Bruce Rauner applauds Donald Trump as he gives a tax cut to corporations and the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, tries to dismantle healthcare, and puts forward a nominee to the Supreme Court set to end a woman’s right to choose. This failed governor thinks this president is doing a great job, but for some reason can’t focus long enough to tell Illinoisans if he voted for Trump in 2016.
* The Question: How would you rate this new TV ad? Don’t forget to explain.
* Mary Shaw passed away recently. She was only 42. Mary worked for the Senate Democrats for a dozen years. She ran campaigns and then moved on to work for the Illinois Retired Teachers Association. I think I’ll mainly remember her as one of those unique people who could hold everything together and make things happen. You could always count on her. Always. Excerpt from Toby Trimmer’s tribute…
There really aren’t words that can wrap up the impact that Mary Shaw has had on the lives to so many of us under the “dome of make believe.”
Pumpkin… Maybe that’s a word. It was her go-to label to show endearment, comfort, genuine interest and love for many of us.
Mary was a fixer. She could maneuver the personalities of the statehouse like few others I’ve known. In my role as an administrator at one time, I knew Mary as strong ally and a partner – not a subordinate. She wasn’t to be managed. She didn’t need to be.
And now Mary needs us…
Marebear's cancer treatment was harder than anyone I've ever heard of. She was in and out of Barnes and Northwestern as well as day-to-day care in Springfield. The bills will be staggering. The GoFundMe is still accepting donations. https://t.co/xO1ElhQRiL
If you worked with or were friends with Mary Shaw you always knew one thing – through good times and bad, Mary had your back.
Mary recently lost her battle with cancer.
Thank you to all who have given to help cover costs associated with her cancer care. This fund is going to continue in an effort to assist and support her husband Shawn and son Lucas.
Mary always had our backs. Now, we need to have hers.
Gov. Bruce Rauner and top Illinois Dept. of Transportation officials called for a halt to Amtrak Hiawatha Line expansion project plans, which include building freight holding tracks in Glenview and Lake Forest, until concerns by the two towns are given more study.
“We have heard loud and clear the concerns expressed by Lake Forest and Glenview,” Rauner said in a written statement issued late Friday, Sept. 7. “We listened to you. Clearly, a timeout on this project is needed so you can get the answers you deserve. This project will not proceed until that happens.” […]
Since a plan to expand Amtrak Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee from seven round trips (14 trains) to 10 round trips (20 trains per day) was announced in 2016, which included adding tracks to hold freight trains in Glenview, Northbrook, Lake Forest and Bannockburn, leaders and residents in those communities have expressed serious concerns about potential impacts from noise, vibration, pollution from diesel engines and impacts to traffic as trains slow to enter and exit holding tracks.
In Glenview, six neighborhoods would be impacted by a proposed two-mile holding track, which would run from West Lake Avenue to Willow Road. Additionally, trains which were moving at 50 mph through the village would now be slowing in and out of that holding area, affecting rail crossings at West Lake.
To build the freight train holding track, a 20-foot retaining wall would need to be built to hold the rail bed, officials said. Building the retaining wall would mean the green space that provides a buffer between the nearby residential areas and the existing tracks would be cut down.
“The combination of Metra’s opposition to a third main for at least a few decades, and IDOT now stepping back from approving an [environmental assessment] for the foreseeable future, effectively defers such a project being approved for a very long time, if ever,” [Lake Forest Mayor Rob Lansing] said, in response to Blankenhorn’s letter.
* It’s far too early to pick horse-race winners and losers with robopolls like these. These are just fun snapshots in time, and perhaps blurry snapshots at that. Here’s Mary Ann Ahern…
In a brand new SEIU poll conducted by Public Policy Polling, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle leads the field with 25 percent of the vote. Preckwinkle is expected to announce Monday that she will form an exploratory committee to run in the February contest. […]
Undecided voters check into second place in the poll, with 19 percent of voters saying they are unsure as to whom they will support.
Paul Vallas is in third at 16 percent, former Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy is in fourth at 13 percent, and businessman Willie Wilson is in fifth with 10 percent of the vote.
The poll spoke to 600 likely voters, with a plus or minus average of 4.9.
Several possible candidates weren’t tested in the poll, however, including Chi Party Aunt, my own personal favorite
Pitted in a head-to-head contest, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez gets the support of 21 percent of respondents. That puts him just ahead of former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, at 18 percent, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s 16 percent.
Trailing are former Police Board President Lori Lightfoot and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, at 10 percent each. Both already were running before Emanuel folded his re-election race. City Treasurer Kurt Summers got just 4 percent.
Fifteen percent of those questioned said they are undecided, and 7 percent said they back another, unspecified candidate.
Given the results, the totals appear largely based on name recognition, though the finding that Preckwinkle trails Gutierrez and McCarthy may indicate voters remain upset at a series of tax hikes she pushed through.
How does someone put together an undertaking as vast as a mayoral campaign with so much to do in so little time? Where does one even start?
Obviously, the path is different for a major elected officeholder with an existing political infrastructure such as County Board President Toni Preckwinkle or state Comptroller Susana Mendoza than it would be for 2011 mayoral candidate Gery Chico, who in effect must put the band back together.
But the essentials are the same: assemble a team, raise money, pass petitions to get on the ballot, formulate a message, assemble a field operation that can identify supporters and get out the vote, and develop a media strategy that includes television advertising, direct mail and making connections via social media.
As far as that team goes, minimum needs are a professional fundraiser, a scheduler, a campaign manager, a press secretary, a media consultant, a direct mail consultant, a social media consultant and maybe an additional fundraiser to pay for the above.
Go read the whole thing. I would only add one point: There is a finite list of experienced people who can do all these jobs and an almost infinite number of candidates right now.
* Other stuff…
* Amanda Kass: Some Looming Pension Questions: As I see it candidates have three choices: First, they could pledge to cut pensions, thereby reducing pension contributions. But, the Emanuel administration already tried that, and the state supreme court ruled that effort unconstitutional. The other two options are: cutting spending or raising revenue. While many of the already announced candidates haven’t given detailed plans the common themes have been: a) stated commitment to make the payments; b) criticism of increased property taxes (which were increased to make the pension payments); and c) a desire to have a progressive revenue structure. I haven’t seen much discussion on cutting spending. Thus, it seems like most candidates are going with the raising revenue option.
* Post-‘Rahmbo’ Chicago and the Death of Triangulation: Without that threat, individual aldermen could very well break free of their infamous “rubber stamp council” label and substantively push back on the next mayor’s agenda. And the city’s activist community, which is deservedly viewing Mr. Emanuel’s exit as a victory, is poised to draw more clout, if not a big seat at the table.
* Mariame Kaba: Social Movements Brought Down Rahm—Now They Can Transform Chicago: I said at the beginning I’m surprised that he’s not running, but not shocked. He was under relentless pressure from the moment he won. He was under pressure before he won because people knew what kind of Democrat he was—from the corporate wing of the Democratic Party. The protests have been relentless. Rahm’s wife Amy Rule said in an interview a few days ago that “it’s no fun for [his family] having their front yard picketed.” We’re supposed to feel sorry for him because of that statement, when in fact what that shows is that people were relentless in pushing back against him all the time, which is exhausting and it can feel so futile. It can feel like people’s suffering is increasing and you’re having to fight like hell but seeing only minimal positive results.
Brady: The people want a change. They want Mike Madigan to leave office, frankly. They want term limits. In tying Democratic candidates to [Speaker Madigan] it really resonates. I mean, look at this, we go back to this example where three Democratic challengers against three of our candidates are running term limit ads on Mike Madigan and yet he still had the ability to force them to pull those ads. Because that’s what he wanted and people are tired of that dictatorship that they believe has put Illinois into the position that we’re in. He is the pivotal point of what people want to see different in Illinois. And that’s one of the reasons my candidates - John Curran, Tom Rooney and Mike Connelly - are for term limits. I’m for term limits. Bruce Rauner is for term limits. They believe more power should be given back to the people.
Pearson: But, I mean you’ve had a lengthy tenure in the Legislature.
Brady: I have.
Pearson: And even if we adopted a term limits amendment, it wouldn’t take effect for years.
Brady: It probably wouldn’t have any effect on the tenure of Mike Madigan, but it would stop future politicians from ever having that type of reign in Illinois government.
He’s probably right, of course. He’s just off-message.
Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady said Sunday that voters are seeing state elections as being separate from a national referendum on President Donald Trump.
“What I see happening are people realizing that this is not a national agenda. There’s no question that the national scene and some of the president’s tweets and other things go south on people even though I think he’s done much in terms of policy,” Brady said on WGN AM-720.
“But as people realize this isn’t a national election, it’s a state election about the future of Illinois and it’s about whether or not you want to give control and another (redrawn legislative boundary) map to (House Speaker) Mike Madigan and (Senate President) John Cullerton, they realize how important this is,” he said.
The Bloomington Republican said he is seeing renewed enthusiasm among GOP voters, particularly among core social conservatives who have been divided over Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s tenure and his support of laws expanding abortion, immigration and gay rights.
But, hey, Billy might be right. Who knows anymore?
* Related…
* Rauner falsely claims graduated income taxes always hurt the middle class: Rauner said that in “every state that has put in a graduated income tax, the middle class always pays more.” But 11 of the 32 states that tax income at graduated rates would tax an individual earning the national median at lower rates than Illinois. In some of those states, the rate would be significantly lower. What’s more, tax rates tell only part of the story. Many states, including some with much higher rates, also offer taxpayers generous exemptions and deductions, significantly reducing their actual tax burden.
* Rogue billionaires are giving the GOP and Democrats a migraine: In Illinois, where Uihlein resides, he backed state Rep. Jeanne Ives to the tune of $2.5 million as she challenged GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner in the primary. Rauner survived, but is considered to be one the most vulnerable governors running for re-election this fall.
* September 7th Facebook post by Peoria Journal Star columnist Phil Luciano …
Once again, GateHouse has decided that the best way to serve the Journal Star readership and Greater Peoria community is by enacting layoffs.
Today, four newsroom employees — Shannon Countryman, Chris Kaergard, Thomas Bruch and Aaron Ferguson — will be terminated; a fifth, Wes Huett, will be terminated Sept. 21. To be clear, GateHouse and the Journal Star remain profitable enterprises; these cuts were made to “get to a certain number,” as we were told this week.
The Peoria Newspaper Guild tried to find reasonable alternatives and compromises, including the transitioning of employees to other, necessary work now going undone. We were told no; five employees had to be terminated.
As always, this is done by seniority: each of these gents is a rock-solid journalist who made the paper and Peoria a better place. Further, these cuts occur on top of two layoff-triggered departures just weeks ago, along with the sports editor’s exit today via a buyout offer. Not only do these cuts decimate our ability to cover and report local news, but we do so now (among a great many other losses in recent times) with no sports editor, city editor or opinions editor — and this at the largest newspaper in downstate Illinois. There was no need for these terminations, except to increase the bottom line of a corporation already solidly in the black. This is a dark day not just for the Journal Star and our Guild, but for anyone who cares about communities, public discourse, and justice.
Kaergard is the political columnist perhaps best known as “the budget beard.”
Attendance and sales at the Illinois State Fair declined from last year, vendors said.
Vendors also said the mostly favorable weather didn’t help boost sales for the fair that’s seen a downward trend over the past decade, The State Journal-Register reported.
“We’ve had our busy nights, don’t get me wrong,” said Kelsie Vose, whose family runs the Vose Corn Dogs stand. “But I’ve heard from a lot of vendors, not just ourselves, but most of the vendors we’ve spoken to have all been on the same page about that. It’s not just us, it’s everybody.”
McMeen’s Taffy Owner Joan Ehlers said her family has sold taffy at the fair most years since 1924. She said her business is down 50 percent from 10 years ago.
The Illinois State Fair in Springfield saw 369,144 people walk or drive through its gates last month, an 8 percent drop compared to last year’s fair, state officials reported Friday.
Officials noted, however, that fairgoers this year appeared to spend more money than in 2017, according to an early look at vendors’ sales receipts.
This year’s attendance total was lower than the 401,648 who attended the 2017 fair but higher than the 347,855 who passed through the gates during the 2016 event that was plagued by flooding rains, extreme heat and power outages. The 2015 state fair, the first to be counted using a different formula, attracted 411,547. […]
The Illinois Department of Revenue reports that as of Aug. 31, fair vendors’ sales receipts totaled $1,392,497.21, an increase of 16 percent over the same date last year. Vendors have until Dec. 31 to submit their fair receipts to the state.
I watched a couple of football games Sunday (ugh, those Bears will kill me one day) and I saw the new Pritzker ad four times, but I only saw the original Rauner spot once and have yet to see the RGA’s ad.
Anyway, what do you think of the ad?
…Adding… I suppose it’s what definition you have for “propose,” but I disagree with this take from the Rauner campaign…
Hey, Rich-
Actually, Pritzker did propose a VMT, emphasis added:
Charging gas taxes based on how many miles people drive instead of how much fuel they burn could pump up revenues to help fix Illinois’ roads and bridges, Democratic candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker told the Daily Herald editorial board.
Called a vehicle miles traveled or VMT tax, it’s an idea worth exploring, the billionaire Hyatt hotel heir said in a Thursday interview where he also pushed for a graduated income tax, but gave few specifics.
…
“In some states (such as Oregon) they have done tests recently for a VMT tax because we have more and more electric cars on the road, more and more hybrids, and because gas mileage is rising. It’s only fair if you’re on a road and traveling on that road that you should pay your fair share,” he said.
A VMT tax “is something we should look at … we have to careful how it gets implemented and that’s why it should only be a test at this point.”
* Looks like a tracker is gonna win a bonus. JB Pritzker and Speaker Madigan had always studiously managed to avoid appearing in the same photograph with each other, but check this out from a weekend event…
Not exactly embracing each other, but it’s something.
The J.B. Pritzker campaign slapped a new label on Gov. Bruce Rauner the other day, calling him “Governor Veto” because he’s vetoed several bills that the Democratic candidate supports.
Since the legislative session ended, Gov. Rauner has vetoed 75 bills. By my count, 44 passed with veto-proof majorities in both legislative chambers.
So, he may or may not be “Governor Veto,” but he might turn out to be “Governor Override” come veto session in November.
The governor issued a Total Veto on 46 bills, and exactly half passed with enough to override. However, a bunch of those vetoes were slapped on bills that were duplicates in one way or another.
The more important issue is his amendatory vetoes. Rauner used his amendatory veto power to rewrite 29 bills, and 21 of those (72 percent) were passed with enough votes to override.
It’s rare for the General Assembly to accept an amendatory veto, mainly because House Speaker Michael Madigan will often kill them in his Rules Committee dungeon. If there aren’t enough votes to override, the vetoes are allowed to die. But legislators can and do override AVs if they can find the votes, and it sure seems like Rauner could be in for a bunch of those.
Take, for instance, House Bill 3418, which unanimously passed the Senate and cleared the House with 88 votes, 17 more than necessary to override. The bill would allow local governments to use tax incentives to create urban agriculture zones. The bill had no real opposition when it passed, but Rauner stripped out its tax incentives, stunning the bill’s supporters.
The General Assembly passed legislation to increase the amount that the Illinois Court of Claims can pay out in lawsuits against the state to $2 million, up from the current $100,000. Senate Bill 2481 was touted as a way to help the families of those who died at the Quincy veterans home. Rauner’s AV reduced that $2 million to $300,000. It passed the House 79-33 and cleared the Senate 42-7 and the sponsors are itching for an override.
I think the governor has gotten somewhat of a bum rap on that veto, by the way. A $2 million lawsuit cap could cost the state a bundle of dough that it currently doesn’t have. But $300,000 seems a little low. The $100,000 cap passed in 1971, and that’s $600,000 today, which seems more justifiable.
The governor signed all of Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s bills this year after getting thoroughly whacked last year when the House and Senate nearly unanimously overrode his veto of Mendoza’s legislation to require agencies to disclose how many unpaid bills they were sitting on.
So, Rauner instead turned his negative attention to Treasurer Michael Frerichs, vetoing several of Frerichs’ bills including an amendatory veto of legislation that would’ve allowed Frerichs to use money from the Unclaimed Property Act to buy a Springfield office building. Frerichs says buying one building instead of leasing two buildings would save taxpayers hundreds of thousands. But Rauner vetoed a Frerichs bill last year that allowed the treasurer to use third-party contingent fee auditors to make sure the life insurance industry was actually paying out claims. Rauner was overridden on that bill, so he used this year’s bill to again try to undo Frerichs’ law from last year.
“We don’t want officeholders to create their own empires, running their own little mini-governments,” Rauner told reporters when asked about that amendatory veto.
Rauner used his amendatory veto powers to rewrite HB4923 — Frerichs-backed legislation designed to tweak the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program — to make the entire program optional instead of mandatory.
He AV’d a bill designed to loosen some state treasurer investment decision restrictions to say those investments could only be made with the approval of the governor. SB2661 passed with just 2 “No” votes.
Rauner rewrote SB2857 that passed with large super-majorities to allow the treasurer to keep up to $12 million in administrative charges to pay for operations. Rauner also outright vetoed another Frerichs bill (HB4922) that would’ve stopped banks from charging fees on rebate cards.
Last year, the governor vetoed 42 bills and AV’d another 10. So, he’s way ahead of that pace, particularly with amendatory vetoes. Fifteen of his total vetoes were overridden last year while just 3 AVs were overridden. I’m thinking those numbers could be higher this time around.
So, why did he AV so many popular bills? You got me, but, other than his ire at Frerichs, some think he finally decided to fully engage with the General Assembly after session ended.
Sam McCann Introduces Bill to Repeal HB40, Ending Taxpayer-Funded Abortions
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Friday, Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann filed legislation to overturn House Bill 40, a law signed by Governor Rauner earlier this year that allows public funds to be used for abortions. McCann’s Bill would restrict public funding of abortions and return provisions that would bring Illinois in line with federal law in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned.
McCann issued the following statement:
I am taking action on behalf of conservative families in Illinois to send HB40 to the trash heap, where it belongs. This abominable law is not only immoral, but fiscally reckless, and Illinois can afford neither at this critical time.
After years of failed efforts to address Illinois’ financial crisis, Governor Rauner diverted badly-needed tax dollars to fund the expansion of abortion coverage across Illinois. This law forced taxpayers not only to accept the continued deaths of thousands of innocent babies, but to finance them as well.
I am hereby calling for colleagues in both parties to support this effort to protect innocent life and end forced public funding for abortions.
* Meanwhile, a letter to the editor from a 27-year-old small business owner supporting McCann has made it into two newspapers so far. The gist…
1. He is the only pro-life candidate running for governor (Gov. Bruce Rauner stabbed conservatives in the back when he signed a bill that allowed taxpayer money to fund abortions). J.B. Pritzker and Kash Jackson support the same abortion policies.
2. Sen. McCann is strongly against Gov. Rauner’s transgender birth certificate policy. J.B. Pritzker would also support transgender policies like this. Policies like this endanger children. Sen. McCann will protect children from dangerous transgender policies.
3. Sen. McCann is strong for the Second Amendment.
4. Sen. McCann is against Gov. Rauner’s sanctuary state policy.
“Unlike Bruce Rauner who waffled on HB 40 and supports a Supreme Court nominee who could overturn Roe v. Wade, JB Pritzker has always stood up for a woman’s right to choose and will fiercely defend that right as governor,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen. “JB opposes this draconian rollback of reproductive rights and would veto an HB 40 repeal if it reached his desk — but the question remains: will Rauner join him or will this failed governor abandon Illinois women once again?”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Now comes Raoul…
Kwame Raoul, Democratic candidate for attorney general, opposes legislation that state Senator Sam McCann introduced last week to reverse the protections in House Bill 40, raising the question of whether Republican attorney general candidate Erika Harold supports his move. HB 40 protects a woman’s right to choose and access healthcare even if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
“We simply can’t trust Erika Harold to defend a woman’s right to choose,” said Aviva Bowen, spokesperson for Raoul. “While she tells voters she’ll ‘enforce the law,’ her anti-choice allies, like Sam McCann and Peter Breen, are working hard to repeal a critically important law protecting women and their access to reproductive healthcare. Voters deserve to know; does Erika stand with McCann or would she actually defend HB 40 in court?”
Harold opposes abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. Last month, state Representative Peter Breen, the ringleader of opposition to HB 40 who even filed a lawsuit to try to block it, hosted a fundraiser featuring Harold.
Lauren Underwood, the Democratic nominee for Congress in Illinois’ 14th District announced her first General Election ad buy Friday. The 30-second ad will run on cable and digital platforms beginning Sept. 8 and aims to introduce voters to Underwood, a registered nurse and health policy expert from Naperville running for Congress to ensure access to high-quality, affordable health care. The ad was filmed across the district and includes scenes of the Fox River, Sycamore, Naperville and St. Charles.
“Northern Illinois voters have a real choice Nov. 6,” Underwood said. “I have spent my career working to expand access to healthcare, while my opponent has voted to jeopardize healthcare coverage for folks with pre-existing conditions. I entered this race because I’m tired of our representative playing politics with our healthcare. Our community deserves better.”
Underwood has outraised her opponent, incumbent Tea Party Republican Randy Hultgren, for the past two consecutive FEC filing quarters. Her campaign will mark less than two months to election day with a volunteer day of action across the District Sept. 8. Underwood is endorsed by President Barack Obama, the AFL-CIO Illinois, Emily’s List, the League of Conservation Voters and more.
As a registered nurse treating patients, a healthcare policy advisor and especially as a woman with a pre-existing heart condition, I’ve seen the costs of healthcare soar and millions of Americans suffer. I’m running for Congress because every family has a right to quality, affordable healthcare. We must work to expand coverage and make affordable healthcare a guarantee. No American should have to make a choice between their health and paying the electric bill.
Fifteen weeks ago, we offered the first of our 11 invitations to the campaign of J.B. Pritzker. Would he join Gov. Bruce Rauner and other candidates for governor in a spirited discussion with the Tribune Editorial Board?
We would host and livestream the session because voters by the thousands find that useful. Rank-and-file Illinoisans submit questions, including smart ones that previously haven’t been asked. We put some of those questions to the candidates.
Representatives of Republican Bruce Rauner, Conservative Sam McCann and Libertarian Kash Jackson agreed to meet. But the Pritzker campaign was mysteriously silent.
Pritzker has agreed to three more structured debates. Why wouldn’t he want a less formal give-and-take like the Tribune debate that he joined, and seemed to enjoy, before the March 20 primary? Illinois is a big state; we wondered if he’d be hundreds of miles away from Chicago on Friday, Sept. 14, the date we had worked out with other campaigns. No, it turns out Pritzker will be here in Chicago, before our 11 a.m. session, at a City Club event a mile away.
* The Question: Your own proposed answer to the Tribune?
* In the last five years, Eastern Illinois University lost more than a third of its student population. The downward trend eased last fall and then January-over-January enrollment ticked up and this fall’s enrollment rose by 7 percent, including a 24.5 percent jump in freshman enrollment. How did they do it? Aside from finally having a stabilized state budget, the university points to three things: New programs, better marketing and forging bonds with the surrounding community…
EIU introduced seven new majors this year, and hired a marketing firm, The Thornburn Group, to completely rebrand their website, images and promotional materials, [EIU Admissions Director Kelly Miller] said.
The company also helped the university improve the positioning of its radio and TV ads, its billboards and social media publicity, to better reach the university’s target students.
EIU advertises as far away as Chicago, Miller said, but got a significant enrollment bump from local students this year, thanks to improved marketing and community support.
“We had a group of local business people that started a scholarship for students within a 60-mile radius,” Miller said, to encourage them to consider Eastern. “It was heartwarming to see how much money those businesses raised.”
* Related…
* Charleston business owners revved up by Eastern Illinois University enrollment rise: Business owners are taking the news of Eastern Illinois University’s enrollment increase well, with some reportedly planning renovations and other changes to prepare for a growing student population. Jordan Landeck, interim Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce president, said some of these businesses in the city really took a beating as a result of the decline in enrollment in recent years.
* Eastern Illinois University sees 7.1 percent overall enrollment rise: The university president has set a goal for 9,000 students on campus since he took the position a few years ago. At the time he took the position, the university took a big hit, largely as a result of external forces like the state budget impasse. “(The impasse) was an unprecedented situation, and one our state must never face again,” Glassman said.
* Website shows how much students could earn after graduate: ILCollege2Career.com links employment and higher education data so users can compare the relative earnings value of college degrees. The information is broken down by schools and area of study, so that students can compare the earning potential of business degrees, for example, from different public and private institutions in the state.
* [Adding: WBEZ actually had this scoop, so I’ve changed the lead-in]Bill Ruthhart …
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will hold an event Monday to announce she is creating a campaign committee to explore a possible run for Chicago mayor, sources familiar with her plans confirmed.
Preckwinkle has spent the last two days calling community members and potential campaign donors and asking them to stand with her at the planned news conference, which would come less than a week after Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced he would not seek a third term, the sources said. By launching a political fund and speaking publicly about a possible bid, Preckwinkle’s moves would represent the strongest signs yet of any new candidate contemplating an entry into the already crowded mayoral field.
There are close to 40 names being batted about, but it’s Preckwinkle “who can put the fear of God in people” and keep others out of the race, as one strategist put it.
The Cook County board president has the broad support from African Americans, labor unions and donors. State Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Congressmen Luis Gutierrez and Mike Quigley have similar appeal. But Preckwinkle’s decision will likely determine how the next phase of the race plays out.
During an interview Thursday with WLS-AM reporter Bill Cameron, Emanuel said higher-profile candidates are kicking the tires on getting into the race because they must not think much of the current 12-person field.
“I don’t want to play analyst, but since you asked, I’ll play analyst. Ow, my hands behind my back, ow, ow, ow, ow,” the inveterately political Emanuel said. “OK, here it is, so, look, if other candidates, just take Toni Preckwinkle, Bill Daley or Susana Mendoza, are thinking about this, it means they don’t think the other ones, who’ve been at this for five months, are a roadblock.
“They’re not — either on financial or intellectual or policy ideas – they have not created such an important speed bump to anybody else, at this point, getting in,” he said. “So that’s why I think we don’t know yet.”
Asked whether he was endorsing the possible candidacies of those three in particular, Emanuel added outgoing U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez to the mix.
Thousands of workers at downtown hotels went on strike Friday morning.
Workers walked out at about 5 a.m. The workers include housekeepers, servers, cooks and doormen.
“Hopefully it’s going to be difficult,” said Carolina Sanchez, a Hyatt Regency banquet server. “Hopefully the managers have to do our jobs so they know how it feels.”
Jessica Ramos has been a housekeeper for the Hyatt Regency Hotel along Wacker Drive for five years. The mother of four is fighting alongside her colleagues demanding year round health care.
* The Pritzker family owns the Hyatt, of course, so I asked the JB Pritzker campaign for a response…
JB stands with the labor movement across Illinois in the fight for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. While JB has never had a management or leadership role in Hyatt, he hopes all parties will negotiate in good faith and that a fair contract can be reached as soon as possible. As governor, JB will work to put Springfield back on the side of working families and will always defend the rights of working people to come together and demand a better future.
Hyatt has a long history of strong relations with the unions that represent its colleagues. Hyatt and UNITE HERE have already come to successful agreements this year in other markets, and we will continue negotiating in good faith in Chicago.
Union members voted on Aug. 15 to authorize a strike anytime after the end of the month, when their contracts expired. A total of 3,218 members, or 97 percent of those who participated, voted to allow the negotiating committee to call for a citywide strike, according to the union’s Twitter page.
Negotiations were scheduled to continue throughout September, according to a statement Friday morning from Hyatt’s Vice President of Labor Relations, Michael D’Angelo.
“We just completed our second negotiation meeting with Local 1 last week, where the union provided multiple proposals for the first time and indicated more will be forthcoming,” D’Angelo said. “Colleague benefits and wages remain unchanged as we negotiate a new agreement.”
Collective bargaining agreements at 30 hotels expired Aug. 31, and the union began threatening a strike weeks beforehand. Each hotel brand negotiates separately with the union.
Among workers’ demands, according to the union, are reasonable workloads, wages that keep up with the cost of raising a family and year-round health care.
“Hotels may slow down in the wintertime, but I still need my diabetes medication when I’m laid off,” Q. Rivers, a house attendant at the Palmer House Hilton, said in a union news release announcing the strike. “Nobody should lose their health benefits just because it’s cold out.”
Several hotels, including the Hyatt and Kimpton chains, have said contingency plans were in place in the event of a strike so service at hotels would not be disrupted.
The full list of hotels that have been struck and a list of those which could be in the near future are on the union’s strike website. Workers at the Park Hyatt Chicago have not yet walked out, but could.
…Adding… Oppo over the transom…
This “Super-Voting” Stock Allowed The Pritzkers To Maintain Control Over Hyatt Even If Their Ownership Of The Company’s Outstanding Shares Fell Below 50%.“Hyatt Hotels Corp. is likely to see “outsized profit growth” over the next decade, but the Pritzker family’s tightfisted control over the underachieving hotel chain should make investors wary of its initial public offering, a prominent real estate stock research firm said Wednesday. The proposed IPO could raise about $1 billion for Chicago-based Hyatt, the crown jewel of the billionaire family. Pritzker family trusts plan to sell 38 million shares for as much as $26 apiece, according to a filing last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But the family plans to retain its grip on the company through so-called “super-voting” stock, which would allow the Pritzkers to outvote other common shareholders even if the family’s stake falls to nearly 15%.” (Thomas Corfman, “Hyatt’s Corporate Structure Criticized In Report,” Crain’s Chicago Business, 10/29/2009)
JB Pritzker Agreed To Vote His Super Shares In Line With The Recommendations Of Hyatt’s Board Of Directors. “Until the later to occur of (i) January 1, 2015 and (ii) that date upon which more than 75% of the FD Stock is owned by Persons other than Pritzkers and Foreign Pritzkers, all Pritzkers (and their successors in interest, if applicable), but not the transferees by sale (other than Pritzkers or Foreign Pritzkers who purchase directly from other Pritzkers or Foreign Pritzkers) or by, or following, foreclosures as aforesaid, will vote all of their voting securities of Hyatt (and successor Companies) consistent with the recommendations of the board of directors of Hyatt with respect to all matters (assuming agreement as to any such matter by a majority of a minimum of three Independent directors or, in the case of transactions involving Hyatt and an Affiliate thereof, assuming agreement of all of such minimum of three Independent directors). All Pritzkers will cast and submit by proxy to Hyatt their votes in a manner consistent with this Section 3.1(c) at least five business days prior to the scheduled date of the Annual or Special Meeting of stockholders of Hyatt, as applicable.” (“Amended and Restated Global Hyatt Agreement,” Hyatt Hotels Corporation, 10/1/2009)
*** UPDATE *** Look who showed up at the Hyatt Regency…
A new poll by NYT/Siena shows Brendan Kelly, candidate for Illinois’s 12th District, trailing Mike Bost by a single point, 43 to 44 percent.
In a district where Donald Trump won in 2016, the one percent difference highlights Brendan’s–and the entire Kelly Coalition’s–incredible energy and momentum. Hundreds of people across 12 counties spend thousands of hours every week to restore faith and save Southern Illinois.
Kelly’s campaign today released their fourth ad of the cycle: “Chance.” The ad focuses on Mike Bost’s 35 years in public office and his wrong votes to scrap healthcare for 38,000 Southern Illinoisans, charge older Americans a massive age tax, cut protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and raise costs in Southern Illinois. The ad also notes Bost’s inability to stand up to Big Pharma or protect Medicare. As Brendan says in the ad: “It’s time for Southern Illinois to have a chance.”
This district was drawn for the Democrats, but the party hasn’t fielded a really good candidate since Jerry Costello retired. And Mike Bost fits that district. It was the same when Mike was in the Illinois House. The HDems tried and tried to beat Bost and couldn’t do it. Kelly, from what I can tell, is a good candidate and seems to fit the district well. We’ll see soon enough.
My opponent has been in office since I was eight years old.
He’s had a chance to fix our healthcare. But he didn’t. Instead, he voted to charge older Americans a massive age tax, to cut protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and to raise costs in Southern Illinois.
He had a chance to stand up to Big Pharma and to protect Medicare. But he didn’t.
I’m Brendan Kelly, and I approve this message because it’s time for Southern Illinois to have a chance.
…Adding… After talking it over with a friend, I’m changing my mind a bit. She pointed out that his spot follows DCCC guidelines of not saying his opponent’s name, which, she said, “I don’t get.” Good point. I’d bet that his name ID isn’t high enough for people to automatically know who he’s running against.
*** UPDATE *** Bost campaign…
After claiming he wants to change the tone in politics, Brendan Kelly has just taken the 12th District race into the gutter with a new attack ad right out of the playbook of Mike Madigan and Nancy Pelosi. In the 30-second television spot, Kelly lies about Bost’s record on health care in an effort to distract from the thousands of dollars he’s taken from allies fighting for socialized medicine.
So, let’s correct the record:
Claim: Mike Bost “voted to charge older Americans a massive age tax…”
Reality: Obamacare created an arbitrary “age-rating” regulation that increased premiums for patients of all ages. Mike Bost supported reforms that reflected realistic costs in coverage to help lower premiums and improve access for patients purchasing health care in the individual market. These reforms would encourage more young enrollees to purchase coverage and improve the market for everyone.
Claim: voted to “cut protections for people with pre-existing conditions…”
Reality: During last year’s debate on repealing Obamacare, Mike Bost made clear that those with pre-existing conditions should continue to receive coverage. Bost voted for an amendment which ensured that patients could not be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
Claim: voted to “raise costs in Southern Illinois… ”
Reality: Nancy Pelosi and Washington Democrats promised that Obamacare would lower premiums and increase health care access. Instead, Obamacare resulted in many counties in Illinois’ 12th Congressional District having only one option for insurance, and that plan’s premiums skyrocketed by 70 percent in a single year.
* NBC News updates us on what Illinois has done since 2016, when Russian hackers stole data on 76,000 voters…
From a strip mall office here in the state’s capital, [Steve Sandvoss, executive director of the Illinois State Board of Elections] and his team are coordinating staff training in more than 10,000 voting precincts on how to implement a new Cyber Navigation Program meant to strengthen defenses, including a multistate information sharing program.
Illinois Board of Elections IT Director Matt Emmons also said cooperation between the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security and his state has improved greatly since the last federal election.
“Nobody in this job would ever give you a 100 percent guarantee about anything,” said Emmons, “but I will tell you we are in a much better position that we were in 2016 — both internally, and I believe, as a country.”
Right now, however, only about 25 percent of the state’s more than 100 voting districts and 10,000 precincts are fully signed on to the Cyber Navigation Program, according to Emmons.
Will it be 100 percent by the election?
“Well, that’s our goal,” said Emmons.
Election day is just eight weeks from this coming Tuesday.
*** UPDATE *** From Matt Dietrich at the state board…
Rich – a couple points about your post on the NBC Nightly News segment on cybersecurity here. While the written story that accompanies the video attributes the 25 percent participation figure to our IT director, the quote actually came from Executive Director Steve Sandvoss in the interview (at the 2:28 mark) and was not a reference to participation in the Cyber Navigator Program. It was in answer to a question of how many local jurisdictions at that time had signed up to get notices from the Multi-State Information Sharing Program (MS-ISAC). Participation in MS-ISAC will be one of the requirements for Cyber Navigator Program members but we had already begun encouraging local election authorities to participate in it (and in EI-ISAC, the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing Program) even before the Cyber Navigator Program was established in the state budget.
Second, that interview was done here on Aug. 1, the day we held the second public hearing on the Cyber Navigator Program to establish the rules of the program for forwarding to JCAR. We are now working with DoIT to complete the hiring of the nine Cyber Navigators who will go to the local election authorities to conduct risk assessments. Once the program is fully formed, we will begin signing local authorities onto it. We have been in contact with the local jurisdictions to encourage their participation and, especially, to make sure they know that their participation is required for them to receive any grants from the federal HAVA grant that remain after the Cyber Navigator Program is up and running. (We are required by the state budget to spend at least half of the total $13.9 million in federal/state HAVA funds on the Cyber Navigator Program).
Today, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign for Congress in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District released her second general election television ad. The spot, titled “Retire,” tells the story of Ken, an electrician who depends on Social Security and Medicare to retire after 40 years of hard work. It began airing on television across the district today.
“Every day, I talk to families and seniors in our district who worry that their retirement is in jeopardy. It is crystal clear that Social Security and Medicare are essential for us to protect,” said Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. “But instead of ensuring that people like Ken can retire after decades of hard work, Rodney Davis and Washington politicians voted for a tax plan that cuts Social Security and Medicare, in order to line the pockets of their special interest donors.”
After working hard for 40 years as an electrician, Ken is finally ready to retire. Ken and his wife are counting on Social Security and Medicare…but now Washington politicians are planning to cut Medicare and Social Security to pay back their special interest donors. That’s wrong. Washington needs to keep up its end of the bargain. I’m Betsy Dirksen Londrigan and I approve this message, because I’ll take on anyone who wants to cut Social Security and Medicare. For Ken’s family, and for yours.
If sampling error were the only type of error in a poll, we would expect candidates who trail by one point in a poll of 512 people [533 in the Bost poll] to win about two out of every five races. But this probably understates the total error by a factor of two.
…Adding… I think this is true. I thought that claimed MoE was too high for polls of 500+ people. From comments…
More precisely, the MOE is +/- 4.7 for IL-6 and +/- 4.6 for IL-12. That actually is about right for a sample of ~500 voters.
* On to the polls. Republican US Rep. Peter Roskam leads Democrat Sean Casten 45-44 with 11 percent undecided. Republican US Rep. Mike Bost leads Democrat Brendan Kelly 44-43 with 13 percent undecided. Two-thirds of respondents in both surveys were reached on their mobile phones.
In Roskam’s suburban district, President Trump’s job approval rating is just 36 percent while 57 percent disapprove. The president is slightly above water in Bost’s rural/blue collar district 48-46.
51 percent in the Roskam poll said they preferred Democrats to take control of the US House, compared to 44 percent who wanted the GOP to stay in power. Those numbers went the other way in Bost’s district, with 46 picking the GOP and 43 choosing the Democrats.
* The Roskam poll is here. The Bost poll is here. Tell us what you think.
