uncle’s funeral. The road I took isn’t far from Watseka, which is a former home to several of my cousins and used to be a haven for factory jobs (Baise’s own parents emigrated there from Kentucky in the 1930s for the jobs). It’s now a sad shell of its former self.
The road then meanders through some little Illinois towns that are almost dead. Once you cross the border into Indiana, however, you almost immediately see small factories and far more prosperous little towns. The contrast is stark - and depressing for an Illinoisan.
You can scream all you want about Gov. Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda, and I’ll agree with much of it. But the bottom line is he ain’t wrong about our business climate. Holding the budget hostage is wrong. Plain and simple. But so is refusing to address a frightening problem with our state.
For once, I’d like to see the Democrats step up and offer a plan. Blaming China and Mexico is all well and good, but the fact that more manufacturing jobs are being created in Idaho than Illinois makes me sick to my stomach. Enough with the excuses.
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That’s nice, but where the heck is the plan?
Wednesday, Sep 7, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Let’s revisit this topic for a moment…
A company spokesman says Richelieu Foods chose Wheeling because of Chicago’s central location in the country, and good infrastructure.
While I wholeheartedly agree with the governor that some business climate things have got to change around here, investing in infrastructure is supremely important for a crossroads state like Illinois. Whether it’s by road, rail or air, you gotta come through Illinois to get most anywhere. Chicago let its railroad snarls get so horrific that companies set up workarounds to avoid the, in many instances, weeks-long city delays. Most of those new terminals are in Illinois, but Indiana is trying to get a huge one off the ground right now.
Bruce Rauner campaigned on his support for massive capital investments, but nothing has yet materialized. He even signed off on raiding the Road Fund last year.
* From a recent SJ-R story…
IDOT Assistant Secretary Rich Brauer said major road, rail and bridge projects such as the Carpenter Street underpass should not depend on the political uncertainty of capital budgets.
“We’re trying to get away from a capital bill. We’re trying to get toward more sustainable funding,” Brauer said after Monday’s ribbon cutting. “Then we can plan on projects like this instead of saying we have to wait for a year, we have to wait five years for a capital bill.”
Brauer, who previously represented Springfield in the General Assembly, gave an increase in vehicle registration fees as an example of funding that could be earmarked for transportation projects, though he said the department has not advocated for such an increase.
I fully agree that we need sustainable infrastructure funding year after year and we shouldn’t do things in spurts with occasional capital bills.
And no offense to Brauer because he’s not in charge of this, but where is the administration’s plan? The governor has been in office 20 months and we have yet to hear a peep out of him.
* By the way, infrastructure is not just about roads, bridges, airports and mass transit. Universities, K-12 schools and local water and sewer systems are also in dire need.
And here’s Department of Natural Resource Director Wayne Rosenthal…
“(W)e have identified $850- to $900 million in needed maintenance at park and other DNR facilities”
Sheesh.
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Unclear on the concept
Wednesday, Sep 7, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Susana Mendoza personally pitched me this story during the Illinois State Fair. I told her that she was misinformed…
“I’m here to announce our office’s newest initiative. It’s called Open Book,” [Comptroller Leslie Munger] said at a news conference on July 20 in Peoria. “It is a searchable database that allows you to compare state contracts with campaign donations.”
Not only does Munger’s program have the same name and website address as [former Comptroller Dan Hynes’] virtually identical effort. Like Hynes, she also used the same “follow the money” catchphrase.
“#OpenBook is a one-of-a-kind transparency initiative developed in-house by my office. #FollowTheMoney,” @Leslie MungerIL tweeted. “Hold elected leaders & those running for office accountable with our new transparency tool.” […]
Munger’s Democratic challenger in the November election, Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza, said, “It’s amazing to me that she would have the audacity to steal her predecessor’s award-winning initiative — a good-government initiative, ironically — and claim it as her own.”
* The reason I knew Mendoza was wrong is because the manager of this project was my former intern Barton Lorimor. We didn’t talk much about it, but I knew enough about all the hours he was putting in and the complicated stuff he was doing to realize this was more than a simple cosmetic upgrade. This was essentially a complete rebuild.
Every line of code on the site has been changed. They also added new algorithms, new search functions and improved the user interface. It’s like saying a 1932 Cadillac is essentially the same as a 2016 Cadillac. The name’s the same, and there’s still a steering wheel and four tires, but the technology is radically different. It’s not “virtually identical.”
* More detailed examples from the comptroller’s office…
· We switched from using modules to responsive data tables. Before July, every search result was displayed in these floating boxes, which took up a lot of space if you searched for a vendor that has dozens of contracts. Responsive tables are cleaner, display more information, and they auto-adjust to the user’s screen’s dimensions.
· You can search by contributors and receiving political committees now, too. Previously you could only search by the contract’s vendor name (and that name had to be as it appeared on the contract or else the records were not displayed). Old OpenBook also wasn’t displaying some of the State Board’s data even if the records matched the search criteria. It does now thanks to all new SQL code.
· OpenBook ties directly into the contract database on Ledger. Obviously you could not do something like that before because Ledger is fairly new itself.
· Search results can be filtered by vendor name, the donor’s name, the donor’s employer (when provided), recipient name, dollar amounts, date, and a contract’s awarding agency. You can order them in alphabetical, numerical, ascending, and descending orders. You can even download all of this into a PDF or CSV file. None of that was available beforehand.
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* Daily Herald…
Gov. Bruce Rauner toured two Northwest suburban businesses Tuesday, touting both as prime examples of the role Illinois should be playing in the national and global economy.
Rauner helped cut the ribbon on a new processing plant for Richelieu Foods, Inc. in Wheeling, and then admired the research and development in progress at Gas Technology Institute in Des Plaines, aimed at creating new sources of energy through a process called gasification. […]
O’Connor said that while the costs of doing business in Illinois are a little higher than other places the company could have gone, the state’s transportation infrastructure, location and workforce weigh in its favor. The company expects to have more than 100 employees working at the Wheeling facility by the end of the year,
While Rauner called Richelieu’s new 115,000-square-foot plant a good sign for Illinois’ economy, he said all is not well with the state. Not every business is capable of overcoming the state’s challenges as Richelieu is, he said.
“We don’t have nearly the successes we deserve,” Rauner said.
* The governor is fond of publicly name-checking Rep. Elaine Nekritz whenever he wants to point to a Democrat who favors some of his non-budget reforms. Nekritz was at yesterday’s event, and, as usual, diplomatically spoke her mind…
“I think we can do more of selling ourselves rather than selling ourselves short,” said State Rep. Elaine Nekritz.
Nekritz - one of the Democrats at the ribbon-cutting - aimed her comment at Rauner, who has spent much of his first term criticizing the state’s business climate. Nekritz said companies like Richelieu will respond if Illinois does a better job selling itself.
“A lot of states take advantage of the fact that they can point the finger at us and say ’see how bad they are’. Again, we need to do better but we also need to do better at promoting ourselves,” Nekritz said.
But the governor warned that announcements like this do not happen often enough.
“We should have far more. Too often, when we have a good announcement we also have announcements of folks leaving or moving to another state,” Rauner said.
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* Eric Zorn once reveled in the commenter community he helped nurture on his blog. But new Tribune rules prevented him from banning the worst of the worst and he gave up…
I now cheer when media sites shut down their comment threads and hope the idea spreads. Public radio network NPR was the latest, switching off its forum Aug. 23 citing the prohibitive cost of effective moderation, the comparatively small slice of web visitors who participated in the scrum (less than a 10th of 1 percent) and the migration of online debate to social media. […]
The loudest, most polarizing participants come to dominate most comment-thread “conversations.” They wander from the point to attack each other, the publication and the writer with name-calling and innuendo — anything that can get past the profanity filters — which, paradoxically, drives off those with actual contributions to make. […]
Comment threads are more usefully interesting to readers at sites such as CapitolFax.com, the Illinois politics blog, where proprietors invest considerable time and enforce no-nonsense rules to maintain focus and civility in their comment areas.
But that sort of investment doesn’t appear to be scalable for big media.
We most definitely have our problems here. I’ve been deleting more and more comments as election day approaches and as an AFSCME showdown with Gov. Rauner nears. I expect banishments will exponentially increase in the coming days and weeks. There’s just not enough respect for other viewpoints and it frustrates me to no end.
Try to keep that in mind as we move forward. You may think you have the right to say whatever you want, and you do as long as it’s on your own turf. This is my turf, however. You are all guests. Try to act like it.
Thanks.
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* This rumor has been floating around all week. Bustos is a Dick Durbin person, so the trial balloon could be a sign that Durbin won’t run. Or not. Who knows? It’s still really early…
Illinois Democrats have recently set their sights on U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill. in the party’s quest to deepen its gubernatorial candidate bench.
Sources close to the state party say discussions have recently centered on Bustos as a possible contender in the 2018 race against incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, if U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin decides against running.
When asked about a possible gubernatorial run, Bustos’ campaign responded similarly to Durbin’s camp, arguing that it’s too early to consider, while leaving the door open. […]
Asked how Bustos, of East Moline, might compete against deep-pocketed Rauner, Raker said: “Rauner has been a disaster for the state of Illinois, for Cheri’s district in particular. Rauner’s tactics and policies have been hurting real people here.” […]
Bustos has demonstrated an ability to raise money — she started CherPAC, which has raised more than $100,000 and used as part of the DCCC’s Red to Blue campaign, which she co-chairs.
Your thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** Kyle Hillman in comments…
I am sure her NRA A- rating will go over well in Chicago and Suburban moms right now.
Next.
Yep.
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HGOPs use McCain in robocall to boost McAuliffe
Wednesday, Sep 7, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s not every day that a former presidential candidate and sitting US Senator cuts a robocall for a state House candidate, but that’s just what Arizona Sen. John McCain did for Rep. Mike McAuliffe (R-Chicago). Have a listen…
* Why did this happen? Subscribers have known about this brewing controversy for a while, but here’s some background…
Area veterans responded with support for State Rep. Michael McAuliffe (R-20th) after his Democratic opponent, Merry Marwig, challenged McAuliffe’s record.
A group of nearly 30 people, mostly veterans, gathered in Monument Park in Chicago’s Northwest side Edison Park neighborhood to respond to Marwig’s claims that McAuliffe claimed to be a military veteran. The rally, held near McAuliffe’s campaign headquarters, took place Friday, Aug. 26.
In letters to the editor published last September, McAuliffe referred to his “fellow” veterans. Marwig said that wording amounted to McAuliffe claiming to be a veteran when he is not one. McAuliffe said the reference amounted to a typo.
“Every function he’s (McAuliffe) ever been to, he’s said he is not a veteran, but appreciates what we do,” said Robert Fuggiti, an Army Vietnam veteran and retired 32-year Chicago police officer who helped organize Friday’s rally.
“I’m so tired of politicians taking one small issue and making it big,” Fuggiti said. “As far as things he’s (McAuliffe) done for us, he’s always listened to our grievances and been there for us.”
* More…
Take Michael McAuliffe, a 20-year state representative. Anyone who has watched broadcast television this summer, from the Olympics to the Cubs to game shows, has seen a McAuliffe ad featuring his wife, Kim, touting his re-election bid in the Northwest Side and northwest suburban district.
Since Aug. 1, the candidate’s 30-second ads have run at least 478 times — at a cost of at least $614,475, according to TV station records filed with the Federal Communications Commission. […]
But it is highly unusual for someone running for the Illinois House to buy August broadcast time in the expensive Chicago TV market. Not only are campaign funds usually too scarce for such a move, but it’s not viewed as good bang for the buck because only a tiny fraction of the people who see the ads will actually be able to vote on the race. After all, there are 118 Illinois House seats and 40 Senate seats on the Nov. 8 ballot.
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