* The Boat Drink Caucus is playing a welcome back to Springfield gig tonight at the Butternut Hut. It’s their first date since the governor’s inauguration party. They’ll kick off at about 9 o’clock. Be there, people…
Tuesday, Apr 14, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The cable industry is asking lawmakers to place a NEW 5% tax on satellite TV service. The satellite tax is not about fairness, equity or parity – it’s a tax increase on the 1.3 million Illinois families and businesses who subscribe to satellite TV.
Satellite Tax Will Hurt Illinois Families and Small Businesses
• Satellite TV subscribers will see their monthly bills go up 5%.
• This tax will impact every bar, restaurant and hotel that subscribes to satellite TV service, which will translate into higher prices, decreased revenues, and fewer jobs.
• Rural Illinois has no choice: In many parts of Illinois, cable refuses to provide TV service to rural communities. Satellite TV is their only option.
Satellite Tax Is Not About Parity or Fairness
• Cable’s claim that this discriminatory tax is justified because satellite TV doesn’t pay local franchise fees could not be further from the truth. Cable pays those fees to local towns and cities in exchange for the right to bury cables in the public rights of way—a right that cable companies value in the tens of billions of dollars in their SEC filings.
• Satellite companies don’t pay franchise fees for one simple reason: We use satellites—unlike cable, we don’t need to dig up streets and sidewalks to deliver our TV service.
• Making satellite subscribers pay franchise fees—or, in this case, an equivalent amount in taxes—would be like taxing the air. It’s no different than making airline passengers pay a fee for laying railroad tracks. They don’t use; they shouldn’t have to pay for it.
A proposal in the Illinois House that would require all state vehicles to be manufactured in North America sounds patriotic, but some groups say it would hurt Illinois businesses.
The Department of Transportation and the Illinois’ Manufacturers Association are among those who oppose House Bill 3438. Randy Nehrt of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce says this could actually hurt Illinois businesses, especially those that supply parts to car manufacturers in Mexico.
“The bill actually has the real potential to harm Illinois businesses,” he said. “It also strains relationships with Illinois’ trading partner in Mexico.”
The proposal says Illinois would only be allowed to purchase or lease North American-made vehicles, but doesn’t include Mexico.
The idea behind the bill is nothing new — it has been brought up in various forms in the Illinois Legislature several times in the past. This time, it has been approved by the House Labor Committee and lawmakers will consider the proposal after returning next week from spring recess.
The immediate problem is that many of these fleet vehicles are chosen based on important specific criteria and performance. For example, the Caprice is a long-standing favorite of law enforcement agencies and is the only full-size police cruiser on the market. But it is substantially built in Australia by General Motors’ subsidiary Holden. It’s a similar situation with the workhorse Silverado, which would be off the market under the legislation.
The bill is supported by labor, including the AFL-CIO, but opposed by the Illinois Manufacturers Association and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. […]
Smiddy points to a General Motors police car made in Australia. Wouldn’t requiring North American final assembly give GM an incentive to build that police car in the U.S., Smiddy asks, noting Ford builds its own police car offering in Chicago.
Smiddy said he knows there’s no guarantee assembly jobs would necessarily land at UAW-represented plants in North America or newly opened ones in the U.S, but he thinks the state should add incentive for automakers to assemble in the U.S.
When domestic or foreign-owned makers open plants in the U.S. he said, American communities benefit.
“We’re trying to help out the American economy, not the Australian economy or Mexican economy,” Smiddy said.
* The Question: Should the state of Illinois be required to only purchase or lease North American-made vehicles? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
President Lincoln and wife visited Ford’s Theatre this evening for the purpose of witnessing the performance of ‘The American Cousin.’ It was announced in the papers that Gen. Grant would also be present, but that gentleman took the late train of cars for New Jersey.
The theatre was densely crowded, and everybody seemed delighted with the scene before them. During the third act and while there was a temporary pause for one of the actors to enter, a sharp report of a pistol was heard, which merely attracted attention, but suggested nothing serious until a man rushed to the front of the President’s box, waving a long dagger in his right hand, exclaiming, ‘Sic semper tyrannis,’ and immediately leaped from the box, which was in the second tier, to the stage beneath, and ran across to the opposite side, made his escape amid the bewilderment of the audience from the rear of the theatre, and mounted a horse and fled.
The groans of Mrs. Lincoln first disclosed the fact that the President had been shot, when all present rose to their feet rushing towards the stage, many exclaiming, ‘Hang him, hang him!’ The excitement was of the wildest possible description…
There was a rush towards the President’s box, when cries were heard — ‘Stand back and give him air!’ ‘Has anyone stimulants?’ On a hasty examination it was found that the President had been shot through the head above and back of the temporal bone, and that some of his brain was oozing out. He was removed to a private house opposite the theatre, and the Surgeon General of the Army and other surgeons were sent for to attend to his condition.
On an examination of the private box, blood was discovered on the back of the cushioned rocking chair on which the President had been sitting; also on the partition and on the floor. A common single-barrelled pocket pistol was found on the carpet.
A military guard was placed in front of the private residence to which the President had been conveyed. An immense crowd was in front of it, all deeply anxious to learn the condition of the President.
The 73-year-old reserve sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot an unarmed man during an undercover operation earlier this month in Oklahoma was a close friend of the sheriff’s and a major donor to his agency and campaign.
Even before prosecutors announced Monday that Tulsa County Reserve Deputy Roberts Bates, a white insurance executive, was charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of Eric Harris, who was black, those details raised questions about whether Bates had been paying to play cop.
Tulsa County Sheriff’s Maj. Shannon Clark told the Tulsa World newspaper that there are “lots of wealthy people” among the agency’s 130 reserve deputies.
“Many of them make donations of items,” he told the newspaper. “That’s not unusual at all.”
While the sheriff’s office did not have an itemized list of Bates’ contributions, the insurance executive had donated multiple vehicles, firearms and stun guns to the agency, according to The Tulsa World report.
While it’s difficult to nail down just how prevalent it is for big money donors to serve as reserve officers with local law enforcement agencies, there is some anecdotal evidence. […]
Howard Buffett, the son and heir apparent of Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, is a volunteer sheriff’s deputy in no less than three counties: two in central Illinois and another in Arizona.
Howard Buffett’s cellphone rang one recent afternoon to the tune of a Rolling Stones hit. “Start me up,” he answered. The sheriff of Macon County, Ill., was on the line.
Hours later, the eldest son of investor Warren Buffett was patrolling the streets here in his hometown in a bulletproof vest with a Glock 22 .40-caliber pistol strapped to his hip, fulfilling his duties as an auxiliary deputy sheriff. Already this year, he has logged more than 225 hours as an unpaid volunteer deputy in two counties in central Illinois and one in Arizona.
“People say, ‘Oh, Howard Buffett, the billionaire’s son.’ But he’s just one of us,” says Macon County sheriff Tom Schneider, a friend. “He’s got a youthful enthusiasm…He’s the first one digging the ditch.” […]
“I’m mellowing, but still kind of wild,” he says. “Why else are we going out with the sheriff for the afternoon, putting on a bulletproof vest and a gun? People ask, ‘Why are you doing that?’ But for me, it’s a whole new learning experience.”
Umm. OK.
The Cook ‘County Sheriff’s office used to have all sorts of political hacks and others on its auxiliary force before the Sheriff cracked down. I didn’t realize it was so widespread.
Tuesday, Apr 14, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The following is excerpted from a Chicago Sun-Times op-ed by Sean McGarvey, president of the North America’s Building Trades Unions:
“There are many times when a state legislature must act to preserve existing industry, maintain solid-middle class jobs, and avoid negative long-term economic consequences. Illinois is at such a decision point about the future of its best-in-the-nation nuclear energy fleet, which directly and indirectly employs 28,000 people.”
“…half of Illinois’ nuclear plants are in danger of closing prematurely. That would mean losing premier employers that pay real middle-class wages, treat their work forces well, pay taxes on time… “
“The recently introduced Illinois Low Carbon Portfolio Standard (LCPS) … would help to preserve these plants, as well as one of Illinois’ leading industries that drives middle-class jobs and economic growth for the state.”
“The LCPS is market-based and will keep family-sustaining wages here in Illinois.”
“At the community level, the presence of a nuclear plant in a town means generation not just of electricity, but of jobs, business in the local restaurants, support for the police force, the fire department, the little league baseball teams – the list goes on.”
“If Illinois’ nuclear power fleet is shuttered, it will not just affect economics, or plant employees, or communities around the plants, or even shareholders of a company – it affects Illinois’ future opportunities for generations to come.”
“It is hugely important that Illinois’ legislators and voters alike understand the deep and broad-ranging value of nuclear energy, as well as the long-term economic ramifications of nuclear plant closures while considering the LCPS.”
With warm weather fast approaching, pool season is on the horizon. However, Chenoa sees a major source of summer income in doubt, with its pool liner in a state of disrepair and the time window to fix it closing. The Chenoa City Council talked at length Monday night about how best to go about fixing the pool.
Parks, Public Health, and Safety Commission Gary Dreher intimated his distress with the pool situation, noting how numerous calls out to third parties were rebuffed or otherwise unanswered. […]
A manager of the pool, Stephanie Smithson, expressed doubt that another patching job would tide the pool over this year as it had in years past. Dreher subsequently pushed blame on to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget cuts.
“This whole thing with the governor not wanting to give communities money for projects such as this, for getting any money through a grant, has really thrown a monkey wrench into things — not only here in Chenoa, but all through out the state,” Dreher said.
* According to the comptroller’s website, Chenoa, population 1,788, was sitting on $558,172 in general cash reserves at the end of last fiscal year, up almost $28K from the prior year. It had another $317,040 in “special revenue” reserves, up about $3500 from the previous year.
Also, last fiscal year Chenoa received $173,942 from state income tax revenue sharing, $186,009 from its share of the state sales tax, another $31,176 from the state’s personal property replacement tax and $40,396 from its share of the state video gaming tax. It also has a TIF district.
Tuesday, Apr 14, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
My name is Keven Owens. I am a former Marine who never even had a splinter while serving our country. I worked for a central Illinois- based moving company for over 3 years before I was injured on the job.
I was moving a full sized refrigerator out of a house when the front wheels rolled off the front porch. I ran around to stop the refrigerator from falling, but I could not stop it. The refrigerator fell on my head then landed on top of me.
Afterwards, I had a splitting headache and my neck was throbbing too. The company sent me to their doctor who diagnosed me with a sprained neck and told me to take it easy for awhile.
After about 4 months with no relief from my pain, I decided to get a second opinion. The second doctor ordered an MRI of my neck and it revealed that I had fractured my neck. I had surgery to put 2 titanium plates in my neck. Today, I still suffer from neck pain.
Unfortunately, the company fought my workers’ compensation claim. It took 6 long years for my case to be resolved. While this dragged out, I had bills to pay and two children to support. Financially, it was a very difficult time.
I played by the rules, served my country and worked hard every day. It wasn’t until I was injured on the job that I discovered that the deck was stacked against me. A fair workers’ compensation system is necessary in Illinois to help those hurt on the job, like myself.
The state has $12 billion to $15 billion to invest at any moment, and since 2005, the law has allowed 1 percent of that to be invested in Illinois-based high-tech companies. In 2011, the limit became 3 percent, but the actual amount has never exceeded 1 percent.
State Treasurer Mike Frerichs says now he’s going to try. “We’ve reached out to the Illinois Venture Capital Association, we’ve reached out to people who serve on advisory boards, and they’re very interested in working with us and we are working on RFP (request for proposals) right now to make sure we’re making those investments here in Illinois that not only get us a good rate of return, but also help grow our tech and biomed sector in this state,” he said.
He says venture capital investors from the coasts often urge startup companies here to move, whereas the state of Illinois would urge them to stay.
The amount of state funds currently invested in the Technology Development Account is $53 million.
That current amount is less than a half a percent. We’d be looking at $450 million if he went to 3 percent of $15 billion.
Current state law prohibits people with felony records from working in a school, or volunteering, or even driving a truck that makes deliveries to a school. But a measure pending before the Illinois House of Representatives could change that.
* This is an interesting bill for a couple of reasons. First…
Floyd Stafford could benefit from Cassidy’s legislation.
“I got a felony for a non-violent drug offense,” he says. “So basically, I purchased some drugs, and you know, I got arrested for that.”
In 2006, he got caught buying cocaine, less than a gram, and served four months in jail. Stafford says the drug treatment he received while incarcerated changed his life. Since his release, he says he has stayed clean and sober; he is currently enrolled in graduate school at the University of Chicago, where he’s set to finish in June with a master’s degree in social work.
“If you’re looking at my resume, I’d put that up — and I say this in all humility — I would line that up with any other prospective applicant, and I think I would come out favorably,” Stafford says.
That seems perfectly reasonable.
* But there’s another reason. The lead sponsor is Rep. Kelly Cassidy, one of the most liberal members of the Illinois General Assembly. The bill, however, is also backed by the Illinois Policy Institute…
“To have someone with that background, who’s maybe made a mistake and turned their life around, holds a lot of credibility with students who may be on the wrong track,” [Illinois Policy Institute criminal justice policy analyst Bryant Jackson-Green] says, “so it would be helpful, especially in a social worker position.” […]
“The sort of bills we support are things that encourage redemption, second chances. I mean, yes, someone might have made a mistake when they were 18, 19 and gotten in trouble,” Jackson-Green says. “But that doesn’t mean they should be barred for the rest of their life from having an employment opportunity with the school.”
* Ah, but that’s not all. Check out this press release…
Breen Sponsors ACLU Bill to Restrict Government Tracking of Citizens
Bill Would Restrict Use of Automatic License Plate Readers By Government
This morning, Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard) presented the “Freedom from Automatic License Plate Reader Surveillance Act” to the House Judiciary-Civil Committee, which advanced the measure to the House floor by a unanimous vote of 11-0. The measure is an initiative of the ACLU of Illinois and was vigorously opposed by law enforcement agencies. The Act would limit government use of automatic license plate readers, require that license plate data not be retained for more than 30 days, and prohibit the practice of government agencies selling license plate data to private companies.
“Right now, government agencies have deployed license plate readers across Illinois to track the movements of private citizens,” said Breen. “Illinoisans may not realize that, right now, their movements may be tracked without their permission and with no limitation on that tracking. These devices raise grave privacy issues, and I’m glad to work with the ACLU of Illinois to keep the government from infringing the rights of our residents.“
License plate readers are able to read thousands of license plates per hour, tracking the location and owner of all cars that pass by a particular plate reader. These plate readers can be used to identify cars connected to criminal activity or missing persons. However, government agencies can also easily aggregate data from plate readers deployed across a geographic area to keep track of the location and movement of private citizens. While many other states have enacted regulations on license plate readers, the collection and use of plate reader data are totally unregulated in Illinois today.
Breen’s bill would limit the government to six types of uses for automatic readers: electronic toll collection; traffic enforcement; parking enforcement; access to secured areas; criminal investigations; and for identifying vehicles connected to violations of law or missing persons.
The bill would also allow the government to retain data for more than 30 days in limited specified circumstances, relating to active criminal investigations or legal cases. The bill additionally would require law enforcement agencies to develop and post online their automatic license plate reader use policies, along with developing audit procedures and proper training on the use of readers.
The bill has broad bipartisan support, including chief cosponsors, Reps. Ann Williams (D-Chicago), Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook), Keith Wheeler (R-Oswego), and Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove).
But a recent report illustrates, one again, that Illinois does not have a revenue problem.
The report by the Pew Charitable Trusts looked at the revenue situation for every state, compared to the period before the Great Recession. Illinois was second in the nation to North Dakota in having the highest increase in state revenue growth since the recession hit.
North Dakota’s growth has been fueled by an oil boom that has brought billions of dollars to that state. Illinois’ growth was fueled by a 2011 income tax increase that hampered job growth.
Despite the massive increase in state revenues, Illinois’ budget situation didn’t significantly improve. More money in the state coffers has not resulted in a significant reduction of the state’s day-to-day debt.
It has not resulted in fiscal strength. In fact, the General Assembly had to approve several fund transfers to allow the state to make it through the current fiscal year.
In simple terms, the additional taxes paid by Illinois residents were not used to improve the state’s financial situation.
Where to begin.
Most of the 2011 TEMPORARY INCOME TAX HIKE revenues went to make pension payments that the state had skipped or skimped on for years.
The day-to-day debt was significantly reduced until THE TEMPORARY INCOME TAX HIKE MOSTLY EXPIRED, and now it’s on the upswing.
The fund transfers were necessary this fiscal year because THE TEMPORARY INCOME TAX HIKE MOSTLY EXPIRED.
The state’s fiscal condition was definitely improving, the required pension payments were being made, Medicaid was reformed, other significant budget cuts were made and then THE TEMPORARY INCOME TAX HIKE MOSTLY EXPIRED.
Of course, the 2011 tax increase has expired and that is the cause of the current budget issues. But many other states, including those surrounding Illinois, are flourishing with decreases or much smaller increases in revenue since the Great Recession.
Illinoisans received the largest income tax cut in state history when THE TEMPORARY INCOME TAX HIKE MOSTLY EXPIRED. We are the only state in the country to have recently reduced income taxes by so much. And yet, pension obligations are still on the rise, as are costs for Medicaid, education, public safety, etc. So, we most certainly do have a revenue problem here because our revenues are obviously not meeting basic spending necessities.
This is not an absolution of the Democrats’ horrible FY 15 budget. That thing was as irresponsible as it gets. The Democrats most definitely should’ve done a much better job of preparing for the possible expiration.
But the reason Gov. Rauner and the legislative leaders used fund transfers to patch most of the 15 hole instead of making massive cuts is because THE TEMPORARY INCOME TAX HIKE MOSTLY EXPIRED and the state needed to find a temporary, one-time revenue fix until the FY 16 budget could be addressed.
“The good news is it would save us over two billion dollars per year right from the beginning. So a current worker would get two pension payments when they retire. They would get the benefit they’ve accrued through tier one, and they also get a benefit they’ve accrued into the future through tier two and that’s fair and affordable and I have explained that to many government employees and teachers and they get that, they can support that,” said Governor Rauner.
Public employee pensions are the biggest single cost item threatening to break the State of Illinois and its taxpayers. But the State Supreme Court has indicated it may rule against a 2013 pension reform bill designed to save a lot of money. If that happens, Gov. Rauner said a statewide referendum would be needed to deal with the issue.
“A constitutional referendum, so we’ll change the language so we’re not in court for years. We’ll make it clear in the constitution what we can and can’t change. And I’m recommending to do something different than in the past. I want to protect existing pensions,” Rauner said.
Two Illinois lawmakers instrumental in crafting pension overhaul legislation in 2013 are calling for an analysis of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal to reform the state’s underfunded pension system.
Democrats Rep. Elaine Nekritz and Sen. Daniel Biss say they plan to file a resolution asking to put the Republican governor’s plan under “rigorous scrutiny.”
Rauner has suggested moving workers to a less-generous pension plan than lawmakers approved in 2010 for new hires. Workers hired before 2011 could choose to move to a 401(k)-style plan. He says the plan could save more than $2 million a year, but the lawmakers say the plan presents “real questions.”
* From a press release…
Two leading pension experts in the Illinois Legislature are calling for an analysis of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal to move employees into a less-generous pension plan to fully determine its impact on the state and those receiving pensions.
State Rep. Elaine Nekritz and state Sen. Daniel Biss announced they are sponsoring a new resolution asking to put the governor’s pension plan under more rigorous scrutiny. Gov. Rauner has called for ending the current Tier 1 pension plan and moving all employees into Tier 2 to attempt to reduce the state’s massive unfunded pension liability.
Lawmakers created Tier 2 for all new state hires in 2011 to help save an estimated $64 billion in pension obligations. But the austere plan could fall out of compliance with a federal government mandate to provide a benefit that is at least comparable to Social Security.
In the resolution, Nekritz and Biss warn Tier 2’s deficiencies could create “severe unforeseen consequences for taxpayers in the state of Illinois.” They warn it would be irresponsible both to pursue Rauner’s plan without a federal decision that Tier 2 complies with federal law, and for the state of Illinois to “enact such a drastic proposal without studying the financial impact it would have on taxpayers and working families.”
The legislators urge the Teachers Retirement System and State Universities Retirement System to ask for a federal ruling on Tier 2 compliance and provide a detailed analysis of how Rauner’s Tier 2 shift plan would affect employees now in Tier 1 before legislators consider his plan.
“Every time we have considered pension reform proposals in Springfield, we have relied on detailed analysis from the retirement systems on how the changes would affect their retirees to guide our decisions,” said Nekritz, D-Northbrook. “The governor’s plan should be no different. With the very real questions out there about Tier 2’s viability, we must take these steps to prevent decisions that could make our pension problem much worse.”
“We need to make decisions on pension reform based on core principles of mathematics, law, and basic fairness,” said Biss, D-Evanston. “It is unjust to these employees and dangerous for the state to do anything less. We will work with our colleagues to take the proper thoughtful and careful approach to the governor’s Tier 2 plan and ensure we are moving down the right path.”
From unions to business reforms, Gov. Bruce Rauner is re-affirming his promise to do what needs to be done to shake up Springfield and fix the state’s budget mess. […]
“It’s all about taking power away from the special interests in Springfield and empowering local voters,” Rauner says. “Voters should decide what gets collectively bargained inside their governments.”
The governor also has not budged on his demand for pro-business reforms before signing any bill to raise the Illinois minimum wage or taxes to help resolve the state’s budget deficit. […]
Rauner, after 91 days in office, claims to have good relations with Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton:
“We’ve become friends,” says Rauner. “I like them very much.”
“Our recommended Turnaround Agenda is already in bill form. It’s ready to go,” Rauner said. […]
However, Springfield’s most powerful legislator said the governor won’t give him the specific details either.
“Those bills haven’t been filed. So, you don’t know — I’m not being nasty. But nobody knows what he’s talking about until we see the bills as filed,” said Mike Madigan.
FOX 32: He says he’s already drafted the language.
“But they haven’t been given to us and they haven’t been filed,” Madigan added,
A spokesperson for House Speaker Madigan says, “I wouldn’t characterize the speaker as being on board with this plan. … I’ve seen no specifics, no legislation. When there are actual details, we will see what happens.”
The Illinois Catholic Health Association has issued a statement about the $1.5 billion cuts to Medicaid, mental health and other social programs that Governor Rauner proposed. Its 44 Catholic hospitals, 22 nursing facilities, and 26 other Catholic-sponsored services like hospice, assisted living, and senior housing, help out more than 9 million Illinoisans each year. The group points out that its hospitals provided in-patient care to more than 2 million Medicare and 1.3 million Medicaid beneficiaries in 2014.
Here is the rest of the Association’s statement:
“Just estimating for our Catholic hospitals alone, the aggregate Medicaid cuts would total over $200 million. To sustain this shortfall, over 3,000 jobs would be put at risk and the economic activity associated with these lost jobs would be a negative $480 million.
Because our faith and commitment are strong and constant, the state of Catholic health care and Catholic social service ministries in Illinois is strong and will remain strong. However, without the assistance and support of the state of Illinois, many of our neediest citizens, mostly children and the elderly, will bear the brunt of these draconian budget cuts.
Therefore, the ICHA Board of Directors strongly believes that Governor Rauner and the Illinois General Assembly have the economic, budgetary and moral obligation to pass a budget that provides for strong, equitable health care and social services for its citizens who are most vulnerable and in need.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s plan to slash Medicaid spending could trigger a loss of more than 3,000 jobs at the state’s 44 Catholic-run hospitals and significant cuts to programs serving the poor and elderly, according to a joint statement issued by the hospitals Monday. […]
Patrick Cacchione, executive director of the Illinois Catholic Health Association, said the group issued its statement Monday in order to remind members of the legislature to consider the problems that Rauner’s budget may cause. […]
“This affects real lives. It’s not just an academic exercise on balancing a budget,” Cacchione said.
The ICHA says to sustain the shortfall, 3,000 jobs would be risk and the economic impact of that would be a loss of $480 million.
The group says the neediest citizens will bear the brunt of these cuts.
According to a spokesperson, Gov. Rauner is not interested in extending the program beyond the end of 2017.
More than 40 percent of the state’s hospitals are operating in the red and still dealing with cuts from the state’s passage of a Medicaid reform bill in 2012, said Maryjane Wurth, president and CEO of the Illinois Hospital Association. […]
State Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, said La Rabida Children’s Hospital in his district would likely have to close if negotiations over Rauner’s 2016 budget don’t improve hospital funding.
“That’s literally the circumstances, not a false alarm,” Raoul said. ”They’ve got a population who otherwise wouldn’t be served.”
Dr. John Jay Shannon, CEO of the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, said county hospitals would be indirectly affected by the budget.
“We’re going to see it through things like the jail and through things like the [emergency department], where we’ll start to see more people coming to us because they no longer are able to get those services that were in their community,” Shannon said.
“I want to make sure we have elected people constantly looking at helping the African-American community,” Kirk said. “With this state and all of its resources, we could sponsor a whole new class of potential innovators like George Washington Carver and eventually have a class of African-American billionaires. That would really adjust income differentials and make the diversity and outcome of the state much better so that the black community is not the one we drive faster through.” [emphasis added.]
The notion that people hit the gas when driving through black neighborhoods is a common racial stereotype about urbanization and criminal behavior among African-Americans. The fact that an elected senator from a state with a sizable black population would make such a comment was deemed unfortunate by at least one African-American leader in Illinois.
“I think what he was trying to say is, he was trying to relate that to crime. But boy, it was a poor choice of phraseology,” said George Mitchell, president of the NAACP’s Illinois State Conference. […]
Mitchell did offer a more charitable interpretation of Kirk’s comment — that people drive faster through black communities because they don’t want to see poverty (as opposed to being frightened of crime). But even that interpretation rests on dicey theories about race and wealth. As Mitchell went on to note, Chicago has a number of upper-middle class black neighborhoods, for example. He took umbrage, moreover, with the idea that simply putting a few rich people in poorer neighborhoods would solve poverty in those communities.
The quote “won” the daily somewhat tongue in cheek “America’s Worst Humans” award on the national Eschaton blog.
* We have to decide what we’re going to talk about here. Was it yet another impolitic remark by a politician known for making such statements? Was his argument at all sound, or did he say something false?
Let’s go with the latter argument first, starting with the racial element.
* When I was a kid, my mom would always make us roll up the windows and lock the doors when we drove through the black part of Kankakee. And she was about as liberal as they came back then. I can certainly see Kirk’s angle, as much as I absolutely hate to admit it.
And I was once even kicked out of a black neighborhood by the Chicago police.
Three or four summers ago, I took my brother to Lee’s Unleaded, my favorite South Side blues bar at 74th and South Chicago Ave. One of the waitresses invited us to an after-party. It was a beautiful night, so we put the top down on my convertible and headed over. We got to the address (which was near several recent shooting incidents during that long, hot summer) and saw dozens and dozens of people gleefully partying in an abandoned lot and in a building which also looked abandoned.
We were immediately pulled over by two Chicago cops. They took both of our driver’s licenses and asked what in the holy heck we were doing there. We said we were going to the party. “Oh, no you’re not,” one of the officers said. They ran our licenses, gave them back to us and ordered us out of the neighborhood.
My brother, who lives in California, was a bit taken aback by the command, but I explained that if something bad did happen to us then those cops would be held responsible. Or they thought we were drug dealers. Either way, I told my brother, when a Chicago cop says “Leave,” it’s usually a good idea to vamoose, so we split.
When I told the story to an African-American friend of mine (who first introduced me to that bar), he said I was insane to go to that party in that neighborhood.
* And before anyone freaks out here and I get lumped in with Kirk as American’s Worst Human or something, I’m most definitely not saying that all or even most black neighborhoods are bad, or that all white neighborhoods are good, or that all white people hit the gas when they drive through a black middle class area, or even a poor area, whether that be black, white, Latino, whatever.
I’m just saying that it does happen and all the liberal uproar in the world ain’t gonna change that. It’s nothing at all to be proud of, or to trumpet or to argue favorably on its behalf. But, it does sometimes happen, maybe even more than sometimes.
* Whether Kirk should’ve held his tongue is really what this is about. And the “we drive faster through” stuff is troubling to me. “We” most definitely denotes an “other.”
“We” ought to be a whole lot more positive and inclusive, especially if “we” are a United States Senator. Talking about race in this country is never easy, and it’s made a whole lot more difficult by statements like Kirk’s.
* Also, too, George Mitchell is absolutely right that creating a couple of black billionaires isn’t going to solve the very real problems in Chicago’s poor neighborhoods. It’s just another goofy pie in the sky 0.1 percenter trickle-down argument and is amazingly out of touch with reality. I ain’t against billionaires, I’m just against setting all governmental policy - jobs, crime, drugs, education - around catering to the super-wealthy. What Kirk proposed isn’t a policy agenda, it’s a Randian fantasy.
* Newsweek took a look at Gov. Rauner’s anti-union moves and concluded its story with this quote…
…Roberta Lynch, executive director of AFSCME Council 31 in Illinois, says Rauner’s efforts are supplemented by “unprecedented resources” and “an incredible level of coordination” involving anonymous donors funding a network of self-described “policy institutes” now operating in every state.
She also says the Illinois governor harbors “pure, unalloyed hatred and [a] Darth Vader destruction fantasy” toward the state’s unions, and predicts Rauner’s “dangerous obsession” will backfire with Illinois voters. “We have a $4 billion deficit in this state, and he has no plans to address it. He spends his time running around the state every day launching attacks on unions. That’s how he spends his time.”
Um, wow.
Those contract negotiations are going swimmingly, I presume
* Actually, I told subscribers last week about a rare behind the scenes look provided by AFSCME itself…
Negotiations show governor’s real agenda – Negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement for state employees got off to a late start. Then they got thrown dramatically off course when, on the very first day of bargaining, the Rauner Administration flagrantly violated the current agreement by issuing an Executive Order (EO) to bar Fair Share fees.
That EO’s stated aim is “preventing Illinois state employee unions from using…fair share fees to influence wages, pensions, and benefits that are….subjects of collective bargaining under the Illinois Labor Act.” In other words: trying to hamper unions’ ability to negotiate strong, fair contracts. And now that negotiations have gotten underway, it’s clear that Rauner’s effort to weaken unions in state government is the Number One goal of his representatives at the bargaining table.
As is normally the case, negotiations are first addressing only non-economic issues, such as health and safety, grievance procedure, hours of work, layoff protections, seniority, subcontracting, or discipline. Management is proposing dozens of changes to key sections of the contract, all with one overriding aim: to undo decades of progress in shaping working conditions for state employees that are safe, humane and fair. To achieve that goal, they are also seeking contractual changes that would drastically undermine the union’s ability to safeguard employee rights.
Gov. Rauner has said his goal is to eliminate all union membership in Illinois within the next four years. He’s also pushing privatization of public services. No doubt state employees are at the very top of his hit list on both counts. He’s putting out misleading information about state employee wages and benefits (which AFSCME has already discredited!). And the proposals he’s making at the bargaining table, even before discussions of economic issues begin, make all too clear his hostility toward state employees and the vital work we do.
Your AFSCME Bargaining Committee – more than 200 democratically elected rank-and-file members – is determined to stand fast against this onslaught. But this is not a fight that can be won solely at the bargaining table. It will require the involvement of every union member in every corner of this state – standing up and standing together. It will also involve reaching out to your friends and family to let them know what the governor is trying to do and to enlist their support. Your local Bargaining Committee members and your local’s Member Action Team will keep you informed about the progress of negotiations and how you can join in the critical battle to defend your union contract.
Oof.
* Meanwhile, the governor’s office added to its “Coalition of the Willing” today…
Hi, Rich –
Another update:
Heyworth passed the governor’s Turnaround Agenda Resolution. It is attached.
Best,
If you didn’t know, Heyworth is in McLean County and has a population of 2,841.
* And the National Review looks at the latest developments in Kentucky…
Now a dozen counties in Kentucky — including three of the ten largest in the state — allow workers to choose for themselves whether to pay union dues. Local laws now protect half a million Kentuckians from forced union dues. Unions have filed suit in federal district court.
Hardin County (the county the unions sued) just filed their motion for summary judgment. Final arguments are due in to the court in early May; the judge will rule sometime thereafter.
The Marshall County Board wants former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock to pay the $76,000 in unbudgeted county costs for special elections to fill the 18th Congressional District seat he abandoned.
The board voted unanimously Thursday to send the Peoria Republican a letter requesting the reimbursement. Schock resigned last month following controversy over his use of taxpayer and campaign funds.
The costs for the special primary and general election have been estimated at $38,000 each, officials said. In a vein somewhat similar to a collection letter, the board offers Schock options of sending either the full amount or an agreement stating that he will pay later. […]
“Schock has more money (in that fund) than the county has in its reserves,” [State’s Attorney Paul Bauer] said.
According to the Comptroller’s website, Marshall County had $3.6 million in general reserves at the end of Fiscal Year 2014, up from $3.5 million the year before. Not a bad little pile of cash for a county of 12,000 people. It was sitting on another $2.9 million in “special revenue” reserves, about the same as the year before.
So, while this is a fun little publicity pop, the county can clearly afford to pay for the special elections. Reserves are supposed to be for unintended expenses. These specials certainly qualify.
The number of inmates from local jails transferred into the state prison system and sent home the same day — referred to as a “turnaround” — has tripled in the past five years. The number increased from about 330 in 2010 to about 1,000 in 2014, according to state prison figures prepared Feb. 13 for the maximum-security Northern Reception and Classification Center outside of Joliet.
Turnarounds last year accounted for nearly 6 percent of the 17,181 prisoners processed through the center. It cost about $800,000 to process those 1,000 individuals, including expenses for staff, DNA tests, meals, clothing, and train or bus money for transportation home, according to a Tribune analysis.
So, they’re sending mainly Cook County prisoners all the way to Joliet for a DNA sample and paperwork only to be released the same day? The state couldn’t just pay the county to do that, or station some DOC employees at the jail?
A Tribune analysis shows that from October through January, 331 prisoners from Cook County spent a combined total of about 23,000 extra days beyond their sentences unnecessarily locked up at the jail. Delays in the court system occur for many reasons, including judges and lawyers not moving cases, and because of legal maneuvering.
Smith said it costs $143 a day to house an inmate in the jail, meaning the extended stays cost county taxpayers about $3.3 million.
It doesn’t actually cost the county $3.3 million because of fixed costs. But the judicial/prosecutorial/defense delays in dealing with mostly minor offenders is just ridiculous in Cook.
America’s relationship with its mentally ill population continues to suffer as a result of inadequacies in the country’s mental health care system.
For the mentally ill in Chicago, the effects of this inadequacy are felt on a magnified scale, as budget cuts and a lack of community-based mental health resources have left these individuals with minimal support. More often than not, this means being repeatedly swept up into the criminal justice system for low-level, non-violent crimes
VICE News takes an immersive look at this issue by going inside the Cook County Jail and speaking with community members on Chicago’s south side.
Hey Rich, I wanted to get this to you on the record, concerning the turnaround figures out of Cook County.
The IDOC is required by law to take offenders into its custody and process their discharge or release to MSR. The IDOC must take the offender’s picture, take a DNA sample, assign an IDOC number, process parole paperwork, assign a parole agent, verify parole host site, send an offender to medical to see if he needs a prescription, if he does, we provide a two weeks supply of medication. The IDOC will incur the costs of releasing a person on the same day whether he or she is processed at the NRC or at the Cook County Jail. There are an average of four turnarounds per day out of Cook County. We would have to pay for the staff at Cook County and backfill the positions at the NRC for processing offenders who come from other counties. There is insufficient justification for hiring additional staff to handle an average of four turnarounds a day. When you remove the staffing costs, we’re looking at a hard number of $56 per turnaround, which includes gate money, transportation money, shoes, clothing, and meals.
The bigger issue is how long it’s taking the court system to take an individual from arrest to conviction and sentencing. A change in statute might prove efficient if it mandates judges to order time served for offenders who have completed their sentence in the county jail.
* Adriana Cardona-Maguigad has written a fascinating story about Puerto Rico municipalities giving heroin addicts one-way airline tickets to Chicago, where the addicts often end up in unlicensed, unregulated “treatment” centers, and then, eventually, on the streets. Read it all.
* Gov. Rauner invited Oscar the Puppy to the mansion yesterday afternoon for a play date with his two dogs, Pumpkin and Stella. The dogs had a great time, playing and running throughout the Executive Mansion grounds for well over 2 hours. Pumpkin, who is 15 and somewhat disabled, did the best she could to keep up and Oscar seemed to respect her age. That was a relief to me because Oscar has, in the past, aggravated some older dogs with his boundless desire for play. Having Stella around helped, I think.
I was also relieved that Oscar avoided the chicken coop. Yes, Pat Quinn’s coop is still there. Stella and Pumpkin are highly trained bird dogs, so they’ve mostly stayed away from the chickens. Oscar ain’t exactly highly trained to do much of anything.
* The governor and I agreed that our entire conversation (which I’d describe as often brutally frank, yet mostly quite pleasant) would be off the record, but he said he’d be happy to take a photo with Oscar that I could post.
Unfortunately, we both forgot about the pic until after I left.
Oops.
* So, here’s one of Oscar from Saturday. The little guy was curled up in one of his favorite nooks in our house, where he can sit and watch the squirrels play outside…
A proposal to extend the temporary medical marijuana program doesn’t have Gov. Bruce Rauner’s support.
“The governor believes there is a lot of time left to evaluate a pilot program, and we should not extend the program until it has been fully evaluated,” Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said in an email.
Rep. Lou Lang, the Skokie Democrat who championed the medical marijuana law and is now working to keep the temporary and delayed program in place for more time, said he was asked by officials in Rauner’s administration to hold off on filing a bill seeking more time for the program.
But the bill was filed and it’s making progress, clearing committee and now scheduled to be heard by the House. All of the Republicans on the committee voted against the bill last month, with one not voting. […]
The pilot program has been in effect for nearly a year and a half, but no marijuana has been sold to patients. Permits to grow marijuana were handed out last month.
The current four-year pilot program expires in 2017. Lang’s bill would extend the pilot program four years from when the first dispensary opens.
* The Question: Should the state’s medical marijuana pilot program be extended during this spring’s session, or should the GA wait a while longer to see how things work out? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Republican Mark Zalcman formally withdrew his candidacy from the upcoming special election for the 18th District Congressional vacancy today.
With only 19 days granted to gather slightly more than 1000 valid voter signatures in order to gain ballot access, Zalcman stated that he was forced to withdra because he could not have reached the required number in the 19 days granted by the Governor Bruce Rauner. […]
He states that this was “done purposely by the Governor to insure that Darin LaHood would not have to face any grassroots opposition in the campaign.”
* But there is one loose end still out there. From an oppo dump and a subsequent Google search comes the case of Kendrick Weatherspoon…
Weatherspoon was convicted in 2003 of being a felon in possession of a gun. On appeal, the court said Assistant U.S. Attorney Darin LaHood made improper statements during closing arguments. The court decided there was prosecutorial misconduct because LaHood vouched for the credibility of witnesses and encouraged the jury to convict in order to alleviate social problems.
The 32-page opinion said LaHood engaged in the same kind of vouching in two other cases in which convictions were overturned. (The U.S. attorney’s office later persuaded the appellate court to delete references to LaHood’s name and lose the term “recidivist conduct,” replacing it with “repeat-offender conduct,” which still sounds more like a criminal than a prosecutor.) […]
The court kicked the Weatherspoon case back for a new trial based on LaHood’s misconduct, and Weatherspoon pleaded guilty. […]
LaHood was “overworked and overwhelmed,” another prosecutor said. LaHood had four years of experience as a state prosecutor in Illinois, but both prosecutors said he needed better supervision in the federal system and didn’t get it, just as Bogden had admitted.
Kendrick Weatherspoon was convicted in 2003 in U.S. District Court in Nevada of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit overturned the conviction and ordered a new trial in 2005 because prosecutor Darin LaHood had made improper arguments at trial. LaHood told jurors they should believe the police officers who testified against Weatherspoon and should convict him because it would “make you comfortable knowing there’s not convicted felons carrying around semiautomatics.” The case was the third in two years in which the Appeals Court said improper statements by LaHood, son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, required it to overturn a conviction. […]
Weatherspoon had been sentenced originally to 10 years in federal prison. After the court overturned his conviction, the government entered a plea agreement with Weatherspoon, and he was sentenced to three years instead. Weatherspoon, who had been remanded in October 2003, was released in June 2006 on time served. Just two months after being freed, he tested positive for marijuana, a violation of his supervised release. Weatherspoon was subsequently returned to prison for 15 months. At the request of the U.S. attorney’s office, the Appeals Court deleted the name of LaHood, the prosecutor, from its opinion.
When invalidating LaHood’s work on the case, Circuit Judge Stephen Trott—himself a former federal prosecutor—said LaHood crossed the line by arguing that jurors convict the accused in order to protect the community from an armed convicted felon.
“Trott’s politely brutal opinion,” the Las Vegas Review reported in 2009, “said Bogden recognized LaHood’s mistakes and ascribed them to lack of supervision on the part of Bogden’s office and LaHood’s lack of training and experience. Bogden told the court LaHood’s errors were because of a management failure in his office.”
Even though LaHood had four years of experience as a state prosecutor in Illinois, “he needed better supervision in the federal system and didn’t get it,” Nevada U.S. Attorney Dan Bogden said.
LaHood’s discredited tactic seems to denote an anti-gun sentiment behind his arguments.
* This was also an issue when LaHood unsuccessfully ran for Peoria County State’s Attorney. From a 2007 interview…
Toward the end of our lunch, LaHood volunteered some criticism he expects to get from his opponent. There was a case he tried in Las Vegas that was overturned on appeal because of “prosecutorial misconduct.” The case was called United States v. Weatherspoon, and you can read the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion here. It was a 2-1 decision by a three-judge panel.
The “misconduct” to which the ruling refers is something called “vouching.” It’s where the prosecutor vouches for the credibility of the witnesses (in this case, police officers) in the case. To a layman like me, this sounds like no big deal, but apparently in legal circles it’s a no-no. Such an action “plac[es] the prestige of the government behind a witness,” and thus prejudices the jury against the defendant. It “invites the jury ‘to trust the Government’s judgment rather than its own view of the evidence.’”
In his defense to me, LaHood stated that he “makes no apologies” for being “aggressive” in his prosecutions. He said he had prosecuted over 1,000 cases and had only been reversed three times. The Ninth Circuit, he explained, is one of the most liberal appeals courts in the country (they were the ones who famously said that the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional), and other courts have found that statements like the ones he made were not considered vouching. He encouraged me and anyone else concerned about this issue to read the ruling for themselves and draw their own conclusions.
In today’s Indiana, 27 percent of jobs are in occupations that pay below poverty, a national organization, the Working Poor Families Project, has reported.
Largely as a result of such forces, median incomes in Indiana have fallen 12 percent since 2007, U.S. Census figures show. And low-income workers were hit hardest. A Brookings Institute analysis found an earnings decline of more than 25 percent in lower-income Indianapolis households.
Replace Bruce Rauner as Keynote Speaker for SIU Graduation 2015
SIUC President Randy Dunn stated the impact of Rauner’s proposed budget cuts would slash $62 million from the SIU system, $44 million of which would be cut from SIU Carbondale specifically. Rauner’s budget proposal would set SIU back to funding levels comparable to the 1985-86 school year, and potentially cause up to a 6% increase in tuition. Choosing him as a keynote speaker is a slap in the face to SIU students and faculty who already deal with underfunded programs and facilities.
Graduation should celebrate not only the achievements of students as individuals, but the institution of SIU as a whole. How can anyone be expected to celebrate progress when our keynote speaker is someone who only intends to set us back?
Despite the petition, university officials and some students say the appearance could end up being a good thing.
“The petition is just one more reason why we should welcome the governor in may.” said SIU spokeswoman Rae Goldsmith on Saturday, “Hopefully we can make an impression on him during his visit, reflecting what the cuts mean to our campus.” […]
“Governor Rauner got put into a tough spot coming in” said SIU student and SIU College of Engineering student government rep. Matt Schmidlin, “it’s a double edged sword, meaning that, I think he does have good intentions coming down and actually wanting to see what’s going on in the university. I really hope when he comes down, he makes the most of his time - if he still decides to still be the commencement speaker for us - and actually take a look at what might be cut here.”
Political analyst David Yepsen has said the Illinois budget has been in need of drastic action since before the governor took office, and even University president Randy Dunn agrees that some cuts will be needed for the benefit of the whole state.
Thoughts?
* Related…
* Students organize statewide rally: Friday, 11 ISU students will lead groups from colleges across Illinois in a protest in Springfield against the proposed additional budget cuts
Rep. Bill Foster, of Naperville, announced Friday that he will not challenge Republican Sen. Mark Kirk in 2016 and instead is backing another Democrat, Rep. Tammy Duckworth.
Foster, a physicist, said in a statement he wanted to avoid a “costly and, ultimately unnecessary, primary” election.
He said he will serve as co-chairman of Duckworth’s finance committee to help her raise cash for her race.
The Democratic establishment is rapidly coalescing behind Duckworth and Foster didn’t bring much to the table except his personal wealth, which wasn’t enough to compete at that level anyway.
* Meanwhile, from a press release…
Tom Cullerton, a first term state Senator from Villa Park, announced that he is starting his exploratory campaign to represent middle-class families of Illinois’ 8th Congressional District.
“I am exploring a run for Congress because I want to make sure working families like mine have a voice in Washington,” Cullerton said. “I know what it’s like to wake up at 3 a.m., punch a time clock at 4:30a.m. and put in a hard days work. From the crippling cost of college to the shrinking opportunities for our next generation, I will use my blue collar work ethic to fix the problems the middle class faces. It’s a common experience that many people in the 8th district share but a unique experience in Congress. That is something that needs to change.”
Cullerton beat a 24-year Republican incumbent in 2012, making him the first Democrat ever elected to the state Senate from DuPage County. Before serving in the Illinois Senate, Cullerton served as Village President of Villa Park while working as a route salesman for Hostess Brands. Cullerton believes that his experience as a card carrying union member will be a unique perspective in Congress.
Cullerton’s candidacy sparked early endorsements from local labor and elected officials, including Assistant Majority Leader Senator Tony Munoz and Carol Stream Mayor Frank Saverino.
“I have seen Tom grow into an effective legislator, who can work across party lines while preserving his Democratic values,” said Munoz. “Tom’s skillset will be missed in the state Senate, but I am confident that he will help break the gridlock in Washington and move our country forward.”
“Tom has been a champion of the Western Suburbs for more than a decade. He clearly understands the issues our families and businesses face.” Saverino said. “His leadership made the Elgin-O’Hare Western Access project a reality, bringing economic growth to the region that was desperately need. We need people like him leading in Washington.”
Cullerton is a Veteran of the United States Army serving as an 11H TOW Gunner and combat medic until being honorably discharged in 1993. After moving to DuPage County, Cullerton decided to become active in the community. He formed and served as a captain a local neighborhood watch. He also became a member of the Knights of Columbus, the American Legion, and coaches little league.
* Last week, however, one of Cullerton’s Senate colleagues backed another candidate…
State Senator Dan Kotowski (D-28th District) and dozens of local Democratic leaders and activists today announced their support of Raja Krishnamoorthi’s candidacy to replace Rep. Tammy Duckworth in Congress.
“Raja offers meaningful solutions to protect working families and shares my commitment to help people in our community achieve the American Dream,” said Kotowski, a Democrat whose state legislative district includes parts of the 8th Congressional District of Illinois.
Kotowski’s district includes Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Mount Prospect, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Roselle and Schaumburg.
* Phil Kadner writes about local reaction to the governor’s “Turnaround Agenda,” which includes several anti-union provisions, including so-called “right to work zones.” As you already know, the governor wants local governments to pass resolutions in support of his agenda…
Like all of the [Republican] mayors I have spoken with, [Frankfort Mayor Jim Holland] is under the impression that the governor’s turnaround agenda is a “take it or leave it” proposition.
“My understanding is that the language is non-negotiable,” he said. “The governor didn’t use those exact words, but that’s definitely the impression we’ve all gotten.”
Einhorn has not met personally with the governor, but he said the executive committee of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, which did meet with Rauner, also communicated to him that the governor’s turnaround resolution was to be adopted as written by his office staff.
“That’s simply not realistic and I doubt the governor meant it that way,” Einhorn said. “You can’t dictate to other government entities. No one does that. Everything is negotiable. And I would think that if the governor wants our support, if he wants a letter he can take to legislators to Springfield that says we support his goals, he would be happy to accept whatever we pass that demonstrates that sort of support.” […]
[New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann], who met with the governor along with other Will County mayors, said he also was under the impression that the items in the turnaround agenda were non-negotiable.
“We have no plan to vote on this right now,” Baldermann said.
* But things may be changing. Last week, for example, the Republican-dominated Winnebago County Board passed a heavily edited Rauner resolution…
(T)he board’s resolution excluded Rauner’s anti-union items, such as “fair share” dues for workers who don’t join a government union, and ending prevailing wage provisions for construction projects.
“We just felt that items like fair share and prevailing wage have to be settled on a higher level. We don’t feel it’s realistic to expect much is going to be done on those items,” Christiansen said.
[Rauner] said he would pitch the “huge, huge” savings cities could get if they could push and benefit from the turnaround agenda, including “local control of collective bargaining and unionization, local control of prevailing wage and project labor agreements.”
“A number of mayors have said to me, ‘Bruce, you deliver those two things for me, I’m not that worried,’ ” he said, adding, “Now, not every mayor has said that, but many have.”
The administration is expecting lots more municipalities will climb on board in the next few weeks. We’ll see.
The obvious idea here is to try and leverage the powers of local officials to prod legislators to do the governor’s bidding and gives him some PR backing. That’s a good plan in and of itself, but this is such a huge mountain to climb that even if he and his staff manages to convince lots of municipalities to sign on (and that’s still a big if), it won’t necessarily pass a bill.
* Rick Pearson has a pretty good take on what newly reelected Mayor Rahm Emanuel needs from the state to help balance his budget, including a discussion of the city’s looming pension costs. Go read the whole thing, but here’s a little nugget that didn’t get much play last week…
.
In a new development last week, the Illinois Department of Transportation warned cities across the state that they would see a $27.5 million cut in their share of state motor fuel tax payments, equal to about $1 per resident. It’s part of a deal struck by Rauner and lawmakers to use road construction money to plug other gaps in the current year’s state budget.
* Greg Hinz also takes a look at what Emanuel may want…
Emanuel can forget about getting the state to chip in more for Chicago teachers’ pensions. Not going to happen. But Rauner seems open to a new casino that could provide the city $100 million a year. And he and Emanuel both have talked about “modernizing,” “expanding” or otherwise widening the state’s sales tax to cover more services, with the city receiving a healthy cut of the take.
Of course, Rauner will exact a price. It likely will include tacit acceptance of some of the budget cuts he’s been proposing. More recently, he seems to be signaling that he also will require support for some of his anti-union initiatives. Could Emanuel see his way to put some Democratic votes toward, say, further reforms in the workers’ compensation system? Maybe.
Regardless, Emanuel almost certainly must raise property taxes, as I suggested in my last column. And there, too, he will need Rauner. Not to raise taxes per se but to implement something Emanuel’s campaign floated a few weeks ago and then abruptly pulled off the table: a big boost in the homestead exemption so that low- and moderate-income homeowners are pretty much exempted from any property tax hike that comes down. Such a bill could end up being good politics for both men.
“There is going to be substantial movement in Springfield one way or another,” [City Treasurer Kurt Summers] said. “Some of the ideas, we’re not going to see this session. Period. Some of them we are but they are going to be a part of a larger structural change.”
Summers says there’s a bill nearing passage in Springfield that that would give Teachers Pension Funds their own tax levy. No, says Summers, that doesn’t mean higher property taxes.
What it does mean, he says, is that school systems couldn’t delay payments to their pension funds to pay for other things.
Gov. Bruce Rauner is scaling back his legislative agenda, but only in terms of the number of bills in which it’s contained. He once said it would take six to eight bills to advance his so-called “turnaround agenda.” That’s now down to four pieces of legislation, but Rauner says that doesn’t mean he’s dropping any of his proposed reforms. “Right now we’ve got it in four buckets—pension reform, economic growth pro-job creation reform, government reform and ethics and conflict of interest reform,” Rauner said.
“We’ve got it in four buckets. We can divide those into eight bills, 10 bills, or three bills, it’s really a function of what the legislature prefers. The key is we get this legislation done now. It’s a four-month agenda, not just a four-year agenda. It’s right now. We need the votes taken this spring.”
Rauner has been touring the state promoting his “turnaround agenda.” He wants changes to workers’ compensation and civil liability laws, right-to-work zones for communities that choose them, changes to project labor agreements for public works projects, and limits on property tax increases.
Rauner said the various proposals have been drafted into legislation, but they are not yet ready to go before lawmakers for consideration.
“We will introduce those when the leaders say we should introduce them,” Rauner said. “I don’t know when that’s going to be.”
