* Umm…
* I wasn’t at today’s Chicago press conference, but I did listen to the audio and that’s not the question Rauner was asked and his answer was more involved than that. The governor did dodge the question, for sure, but here’s what he actually said…
Mary Ann Ahern: Can you say today whether or not, are you aware, yes or no, of sexual harassment complaints within your office?
Gov. Bruce Rauner: So, here are the simple facts. We have a very clear, rigorous process for investigations of any potential of wrongdoing. Clear lines of authority, clear lines of reporting. We have a very independent, very confidential executive inspector general. Any specific requests or questions you have about anything pending really needs to go to the inspector general. I am not authorized to comment about it. And I specifically have taken action to put out a code of ethics, code of ethical behavior in my administration through executive order. And have pushed, made sure everybody in our state government has gone through ethics training, specifically around harassment.
Quite the pickle.
…Adding… Per a commenter, if you look at page 49 of the Office of Executive Inspector General’s latest report you’ll see one “founded report” for the governor’s office in Fiscal Year 2017. It’s unclear what that is, exactly. But here’s the procedure…
If the OEIG, upon the conclusion of an investigation, finds reasonable cause to believe that a violation of law or policy has occurred within its jurisdiction, it will write a founded report that documents:
• the allegations of wrongdoing;
• facts confirmed by the investigation;
• an analysis of the facts in comparison to the applicable law, rule, or policy; and
• findings and recommendations.
In accordance with State law, OEIG reports are provided only to the affected public entities and other appropriate authorities, such as the Governor or a board of trustees. The OEIG does not have the authority to enforce its recommendations, and therefore, it is the responsibility of the affected agencies to act upon OEIG recommendations.
So, the governor knows of at least one founded report from OEIG. I wonder what that one’s about?
18 Comments  
|
* Background is here. From Tom Shaer at the Cook County Assessor’s Office…
The recent article in The Economist about property assessment in Cook County, Illinois was incomplete, not even somewhat balanced and thus very unfair.
Approximately 95% of the information the Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) provided to reporter The Economist was not used. We do not expect every media outlet (including Capitol Fax) to print everything we say, or even half, but when our side of the issues is virtually ignored, that doesn’t allow readers to make up their own minds.
Worse, The Economist failed to ask CCAO about most of the article’s points, so we had no opportunity to add information to address them. We have never had that concern with CapFax.
The Cook County Assessor’s Office has long maintained that the Chicago Tribune pieces about property assessment in Cook County are deeply flawed. Their opinions are based primarily on a sales ratio study not conducted by assessment or appraisal professionals; such private ratio studies are not admissible in Illinois courts. None of this appeared in The Economist.
The Economist printed nearly 200 words of quotes and descriptions of criticism by six different critics of Assessor Joseph Berrios, including three political opponents. It printed only 36 words representing Assessor Berrios’ response. That extreme imbalance violates standards of fairness.
The term, “reciprocal gift-giving” was used to describe assessments and appeals but The Economist did not request details on how property is assessed and how appeals are decided. We state, unequivocally, that there is no rampant over-assessment or under-assessment of property in Cook County.
CCAO was never asked about a comparison of Cook County to New York City’s lower success rate for appeals. But The Economist nevertheless made that comparison, which is grossly misleading because it is an apples-to-oranges concept.
Why? Because New York’s assessment system produces wildly incorrect low assessed values. With properties already assessed so low, why would most appeals be successful?
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s spokesman, Wiley Norvell, and George Sweeting, Deputy Director of that city’s Independent Budget Office, have publicly called for wide legislative changes to eliminate “major inequities…built into the system.”
Yet, somehow, The Economist suggests New York City is a shining example to which Cook County should aspire. Nonsense.
No one in the Cook County Assessor’s Office believes any media outlet should seek to please public officials. However, media should desire to possess all facts and information and present them fairly or at least a little more evenly. Thank you.
22 Comments
|
Question of the day
Thursday, Nov 16, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Back in 2009, I asked you if Illinois State Fair manager Amy Bliefnick should resign her position if she ran for the Illinois General Assembly.
And as I told you the other day, former Rep. Darlene Senger is circulating petitions to run for comptroller. Senger is currently Gov. Rauner’s chief legislative liaison. So…
* The Question: When should Darlene Senger resign? When she files her D-1 statement of candidacy, when she files her petitions, when she’s certified for the ballot, before spring session begins in January, after the Republican primary, or never? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
web surveys
27 Comments
|
* Embattled state Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) has disclosed his first campaign contribution since being publicly accused of sexual harassment. He reported a $7,000 contribution from the Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC today. The group also gave $5,000 to Silverstein’s wife Debra, a Chicago alderman.
* Onward. Along with Blair Hull, a firm called 116 Windsor Drive LLC was one of the biggest contributors to Illinois United for Change, which funded a big-money campaign against House Speaker Madigan in the 2016 Democratic primary. That same firm recently contributed $11,100 to Rep. Scott Drury’s attorney general bid. Drury, of course, is not on Team Madigan.
* During the third quarter, Bob Daiber reported raising $16,199 for his gubernatorial campaign, of which $10,000 was a loan to himself. He ended the quarter with $12,021.91 in the bank.
Daiber just filed an A-1 today, so I clicked the link to see… a $5,000 loan from himself.
Props to the guy for sticking with it, I suppose. But… man.
* Meanwhile, as we’ve already discussed, Rep. Jeanne Ives filed a D-1 disclosing her bid for governor yesterday. From the Tribune…
But as with her first round of candidacy petitions that had to be tossed after a typo was found, there may be some issues with the Ives for Illinois campaign fund.
State Board of Elections officials said they were in contact with the Ives campaign over its initial reporting of $267,725 in cash available in the new fund — without disclosing the source of the money.
There also was the question about the Friends of Jeanne Ives fund, which had been used for her legislative campaigns. That fund ended September with $8,488 and has since raised an additional $15,000, including $10,000 last month from a political action committee with ties to political organizations associated with talk show host and failed 2010 Republican governor primary candidate Dan Proft.
Ives filed an A-1 today detailing $263K in contributions. Click here. She has not yet closed down her other account, however.
* One more…
In September, fired Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy caused a stir when his name showed up on an exploratory committee for Chicago mayor.
The chairman of that committee, Northwest side businessman Brian McCormack, told the Sun-Times there was an effort to draft McCarthy to run against Mayor Rahm Emanuel. But first McCarthy wanted: “two things: that we have the financial wherewithal … to get his message out to the people of Chicago. And that the citizens would want him to be mayor,” McCormack told the Sun-Times.
McCormack said he expected to have an answer by late October.
Well, it’s now mid-November, but a look at that committee shows lackluster fundraising. Just eight people donated for a total of $26,000. Nearly half of that total comes from chairman Brian and Kathryn McCormack.
Another $5,000 of that came from Florida donor Harvey Freundlich who once pleaded guilty to attempted delivery of a controlled substance.
Blair Hull, who once ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate, also donated $2,500.
There’s that Hull name again.
6 Comments
|
* Background is here in case you missed it. From the ILGOP…
In light of tweets and paid advertising from Betsy Dirksen Londrigan and EMILY’s List spreading false information against Congressman Rodney Davis about what was said in a House Committee hearing on Tuesday, Erika Harold, Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, and Avery Bourne issued the following statements calling on Londrigan and EMILY’s List to apologize to Davis:
“Sexual harassment is not a partisan issue, and the continued misrepresentation of Congressman Davis’ position does a disservice to the constituents who care about this issue and makes it more difficult to find the common ground needed to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace. Betsy Dirksen Londrigan and Stephanie Schriock should immediately issue a statement retracting their misrepresentations and join in the bipartisan efforts to protect women from sexual harassment.” - Republican candidate for Attorney General Erika Harold
“As someone who has experienced sexual harassment, I commend Congressman Davis for speaking out about this very serious topic. I believe Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Stephanie Schriock, and others who are politicizing this issue need to apologize to Congressman Davis and get to work on solutions that will protect women in the workplace.” - State Representative Sara Wojcicki Jimenez
“I have worked for Congressman Davis and I know that he is an advocate for women seeking public office and an advocate of having strong female leadership on staff. Just last year, during my own campaign, I dealt with opposition spreading false information and lies about me. Since then, I have pushed for campaigns to be about issues – not spreading false information to voters. It is unfortunate that Betsy Dirksen Londrigan has decided to go down this path of personal and false attacks. I urge her, as well as her ally, EMILY’s List, to issue an apology to Congressman Davis right away.” - State Representative Avery Bourne
37 Comments
|
* Gov. Rauner signed SB402 today, which, among other things, adds a prohibition of sexual harassment to the state’s ethics laws. He also signed HB137 and issued this signing statement…
Today I sign House Bill 137, which waives the one year restriction on the Legislative Inspector General conducting investigations of complaints that were raised, but neglected, between December 2014 and November 2017.
This bill represents a positive but small step toward addressing the pressing issue of sexual harassment in the Capitol. It ensures that a vacancy in the Office of the Legislative Inspector General does not allow for complaints and reports of victims to go unheard.
The General Assembly should now look to meaningful reforms of its ethical oversight structure to ensure that the new Legislative Inspector General has robust and independent investigatory and enforcement power. As currently codified, the Legislative Inspector General has a narrow mandate and limited authority. The legislature should conduct a thorough analysis of the existing statutes of limitations to ensure remedies are available. For example, after the Office of the Legislative Inspector General finds reasonable cause of a violation, there is a limitation of 18 months in which to file a complaint with the Legislative Ethics Commission. That time limitation will certainly need to be modified.
I am putting my signature to House Bill 137, but look forward to working with members of the General Assembly willing to take the next steps toward greater independence, transparency, and enforcement mechanisms for the Legislative Inspector General.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
Thoughts?
* related…
* Why is Springfield’s #MeToo movement still in the dark? The Ethics Commission, some say: State Senator and former Lee County Sheriff Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, introduced legislation last week that would remove the lawmakers from the commission and replace them with independent citizens qualified to hear complaints. It would prohibit individuals who have participated in any political activity in the past 10 years from sitting on the commission. “Legislators shouldn’t sit in judgement of other legislators,” Bivins said. “I totally get why more don’t come forward until they have more assurances that their voice will be heard and that they will get justice and fair dealing with their complaints.”
15 Comments
|
Rep. Wallace writes about sexual harassment
Thursday, Nov 16, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Litesa Wallace (D-Rockford) writing in Teen Vogue…
It’s a kiss on the cheek that narrowly misses my lips instead of a handshake. It’s a lingering hand on my back, too low and for too long. It’s a comment about my appearance and an invasive question about my personal life. It’s everywhere and it’s all the time—especially for black women.
I’ve been an Illinois state representative for three years, and I was a legislative staffer for the three years prior. I’ve experienced firsthand the pervasive culture of unchecked sexual harassment that disempowers and silences women, especially women of color.
During my first year in office in 2014, I remember turning to a woman colleague after a man made yet another inappropriate comment in the legislature. “How do you deal with it?” I asked her. “That’s just how he is,” she said, explaining that in her experience, it was better to ignore harassment than confront it.
I hear this reaction from so many women, and most often from women of color, who experience the destructive intersection of sexism and racism known as misogynoir. After decades of being assaulted, disrespected, and underrepresented, it’s painful and dangerous to come forward with our stories. Consequences for sexual harassment are few and far between in Springfield. But the political consequences for speaking out are almost guaranteed.
Discuss.
6 Comments
|
* Gov. Rauner was asked yesterday why he hasn’t spoken to Comptroller Mendoza since she was sworn in…
No need to talk with her directly, my team is talking to her all the time. I can tell you [crosstalk] this is important. We put a tax hike on the people of Illinois. I vetoed it, but it went in anyway. We’re still running a $2 billion deficit. The fiscal irresponsibility of the folks in charge, Speaker Madigan, is outrageous.
We have to fix this. Our unpaid bills are still going up. And we can’t invest to grow jobs. We can’t invest to invest enough. We got a federal grant for this [off-road vehicle trail system on reclaimed Saline County strip mine], but we could be doing more if we had balanced budgets. And we could be doing more if we grew our economy.
And, and the, the comptroller and the Speaker, who she really works for Speaker Madigan, they don’t get that. They, they just think taxes, more taxes, higher taxes are the answer. It’s not the answer. We gotta grow. Grow good paying jobs in southern Illinois. Don’t tax people and push the jobs out. [Crosstalk] Thanks, everybody.
…Adding… It should be noted that Rauner’s hand-picked comptroller, Leslie Munger, now works for the Rauner administration. And the new comptroller candidate backed by Rauner, Darlene Senger, is on Rauner’s payroll as his chief legislative liaison.
*** UPDATE *** From Comptroller Mendoza…
Governor Rauner has no accomplishments of his own to boast of, so he resorts to patronizing and condescending attacks on me.
He’s struggling with the fact that he has been outworked, outperformed, and beaten at every turn by a strong and independent 5’3” woman. Last week’s bipartisan 164-3 rebuke on the override of the Debt Transparency veto must still sting.
To be clear, I was elected by 2,676,244 voters, which is 852,617 more votes than Governor Rauner received, to work for the 12+ million people in the State of Illinois. I am accountable to them, and it is time that the Governor be as well.
Absent the pleasure of a meeting with the Governor, I’d like to ask him this: What did you spend the $2.8 billion in unauthorized deficit spending on, and how do you plan to pay for it? How much will your Rauner Tax cost the people of Illinois?
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
…Adding More… Check out the not so subtle trolling of Gov. Bruce V. Rauner on the comptroller’s website…
…Adding Even More… Aviva Bowen makes a good point on Facebook…
Why is it SO hard to believe that a tenacious, smart woman can’t be impressive in her own right, that she must be doing the bidding of a man?
Rauner really needs to rethink these attacks in the current climate.
* Meanwhile, from the same press conference…
In broad, vague terms, he also called for rolling back the “Madigan income tax hike,” lowering property taxes and restoring good government. “I’ve got, actually, dozens of companies who want to come to Illinois. They want to come to Southern Illinois,” Rauner said. But he said Illinois is losing out on that potential to neighboring states such as Indiana where “the property taxes are one-third, the workers’ comp costs are one-quarter.”
“They’d love to be in Illinois but the costs are prohibitive,” Rauner said.
An aide to Rauner cut off questions from media six minutes into a question-and-answer session following his announcement of the ATV park.
71 Comments
|
* From August…
A nearly $1.6 million jackpot has made the VFW’s Queen of Hearts raffle in the small town of Morris, Ill., something of an obsession. Locals and out-of-towners are clogging streets and driveways with their cars, waiting in line for hours and spending wads of cash for a chance to draw the winning card.
Normally, in this sleepy town about 60 miles southwest of Chicago, the raffle draws a few dozen participants, and the prize money may reach hundreds of or even a few thousand dollars. But if no one wins, the pot rolls over each week; and now the stakes in the Queen of Hearts raffle have been growing for almost a year. The final drawing is at 6 p.m. Monday.
As the pot has grown, word spread and the crowd has also increased.
Now there’s an hourslong line every day to buy tickets at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6049. Police provide security, and the fire marshal regulates how many people can be inside the hall. Neighbors complain that cars are blocking their driveways, and the VFW bar manager warned online that rude ticket seekers should not “GET IN MY FACE” anymore before tickets go on sale.
* How it’s played…
Queen of Hearts is a game where 54 cards – a full deck plus two jokers – are put facedown on a board. The object is to pick the queen of hearts. Players buy raffle tickets for a chance to pick a card off the board. If both jokers are chosen, the game resets, and all the previously pulled cards return to the board.
* It’s certainly bringing big crowds to some tiny towns…
Thousands swarmed to the small Illinois town of Aviston Wednesday night for a chance to win some serious cash — more than $800,000.
* A buddy of mine was telling me that one of these progressive drawings had swelled well into the six figures in little Mt. Olive. From the town’s Facebook page…
With the Queen of Hearts drawing growing, it is very important that motorists do not park by barricades, fire hydrants or block alleys. Please dont block roadways while listening to the PODCAST. These are all very important for safety reasons. Violaters will be ticketed and/or towed. Please be respectful to the neighborhood.
* But now there’s word that some private bars are hosting the raffles and some of the not-for-profit groups aren’t getting the required permits. From the BND…
At least a dozen Queen of Hearts raffles in the metro-east may not be in accordance with state law, according to a Belleville News-Democrat investigation.
In some cases, the raffles themselves appear to violate parts of the state’s Raffles and Poker Runs Act. In other cases, the raffle ordinances in the cities don’t appear to be consistent with state law. And in yet other cases, the cities don’t appear to be enforcing their own raffle ordinances.
Gambling critics and experts say if the laws are not followed and enforced, it can lead to big problems: The prize money could be seized by the government, losing players could demand refunds, the insurance policies of the organizations might not cover accidents, and large crowds can threaten the safety of communities.
And even though some of these raffles have reached jackpots approaching $1 million, no one, either from the local or the state level, seems to regulate them. […]
The most common problems found with Queen of Hearts raffles and city raffle ordinances in the metro-east included:
▪ Not having a maximum prize amount in the city ordinance, or raffles going over the maximum prize amount in the ordinance.
▪ Conducting raffles at premises that do not appear to be allowed under state law. At least three local Queen of Hearts raffles are being conducted at privately-owned bars.
▪ Organizations being issued raffle licenses despite not applying for them, or in some cases, raffles being conducted without the city issuing any license at all.
Confusion and various interpretations of the law seem to have led to disparities in local ordinances. In some cases, the city regulations do not follow state law. In others, the city has no ordinances at all, but still hands out raffle licenses.
14 Comments
|
* In its anti-tax zeal, the Tribune seems to want the federal government to tax income and property twice…
Republicans in the U.S. Senate have proposed a tax overhaul that would eliminate the itemized deduction known as SALT, for state and local taxes. The House version, which could be voted on Thursday, keeps some of the deduction in place but caps it at $10,000. Durbin describes the SALT deduction as crucial relief for middle-class families in Illinois and other states with heavy tax burdens, such as New York. “We’ve seen increases in our state income tax. We face regular increases in property taxes. This is the one deduction that gives these families a little bit of help and the Republicans are eliminating it,” Durbin said this week on the Senate floor. […]
Now we’re at the root of the dispute over the SALT deduction: Illinois politicians wouldn’t need to fight so hard to retain it if property taxes — and a 32-percent rise in the personal income tax rate (to 4.95 percent) that took effect in July — weren’t so high in the first place. So let’s credit the GOP tax reform push for forcing this issue: Why are Illinois taxes so high? How about addressing that problem instead of reaching for the deduction Band-Aid? […]
But rather than burrow into the actual problems that lead to higher state and local taxes, critics of removing or modifying the SALT deduction blame congressional reformers whose lower deductions would allow marginal tax rates to drop. That would help all Americans. As is, residents of states with lower taxes have to subsidize the high taxes collected by Illinois, by New York, by California …
We get it. Nobody wants to pay more in taxes. Deductions seem to soften the blow, even if they drive marginal tax rates higher. But if we’re truth-telling, a deduction that serves as mere salve for a government’s tax-and-spend addiction isn’t sound public policy. It’s not a solution. It’s like sticking the pacifier in the baby’s mouth to keep it quiet a little longer. Eventually, the pacifier has to go.
Illinoisans send more tax money to DC than they get back (as a state, we consistently rank near the top of this list), but the Tribune would apparently like us to send even more.
57 Comments
|
* Tribune…
As Chris Kennedy campaigns for governor, he’s talked about his business successes. He’s pointed to his management of the Merchandise Mart, “one of the great economic engines of Illinois,” and to his role developing skyscrapers on Wolf Point along the Chicago River.
Kennedy, however, has not highlighted one of his biggest projects to date — a nearly half-billion dollar public-private partnership to build a convention center and Medical Mart in Cleveland.
Local politicians, led by a longtime family friend, gave Kennedy’s company a no-bid contract and pushed through a controversial sales tax hike to pay for it.
As the project got off the ground, Kennedy told Cleveland residents the one-stop medical superstore would remake the Rust Belt city’s image into a “Disney World for doctors” and draw coveted medical conventions to town.
Instead, the project was plagued by accusations of insider dealings, secrecy and failed promises. Kennedy’s company made millions of dollars, while residents are stuck paying more on items they purchase.
The concept was flawed from the start. The idea was to build a Merchandise Mart for the medical profession, but the idea hadn’t worked elsewhere. A Cleveland tax hike paid for just about everything, and by the looks of things, Kennedy’s side risked almost nothing. From October…
Part of the $465 million taxpayer-funded complex that also includes the convention center, the 235,000-square-foot Global Center has been nothing short of an abysmal failure in each of its three or so different incarnations in the short five years since it opened: The original plan for a healthcare mall showcasing high end medical wares was scrapped early on, replaced by a vision of attracting trade shows and conferences with a focus on education.
Anyway, go read the whole thing. (Headline explained here.)
31 Comments
|
* Crain’s…
IlliniCare, a private insurer that’s part of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Medicaid managed care overhaul, is cutting reimbursement rates to medical suppliers by up to 50 percent.
The rate cut beginning on Jan. 1 impacts suppliers that provide durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, oxygen tanks and ventilators, to low-income residents on Medicaid.
The move not only will impact suppliers’ business, but could fuel their exodus from Medicaid managed care, leaving patients in the lurch. Sen. David Koehler, a downstate Democrat and a critic of how the state has further privatized Medicaid by outsourcing it to insurance companies, has proposed legislation to require that insurers pay suppliers as much as the state does.
“I think we have to watch this very carefully because, especially in smaller towns, we may just cut off the supply that may be very vital to someone’s health,” Koehler said. […]
John Hoffman, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, which runs Medicaid, said in a statement that HFS is committed to ensuring that insurers offer Medicaid members services and equipment. But “it is the responsibility of the health plans and providers to negotiate with each other to accomplish this within the framework of contracts, laws and rules overseen by the Department.”
Doesn’t look like a negotiation to me.
13 Comments
|
* A letter from Illinois Board of Higher Education Chairman Tom Cross and Executive Director Al Bowman to US Sen. Dick Durbin dated November 14…
Dear Senator Durbin:
The Senate tax reform proposal released on November 9, 2017 and the House plan released two weeks ago contain a number of measures that place new tax burdens on higher education. A broad cross-section of higher-education groups have voiced significant concerns. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education noted that “the House tax-reform proposal released today would discourage participation in postsecondary education, make college more expensive for those who do enroll and undermine the financial stability of public and private two-year and four-year colleges and universities.”
The House bill would change a number of tax deductions that were intended to offset the costs of higher education for both students and corporate sponsors. The Lifetime Learning Credit, for example, allows individuals and families to claim a tax deduction of up to $2,000 for tuition, as well as credit for student-loan interest, and a $5,250 corporate deduction for education-assistance plans. In addition, donations to colleges and universities could decline if fewer individuals itemize deductions as charitable gifts.
The Senate tax reform proposal includes an excise tax on large endowments that support a wide range of college and university functions, including financial aid. Additionally, revenue from licensing of college and university logos would be treated as an unrelated business tax.
In the aggregate, a number of provisions found in both the House and Senate plans would make it more costly for colleges and universities to carry out their missions and the net result will be a significant increase in the cost of higher education.
We would be happy to meet with you or your staff to discuss these critical matters. Please contact us at …
* Meanwhile, from the DGA…
In Washington, Congressional Republicans are attempting to force through a tax overhaul skewed to benefit the wealthiest while many middle-class Illinois families could see an average tax increase of $1,267. And once again, Governor Bruce Rauner is doing nothing to protect them.
In an interview with the Pantagraph, Rauner apparently “lauded” the Republican tax reform effort and talked about cutting the federal tax rate. However, the Republican plans would actually raise taxes on many Illinois middle-class families while exploding the deficit as the wealthiest enjoy a disproportionate share of the benefits.
According to a recent study, the Senate version would mean higher taxes for about 15% of middle-class Illinois households – raising taxes by an average of $1,267.
The House version would mean higher taxes for 27% of middle-class American households – raising taxes by an average of $1,360.
Rauner last month said he has “no obligation” to comment on federal matters. Will Rauner really sit quietly as middle-class taxes go up?
“Bruce Rauner loses all credibility if he stays silent while his own party plans to raise middle-class taxes,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner refusal to stand up to his party and President in Washington shows he’s fighting for himself and not for Illinois families. Now, Republicans want to raise middle-class taxes, and Rauner is going to let it happen.”
The governor has a press conference today in Chicago, so maybe he’ll be asked about this.
5 Comments
|
Chicago vs. Downstate
Thursday, Nov 16, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Chicago Reader’s take on Chicago vs. Downstate…
The animosity between Illinois’s largest city and its smaller towns is almost as old as the state itself. I say “almost,” of course, because Chicago, incorporated in 1837, is 19 years younger than Illinois, which is set to begin a yearlong celebration of its bicentennial on December 3. Downstaters have always thought of Chicago as a black hole of street violence and political corruption, sucking up tax dollars generated by honest, hard-working farmers. Chicagoans have always thought of downstate—when they’ve thought of it at all—as an irrelevant agricultural appendage full of Baptists and gun owners who’d just love to turn Illinois into North Kentucky.
For most of Illinois’s history, the two spheres have been evenly matched in influence, with downstate contributing some of Illinois’s most important political figures, from Abraham Lincoln to Adlai Stevenson. Downstate was also the forcing ground of internationally known industries: Moline gave us John Deere, Peoria gave us Caterpillar, and Decatur gave us Staley, which in 1920 hired George Halas to coach a company football team he would move to Chicago the following year and rename the Bears.
More recently, though, the misunderstandings and alienation between Chicago and downstate have been ramped up by two particularly 21st-century phenomena: globalization and political polarization. As the big global city in the northeastern corner of the state sucks jobs and college graduates out of the rest of Illinois, downstate is becoming older, less educated, less prosperous, more reactionary, and more Republican. Politically, downstate is in complete opposition to the Chicago area, especially on such culturally charged matters as gun rights, LGBT rights, and abortion. But it lacks the votes to bend the state to its will on any of those issues. This was never more evident than in 2010, when Governor Pat Quinn defeated state senator Bill Brady, a social conservative from Bloomington, despite carrying only four of the state’s 102 counties—and could’ve won by carrying only Cook County. […]
Obviously, a lot of downstaters are mad as hell about losing political and economic influence to Chicago. But do Chicagoans even notice? And if they notice, do they even care? No, and probably not. Culturally, Chicagoans don’t identify with—or even think much about—the state they inhabit. As a friend puts it, “I’m not an Illinoisan. I’m a Chicagoan.” I once mentioned to another Chicago friend that I’d just visited a small town in southern Illinois, “down by the border with Kentucky.” She looked at me quizzically. “Illinois doesn’t have a border with Kentucky,” she said. (This is someone with a master’s degree—but not in geography.)
58 Comments
|
* PPP…
In Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Congressman Peter Roskam has an approval rating of 34%, and a majority (53%) of voters say they do not approve of the job he is doing. President Trump has an approval rating of 38% and a disapproval rating of 57% in Roskam’s district, while 8% of voters say they approve of the job Congress is doing and 85% say they disapprove. Speaker Paul Ryan is also unpopular with 25% of voters saying they approve of the job he is doing, and a majority (66%) responding that they disapprove.
These percentages, along with a hypothetical matchup between Roskam and a “Democratic opponent,” where Roskam has 41% of the vote and his Democratic opponent has 51%, indicate that Roskam is quite vulnerable in his upcoming re-election. The new tax plan is not popular in his district, and a majority of voters (54%) indicated they would be less likely to vote for Roskam if he voted in favor of the Republican tax plan.
PPP surveyed 599 IL-6 voters from November 9-10, 2017. The margin of error is +/- 4.0%. This poll was conducted by automated telephone interviews.
Hillary Clinton won Roskam’s district by 7 points last year, but Republican Sen. Mark Kirk won it by 6. Roskam won by 18.
30 Comments
|
Somebody should read the actual law
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
In a statement Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions accused Illinois and other governments of adopting “the view that the protection of criminal aliens is more important than the protection of law-abiding citizens and of the rule of law.”
At risk is federal funding from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. That’s the same grant at the center of a legal fight Chicago is waging with Trump’s Justice Department. […]
The Illinois Trust Act would prohibit police in Illinois from detaining or arresting a person based on their immigration status or on federal immigration detainer. The Justice Department letter pointed to that language in its letter.
“The department is concerned that this appears to restrict the sending of information regarding immigration status,” it states. [Emphasis added]
Oh, for crying out loud. Maybe everybody needs to read the law, including the Sun-Times.
* Public Act 100-0463…
Section 15. Prohibition on enforcing federal civil immigration laws.
(a) A law enforcement agency or law enforcement official shall not detain or continue to detain any individual solely on the basis of any immigration detainer or non-judicial immigration warrant or otherwise comply with an immigration detainer or non-judicial immigration warrant.
(b) A law enforcement agency or law enforcement official shall not stop, arrest, search, detain, or continue to detain a person solely based on an individual’s citizenship or immigration status.
(c) This Section 15 does not apply if a law enforcement agency or law enforcement official is presented with a valid, enforceable federal warrant. Nothing in this Section 15 prohibits communication between federal agencies or officials and law enforcement agencies or officials.
(d) A law enforcement agency or law enforcement official acting in good faith in compliance with this Section who releases a person subject to an immigration detainer or non-judicial immigration warrant shall have immunity from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise occur as a result of making the release, with the exception of willful or wanton misconduct. [Emphasis added.]
Aside from the preamble, definitions and some training language, that’s all the law says.
* But let’s look at the preamble, which is entitled “Legislative Purpose”…
Recognizing that State law does not currently grant State or local law enforcement the authority to enforce federal civil immigration laws, it is the intent of the General Assembly that nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize any law enforcement agency or law enforcement official to enforce federal civil immigration law. This Act shall not be construed to prohibit or restrict any entity from sending to, or receiving from, the United States Department of Homeland Security or other federal, State, or local government entity information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual under Sections 1373 and 1644 of Title 8 of the United States Code. Further, nothing in this Act shall prevent a law enforcement officer from contacting another law enforcement agency for the purposes of clarifying or confirming the nature and status of possible offenses in a record provided by the National Crime Information Center, or detaining someone based on a notification in the Law Enforcement Agencies Data Administrative System unless it is clear that request is based on a non-judicial immigration warrant. [Emphasis added.]
* And from Definitions…
“Non-judicial immigration warrant” means a Form I-200 or I-205 administrative warrant or any other immigration warrant or request that is not approved or ordered by a judge, including administrative warrants entered into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center database.
18 Comments
|
Because… Madigan!
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governor has had a pretty consistent message during this week’s campaign tour, all held at smallish businesses. As we’ve already discussed, he is recycling his 2014 campaign promises on rolling back the income tax rate to 3 percent, freezing property taxes, etc. But his main focus in on one man. From his stop at Moline’s Parr Instrument Co.…
“This is exactly the type of company we want to help grow in the state of Illinois,” Gov. Rauner said. “Small business is the backbone of the Illinois economy. Most people work for small businesses like Parr. We want to keep the restrictions and regulations off you so you can grow. […]
Gov. Rauner asked voters to contact their local legislators and threaten not to re-elect them unless they promised not to make Mr. Madigan speaker again.
“If your representative is a Democrat, ask them, ‘Will you promise not to make Speaker Madigan the speaker again after 35 years?’ He becomes speaker by the legislators voting for him to be speaker,” Gov. Rauner said. “We need some fresh leadership. It doesn’t matter who they pick in the General Assembly, anybody would be better than the one we’ve had for 35 years.”
Gov. Rauner accused Speaker Madigan of corruption, alleging he has earned millions through his property tax appeal law firm. By keeping property taxes high, Speaker Madigan makes money when businesses hire his firm to lower their property taxes through an appeal process.
“It’s a very corrupt system. We need somebody who has more integrity in his leadership,” Gov. Rauner said. “Everything I’m fighting to do is bipartisan. Everybody wants property taxes down, everybody wants income taxes rolled back, and everybody wants more jobs in this state. Everybody, except Speaker Madigan. Get someone else to be speaker, and then we can change the system.”
* Rockford’s SupplyCore…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner stopped in Rockford Tuesday to campaign for re-election and took aim at House Speaker Michael Madigan, not challengers for the top state post.
“Speaker Madigan is really the core problem,” the Republican governor said of the Democrat. […]
Rauner said voters should ask legislative candidates this question: “Will they commit to not make Speaker Madigan (the) speaker again?” He said Madigan has created a culture of “self-dealing” and “patronage.”
“Thirty-five years, that is a long time,” Rauner said of Madigan’s tenure in the post. “We have folks in office for 20, 30, 40 years. … You should not stay in one place. You get corrupted. … I don’t think anybody should stay in power, maybe eight, 10 years at the most.”
* Peoria’s Philippi-Hagenbuch Inc...
Rauner also continues to villainize long-time House Speaker Mike Madigan. He’s calling on all voters to only support candidates who support term limits.
* Troy’s EJ Equipment…
He spoke about a lot of his familiar themes during his first term as governor, calling for a property tax freeze, limiting government, rolling back the recent income tax hike, which he tied directly to Speaker Mike Madigan, and calling for a balanced budget by making the state more pro-growth and pro-business. […]
“Small business is the backbone of the economy,” Rauner said. “A majority of the people of Illinois work for a small business. The success of small business is the key to the success of our state.”
* Decatur’s T/CCI…
As he has previously, Rauner continued to campaign against Madigan. He blamed the speaker for the income tax increase and high property taxes, as well as a range of other problems, and he told workers they ought to get Democratic lawmakers in the area to commit to abandon him in order to get their votes.
“He’s the one holding us back,” Rauner said. “So we must get him out.”
Steve Brown, a spokesman for the speaker, responded that many of the things that Rauner counts as successes, such as the school funding reform law — which the governor initially vetoed — got the speaker’s support, too. “If you look at his criticism, it is not based in real facts,” Brown said.
* Meanwhile, Comptroller Mendoza was recently in LaSalle County…
Rauner has spent millions of dollars seeking to tie Democrats to what he considers Madigan’s Chicago political machine.
“The governor has tried to make this all about Madigan,” Mendoza said. “That’s all he can say for having no accomplishments for the last two years. People will be surprised to see in the next election that this Madigan person is not on the ballot.” […]
Nearly all Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the governor’s veto. Despite the bipartisan backing, Rauner accused Mendoza of trying to micromanage the departments under his control.
“He said it was just me and Speaker Madigan. I don’t know the last time I said ‘hi’ to the speaker. Our paths don’t really collide,” Mendoza said.
I don’t even run into the guy.
OK.
34 Comments
|
Question of the day
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a Huffington Post story entitled “Congresswoman Says At Least 2 Members Of Congress Are Sexual Harassers”…
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) said he was worried that an unfortunate consequence of the increased awareness around sexual harassment is that offices would avoid hiring female staffers so as not to get caught up in any scandals.
“I have a female-led staff, and I asked them their opinion,” he said during the hearing. “They were concerned … that an unintended consequence may be some offices just take a shortcut and not hire women as a way to avoid these issues. Obviously that’s not the right approach.”
We talked about this yesterday. The reporter initially tweeted: “Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) says he’s worried congressional offices will hire fewer women to avoid issue of sexual harassment,” and that caused a general freakout on Twitter.
* Tom Kacich…
Davis’ chief of staff is Jennifer Daulby. His district director also is a woman, Helen Albert. And his spokesperson is also female.
But Emily’s List, which has endorsed Betsy Londrigan of Springfield in the March 2018 Democratic primary, cited Terkel’s original tweet and issued a statement that incorrectly called Davis’ statement a “suggestion.”
It said, “In response to Congressman Rodney Davis’ suggestion that congressional offices hire fewer women in order to avoid sexual harassment, Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List, released the following statement: ‘Or we can elect more women to replace backwards, out-of-touch Republican lawmakers like Congressman Rodney Davis, and hire more women in senior positions.’”
* EMILY’s List went beyond that statement. From the group’s president…
* And one of Davis’ would-be Democratic opponents prematurely piled on…
* Londrigan also retweeted some harsh stuff…
* Longridgan even paid for a Facebook ad…
* From Davis’ Communications Director Ashley Phelps…
“As someone who has a female-led office that provides female staffers with the same opportunities as male staffers, Congressman Davis is working to ensure the same applies in other congressional offices, which the Office of House Employment confirmed is not always the case,” Phelps said. “I would hope that everyone who has chosen to politicize this, would instead join Congressman Davis in wanting Congress to be a workplace grounded in respect and a place of opportunity for female professionals.
“As Congressman Davis said during the hearing, he asked his female staffers for our opinion and we all shared instances where either ourselves or another female we knew was not hired, promoted, or allowed to do the same job as a male simply because the office wanted to avoid any appearance of impropriety,” Phelps continued. “This is wrong. This is just one of the reasons we have chosen to work for Congressman Davis – we are not treated differently than our male counterparts and have plenty of opportunities for promotions and grow within our jobs.”
* The Question: Should Betsy Londrigan and EMILY’s List publicly apologize to Davis? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey hosting
73 Comments
|
Madigan’s Ald. Quinn defends expenditures
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a group with alleged ties to the Illinois Policy Institute…
Today, Project Six released a two-part investigation showing how Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office stepped in to allow Alderman Marty Quinn (13th Ward) to illegally spend money from his aldermanic expense account. The investigation also shows how Quinn and Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan have advertised equipment purchased with city tax dollars as available for use outside of the ward and even city limits and then used city-owned equipment for political advertisements.
The first part of the investigation reveals how Emanuel’s office overrode the city’s rejection of a $25,000 expense request from Quinn to illegally purchase an industrial motor vehicle that violates the city’s aldermanic expense code.
In 2015, Quinn purchased an industrial multipurpose vehicle (Polaris brand Brutus HD PTO Deluxe) and submitted the expense to the city for payment out of his aldermanic expense account. A Brutus vehicle violates the city’s code that prohibits aldermen from purchasing any kind of motor vehicle with their expense accounts. The Chicago Department of Finance initially rejected the expense request for violating the city’s Municipal Code, but—despite having no official role in the voucher process—the Mayor’s Office overrode the city’s rejection, approved the voucher and allowed it to be paid.
The second part of the investigation shows how Quinn purchased a piece of equipment with city tax dollars and, along with Madigan, advertised it for use outside of Quinn’s ward and even outside of city limits and put political signs on the city-owned piece of equipment.
In 2013, Quinn’s office purchased a $52,513 graffiti blaster with his aldermanic expense account. Quinn and Madigan, who share a service office, then advertised it for constituent use in Madigan’s district, which goes outside of Quinn’s ward and even outside of the city limits of Chicago. Quinn and Madigan also put a political sign on the city-owned equipment, which is prohibited by law.
The investigation from Project Six, titled “How Alderman Marty Quinn is abusing his taxpayer-funded aldermanic expense account,” shows the questionable spending of Quinn’s expense account and the roles of the offices of Emanuel and Madigan in the abuses.
“What is troubling about this investigation is not just the illegal spending of tax dollars by the alderman, but the blatant disregard for the law by the Mayor’s Office and the cavalier regard for ethics rules by both Alderman Quinn and Speaker Madigan,” said Faisal Khan, CEO of Project Six. “When the law says an alderman cannot buy a vehicle with taxpayer dollars or put political signs on city property—regardless of their intent—they are required to follow the law. No one, including the mayor or his staff, has veto power over Chicago’s Municipal Code. Chicagoans frustratedly understand government waste and mismanagement, but illegal actions compounded with collaboration by high-ranking political officials is unacceptable. This case shows how far Chicago is from truthful and corruption-free governance.”
The full investigation, with both parts including legal analysis of Chicago’s Municipal Code and evidence showing the expense forms and illegal use, is available here: http://bit.ly/2zCt2zt
* Sun-Times…
But the alderman did not deny any of Khan’s findings. In fact, he defended the spending as a service to his constituents.
“Did I purchase a graffiti blaster when I first started, when it was taking upwards of three weeks to remove graffiti in the 13th Ward, to remove graffiti the same day? Yes — as a way to give that money back to my constituents,” said Quinn, who moonlights as a political consultant for Madigan.
“Did I buy a piece of machinery that has the ability to snowplow sidewalks for 400 of my senior citizens? Yes, I did. … Is that a good use of taxpayer dollars? Yes, it is. I’ve utilized taxpayer dollars to deal with constituent requests.”
Quinn did not respond directly when asked about Khan’s allegation that he used city equipment in a district that was not confined to his ward and that he and Madigan put their names on the equipment in, what amounted to “political advertising.”
“Bruce Rauner. Illinois Policy Institute. Enough said,” the alderman said.
“Utilizing taxpayer dollars to remove graffiti, utilizing taxpayer dollars to remove snow for seniors. Utilizing taxpayer dollars to do extra garbage carts? Yeah. That’s a real good use of taxpayer dollars. Everything else is politics.”
I’m surprised they didn’t mention the towable tree-trimming machine.
20 Comments
|
You can’t change anything if you don’t win
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Neil Steinberg interviews Sen. Daniel Biss…
“This has become a national referendum on whether you can run for office as a normal person at all,” [Biss] said. “In the era of Trump we have to decide if you can run for office if you’re not a billionaire. If you can’t run unless you are financing yourself, that is terrifying for democracy.” […]
I thought of quibbling at Biss, with his Harvard degree and MIT doctorate, casting himself as a regular joe. But I guess on the Pritzker scale he is.
We do seem to be at a watershed moment when it comes to our nation’s long slide back into the Gilded Age, when the rich crowned themselves in laurel branches and ate banquets on horseback while the poor sold matches in the street. […]
“Does it really have to be this way?” Biss asked. “Are we going to be told by Democrats that the only path forward is to pick our own billionaire?”
Isn’t it?
“I present the public a credible alternative,” he said. “Otherwise, we’ll have 17 billionaires having a meeting every four years to decide who will be governor.”
It’s probably a good debate to have. So, have it.
But Biss can instantly make his campaign much more “credible” by securing endorsements from left-leaning groups like the Chicago Teachers Union, SEIU, etc. That’ll give him money and troops. So far, he’s mostly been endorsed by legislative colleagues.
In other words, this Steinberg interview comes off as a bit whiny to me. The reality is what the reality is, and you have to deal with reality in this business.
* Yes, Biss is running against a billionaire. But that billionaire has been endorsed by much of organized labor and three statewide officeholders. He’s not just relying on cash and ads.
And he’s spending his cash well. Pritzker has opened thirteen field offices (Biss, by contrast, has one field office in his hometown of Evanston and one in his running mate’s hometown of Rockford). Pritzker has spelled out positions on a wide range of policies (most of which are just as “progressive” as Biss’ and some of which are more progressive than Biss’ legislative voting record). In other words, Pritzker has been showing everyone for months that he is capable of running a real campaign against Gov. Rauner. Biss? Not yet.
And even if Pritzker wasn’t in the race, Biss would be up against a different sort of inherited wealth. Chris Kennedy’s family has put less money into the race than Biss’ family, but Kennedy’s last name is worth a fortune to his campaign. Would Biss be complaining about that, too, if Pritzker wasn’t around?
So, again, go ahead and push this debate, Daniel. It’s reasonable. But also show people that you are up to the task of defeating a Republican with an unlimited checkbook and can help down-ballot candidates do the same.
* Related…
* Daniel Biss speaks at Town Hall hosted by College Democrats and Political Union: “If we respond to a set of scandals that have arisen around sexual harassment in the capitol building by doing anything other than acknowledging the massive institutions of racism, sexism and privilege that infuses every single corner of American society, if we pretend that there’s some sort of iron-clad wall that separates the causes of sexual harassment from the causes of gender and pay discrimination, from the causes of a situation where women are promoted in workplaces less frequently, from the causes of a situation where no democratic candidate for governor is a woman, but in this moment of all moments, with Donald Trump as the president and a women’s protest movement changing the world, you’ve got a whole bunch of unbearable dudes running for governor on the democratic side. That’s not a coincidence.”
* Governor candidate Sen. Daniel Biss speaks at Western Illinois University: “In my opinion, this election should be about not just how to stop someone who’s horrible at being governor from being governor and then declare victory no matter what we’ve replaced him with. Instead it should be an understanding of how we got to where we were at the end of 2014 with an unfair tax system, universities that weren’t properly funded, schools that were unfairly funded, social service providers that were fraying,” he said.
36 Comments
|
* Press release…
Today, Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs endorsed JB Pritzker for governor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Illini Union. This marks JB’s third endorsement by a statewide officeholder after Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Secretary of State Jesse White endorsed the campaign.
“There is no one standing taller for Illinois families than Treasurer Mike Frerichs,” said JB Pritzker. “Mike works hard every day to put his office on the side of working families. While Bruce Rauner racks up state debt, Mike is fighting for the investments that will help reduce the debt. And while Bruce Rauner lets businesses leave our state and wastes opportunities, Mike is finding ways to encourage investment in our economy and looking to the future. I think it’s time Mike had a partner in the governor’s office, fighting right beside him. Together, we’re going to make Illinois a place people respect and a place where innovation happens. When I’m governor, we’re going to help small businesses thrive.”
“As the state’s chief investment officer, I’m confident that JB Pritzker will restore fiscal responsibility in Illinois and I’m so proud to endorse his campaign today,” said Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs. “I’ve seen firsthand how Bruce Rauner has wrecked our state finances, putting Illinois through a historic budget impasse and pushing colleges and universities to the brink. We must bring Illinois out of financial ruin and I know JB is ready to get our state back on track. JB has real plans to stand with our entrepreneurs and college students, grow our economy, and create jobs across the state. I look forward to standing with him to invest in our communities and chart a new path forward for Illinois.”
*** UPDATE *** ILGOP…
Mike Frerichs is “Standing Tall” for Mike Madigan’s Handpicked Candidate
With a record of standing in Madigan’s shadow, no surprise Frerichs has lined up with Pritzker
“With yet another Madigan ally lining up behind Pritzker, it is clear that the Madigan Machine will stop at nothing to secure the nomination for Pritzker. Mike Frerichs has repeatedly stood with Madigan to gerrymander legislative maps and hike taxes on Illinois families. Now, Frerichs plans to do the same with J.B. Pritzker, Mike Madigan’s handpicked candidate for governor.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
On Wednesday, Mike Madigan ally and tax-hike supporter Mike Frerichs endorsed J.B. Pritzker for Governor. The announcement comes as no surprise as Frerichs has a record of blocking reform to protect Madigan’s power.
During his time in the Illinois Senate, Frerichs voted in support of Madigan’s gerrymandering of legislative district maps.
Frerichs also voted for the 67% Quinn-Madigan tax hike that put an increased strain on Illinois families already grossly overtaxed by Democrats in Springfield.
Madigan’s Tax Hike Team is back at it, adding one more name to the growing list of Madigan cronies backing his handpicked candidate for governor, J.B. Pritzker.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Press release…
Today, Daniel Biss announced the endorsement of Illinois State Representative Carol Ammons, who represents the 103rd District.
“After three years of working with Daniel on progressive legislation that prioritizes working families and the marginalized members of our state, I was filled with hope when he announced his run for governor,” said Representative Ammons. “Today, I am proud to endorse Daniel Biss for Governor of Illinois.
“The 2018 election will be a defining moment in Illinois’ history. We have the opportunity to change the landscape, direction, and priorities of Illinois politics all across the state by voting in our local elections all the way up to the governor’s race” said Representative Ammons.
“With his decade-long record of grassroots organizing and legislative accomplishments to make our state a better place for middle-class families like his own, Daniel is the progressive leader I trust to lead that change. I look forward to rallying our communities and our state around a hopeful 2018 election cycle.”
“Carol is a progressive champion and it’s an honor to welcome her to Team Biss,” said Daniel Biss. “This campaign is about building a grassroots movement to fight for middle-class and working families in this election cycle and beyond. Recognized in her own community, across our state, and even by Bernie Sanders as a tireless leader of the progressive movement, Carol is an invaluable member of our team. Her passion and dedication have been an inspiration in the legislature and progressive community, and I look forward to working together on the campaign trail and beyond.”
In endorsing Daniel Biss, Carol Ammons joins other progressive leaders and organizations including U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly, former Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon, State Representatives Kelly Cassidy and Will Guzzardi, and many more. See the full list of endorsements here.
15 Comments
|
* Using union contractors on private home construction isn’t exactly common. But I guess stuff like this happens when Rep. Michael McAullife, Chicago’s only Republican state legislator, who has past union support but then repeatedly voted against unions on a bill to ban the creation of local “right to work” zones in Illinois and then hired non-union workers for extensive renovation work on his house…
Operating Engineers Local 150’s truck and IBEW Local 134’s van are pictured above. It’s IBEW’s rat and I’m told the union has established an official picket line.
150 is upset about a non-union excavator operating within the city limits, but they’re just doing “bannering” - meaning its truck drives around.
As you already know, 150 took the lead on the right to work zone ban bill, which could not overcome a Gov. Rauner veto.
I’ve asked the House GOP for a response.
Fair or not?
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Rep. McAuliffe…
I respect that people have a difference of option and the right to peaceful protest. This is the core of our democracy and fabric of our freedom. However, protesting outside of my home and driving a van with disparaging content in front of my children’s school is completely unacceptable. My presumed opponent, Merry Marwig and certain union leaders have demonstrated a new low in politics and while I respect that fact that we have a difference of opinion I would hope that the line can be drawn when it comes to disrupting the lives of my family and our neighbors.
It appears from one of the photos that Marwig was in the crowd at his house.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Merry Marwig…
Michael McAuliffe has taken millions of dollars from Bruce Rauner, and he continually votes with Rauner at the expense of union families from our neighborhood. Just last week, McAuliffe broke a promise when he thought we weren’t looking by refusing to stand up to Rauner’s extreme assault on workers’ rights. After 20 years of Michael McAuliffe pretending to be our buddy when he’s in our neighborhood and then turning his back and selling us out in Springfield, it’s no surprise that hardworking men and women are calling out McAuliffe’s dishonesty.
99 Comments
|
Oppo dump!
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Mickey Straub, the village president of Burr Ridge, says he’s challenging House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs in the March primary. And when you contemplate a primary bid against a sitting legislative leader, things you wrote in the past can quickly come bubbling back up.
Take Straub’s May 1997 letter to the editor in the suburban Daily Herald. At the time, then-Illinois Supreme Court Justice James Heiple stood accused of abusing his position to get out of traffic stops.
* Click here for the 20-year-old letter…
I may not have followed every detail in the Justice James Heiple case, but it sure looks to me like we’ve wasted a lot of time and money, our money, raking somebody over the coals for doing something we’re all probably guilty of to some extent. I just don’t get it. Surely there are more important events the high court can be dealing with, and the media reporting.
Here’s my point. We’ve all been guilty of expecting special treatment because of who or what we know at one time or another, or because of the “bennies” (benefits) of a particular position. I bet if you know the owner of a restaurant, you get better seats, or someone who sells tickets, you get better tickets. Whether you are in the dry cleaning, landscaping or automobile business, selling dishes or doughnuts, “influencing” goes on from cradle to grave.
I bet the owner of a doughnut shop gets the freshest doughnuts. Do you think if a police officer got pulled over for speeding, he/she wouldn’t flash the badge or drop hints for special treatment? Would you? Of course we would, and this is as it should be. To impeach someone because of it is to deny human nature, and the benefits of relationships.
OK, maybe he overdid it. A distorted view of our own self-importance should probably get us in trouble. But censuring, an impeachment hearing, losing your job? Isn’t this going a little bit too far? Let’s not waste our valuable time and money, and instead funnel our efforts into things that can make this world a better place to live.
Mickey Straub
Burr Ridge
* Why is this ancient letter important or relevant? Well, as I’ve been telling subscribers for quite a while now, Straub is gonna be a tougher candidate than the Republicans first expected…
Straub’s candidacy is getting some unlikely support from the political arm of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. Durkin’s camp is a aware of the union’s actions, a result of the House GOP leader keeping his caucus from backing an override of legislation vetoed by Gov. Rauner that would have banned municipalities from enacting local “right-to-work” ordinances.
Though many of Rauner’s vetoes were overridden amid Republican pique with the governor among the GOP’s rank-and-file, Rauner and Durkin had made upholding the “right-to-work” ban a priority.
Straub is being backed by the political operation of talk show host and failed 2010 GOP governor primary candidate Dan Proft.
Subscribers know much more about this.
20 Comments
|
* You’ll recall this from yesterday…
The gubernatorial race in Illinois is entering a new phase as the presumed Democratic front-runner finds himself under attack, with comparisons to President Donald Trump.
The latest twist is in a new ad launched by Daniel Biss, who goes after billionaire JB Pritzker over his tax returns.
The video shows Trump responding to questions about releasing his tax returns by saying they are complex. It then shows Pritzker using the same reason for not having released his returns.
* Tribune…
“As J.B. has said, we’re preparing that information and will be releasing them, along with his financial disclosure form, by the end of the filing period,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Galia Slayen.
She said the filing period she alluded to was the period for turning in petition signatures to get on the March ballot. It begins Nov. 27 and ends Dec. 4. When candidates file, they also must turn in a receipt that the candidate has filed a statement of economic interest with the secretary of state’s office, a largely generic form that provides little guidance to a candidate’s possible worth.
Chris Kennedy has also pledged to follow the same timetable. He’ll release them when he files his statement of economic interest with his petitions.
15 Comments
|
A little context, please
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governor was in Rockford yesterday…
Wearing a plaid shirt and sweater-like vest, Rauner said his re-election platform includes reducing the individual income tax rate back to 3 percent during a four-year period. Earlier this year, the Legislature increased the rate from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent.
* For the life of me, I do not know why reporters in this state don’t remember this exact same proposal with the exact same vagueness from the 2014 campaign…
Speaking at Quality Float Works in Schaumburg, Rauner released a plan calling for eliminating over four years the 2011 state tax increase passed by Democrats shortly after Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn’s election. The 67 percent increase in the personal rate is scheduled to roll back in 2015.
It marked the first time that Rauner offered specifics in calling for a rollback of the income-tax increase while also promising to improve funding for education.
The scheduled 2015 rollback could cost the state $4 billion in annual revenue, according to projections. Rauner’s plan did not offer a schedule of how to reduce the rate over the next four years from 5 percent to 3 percent in the personal rate and 7 percent to 4.8 percent for the corporate rate.
Use the Google for crying out loud.
* Also, speaking of that “sweater-like vest”…
45 Comments
|
Ives files D-1 to run for governor
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) just filed paperwork to create a new campaign committee called “Ives for Illinois.” She has about $268K in the bank. Her campaign committee chairman is Chicago Republican Party Chairman Chris Cleveland.
* Meanwhile, Mark Maxwell tried to ask Ives last night about this comment…
Gays who seek to marry are “trying to weasel their way into acceptability so that they can then start to push their agenda down into the schools, because this gives them some sort of legitimacy,” she said, adding that a child being raised by a gay couple is “an object of desire.”
* Her response…
.
Rep. Ives: If you want to talk about the Illinois economy, I am happy to talk about the Illinois economy.
Reporter: I just did. We just talked about the Illinois economy.
Rep. Ives: Okay, great. What’s next?
Reporter: It’s important. You’re running for governor.
Rep. Ives: What about public corruption? Let’s talk about public corruption. Because it is an everyday event in the state of Illinois.
Reporter: Why did you just change the subject? This is a very important subject to thousands of people in Illinois.
Rep. Ives: What’s important?
Reporter: He said AIDS was God’s rightful judgment on the gay community.
Rep. Ives: I’m not going to comment on somebody else’s comment. It’s ridiculous.
Reporter: Okay, then what about your comments on this topic.
Rep. Ives: Why would we… You want to.. you’re like Bruce Rauner. The guy who didn’t have a social ended up only having a social agenda.
Reporter: Excuse me?
Rep. Ives: Well it seems like you’re entire topic is to talk about a social agenda.
Reporter: We just spent ten minutes talking about the economy.
Rep. Ives: And that’s what’s important to families in the state of Illinois.
Reporter: Are you refusing to answer a question to clarify your own comments in the past about the legitimacy of gay marriage?
Rep. Ives: No, I thought you were going to ask about somebody else’s comment.
Reporter: I was going to ask you about David Barton. But if you become governor, there is a large part of the population that cares deeply about this. They will want to know where you stand. Would you protect the rights given to the LGBT community?
Rep. Ives: Okay, so what specific rights do they have that are different than any other American? We all are governed by the same constitution. We all have the same rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,
Reporter: Does that include marriage?
Rep. Ives (continues): …free speech, second amendment, fourth amendment protections…
Reporter: To marriage?
Rep. Ives: There is nothing that I know of that are called rights that are not specific to any individual. The federal government has weighed in on marriage equality. That is federal law. I am a rule follower. So federal law, like I said when it comes to legal immigration, we are going to follow federal law in the state, regardless of what the law is. That’s my position.
* Also, I mentioned to subscribers yesterday that she may be endorsed by the Winfield Township Republicans tonight. That was an error. The group has already endorsed Gov. Rauner.
55 Comments
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
