* Oswego Willy wins a free $20 ticket to my March 28th birthday party/charity fundraiser at Boone’s in Springfield for this great comment. Unspun gets free entry for this gem. And Small Town Liberal is also a winner for choosing the party’s theme song: The Road Goes on Forever (And the Party Never Ends)…
She’d ride down to the river and meet with all her friends
* It’s Friday, I’m kinda busy yet also pleasantly distracted and I forgot, once again, to get around to a question. So I just pulled this one out of my… um… Sox hat.
As you know, the Springfield version of my 50th birthday party is this coming Wednesday, March 28th at Boone’s Saloon. We’re starting at 5 o’clock. There are no invites and no tickets. Just pay 20 bucks at the door. All proceeds go to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois.
The beer garden will be open, the bar will have plenty of staff and I’ll have some food there. Tom Irwin will be playing for a while as well as Brooke Thomas & Mike Burnett (yes, that Brooke Thomas). The inestimable Mike Fountain is handling the DJ duties.
* The Question: What should be my birthday party’s theme song? Explain, please, and paste in a YouTube link if you can.
*** UPDATE *** I forgot to add that the best suggestion will receive a free ticket to the event.
“I love the fact Obama obviously has a thin skin,” Tom Swiss wrote in 2010. “His four years are going to be torture for him.”
Less than two years later, Swiss, the former executive director of the Cook County Republican Party, mailed a campaign flier touting “The winning team” of Obama and Tom Swiss.
Did Swiss have a radical change of heart? Heck, no. He spelled out his plans to run for the Illinois House in an email to a fellow Republican last May.
“The people of the district are extremely low information voters,” Swiss wrote. So, he could run as a Democrat, go unnoticed and get himself elected.
It turns out that most of those “extremely” low-info voters he was referring to are black. The 10th House District is centered in Chicago’s heavily African-American West Side.
Swiss is white, but you wouldn’t know it from his campaign literature, most of which prominently featured the same photo of a handsome, young black man. That Obama-Swiss “Team” mailer used that photo as well.
Swiss predicted last May that the upcoming Democratic primary campaign “could possibly be the least expensive State Rep seat pick up for conservatives.”
It didn’t quite work out that way. Swiss ended up spending more than $100,000 of his own money and raised several thousand more from others. His campaign cost him about $50 a vote.
Swiss scored just 23 percent against Rep. Derrick Smith on Tuesday, despite the fact that Smith was recently arrested on a federal bribery charge.
My best friend Brian used to always tell a joke about his dad, a Southwest Side Irish Catholic and about the staunchest Democrat I ever knew: “If Jesus Christ was running as a Republican, my dad would vote for the Democrat.”
I think Brian’s dad, who has since passed, probably would understand what just went down on the West Side, even though a lot of pundits don’t seem to quite grasp it. To them, black Democrats should’ve sided with the white Republican (in a Democratic primary, no less) who wore a deceiving minstrel blackface while holding them in utter contempt.
“Extremely low-information voters,” indeed. The 10th District’s voters knew exactly what Swiss was up to, and they also knew what they were doing.
The choice faced by the district’s Democratic voters was to cast their ballots for Smith, figuring he would resign soon or be kicked out of the House, or side with a guy who was until late last year the 27th Ward’s Republican committeeman.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Smith held his constituents in even more contempt by allegedly soliciting a $7,000 bribe from a day care center owner. And I’m not going to defend any vote for Smith. He has been an embarrassing dim bulb in the House ever since Secretary of State Jesse White orchestrated his appointment last year.
But if White has a brain in his head and more than a grain of political self-protection remaining in his soul, then after Smith either resigns or is kicked out of the House, White will make extra sure that the 10th District finally gets a capable, hardworking, smart state legislator who respects his or her constituents and works hard every day on their behalf.
This is the only way that the voters’ lousy choice can ever be redeemed. And White had better make sure it happens, because if he helps appoint another stupid political hack like Derrick Smith, then the next loud call for a politician’s resignation will be aimed right at him.
* And the Sun-Times editorial board appears to be on the same page with me…
Even before Smith was indicted on bribery charges last week, he was unfit for the job. When we interviewed him by phone last month, his answers to questions on state affairs were halting and shallow. There was a major pause before each answer, suggesting someone was coaching him. His written answers weren’t much better.
He got the job for one reason: He was Secretary of State Jesse White’s guy. White and other Democrats are now pressuring him to resign, giving them a second chance to make an appointment. They owe it to voters to get it right this time.
Getting rid of Smith won’t rid Illinois of corruption or convince anyone in this state that the Legislature has standards of ethical conduct.
Instead of removing him from office, just hang a sandwich board around his neck reading, “Will vote for cash!”
Now that’s what I would call honest government.
* Meanwhile, there were earlier reports, including from myself, that the proceedings of the House’s new special investigative committee might be secret. That was based on a reading of the House Rules…
The special investigating committee shall conduct all of its proceedings in executive session, and shall maintain strict confidence as to all of its proceedings and all witnesses, testimony, information, and exhibits that may come before it. No transcript or record of proceedings shall be taken. This subsection shall be adopted and effective upon an affirmative vote of 79 members. This subsection may not be suspended.
But there is no intent to adopt that subsection. Instead, the hearings will be open to the media. But there will be some ground rules, and they look a lot like the Heiple and Blagojevich impeachment. This is from the two spokespeople for the House Democrats and Republicans, slightly edited for style…
The Tuesday hearing will use some general ground rules created for previous high profile events in order to maximize facilities and provide some order and decorum.
1. There will be 40 seats for media. Credentials will be issued each day the hearings are held about 1 hour before the start. Credentials will be needed to acquire a press seat. House press passes, SOS passes. media credentials will be needed.
2. IIS will provide video/audio feed to Room 115 and is surveying for a satellite feed. Crews will work from Room 115 and arrangements will be made for “b-roll”
3. There will a multi box on the west side of the committee room the media section
4. Stills. We prefer a pool led by the AP and will try to accommodate others as time and space permit
* Winnebago’s county clerk wants some compensation from ABS Graphics, which cut the county’s paper ballots just a tad too big. 25 Illinois counties had similar problems. In Winnebago, 36 percent of 23,400 ballots cast were too wide to fit into the machines. The county clerk then decided to “reballot,” instead of trimming the ballots with scissor or counting by hand…
In Winnebago County, the problem kept dozens of people working past midnight on Election Day to remake ballots by hand. The tedious work of filling in small ovals with black markers picked up again at 9 a.m. Wednesday, lasting until around 11 p.m. All ballots weren’t counted until after midnight.
Charles Laskonis, as head of the Winnebago County Democratic Central Committee, was called to bring a team of Democrats in for reballoting. A crew of Republicans also was assembled. But state Senate candidates Marla Wilson and Steve Stadelman questioned Laskonis’ presence because he had supported their opponent, Dan Lewandowski. They also objected to the appearance of attorney John Nelson, who was present as an observer, because he represented objectors who tried to have them removed from the ballot.
Mullins responded by allowing representatives of each candidate into the third-floor room of the county administration building, where reballoting was sequestered from candidates and reporters’ cameras.
“We’re all sitting there and (Mullins) said, ‘Anybody in the room who worked on a campaign put your hand up,’ and everybody put their hand up,” said Laskonis, who said the large majority of the ballots he handled were Republican.
The Election Day tension and political posturing subsided as everyone got to work filling out newly made ballots. Ballot makers took an oath to uphold the integrity of the election, then a Democrat and Republican were paired across from each other to begin reballoting. In most cases, when a Democratic ballot needed to be remade, the Republican handled it first and vice versa, said Terri Knight, Harlem Township supervisor who worked on Election Day reballoting.
After the ballot was remade by one person, the other checked. Both initialed their work. Identical numbers were given to both original oversized ballots and their new, smaller counterparts. That allows candidates who question whether a ballot was properly remade to do a side-by-side comparison.
* So, how did this problem happen? From the Tribune…
“It was an issue in the trimming of the ballots,” said Ken Griffin, managing partner at Liberty Systems LLC, one of two ballot vendors who use the same Addison printing company to produce ballots. “The knives they use to cut the ballots as they come off the press were just a little out of tolerance. If you saw it, you wouldn’t believe it was enough to cause a problem. We are thinking this warm weather might have had something to do with it too.
“It’s traumatic for all of us, because we want everything to go as smoothly as it can from the very start,” Griffin said at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. “But we believe we have it under control.”
Vermilion County Clerk Lynn Foster said 56 of her 59 precincts experience the problem.
Foster said she grabbed “every paper cutter I could get my hands on and we have spent all day catching up. We also discovered that if we used ballots from the bottom of the stack they worked better. They come in these shrink wrapped packages so I just told everybody to flip them over and use ballots from the bottom.”
She said she expected as many as 600 ballots had to be sliced.
* And it’s just a good thing Tuesday wasn’t a general election, or officials would’ve been swamped…
“I wouldn’t say we’re happy about it, but it would have been a whole lot worse in a general election,” said McDonough County Clerk Gretchen DeJaynes, whose staff used hair dryers on some moist ballots.
“We had 27 percent turnout,” she said. “In November, in a presidential year, we will have over 60 percent.”
How many ballots were faulty was unknown, Borgsmiller said.
But in Macoupin County alone, about 6,000 of the 7,496, ballots cast did not fit in the scanning machines, Duncan said. DeJaynes said there were problems with a couple thousand ballots in McDonough County.
Legislation that would prohibit employers from seeking job applicants’ social network passwords is on hold in the Illinois House. Democratic Rep. La Shawn Ford’s measure would allow job-seekers to file lawsuits if asked for access to sites like Facebook. Bosses could still ask for usernames that would allow them to view public information on the sites.
But critics questioned a provision that safeguards an employer’s ability to “maintain lawful workplace policies” regarding electronic equipment and investigating suspected unlawful or improper activity. They say that contradicts the password prohibitions.
* I hadn’t realized this was much a problem, but even Facebook is upset about it…
Some companies and government agencies aren’t just glancing at a job applicant’s social networking profiles — they’re asking to log in as the user to have a look around. And Facebook wants an end to it.
The social-networking giant weighed in on the controversy Friday morning, reasserting a point in its privacy regulations intended to prevent such requests that makes it a violation of Facebook’s policy to request your log in. […]
Since the rise of social networking, it has become common for managers to review public Facebook profiles, Twitter accounts and other sites to learn more about job candidates. But many users, especially on Facebook, have their profiles set to private, making them available only to selected people or certain networks.
Companies that don’t ask for passwords have taken other steps — such as asking applicants to friend human resource managers or to log in to a company computer during an interview. Once employed, some workers have been required to sign nondisparagement agreements that ban them from talking negatively about an employer on social media.
Asking for a candidate’s password is more prevalent among public agencies, especially those seeking to fill law enforcement positions such as police officers or 911 dispatchers.
And since 2006, the McLean County, Ill., sheriff’s office has been one of several Illinois sheriff’s departments that ask applicants to sign into social media sites to be screened.
Chief Deputy Rusty Thomas defended the practice, saying applicants have a right to refuse. But no one has ever done so. Thomas said that “speaks well of the people we have apply.”
When asked what sort of material would jeopardize job prospects, Thomas said “it depends on the situation” but could include “inappropriate pictures or relationships with people who are underage, illegal behavior.”
In Spotsylvania County, Va., the sheriff’s department asks applicants to friend background investigators for jobs at the 911 dispatch center and for law enforcement positions.
“In the past, we’ve talked to friends and neighbors, but a lot of times we found that applicants interact more through social media sites than they do with real friends,” said Capt. Mike Harvey. “Their virtual friends will know more about them than a person living 30 yards away from them.”
“It’s an invasion of privacy for private employers to insist on looking at people’s private Facebook pages as a condition of employment or consideration in an application process,” ACLU attorney Catherine Crump said in a statement. “People are entitled to their private lives. You’d be appalled if your employer insisted on opening up your postal mail to see if there was anything of interest inside. It’s equally out of bounds for an employer to go on a fishing expedition through a person’s private social media account.”
What do you think of this?
* Roundup…
* Lawmakers address Caylee’s law, trans fats, straight on red: Legislation inspired by a Florida jury’s acquittal in July of Casey Anthony advanced in the state Senate on Thursday. The measure is among two competing versions of a push to make it a Class 4 felony if a parent fails to notify officials in a timely manner if their child is missing or dead.
* Illinois to become first state to allow online lottery sales
* Press Release: Hutchinson fights to keep Hunger Relief Check-off on Illinois Tax Forms
* Local Officials, Workers Say “No Quinn Cuts” to Illinois Health Facilities, Prisons
* Earlier this week, the Illinois House soundly defeated HB 3944, a bill that would’ve allowed citizens to make audio recordings of police in public. It’s currently a felony to do so and a couple of trial-level judges have declared current law unconstitutional.
One of the bill’s detractors, Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Freeport, said the bill opens the possibility for citizens to alter audio recordings of interactions with police to make them look bad.
Rep. Jim Watson, R-Jacksonville, agreed.
“We should not be creating an atmosphere where people enter this ‘got you’ mode and try to tape law enforcement, trying to catch them (doing things),” Watson said.
“Why should (the police) have to go get a court order to record these people when these people can record them?” said Rep. Dennis Reboletti, R-Elmhurst.
Discuss.
…Adding… A commenter makes a very astute observation…
I’m not seeing prosecutors rushing to appeal the decisions to higher courts when lower courts toss arrests for this type of citizen behavior out. Will it ever make it to the Supremes?
Waiting for the judicial branch might not be an option.
* The Senate met in a Committee of the Whole yesterday to begin the process of understanding the complicated and partially intractable problem of Medicaid spending…
Illinois may be trying to cut more from its Medicaid program in a shorter period of time than any other state, Illinois senators were told Thursday.
Joy Johnson Wilson, health policy director for the National Conference of State Legislatures, said other states have made significant cuts in their Medicaid programs, but have done it over two years rather than one.
Gov. Pat Quinn said in his budget proposal that he wants to reduce Medicaid spending by $2.7 billion next year. A working group of state lawmakers is meeting to find ways to make the cuts. Options include beefing up determination of eligibility so that people who don’t qualify are removed, eliminating or paring back services that aren’t required by federal regulations and reducing rates paid to doctors and hospitals that treat Medicaid patients.
(T)here are some optional services, such as dental care, that states can cut. Wilson warned that even cutting those services can be tricky. Arizona, for instance, cut dental care but then found more people ended up going to the hospital for dental problems.
Wilson cautioned that some of the money-saving solutions carry their own problems. While Illinois and other states want to move Medicaid recipients into managed-care programs, such programs can be difficult to establish in rural areas that may be medically underserved.
Reducing reimbursement rates can drive medical providers out of the system, she said.
* This is from the federal criminal complaint against state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago). It’s taken from footnote 1 on page 3 of FBI Special Agent Bryan Butler’s affidavit. “CS-1″ is the government mole who helped the feds nail Smith. CS-1 has apparently been helping the G for years…
CS-1 has one prior arrest for domestic assault, but no convictions. Over the past 3-4 years, CS-1 has received approximately $1,200 from the FBI for his/her assistance in other investigations. In connection with this investigation, to date, FBI has paid CS-1 $4,000. The government has also provided CS-1 with financial assistance for purposes of relocation.
Um. Wow.
I think anyone close to the 27th Ward Democratic Organization ought to have reason to be very concerned.
* The Illinois Chamber just sent out a notice to “chamber executives” about an upcoming speech that will surely draw a ton of media attention…
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is very proud to announce Governor Scott Walker will serve as keynote speaker at Employer Action Day, the Chamber’s annual lobby day to be held in Springfield on April 17. His address will recount Wisconsin’s dramatic fiscal turn around and serve as an important reminder to our state policy makers that big problems require big solutions.
The Chamber is trying to keep it quiet for now. From the same e-mail…
While this invitation is being sent to chamber executives today, we are not making a formal press announcement at this time. Please take reasonable steps to keep the invitation limited to employer members and not members of the press.
The governor will have a full schedule during the first gubernatorial trade mission to Europe in 13 years. He will participate in several events organized by NATO, address a trade conference sponsored by the European Union, and host a business roundtable with Belgian businesses that currently invest in Illinois, potential investors, and business leaders and associations.
“We want the world to know that their trip to America starts in Illinois,” Governor Quinn said. “We’ll showcase Illinois’ tremendous economic assets before an international audience and we’ll bring back more trade opportunities, tourism, and business investment to Illinois.”
* The Question: What specific Illinois location (in other words, not just a town or city) would you recommend as the first place a foreign investor visits? Explain.
Federal disaster officials for a second time denied an aid request for southern Illinois communities battered by deadly tornadoes Feb. 29, ruling Wednesday against an appeal filed by the state after the first claim was denied two weeks ago.
Gov. Pat Quinn and members of the Illinois congressional delegation said the decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not reflect the seriousness of the damage from tornadoes, which killed seven people in tiny Harrisburg, Ill., and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses across a five-county area.
“That’s pretty rough,” Harrisburg Mayor Eric Gregg said Wednesday.
Revised damage estimates included in the state’s appeal seemed to meet the requirements for a presidential disaster declaration that would entitle homeowners to grants and other aid to rebuild, Gregg said. Four of the five counties seeking aid for tornado damage were designated disaster areas after floods that struck the area in April 2011.
“After a thorough review of all the information contained in your initial request and appeal, we reaffirm our original findings that the impact from this event is not of the severity and magnitude that warrants a major disaster declaration. The required response appears to be within the combined capabilities of the state and affected local governments. Therefore, I must inform you that your appeal for a major disaster declaration is denied,” states a letter appearing to be from FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate to Quinn.
The numbers of homes damaged or destroyed and businesses wiped out in the multi-county area of the request for aid is high. According to the Associated Press, the state in its appeal said the storms actually leveled or seriously damaged 441 homes and destroyed 128 businesses in “the poorest part of Illinois.”
*** UPDATE *** From IEMA…
The actual number included in the state’s appeal of FEMA’s denial was 440 homes that were damaged to some degree, 176 of those were severely damaged or destroyed. [Emphasis added.]
Illinois Emergency Management Agency director Jonathon Monken says the state’s next step is to seek low-interest loans from the U. S. Small Business Administration.
Monken says while he’s disappointed, he knows FEMA has criteria and does not have an unlimited supply of funds. “Last year, there were more federally declared disasters than in any year previous to that… and we were the recipients of that twice, for a blizzard and a flood,” says Monken.
“It makes it very frustrating when you’re the one that falls below that line that’s set, because you feel like it’s an arbitrary line.”
* React from US Sen. Dick Durbin, US Sen. Mark Kirk, Congressman John Shimkus and Congressman Jerry Costello…
“A few days after the tornadoes touched down in Southern Illinois, I saw the damage first hand and there was no doubt that the residents and families would need the full spectrum of disaster aid available,” said Durbin. “The fact that the federal government has denied disaster aid – and done so with little explanation – defies logic. Hard working Americans expect that when they face these disasters, the federal government will give them a helping hand to rebuild. I am disappointed this is not the case today. I will be working with Governor Quinn and the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation over the next several days to identify opportunities to bring back federal funding for Harrisburg, Ridgway and the surrounding communities.
“We are extremely disappointed with FEMA’s decision to deny the State of Illinois’ appeal for federal assistance for the five counties affected by the deadly storms earlier this month,” said Senator Kirk. “Our office will continue to work with the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation and local and state officials to see that Gallatin, Randolph, Saline, Union, and Williamson Counties fully recover from this disaster.”
“I am extremely disappointed in this decision,” said Shimkus. “I know that the charitable donations have been coming in to help the communities affected, as I see collection boxes and fundraisers as I travel my district. We will continue to assist in every effort to help Harrisburg, Ridgway and the other areas with damaged businesses and residences.”
“I am very disappointed that the State’s appeal has been denied,” said Costello. “These communities face a very tough rebuilding process and the full complement of federal resources would have helped. We will fully pursue other types of federal assistance and we send our thanks to all the first responders and citizens that have given so much over the past three weeks to help those in need.”
“The president of the United States is from the state of Illinois,” [Democratic state Sen. Gary Forby] said. “You would think he would get on board and do something about this. When George W. Bush was president and Texas needed something, he gave them whatever the hell they wanted.”
I think the president has tried to be even-handed when it comes to his home state. But there are those who don’t appreciate that effort, and I know some who think his behavior is just downright shameful.
Thoughts?
…Adding… I’m told that last night’s “Sullivan Caucus” raised $2,000 for Harrisburg. Way to go.
* If Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) doesn’t resign soon, he may be expelled. A special investigating committee has been formed and members appointed by both House leaders. The end result could be expulsion for the legislator arrested last week on federal bribery charges…
House Speaker Michael Madigan, who was mum on Smith in the days before the election, and Cross each named three members to the committee on Wednesday after five House Republicans requested it. That automatically triggered the committee under House rules.
Federal prosecutors allege he accepted a $7,000 cash bribe in exchange for his endorsement of a state grant application.
Sara Wojcicki says the investigation will be closed to the public. If it finds reason for discipline, a separate committee will conduct a public hearing.
* The House Special Investigating Committee membership, which has been updated this morning to show who the GOP spokesperson is…
Chairperson : Elaine Nekritz D
Republican Spokesperson : Dennis M. Reboletti R
Member: William Davis D
Member: JoAnn D. Osmond R
Member: André M. Thapedi D
Member: Jil Tracy R
The committee will consist of three Republicans and three Democrats. They will then make recommendations which could lead to another 12-man disciplinary committee that would decide whether to censure, reprimand or expel Smith.
The full House then takes up the matter. Expulsioin requires a two-thirds vote.
We can thank [Secretary of State Jesse White[ especially for the mess out west. White, who’s also the 27th Ward Democratic committeeman, clouted Smith into the 10th District House seat last year after he clouted incumbent Annazette Collins into the 5th District Senate seat vacated by Rickey Hendon.
“He’s an honest, stand-up kind of a guy,” White said at the time. Smith had been hired by the Secretary of State’s office shortly after being fired from his city job for allegedly misusing city resources; he says he did nothing wrong.
White stood behind Collins through a long string of ethical lapses but abandoned her in the primary after learning she had claimed a homestead exemption on a condo outside the district where she’s supposed to live. Collins was defeated Tuesday by White’s new candidate, Patricia Van Pelt Watkins, who has done more for the district as a community activist than Collins has done in 11 years in the General Assembly. Look what happens when you give voters a credible alternative: They trade up.
It’s up to the West Side leadership to make sure that happens in the House too. Ald. Burnett, Rep. Davis, Commissioner Steele, Secretary of State White: The voters who supported your disgraced candidate were taking it on faith that you’d provide them a better choice by November. Do it.
Better Government Association Executive Director Andy Shaw said Smith’s election win was disappointing.
“That’s terribly discouraging, not just because the voters gave him an overwhelming victory, but because so many well-respected politicians – including Congressman Danny Davis – actually endorsed him and encouraged people to vote for him for a simple reason – he is the Democrat,” Shaw said.
According to Shaw, Smith’s election win shows Illinois politics is in the gutter.
Davis said that while he asked voters to cast their ballots for Smith, it was about ensuring the seat stayed in Democrat control and was not a show of support for Smith. Davis said Smith should not appear on the November ballot given the ethical cloud he now faces.
“I was glad to see Derrick win the election, but I think in reality one can say that Democrats won the election,” Davis said. “I don’t think they were necessarily voting for Derrick, but I think they were saying ‘Democrat, Democrat, Democrat.’”
“It’s not just about the man, but it’s also about, as Ossie Davis said, the plan,” Davis said. “So I think people were intelligent enough, they were wise enough, they understood enough that they wanted to give themselves another chance to get a good, solid Democrat to represent them.”
The leaders who have joined the chorus for Smith to step down include Gov. Pat Quinn and Smith’s top political backer, Secretary of State Jesse White.
“The governor thinks he should step down. He thinks [Smith] is not going to be able to be an effective representative for his constituents given the circumstances. The governor would urge the representative to step down as soon as possible,” Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said Wednesday.
Quinn on Saturday tiptoed around Smith’s bribery charge, calling his race a “tough call for voters,” but one “they’ll be able to sort out.” Other top Dems, including U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) even campaigned for Smith after he was arrested.
When Smith was charged, White did not address whether his protege should step down, only issuing a brief statement saying “I am very disappointed with the conduct alleged in the charges. I am confident this case will be handled fairly and justly by the judicial system.”
White’s call Wednesday for Smith to resign had nothing to do with the primary results, a White spokesman said.
“After reviewing the situation, having time to think about it and overcoming some of the shock of the original charges, he feels that the people would be better represented if someone else was in that spot,” White spokesman Dave Druker said.
* The House passed a bill yesterday to end the highly controversial legislative scholarship program by a vote of 79-25 with two absentions (Democrats Arroyo and Chapa LaVia both voted “Present”).
“I applaud the members of the House for voting to end the legislative scholarship program. As I have repeatedly advocated in the past, scholarships – paid for by Illinois taxpayers- should be awarded only to those with merit who are in true financial need.
“I urge the Senate to pass this legislation swiftly.”
The bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, said Wednesday he thinks there are enough votes in the Senate to get rid of it. However, Senate Republicans are worried this effort might meet the same fate as those of the past. Patty Schuh, spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said an identical bill is sitting in a Senate Executive subcommittee.
“We do fear it will meet the same fate as all of our other efforts,” said Schuh, who added that the Senate Republicans no longer participate in the program.
Rikeesha Phelon, spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said Cullerton in the past has voted to reform the program rather than abolishing it.
“He supports reforming the General Assembly scholarships, both in lawmaker restrictions and eligibility requirements, like who can receive them,” Phelon said.
* I doubt even this bad news will help the bill get called by the Senate…
Current and prospective college students who apply now hoping to get state tuition help for next school year will be turned away, officials said Tuesday.
The state is on pace to receive a record number of applications for 2012-13 from the Monetary Award Program, the primary source of need-based financial aid. The scholarship money, awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, was depleted by students who applied by March 13.
It’s the earliest the state has run out of funds for MAP grants, said John Samuels, spokesman for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the agency that administers the program. About 140,000 to 145,000 students are expected to get the aid, worth up to $4,968. An estimated 140,000 eligible students will be denied.
When it’s alleged that lawmakers fail to observe the law, it stands to reason that some sort of formal investigation should seek to determine guilt or innocence, and have the power to impose a sanction or consequence.
But for years, nothing has been done.
In fact, Thomas J. Homer, the Illinois Legislative Inspector General — the entity with the jurisdiction to investigate any alleged wrongdoing by members of the General Assembly — confirms that his office did not conduct a single investigation related to legislative scholarships until last fall.
Homer points to several factors that crimp his ability to investigate lawmakers, including a statute of limitations that prevents him from looking into allegations of wrongdoing that occurred more than a year before the complaint is filed, unless there’s a cover-up involved. And before 2010, Homer’s office was prohibited from initiating its own investigations and had to rely on complaints from third parties.
Efforts of the Legislative Inspector General to pursue violations of the law have proven to be woefully inadequate — or nonexistent — despite the firestorm of controversy surrounding it. Since 2010, there have been at least seven reports of legislative scholarship abuse, and not a single investigation with a suggested remedial action has come out of the Office of the Legislative Inspector General.
Lame-duck lawmakers could provide the extra push needed to get public pension changes and Medicaid reforms through the General Assembly this year. […]
Twenty-two incumbents — a mix of Republicans and Democrats — said they won’t seek re-election this fall. Another seven incumbents, mostly Republicans, lost their primary race Tuesday.
“It depends why someone is a lame duck. Sometimes people believe that being a lame duck is temporary. But by and large, these are good opportunities to move things” through the legislative process, said Kent Redfield, a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
The issues sure to dominate the conversations in the halls of the Capitol are public pension and Medicaid reforms. The costs associated with Illinois’ Medicaid system and public pensions have ballooned in recent years, eating up more and more of the state’s budget.
In the Senate: Bomke, A. Collins, Crotty, Cutra, Garrett, C Johnson, T Johnson, J Jones, Lauzen, Maloney, Meeks, Millner, Schmidt, and Schoenberg for 14.
In the House: Carli, Coladipietro, duBucklet, Dugan, Eddy, Evans, Gaffney, Howard, Krezwick, Lyons, May, J Mitchell, Mulligan, Nybo, Penny, Ramey, and Yarbrough for 17
Rep. Eddy resigned early this morning. It’s not clear yet who will replace him. If it’s a placeholder, then the number is 31. If it’s the guy who won the Republican primary, it’s 30.
* In a related story, Senate President John Cullerton is convening a Committee of the Whole today to discuss Medicaid…
An expert from the National Conference of State Legislatures will address the senators.
State strategies to hold down Medicaid spending vary. Tennessee limits adults to two brand-name and three generic drug prescriptions per month. New York set a Medicaid spending cap and gave the state health commissioner “superpowers” to make benefit changes or cut rates to providers without legislative approval if the cap is exceeded. Washington state is trying to limit coverage of emergency room visits for non-emergency care to three visits annually.
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has recommended cutting $2.7 billion from Medicaid. Sen. Heather Steans, also a Democrat, said Wednesday that cutting that much in one year “is going to be a real stretch.”
Cullerton agreed, saying the governor’s goal may not be achieved. “It might be other parts of the budget that are cut,” he said.
* Related…
* Illinois Senate President Cullerton Proposes Pension Changes: The state’s five pension systems are drastically under funded and it’s making it difficult for lawmakers to balance the budget. Senate President John Cullerton says part of the problem is there’s a big difference in the way the state funds pensions for teachers in Chicago versus Southern Illinois. “The State is paying virtually nothing into the Chicago Pension System, and $2.5 billion into theirs. I don’t think that anyone can say that’s fair. It’s time to ask local school districts outside Chicago to have some skin in the game”, said Cullerton.
* Taxes, tension up in Illinois: “Other states can look at Illinois and see that merely raising revenue without structural changes is not enough to fix the problem,” said Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, a tax watchdog group in Chicago.
“I am calling on Derrick Smith to resign from his position as state representative of the 10th District. The allegations in the charge against him convey unacceptable conduct, making it extremely difficult to represent the citizens of the district. The public would be much better served if Derrick were to step down.”
I don’t know yet if this means Smith is resisting a push-out or whether White just wants to get out in front of the inevitable. Stay tuned.
As you already know, Rep. Smith is White’s guy. White installed him in the House, so the task of getting Smith the heck out - now - is naturally falling on White’s shoulders.
Jason Plummer, the GOP’s newly minted 12th U.S. House District nominee, talked up his party’s prospects in the November general election during a unity breakfast Wednesday.
“It’s great to see a united Republican Party,” said Plummer at St. Clair County GOP headquarters a day after his win in the Tuesday primary race.
“It’s not just a united Republican Party,” said Plummer, of Fairview Heights. “But a growing Republican Party.” […]
Plummer, however, might not be able to count on the help of Rodger Cook, who finished second to Plummer in the three-way GOP contest.
Cook, after sharing a perfunctory handshake with Plummer Wednesday morning, said he still felt some hard feelings toward Plummer.
* Commenter “Oswego Willy” has been firing on Plummer for years here with some of the funniest posts on the blog. So, this must-watch mashup of Plummer’s disastrous 2010 Chicago Tonight appearance, featuring EPMD’s “So What Cha Sayin,’” is for OW…
* House Speaker Michael Madigan defeated Michele Piszczor 76-17 yesterday, but that didn’t stop Piszczor from claiming she was robbed…
“I know he cheated,” Piszczor said to Progress Illinois in the Marriott lobby.
“If I lost fair and square, OK. The fact that you cheated to get to where you’re at, no, you didn’t win.” […]
“They’re over here soliciting votes, sitting there literally guarding the door,” she said, referring to at least five people standing or sitting in front of the polling location at 10 a.m.
“It’s unbelievable. They approach voters like hound dogs. It’s illegal. They can’t be doing this.”
While I didn’t observe any cheating Tuesday except perhaps the usual electioneering too close to the polling place, it was evident that Madigan’s old-fashioned patronage army was pushing extra hard to bring in good numbers for the boss. That type of effort that has been known to lead to excesses, but it doesn’t explain losing 76 to 17.
I’m not suggesting Piszczor wasted her time in challenging Madigan.
There’s certainly a value to making sure no politician takes his constituents for granted, as some voters I met Tuesday complained of Madigan.
Others told me they might have considered voting for an alternative if only he’d had a more serious opponent than Piszczor.
Brown’s conclusion is something that I think I share…
I’m as eager as anybody for Madigan, who turns 70 next month, to ride off into the sunset — if only to give us a fresh start in Springfield.
But portraying him as the all powerful cartoon villain from whom all evil flows in Illinois government is also an overly simplistic rewrite of history. Madigan helped get Illinois into this mess, but he also may be the best person to help get us out.
Toni Preckwinkle is a rare popular politician at a time when voter love is in scarce supply. Even so, in Tuesday’s primary, the coattails of the first-term president of the Cook County Board couldn’t carry some of the high-profile candidates she endorsed.
Preckwinkle’s candidate for Illinois Supreme Court, Joy Cunningham, lost resoundingly to Mary Jane Theis.
Her candidate for Cook County Circuit Court clerk, Ricardo Munoz, was soundly defeated by incumbent Dorothy Brown.
Her pick for the 8th Congressional District seat, Raja Krishnamoorthi, lost to Tammy Duckworth.
A bright spot for Preckwinkle, however, was winning a fight on her Hyde Park home turf, where her chosen candidate, Christian Mitchell, was leading against Kenny Johnson in the 26th District state House race. […]
For Preckwinkle, Tuesday night was not a night of addition.
Preckwinkle also backed Rudy Lozano, who lost the 21st House District race to Silvana Tabares.
That Hyde Park win came at a very high cost. Preckwinkle spent a fortune and had to deploy just about every resource she had to drag Christian Mitchell across the finish line, even though Kenny Johnson had some serious problems in his background
* Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s night went considerably better. He backed Rep. Toni Berrios in her close win over progressive Will Guzzardi. Rep. Kelly Cassidy raised a lot of money for her winning primary effort partly because of Emanuel’s efforts. The mayor also supported Ald. Deb Graham against Congressman Danny Davis for 29th Ward Democratic Committeeman and Graham defied all expectations by beating Davis 51.5 to 48.5. Emanuel did some robocalls for Christian Mitchell, was totally instrumental in Justice Theis’ Supreme Court victory, helped Duckworth, etc. Not bad at all.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rep. Smith’s assistant says she hasn’t seen him yet today and that his car isn’t on the Capitol grounds.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Smith has an excused absence from the House.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* 11:23 am - Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) has yet to say anything publicly since his federal bribery arrest last week or his huge win last night over former Republican operative Tom Swiss. It’s possible he could resign as early as today, but there’s no official word yet. House Republican Leader Tom Cross isn’t waiting for Smith to decide. From a press release…
A group of Republican House lawmakers today called for the creation of a House Special Investigative Committee to further investigate all allegations and charges of impropriety that prompted the recent arrest of Representative Derrick Smith on Federal bribery charges. The House Committee, similar to that formed following the arrest of former Governor Rod Blagojevich, would determine what if any disciplinary action the House would recommend against Smith.
From that same press release, Cross explains how the process will work…
Under the rules of the Illinois House (House Rule 91), disciplinary proceedings against a member may be commenced by filing a petition with the Speaker calling for a Special Investigative Committee. The petition must be signed by at least one member of the House, and must contain suggested charges which, if true, may subject the member named in the petition to disciplinary action by the House.
If the petition is signed by 3 or more members of the House, the Speaker shall appoint 3 members of the majority caucus and the Minority Leader shall appoint 3 members of the minority caucus to a Special Investigative Committee.
Representatives today signing the petition requesting the creation of the Special Investigative Committee are: Representative Ed Sullivan (R-Mundelein), Representative Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth), Representative Jim Sacia (R-Pecatonica), Representative Tim Schmitz (R-Batavia), and Representative Dave Winters (R-Shirland).
I’ll add a roundup of Smith stories in a few minutes.
…Adding... Rep. Smith won last night 77-23. Tom Swiss’ take…
With about 92 percent of the precincts reporting, Smith had taken in 77 percent of the vote against 23 percent for challenger Tom Swiss, who raised eyebrows by running billboard ads depicting black individuals in the mostly African-American district when he himself is white.
“I was annihilated,” Swiss said. ““The ideologues came out, and those are the people that just would rather vote for a crook than someone who had worked for Republicans.”
Swiss also insinuated that getting arrested actually helped Smith, saying the race was based on name recognition and the stories generated by his arrest were the equivalent of “hundreds and thousands of dollars” of campaign advertising.
Getting arrested “helped” Smith by focusing lots of attention on Swiss’ race and partisan background.
* Democrat Ilya Sheyman’s loss to Brad Schneider in the 10th Congressional District was yet another big surprise last night. Politico’s take…
[Sheyman’s] loss is a crushing blow to the organized professional left, which poured substantial resources into the primary, making it a national priority for the movement.
A poll by Public Policy Polling last week showed Sheyman with a double-digit lead, so the margin is one of most stunning outcomes of the night.
Yes, it is. And you can bet that the DCC is breathing a little easier today. Sheyman would’ve probably been too far to the left to win the moderate, ticket-splitting 10th CD against freshman Republican Bob Dold. Some analysis from the NRCC…
Dold’s challenger Brad Schneider, comes off a bruising Democrat primary where he didn’t break 50% over a 25-year-old. Endorsed by Nancy Pelosi, Schneider’s support for her national energy tax won’t bode well for Illinois families who are already paying record-high gas prices. During his primary, Schneider said that he wouldn’t join the Blue Dog Coalition, signaling that he will be another partisan rubber-stamp in Congress. In addition, Schneider is going to have a lot of ground to make up against Bob Dold’s fundraising prowess and retail campaign skills. Dold has a cash advantage of over $1 million compared to Schneider, a significant gap in what is sure to be a costly race.
* The polls weren’t off everywhere, but as I told you yesterday, Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger’s last tracker had him up by just three points over GOP Congressman Don Manzullo. The Kinzinger campaign was collectively biting its nails even after the AP had declared he’d won. But with 99 percent reporting, Kinzinger soundly defeated Manzullo 56-44.
KInzinger had a superior field operation and he’s a telegenic candidate. He also won the new part of the district…
Both performed strongly in the parts of the district they’d previously represented, but Kinzinger won over the new part of the district by a solid margin.
TBut another key factor was the role played by the Campaign for Primary Accountability, which showered the district with $ 211,500 in TV and radio ads, robo-calls, and mailers in the last three weeks, slamming Mr. Manzullo for voting for spending proposals backed by Democrats.
The PAC is a small collection of about a dozen individuals, almost all of them conservative, Republican, Texan, or all three of the above. They helped unseat GOP incumbent Rep. Jean Schmidt of Ohio on super Tuesday, and since then, have made an impact in several other primaries in both parties.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. coasted to a big win against long-time foe Debbie Halvorson, a former congresswoman.
In the 2nd Congressional District contest, Jackson had 71.2 percent of the vote to Debbie Halvorson’s 28.8 percent with 99 percent of the unofficial vote counted.
That’s just jaw-dropping, if you ask me. Halvorson could very well be finished in this business. She has, for far too long, engaged in a war with Jackson over the third regional airport location. She demanded to be appointed Illinois Secretary of Transportation, but she was refused and then she turned down other cabinet positions to run against Jackson in an almost surely no-win race.
Halvorson pulled in 2,686 votes in Will County to Jackson’s 1,709, and in Kankakee County, Halvorson brought in 2,395 to Jackson’s 1,182. Will County and Kankakee-area officials have never taken kindly to Jackson’s advocacy for a south suburban airport.
In Cook County, Jackson pulled in 31,847 votes to Halvorson’s 11,049. In the city of Chicago, Jackson posted 19,700 to Halvorson’s 5,721.
In the 8th, former Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth handily beat Raja Krishnamoorthi 67 percent to 33 percent.
“I am so proud to be standing here in front of you, ready to bring back common sense and practical solutions to Washington because that’s what the residents of the 8th district need. That’s what they deserve,” Duckworth told supporters in Homewood.
Duckworth goes on to compete against Joe Walsh.
Most of us figured she’d win big, but 67 percent is pretty darned huge for such a hotly contested primary.
* THis is a major blow to DC Democrats who had hoped to prevent David Gill from winning the Democratic primary for the fourth time. Gill was seen as far less electable against longtime Republican Congressman Tim Johnson, but as of now, Gill is ahead of Matt Goetten by 143 votes…
Unofficial returns, which will not be certified by the State Board of Elections for weeks, give the Bloomington physician 15,507 votes to 15,364 votes for Greene County State’s Attorney Matt Goetten.
Before Macoupin County ballots were counted around 4:30 a.m. today, Gill had a lead of 14,245 to 13,220. Macoupin County Democrats favored Goetten, 2,144 to 1,262. But the margin wasn’t enough to overcome Gill’s lead. […]
Gill owed much of his victory to Champaign County Democrats, who gave him a margin of 5,116 votes to 1,365 votes for Goetten. Champaign County voters, who are familiar with Gill from his three previous races against Johnson, gave Gill more than one-third of all of his votes Tuesday. Gill’s campaign had hoped for 72 percent of the votes in Champaign County; he got 75.78 percent. Gill also won by a large margin in McLean County, 805 to 265. But Goetten won in Macon County, 2,678 to 2,632, and in Sangamon County, 1,903 to 1,582.
Goetten was never an A-List candidate. As the NRCC pointed out last night in a press release, the best possible candidates stayed away from this contest even though the district was drawn to be more Democratic.
Bloomington physician David Gill has a narrow lead over primary opponent Matt Goetten with all precincts reporting Wednesday morning.
Unofficial totals have Gill with 15,507 votes to Goetten’s 15,364 votes. Macoupin County made up the last 61 precincts to come in after 4 a.m. Wednesday, and Goetten won the county handily with 2,144 votes to Gill’s 1,262.
But it apparently wasn’t enough to overcome Gill’s margin. However, absentee ballots mailed on time can be counted up to 14 days after the election.
Goetten’s campaign could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday morning.
Macoupin hand-counted votes last night. It was slow as slow can be down there. Just ten minutes or so before the county finished counting, Gill sent out a harsh press release, which probably highlighted his not ready for primetime character…
Dr David Gill Questions Elections Process in Macoupin County
“At this point, we must seriously question the validity, transparency and accuracy of the elections process in Macoupin County. Right now, I lead in this election by 4 points and 1025 votes, but it doesn’t matter. This about the democratic process and being able to have basic faith in our election system.
“There are serious questions with how this process is being handled in Macoupin County.
Who decided to count the ballots by hand?
What process and procedures did they follow?
Has there been an uninterrupted and verified chain of custody?
Were there witnesses present for every part of the process and to monitor all handling of the ballots?
How were the results tabulated?
Was the media present?
Was law enforcement involved?
Was a legal opinion sought by the County Clerk for the proper course of action for this unprecedented process? Why was there no press conference or public announcement?
In 2000, Americans saw a president selected in this country and citizens disenfranchised because of a flawed election process and political dealmaking in Florida.
How can this possibly be happening in Illinois 12 years later?
At this point I believe the best course of action is for a judge to order the impounding of all ballots in Macoupin County until a process and equipment can be determined to properly count these ballots electronically, overseen by a judge and open to the media and observers. Anything less is undermining our basic democratic rights.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** A letter sent to Gill by the Macoupin County Clerk…
March 21, 2012
Dr. David Gill
Congressional Candidate
13th Congressional District
Dear Dr. Gill:
I have read your press release issued early this morning. I appreciate the scrutiny being placed on my Office because as the chief election authority of Macoupin County it is my responsibility to make certain that the great American freedom of the individual right to vote is protected. First and foremost, all procedures were completed in conjunction with the State Board of Elections. Because of the unprecedented problem that was being experienced by dozens of counties across the state, I ensured that the process here was conducted in a manner that not only met legal standards, but went above and beyond to guarantee accuracy and transparency in the voting process.
The procedure put in place required that any precinct experiencing any problem was immediately checked in and ballots, tabulators and official ballot records were taken to experienced Democrat and Republican election judges. These judges then individually ran each ballot through the tabulator, verifying that the total count on the tabulator reflected the ballot being read and counted. Overseeing this process were two representatives from the State Board of Elections, an Assistant State’s Attorney of Macoupin County, the Democrat and Republican County Chairmen, nearly all candidates (or their representatives) in contested races, members of the media, as well as any member of the general public who wished to be present. This was the process from start to finish. No one was denied access.
Every step of this process was done to promote accuracy and continue to promote a fair and unbiased election process in Macoupin County. Macoupin County’s Democrat and Republican election judges as well as members of my staff worked tirelessly all day and night to make sure that every vote was counted and done so properly. I know it was a long night for everyone and sometimes tensions arise; however, my office, as always, took any necessary steps in providing an open vote tabulation process. During my time as County Clerk I have worked with others to ensure open government by placing our county checkbook and monthly board meeting minutes online and have been recognized by local news outlets for these types of efforts toward transparency.
As always, I will make myself available to you, any candidate, or any taxpayer should you have questions about how this election was administered by the dedicated staff in my office and all election judges.
* My computer crashed last night. As you might imagine, it was a total nightmare. The ‘puter is back up and running again, but the hair-raising incident meant I stayed up way too late and now I need a couple hours’ sleep. So how about you discuss the biggest surprise of yesterday’s primary election for a while? Thanks.
