Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Reader comments closed for the weekend

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The late, great, Tina Turner will play us out…

No whiskey for sale
You get caught, no bail

  Comments Off      


*** UPDATED x1 *** Afternoon roundup

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. Federal prosecutors have released their witness list for next week’s Jimmy Weiss trial…

*** UPDATE *** The attorney who sent me this wrote, “In 25 years of practicing law, I have never seen this before.” A minute entry today from the judge in the Weiss case, Steven C. Seeger…

During the continuation of the final pretrial conference yesterday, defense attorney Ilia Usharovich behaved in a disruptive, disrespectful, and contemptuous manner. The inappropriate conduct was on full display from the outset of the hearing, and devolved from there. Usharovich was disruptive and disrespectful - in speech, tone, content, body language, etc. - the whole time. For example, at one point, he announced that he was withdrawing, and proceeded to grab his bag and head toward the exits (before this Court directed him to stay). He suggested at one point that this Court had somehow put him under arrest. He later declared that he had just vomited in his cup, and offered to show the Court. And so on. Frankly, the display that this Court witnessed tests this Court’s ability to put the conduct into words and fully capture what transpired. For whatever reason, Usharovich was unable to control himself, and was unable to follow repeated admonishments from this Court about how to comport himself. That conduct will not be repeated. His performance was not matched by anyone else in the courtroom. The other defense attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, had no trouble behaving in an appropriate manner, and he comported himself appropriately and professionally throughout the hearing. So did counsel for the government. The Court issues this Order to remind all counsel of the importance of behaving appropriately in the courtroom at all times. Counsel must show respect to the Court, to opposing counsel, and to witnesses at all times. Counsel must not interrupt the Court, or anyone else. Counsel must maintain a respectful tone, and must avoid any belligerent speech or conduct. Counsel must not engage in any disruptive behavior. Counsel must obey orders and comply with this Court’s directives. Counsel must comply with professional standards about civility. Counsel must keep their cool. And counsel must behave like a lawyer at all times. The Court requires all counsel to comply with this Order. All counsel must file a statement on the docket by the end of the day today confirming that they have read and understood this Order. The Court expects full compliance, and expects trial to go smoothly. Everyone has a right to counsel, but no lawyer has a right to behave however they please in a courtroom. If any attorney violates this Order, or engages in any future misconduct of any kind, this Court will issue appropriate relief. That relief can include surrendering the ability to participate in the trial, and other possible remedies.

Whew.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* Alton Telegraph…

Dry conditions continue to worsen in Illinois as drought spreads across the state, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the Illinois State Water Survey.

The U.S. Drought Monitor now shows the Chicagoland area, much of central Illinois, and areas along the Missouri border from Quincy to St. Louis are in moderate drought. The northern two-thirds of the state are characterized as abnormally dry.

“Forecasts for the next seven days show continued drier weather with only a few chances of rainfall, and near to above normal temperatures,” Ford said. “Without significant rain in the next week, conditions will likely worsen, and more drought impacts may occur.” […]

Outside of a few areas of heavy rain, most places have had only 25 to 60 percent of normal precipitation in the past 30 days, Ford said, and parts of northeast and western Illinois have had less than 25 percent of normal precipitation since the start of May. Chicago had its fourth driest May on record, and April and May total precipitation in Quincy was the third lowest on record.

* This was in the BIMP. From Crain’s…

[Choose Chicago] and the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority — the agency that owns and operates McCormick Place — also recently got some breathing room on using up the nearly $10 million that remains in an incentive fund to help recruit conventions. The fund, which the state legislature approved during the pandemic to help McCormick Place compete with rival cities, previously needed to be used only on conventions that would be coming by 2026. The group recently won approval to dole out those funds for events that would come later than that, though all the money must be used by the end of 2026, according to a Choose spokesman.

* Wait. According to Rep. Martin McLaughlin, these pre-school deserts would be wiped out by pro-business legislation, or something…

Even though Gov. JB Pritzker has yet to sign the budget bill lawmakers just passed, the Illinois State Board of Education is seeking applicants for some of the new money contained in that bill.

ISBE is looking for new providers to offer preschool programs in areas of the state designated as “preschool deserts,” with the goal of creating 5,000 new preschool slots in the upcoming school year.

The $75 million in new funding available for new preschool slots this year is part of Pritzker’s $250 million “Smart Start Illinois” initiative, a four-year effort that seeks to make early childhood day care and preschool available and affordable to every family in the state who needs it.

* Listen to learn more…


* Todd Maisch arrangements…

A Memorial Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 8, 2023 from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. at Bisch Funeral Home West, 2931 South Koke Mill Road, Springfield, Illinois 62711. At 7:00 p.m. family and friends will share memories and tributes.

In lieu of flowers, those interested may donate to Share The Spirit Foundation, PO Box 78, Sherman, Illinois 62684 or the Todd Maisch Memorial Fund at INB Bank.

* Isabel’s roundup…

  6 Comments      


Bears dangle possible move to Naperville

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Daily Herald…

Plans for the Chicago Bears to plant their goal posts in the suburbs took a surprising turn Friday afternoon when Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli met with team President Kevin Warren to discuss the possibility of building a new NFL stadium in Naperville rather than Arlington Heights.

The meeting between Wehrli and Warren took place despite the team purchasing the 326 acres at Arlington Park on the western edge of Arlington Heights for $197.2 million. The deal to buy the shuttered racetrack closed in February.

Wehrli sent a letter to Warren, dated May 24, that’s termed a formal introduction to the Bears “as you consider or reassess your planned relocation. The city would welcome the opportunity to review your business needs and our available properties.” […]

On Friday, the Bears released a statement saying they are now looking at stadium opportunities other than Arlington Park.

“We will continue the ongoing demolition activity and work toward a path forward in Arlington Heights, but it is no longer our singular focus,” Scott Hagel, the Bears senior vice president of marketing and communications said in a statement. “It is our responsibility to listen to other municipalities in Chicagoland about potential locations that can deliver on this transformational opportunity for our fans, our club and the state of Illinois.”

* Tribune…

Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said he understands that the Bears are a for-profit business and have to pursue all opportunities.

“I would be doing the same thing, explore all my options and pick the best one,” he said. “I still think Arlington Heights is the best option.”

The team is unlikely to find such a prime property as the former Arlington Park, Hayes said, with 326 mostly open acres next to major roadways and with its own commuter train station. And the Bears already own the land.

The mayor encouraged the school districts and the team to continue negotiations over property taxes, with the requirement that any deal would be a long-term economic boost for the team and the region.

Could the company just be using Naperville as bargaining leverage? Your thoughts?

  65 Comments      


Pritzker suggests changing Invest in Kids tax credit

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Center Square…

Despite the Illinois General Assembly taking no action in extending the Invest in Kids school choice scholarship program, the governor says it still may be approved this year.

The program, which grants tax credits to people who use private dollars to fund scholarships that allow students to attend private schools, is scheduled to sunset Dec. 31, if legislative action isn’t taken.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said lawmakers could approve an extension during a special session or during the fall veto session, but that the tax credit portion of the program needs to be reworked.

“I think we should have tax credits that support education and other things in state government, but we also have the federal government willing to cover about 40% of the cost,” Pritzker said at an unrelated event in Champaign Wednesday. “Why have we created a program in which we’re paying for 75% of it and not having the rest of the country essentially paying 40%?”

More from Pritzker’s quote…

This is a problem in the fundamental makeup of it. And I’ve suggested to the General Assembly if they decide to renew Invest in Kids, let’s alleviate the burden on Illinois taxpayers and make sure that, frankly, as other states do, let’s let other states pay in part for the benefit that we get.

I called the governor’s office to ask for clarification. The way the state tax credit is written, people who donate to Invest in Kids can’t claim any federal income tax deduction. But the law can be rewritten to allow for that.

* Meanwhile, you may have noticed that the Tribune has given failed mayoral candidate Paul Vallas a regular column. His latest is about Invest in Kids and quotes both Wirepoints and the Illinois Policy Institute…

Chalkbeat Chicago reports that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 2024 budget, just approved in Springfield, adds another $570 million in education funding, a 6.2% increase that brings annual K-12 funding to $10.3 billion. And yet the legislature could not muster the courage to extend the modest Illinois Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program.

Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin, in now classic union fashion, has said that “once we get to fully funding our schools, then let’s talk about adding these types of programs.” Hogwash!

Personally, I’d like to see an analysis of whether the students/parents who’ve benefited from the program were receiving similar scholarships before Invest in Kids was begun, or whether they’re all new to the private school system.

  18 Comments      


Question of the day

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I attended the University of Maryland in Munich in 1980-81. Two of my classmates were nicknamed “Big Steve” and “Little Steve.” Little Steve wasn’t small, but he looked small compared to his best friend Big Steve, who was a body-builder and had placed second in the Mr. Southwest Germany contest. The two made decent money working as stagehands at Munich concert venues. Through those connections, they were invited to work on the massive set at the 8-day Pink Floyd concert in Dortmund, West Germany (back when there was a West Germany). The band was promoting their fantastically popular album The Wall.

As I recall, the setup took two weeks and the tear-down lasted a week. They unloaded 10 (maybe it was 20, I can’t remember now) semi-trucks. It was quite an impressive set…

The problem, really, with the show is that it wasn’t a touring show, so it had to be set up, and left, and taken down again. There were a lot of light operators and stage operators and wall builders. Because of the amount of stuff that went up and down, floated across, did this, did that, there were a lot of operators, rather than just people putting stuff up. And, of course we had lots of semis, as I believe you call them, because of the special lighting pods that we used which needed, each one needs a trailer unit to hold it. And the special stage, because of the way the stage was actually used, there was a sort of structural bracing piece for the building of the wall. So it was all special equipment, I mean it was absurdly expensive. It’s not something other people will do, generally, because it’s just so expensive to put on, it’s simply not feasible. But it was great to have done it once.

They built a wall during every show and then the stagehands took it down every night. Big Steve didn’t have to mess with those daily tasks, though, because the band took one look at the guy and hired him as a bodyguard and he rode the helicopter with them back and forth to the venue and stayed on their private hotel floor. Pretty sweet.

The two missed more than a month of college, but somehow managed to stay enrolled. And they made bank.

* Anyway, I thought about all of that last night when I saw this…


50 trucks? That’s a lot of costume changes.

* The Question: Your all-time favorite concert experience?

  91 Comments      


Fentanyl overdose deaths have fallen 42 percent in Chicago this year compared to 2022

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Block Club Chicago…

Chicago saw its most fentanyl-related deaths ever in 2022, with the drug — widely responsible for a surge in fatal opioid overdoses in recent years — linked to 1,307 deaths in the city last year, compared to 1,289 in 2021, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Fentanyl-related deaths skyrocketed during the pandemic, leading to 2022’s record number — but that surge is beginning to slow, though deaths remain high, officials said. There have been at least 391 fentanyl-related overdoses so far this year in Chicago, compared to 669 over the same period in 2022.

Black and Latino Chicagoans have been disproportionately affected by the fatal overdoses.

Sarah Richardson, of the Behavioral Health team at the Chicago Department of Public Health, said steadying numbers are an encouraging sign. Growing public awareness of opioid overdoses and understanding of addiction are helping — as well as the more widespread distribution and use of Narcan, which can reduce fatal overdoses, Richardson said. […]

Local officials and groups have worked to bring down opioid overdoses by trying new approaches: Chicago’s public libraries distribute Narcan, people leaving Cook County Jail are given harm reduction kits, the health department will mail people fentanyl test strips and the CTA has a Narcan vending machine coming to its 95th Red Line station.

  1 Comment      


Crowds ease at Mexican border, but will that lead to fewer asylum-seekers in Chicago?

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* NBC News…

The number of migrants illegally crossing the southwest U.S. border is at its lowest point since the start of the Biden administration, with just over 3,000 migrants stopped by Border Patrol each day. The number has plummeted from more than 10,000 daily just three weeks ago, despite widespread predictions of a surge after the end of the Title 42 Covid ban on May 11.

And there may also be fewer migrants waiting just across the border to cross. Shortly before Title 42 was lifted, Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz estimated that up to 65,000 migrants were living in shelters and tent cities in Mexico, ready to enter the U.S. While numbers for tent cities were unavailable, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration said the population of 130-plus shelters in northern Mexico had fallen from above 25,000 on May 19 to just over 20,000 on Monday. […]

Customs and Border Protection officials also attribute the slowdown in illegal border crossings to “consequences.” Under Title 42, migrants could repeatedly try to cross the U.S.-Mexico border and face no consequences if they were turned back. After Title 42 ended, migrants who are caught illegally entering the U.S. are charged with a felony if they are deported and caught trying to re-enter the U.S. within five years, a reimposition of an older regulation called Title 8. A CBP official said word of the increased penalties and deportations — of the “consequences” — has reached migrants considering crossing. […]

A Department of Homeland Security official said the agency also attributes the decline to the policy known as asylum ineligibility put in place after the ending of Title 42. Under the new policy, migrants who do not first seek asylum in countries they pass through on the way to the U.S. are deemed ineligible to apply for asylum at the U.S. border, unless they were denied by a country they passed through or they prove they meet a special set of criteria, such as being potential victims of torture if they are deported.

Other factors include the rainy season discouraging travel. Also, the ACLU is suing to block the asylum ineligibility policy, according to the report.

I’ve been checking out El Paso news media outlets the past week or so, including the local Fox affiliate, and I didn’t see any stories about mass crossings. That’s a marked change from a few weeks ago, when national news media was filled with dire predictions about that border crossing. The migrants bused north were mainly from the El Paso crossing.

However, Chicago was only being shipped a small fraction of all asylum-seekers, so don’t get your hopes up yet that the Texas-funded influx will ease.

* Related…

    * From Woodlawn to West Ridge, migrants live in temporary shelters across Chicago: Roughly 10,000 new arrivals have come to Chicago since August of last year — and more than 4,000 of them are living in shelters across the city. To serve these migrants, city officials are currently operating 10 shelters and respite centers in neighborhoods across the city — including the Inn in Streeterville. Some of these shelters have been met with pushback because residents argue the resources dedicated to asylum-seekers should instead be poured into their own disinvested communities. But no neighborhood or section of the city is exclusively bearing the responsibility of providing a place to eat and sleep for asylum-seekers. Shelters span from Woodlawn to West Ridge, from Humboldt Park to Streeterville.

    * Little Village is a model for how to help migrants build new lives: Hyperlocal organizing strategies have been successful specifically because of a strong network of support: a group of people who, regardless of where they work or who they work for, are familiar with and trust each other because of relationships fostered for many years. We update each other daily through group texting, and have weekly check-in calls to share what is happening on the frontlines.

    * One-Day Donation Drive Will Collect Items For Migrants On Northwest Side: Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th), the Irish American Heritage Center, community groups and Northwest Side leaders are hosting a donation drive 3-7 p.m. Monday at the center, 4626 N. Knox Ave., to collect items for migrants. People can donate medical items, personal hygiene products, educational materials, food and water, event organizers said.

    * For migrants, used bikes offer a path forward in an unfamiliar city: In the past few weeks, organizers with Bike Grid Now and Communities United have teamed up to repair used bikes and convert donated bike parts into functioning cycles for people seeking asylum in the city. The work, which started with a few bikes, is scaling into a bigger pipeline project as more donations of equipment and money pour in — and as more migrants arrive.

    * Tempers flare at community meeting about housing migrants at Richard J. Daley College: “You’re not treating our own with any dignity and respect, but you’re treating the immigrants with a lot of dignity and respect. I have a problem with that,” said Juanita Eason, who lives on the Southwest Side. … Officials [say] moving people into Wright College reduced the number of migrants sleeping at police stations from more than 800 last week to less than 640 now.

    * 400 Migrants Will Move Into Daley College This Weekend, But Some Neighbors Oppose City’s Plan: Patrice Beamon, an 18th Ward resident, said she recently drove by the 6th District police station and saw people laying on the concrete outside and in the lobby. She urged her neighbors to think about how they can help. “We’re trying to come up with solutions, but it’s not going to be solved by us attacking one another,” Beamon said, leading to applause from the crowd. “The most important thing is our humanity. When we lose that, we have lost everything.”

    * Edgewater Residents Call for Answers as City Eyes Broadway Armory as Possible Migrant Center: “We couldn’t believe it,” said Linda White, an Edgewater resident. “There’s so many wonderful programs here — dance, fitness and wellness for all the kids and the seniors. They said this will all be shut down and it will become a shelter.” … The building has multiple rooms, five gymnasiums, showers, several bathrooms and a kitchen. “I don’t think I would feel that put out by it, compared with the needs of the migrants,” Buckley said. “It’s a good space and it should be used and hopefully move them on to better housing.”

    * Illinois hotel industry, downtown residents speak out on migrant crisis: According to the association, many of these individuals are staying in hotels that are understaffed and urgently require various positions to be filled, including housekeeping staff, culinary workers, front desk personnel, customer service representatives, and sales and marketing employees. Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, has underscored the importance of addressing this situation promptly. “That’s the crazy thing about this is that we have 1,600 open positions in hotels just in the city of Chicago and we have thousands of migrants looking to work. The math doesn’t add up. People want to work and we have positions open for them and yet, our federal government is telling them you have to wait six months until we allow you to work. Something needs to change here,” Jacobson said.

  7 Comments      


Pritzker, other Dem governors warn school textbook publishers: “Sanitizing our educational texts for the mercurial comfort of a few today ultimately limits the next generation’s ability to make informed decisions for themselves”

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman at the Washington Post…

We have also learned that nine Democratic governors representing nearly 9 million students have sent a letter to leading textbook companies decrying “the negative impact that censorship and book-banning has on this nation’s students.” The letter indicates that the governors are watching closely to see if attacks on the companies by right-wing governors — such as DeSantis — are producing books that are “inappropriately censored.”

Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey and the head of the Democratic Governors Association, says these governors will be modeling an alternative to right-wing censorship going forward.

“There’s a broad lane available for Democratic governors to reclaim the mantle of core American values — freedom, patriotism, rights,” Murphy told us. Murphy recently responded to DeSantis’s restrictions on an Advanced Placement course on African American studies by expanding the number of such classes in his state.

* Illinois’ governor signed the letter…

Dear Textbook Publishers,

We are deeply troubled by the news of some textbook publishers yielding to the unreasonable demands of certain government representatives calling for the censorship of school educational materials, specifically textbooks.

We write to you out of concern that those who are charged with supporting the education of this country’s students, such as yourselves, may be tempted to water down critical information to appeal to the lowest common denominator. We urge any company who has not yet given in to this pressure to hold the line for our democracy.

Our country’s future is at stake. You hold enormous influence in shaping how our great nation’s history is told, and the consequences of your actions will reverberate for generations to come. Honestly grappling with our legacy has long been a cornerstone of American patriotism. If we are to continue striving for a more perfect union, then we must carry out our duty of ensuring future generations understand our full history as well as the contributions of all its people. That includes learning from our mistakes. These lessons are vital to preparing our youth to fully engage in a free and fair democracy. Sanitizing our educational texts for the mercurial comfort of a few today ultimately limits the next generation’s ability to make informed decisions for themselves. Moreover, the negative impact that censorship and book-banning has on this nation’s students – many already marginalized and underrepresented in society – cannot be overstated during a time when we are facing an unprecedented youth mental health crisis. Each and every single student in the United States of America has the right to exist, to be seen, and to be represented.

It is an important priority of our administrations to ensure that any educational materials censored to appeal to political pressure do not negatively impact our educational goals and values in our states. As such, please know that we will be working closely with all of our school districts to ensure they are fully informed of which texts include comprehensive and accurate educational information – and which have been inappropriately censored – when they consider procurement of instructional materials for the nearly nine million students our states serve.

…Adding… From the governor’s office…

In addition to the Association of American Publishers, the letter was sent to:

    Cengage Learning
    Goodheart-Willcox
    Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
    McGraw Hill Education
    Pearson
    Routledge Taylor and Francis Group
    Savvas Learning Co.
    Scholastic
    Teachers Curriculum Institute

  19 Comments      


Justice Jesse Reyes announces second bid for state’s top court

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Yesterday…

Today, Appellate Court Justice Jesse Reyes officially announced his candidacy to become a member of the Illinois Supreme Court. He was joined by community leaders, members of the judiciary, and friends and family. State Senator Omar Aquino introduced Justice Reyes. The program can be viewed here.

Transcript from Justice Jesse Reyes’ Announcement:

“Four years ago, I stood in this location and announced my candidacy for the Illinois Supreme Court. In a field of seven honorable candidates, in spite of the challenges of the COVID pandemic and having to contend with the disadvantage of not receiving the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party, our team came in a close second. Since that time, I have continued to serve the public on and off the bench.

So, you may ask, Why am I here today? It’s simple. The Illinois Supreme Court should be reflective of the community at large it serves. While the court has made some strides in advancing the cause of diversity and inclusion, including gains in representing women and African Americans on the bench. The fact remains that, unfortunately, the largest minority group in Illinois and Cook County – the Latino Community - continues to be excluded from our state’s highest court. Latinos are a critical part of our state. Yet our lived experiences as Latinos are missing from the court. Our numbers and contributions to our state necessitate that we be part of the state’s highest court. It should be further noted that in the past five years, there were three opportunities to rectify this significant omission from the bench. Think about it, three times in just five years, there has been an opportunity to appoint a Latino to the Illinois Supreme Court. Three times the Latino community has been ignored.

Diversity on the bench is something that I have always advocated for throughout my career as a lawyer and a judge. My passion for inclusion in the legal profession is what has motivated me to continually promote diversity even when it was not a popular concept in our society. Recognizing we are all immigrants or the descendants of immigrants, I have always advocated and supported the efforts of other communities in promoting diversity and inclusion and not only when it was personally convenient or politically beneficial. I do so because it is the right thing to do, and I will continue to do so today, tomorrow, and forever.

So Today, I formally announce my candidacy for the Illinois Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Anne Burke.

I am running because representation matters.

I am running because, in the words of Marian Wright Edelman, “You can’t be what you can’t see.”

I am running so that generations of young people will have a point on the compass to guide them.

I am running because, as a product of a blue-collar immigrant family, I have never forgotten where I came from and never will.

I am running because I believe in diversity and inclusion for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.”

Let’s be clear, because of equality and equity, it is time to add a Latino to the Illinois Supreme Court.

# # #

About Justice Jesse Reyes

Raised in Chicago’s Pilsen and Bridgeport neighborhoods, he is the oldest of four children and the first in his family to attend high school and college. In 1997, Reyes was elected Associate Judge by his peers on the Circuit Court. In 2006, Reyes became the first Latino to lead the Illinois Judges Association. Reyes was elected to the First District Appellate Court in November of 2012, becoming the first Latino elected to the Illinois Appellate Court.

Reyes is the founding member and current president of the Diversity Scholarship Foundation. He is also a founding member and the former president of the Illinois Judges Foundation. He has served as president and member of many other Bar Associations throughout the years. In addition, The North Suburban Bar Association recently created the Justice Jesse G. Reyes Student Scholarship. Jesse and his wife, Terry, live on Chicago’s Southwest Side. Their daughter, Renee, is currently a high school teacher.

Reyes finished second behind P. Scott Neville, Jr. in the 2020 Supreme Court primary. He’ll face appointed incumbent Justice Joy Cunningham, who replaced retired Justice Anne Burke last year.

  10 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

  Comments Off      


Open thread

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* It’s Friday! What’s up?…

  4 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go…

    * Capitol News Illinois | State board of education looking for new providers in preschool ‘deserts’: ISBE is looking for new providers to offer preschool programs in areas of the state designated as “preschool deserts,” with the goal of creating 5,000 new preschool slots in the upcoming school year. The $75 million in new funding available for new preschool slots this year is part of Pritzker’s $250 million “Smart Start Illinois” initiative, a four-year effort that seeks to make early childhood day care and preschool available and affordable to every family in the state who needs it.

    * Center Square | Pritzker tours state discussing increased taxpayer-funded education in the state’s budget: “It has been the mission of my governorship to not only reverse the harm that has been done but to shape an Illinois that truly uplifts our residents from cradle to career,” Pritzker said.

    * Capitol News Illinois | Lawmakers approve measure giving utilities control over new downstate transmission lines: The measure applies to companies that already own or operate electric transmission lines under the purview of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, the grid operator for a wide swath of the Midwest, including much of downstate and parts of northwestern Illinois.

    * Bonus | Illinois Passes Bill Allowing Casinos to Hire People with Felony Convictions:The bill also gives the gaming board the power to review each licensee and refuse a permit to anyone deemed a threat to the state’s public interests or gaming integrity. IGB will consider the time since conviction, the number and severity of the charges, and more when deciding.

    * Tribune |Indiana now ranked first among inland ports, second in Great Lakes ports by feds: The state was previously counted as having multiple small port districts but now has just two. The southern district includes facilities run by the Ports of Indiana in Mount Vernon and Jeffersonville, along with private terminals along the Ohio River from Posey County to Dearborn County. The northern district includes the Ports of Indiana’s Burns Harbor terminal in addition to private terminals and steel mills along Indiana’s Lake Michigan coastline.

    * Daily Herald | Why the DuPage Water Commission wants to spend billions for own pipeline from Lake Michigan: “The question becomes can we build a new system and have it cost less than $120 million a year,” said Paul May, water commission executive director. “As concluded by that report, the answer is yes.”

    * Sun-Times | Judge silences, scolds attorney for Berrios relative who faces trial Monday for bribing state lawmaker:James T. Weiss’ attorney wound up having to raise his hand to speak in court, including when he said he had to use the bathroom. He claimed he’d been unlawfully restrained and had thrown up in a cup. He told the judge, “look at the cup!”

    * Chicago Law Bulletin | Jesse Reyes announces 2nd run for Illinois Supreme Court:Appellate Justice Jesse G. Reyes announced his candidacy for the Illinois Supreme Court at a press conference Wednesday in Chicago, saying the court should reflect the community it serves. — Grace Barbic/Chicago Daily Law BulletinFirst District Appellate Court Justice Jesse G. Reyes announced Wednesday his candidacy for the Illinois Supreme Court next year. He will be running for the seat held by Justice Joy V. Cunningham, who was appointed when former Chief Justice Anne M. Burke retired Nov. 30.

    * Erickson Institute | Erikson Institute Receives $8 Million from MacKenzie Scott to Advance Equity in Early Childhood:Erikson Institute has announced an $8 million unrestricted gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. In keeping with MacKenzie Scott’s charitable vision of advancing opportunities for people in underinvested and underserved communities, the funds associated with this transformational gift will fuel Erikson’s mission of building equitable and just futures for young children, their families, and communities. The gift is a testament to the vision and work of Erikson Institute, under the leadership of President Mariana Souto-Manning, Ph.D.

    * Tribune | Watchdog group seeks to cut more than $110 million from record Peoples Gas rate hike request: Targeting everything from the “mismanaged” pipeline project to high residential heating costs, the consumer watchdog group recommended slashing $63 million from the proposal, with the Illinois attorney general’s office expected to seek $49 million in additional reductions.

    * Tribune | Civic Committee announces initiative to tackle public safety as ‘the No. 1 issue’ in Chicago: “The issue of public safety is the No. 1 issue for pretty much everyone in the city of Chicago,” said Derek Douglas, who became the first Black president of the Civic Committee in August. “And the business community is no different.”

    * WBEZ | There’s a surge in calls for shelter. Chicago’s 311 help line can’t keep up: Data analysis by WBEZ also shows a declining percentage of calls appear to result in a placement. But it’s hard to measure how well the system is working because of several major flaws in the 311 data system the city uses to track shelter requests. “The demand for resources, be it through 311 to get people into a shelter or any other piece of the shelter system, is so much greater than what the system can handle,” said Douglas Schenkelberg, the director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

    * WTTW | Edgewater Residents Call for Answers as City Eyes Broadway Armory as Possible Migrant Center:“We couldn’t believe it,” said Linda White, an Edgewater resident. “There’s so many wonderful programs here — dance, fitness and wellness for all the kids and the seniors. They said this will all be shut down and it will become a shelter.” White said in May a group of city officials looked at the property along with Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th Ward). It’s a move that makes White believe the plan to convert this facility into housing for migrants is highly possible.

    * Sun-Times | Inside the political survival of Chicago City Council dean: “I’m the type of guy that, when I’m in with you, I’m in 100%,” Burnett said. “I went that extra mile working on his campaign for county commissioner, and he won. You could say … we’re part of his success because, if he wouldn’t have been county commissioner, he wouldn’t have run for mayor, and he wouldn’t be where he is today.”

    * Center Square | Illinois General Assembly fails to address the state’s biometric privacy law: Business groups have been pleading with lawmakers to address the law, which has spawned hundreds of lawsuits, none of which have proven harm to anyone. “No data breaches, no lost information, but billions of dollars have already been paid out with more on the way, and it’s already having a significant impact on our economy,” said Mark Denzler, CEO and president of the Illinois Manufacturers Association.

    * AP | Peregrine falcons protecting chicks and dive-bombing Chicago pedestrians:Just ask Chuck Valauskas, who was struck by one of the falcons. The patent attorney was leaving work one day last week, walking below the nest situated on a seventh-floor ledge when he felt a thud on his head.

    * Crain’s | New figures show tourists flocked back to Chicago in 2022: Officials from Choose Chicago announced today that visitation to the city during 2022 was up 60% from 2021 as public health restrictions faded and a surge of leisure travelers poured in during peak tourism months. The total, reported by the city’s official destination marketing group using data from travel research firm DK Shifflet, was roughly 80% of the 2019 figure, when the city boasted a record 60.8 million visitors.

    * Crain’s | State chamber chief Todd Maisch has died: “Todd was a fierce champion for the business community and an integral part of major policy wins for our economy, namely the Blue Collar Jobs Act and the historic Rebuild Illinois capital bill,” Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said in a statement. “Though Todd and I often found ourselves at opposite ends of policy debates, I knew he was driven by an adoration for our state and a sincere commitment to doing what he believed was right.”

  9 Comments      


Live coverage

Friday, Jun 2, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive…


  Comments Off      


Afternoon roundup

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Lee Enterprises took a look at the racial spread between police departments/sheriffs’ offices and the communities they serve.

The narrowest gap was in Rock Island County, which is 30.4 percent people of color and the sheriff’s office is 27.69 percent people of color.

The widest gap was in Macon County, where the population is 25.2 percent people of color and yet the sheriff’s office is 100 percent White.

Illinois as a whole is 40 percent persons of color and the Illinois State Police is 19.43 percent persons of color.

Anyway, click here to see if your community is on the list.

* Illinois Gaming Machine Operators Association…

Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Paul E. Bauer has ruled that the City of Pekin’s ordinance taxing video gaming is unlawful and barred by state law, resulting in a major victory for Illinois small businesses and their customers.

Pekin officials in October approved a city ordinance assessing a “fee” worth 2.5 percent of net revenues received by any video gaming machine registered to do business in the city. The ordinance called for proceeds from the fee to be split between the City’s police and fire pension funds. Violations could trigger fines of up to $750 a day. Two members of the Illinois Gaming Machine Operators Association, which represents the companies that provide video gaming terminals in thousands of small businesses across the state, sued the City of Pekin late last year in Tazewell County Circuit Court.

The IGMOA members — J&J Ventures Gaming, LLC, and Accel Entertainment Gaming, LLC – argued that the City’s so-called “fee” is in reality an illegal tax on terminal operators. Such a tax is “unauthorized, is unlawful and unenforceable” because the state’s Video Gaming Act bars them, the plaintiffs argued in their lawsuit filed in December 2022.

The order is here.

* This is not CNN’s Sanjay Gupta…

Governor JB Pritzker announced today that he has named Sanjay Gupta, a national IT leader with private and public sector experience, to serve as the new Secretary of the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT), pending Senate confirmation. Gupta has served in major roles across the public and private sectors, including running the federal government’s pandemic aid portals for small businesses and serving as a board member of the federal Technology Modernization Fund.

“Sanjay Gupta brings invaluable expertise in public and private sector information technology to DoIT,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “His previous work and vision for enterprise architecture, digital transformation, and user experience make him a vital addition to the agency. I am confident that this team will lead the nation in cybersecurity, service delivery, and user experience.”

Previously, Gupta was the Chief Information Officer for the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. He also served for more than four years as Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Small Business Administration, where his efforts to modernize the agency allowed it to process more than $1 trillion in loans for the nation’s largest economic recovery effort.

Prior to his career in public service, he spent nearly 20 years in management and as a consultant and analyst in leading global technology organizations, including several companies based in Illinois.

“I want to thank Governor Pritzker for giving me the opportunity to serve the people of Illinois, my adopted home,” said Sanjay Gupta. “Over decades in IT, I’ve learned how to apply the private sector’s best practices to government work. The team at DoIT has propelled the state forward tremendously in the past five years, and I look forward to working with the committed professionals in Illinois.”

Gupta holds a Bachelor of Science from Punjab Engineering College, a Master of Science from Wayne State University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. He and his wife raised their two daughters in the suburbs of Chicago, where they lived for more than two decades.

Acting Secretary Brandon Ragle will take on the new role of Deputy Secretary, pending Senate confirmation. Ragle has served the state for over 30 years and will work closely with the new Secretary, providing invaluable insight into the agency’s operations. During his tenure as Acting Secretary, DoIT was upgraded by the Digital States report to an A-, receiving accolades for its connected infrastructure, resilience and cybersecurity, and data-driven government.

“Brandon is an essential asset to modernizing our technology for the people of Illinois, and he is part of a strong leadership team that is widely acknowledged nationally as a model,” Governor Pritzker said. “He stepped up at a critical time for the agency, and I want to recognize his contributions with this important new role.”

* But, didn’t Rep. Chris Miller tell us that this climate change thing doesn’t exist?…

Bloomington, Illinois-based State Farm has announced it will no longer insure new homes or businesses in California due to the high wildfire risk and increased construction costs. State Farm is the second insurance carrier to stop offering coverage due to wildfires. Last year, AIG notified thousands of state homeowners their policies would not be renewed. California has experienced a record amount of wildfires in the past few years.

*Blows into the microphone*

* Press release…

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford championed legislation in 2021 to ensure that the people of Illinois understood that Black history is American history. This year she is building upon that monumental measure by encouraging people to celebrate Juneteenth and reminding them of the reason for the holiday.

“Juneteenth being a state holiday reminds us that freedom and racial equality have always been a hard-fought battle for Black Americans,” said Lightford (D-Maywood). “This day gives everyone an opportunity to celebrate Black culture, Black achievements, and learn more about Black history.”

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which established that all enslaved people in Confederate states were forever free. However, it was not until two years later in June of 1865 that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the proclamation freeing the last of slaves in the United States.

In 2021, Lightford championed House Bill 3922, which established June 19 as a state holiday for Juneteenth National Freedom Day. It is now a paid day off holiday for all state employees and a school holiday.

Today, Juneteenth has grown from the celebration of the abolition of slavery into a celebration of Black arts, culture, and the impacts of the civil rights movement throughout the country.

“The struggle for our people to achieve full equity in Illinois and across the nation continues still to this day,” Lightford said. “Juneteenth recognizes our accomplishments, our achievements, our culture, and reminds us that our fight is not over.”

…Adding… Not a good sign when the appellate court calls your appeal frivolous…


…Adding… U of I…

The University of Illinois Flash Index for May 2023 increased to 103.2 from 102.9 in April. This continues the perplexing path of the U. S. and Illinois economies with most observers still waiting for at least a mild recession that has yet to materialize.

“Reversing last month’s weak performance, Illinois tax receipts (the major components of the Flash Index) for May were surprisingly robust.”

Both individual income and corporate tax receipts were up in real terms compared to May 2022 while sales tax receipts were down only slightly after adjusting for inflation. Even more confounding, both the national and Illinois unemployment rates declined, falling in Illinois to 4.2% to a post-Covid recession low.

“It is still too early to claim a soft landing following the strong recovery from the recession. Watchful waiting continues.”

The Flash Index is a weighted average of Illinois growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending, and personal income as estimated from receipts for corporate income, individual income, and retail sales taxes. These revenues are adjusted for inflation before growth rates are calculated. The growth rate for each component is then calculated for the 12-month period using data through May 31, 2023. Over three years since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, ad hoc adjustments are still needed.

* Isabel’s roundup…

  6 Comments      


Question of the day

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Isabel used hizzoner’s tweet in her question yesterday, so let’s start with this mayoral update for the doubters…


Missouri’s legislature has a bad habit of playing ringers in the Illinois vs. Missouri Bi-State Softball Showdown. So, maybe Mayor Johnson could be persuaded to play in Busch Stadium this August.

* The Question: Your season prediction for your favorite MLB team?

  6 Comments      


DCFS responds to yet another explosive report

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* CBS 2…

A 9-year-old girl was locked up in a psychiatric hospital for weeks after her care was complete. The overstay racked up tens of thousands of dollars in bills.

CBS 2’s Chris Tye reported that the state used money left by her dead father to pay themselves back for that care and that the case was raced in front of a judge late on Wednesday.

CBS 2 has reported on kids being left in offices and hospitals for weeks or months because there was no place to put them.

But the Cook County Public Guardian said this girl’s case is a first: taking money from the accounts of vulnerable kids, money left by their deceased parents to reimburse for pricey nights in the hospital that the kids didn’t need.

Kids in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS, the state’s child welfare agency, can linger for months inside psychiatric hospitals after their care is complete and there’s nowhere to move them.

Kids in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS, the state’s child welfare agency, can linger for months inside psychiatric hospitals after their care is complete and there’s nowhere to move them.

The Cook County Public Guardian told CBS 2 a 9-year-old girl was left at one hospital, locked up in the psychiatric ward unnecessarily for about one month beyond medical necessity in 2019.

The unnecessary stay came with a price tag of $34,200.

But in the case of this girl, DCFS also managed her money.

When the girl’s father died in 2014, she became the beneficiary of his social security benefits, which have grown to over $118,000. Because that 2019 hospital overstay wasn’t medically necessary, Medicaid refused to pay. DCFS was on the line for it, so they dipped into the girl’s inheritance to pay themselves back.

“It’s just outrageous,” said Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert. “So last week, we sent DCFS a letter saying ‘Hey, just do the right thing.’”

In the letter, the public guardian’s office called on DCFS to repay the $34,200 by Tuesday, May 30. They added that all dollars, “should have stayed in the account and be made available to her adoptive parents … instead, the account has been drained.”

“And DCFS wrote to us last night and said no,” Golbert said. “So we’re going to court this afternoon to get this little girl her money.”

Keep in mind that this happened four years ago. Also, since then, a new state law has taken effect which requires the state to set aside between 40-80 percent of SSI money the kids receive, depending on their age.

* DCFS responds…

Federal mandate

Federal guidelines are clear, SSI benefits are required to be used to offset the costs of the care of the youth, no matter what setting the youth is in, including a foster or residential setting. In other words, the OPG is critiquing DCFS for action the Department took in 2019 that the department was federally mandated to take.

Overall response

I cannot stress enough that the health and welfare of our children is our primary concern, and we are always seeking the most appropriate placement. In some cases, it may take the agency time to find the appropriate placement for a child, and we are working diligently (often around the clock) to ensure the optimal care, transition services, and other necessary resources and requirements when that child, who often has complex issues and high acuity, is ready to exit the hospital.

The allegations in the complaint we would like comment on:

    • Is it true: “DCFS left her locked up in the psychiatric ward unnecessarily for about one month [beyond medical necessity].”? If so, why?

No. After a youth’s hospitalization, DCFS attempts to return them to their prior placement, if it remains clinically appropriate. In this case, during the hospital stay, M.M.’s clinical designation changed, and she therefore required a more specialized placement. DCFS was informed of this change on the day she no longer required 24/7 psychiatric services at the hospital and immediately began working to identify a suitable placement. This work was completed as soon as possible, and the youth was moved to a specialized foster care with her sister.

    • Is it true: “DCFS’s inaction caused [her] to remain locked in the hospital…unable to see her family, attend school, or play outside.” If so, why?

No. DCFS worked diligently to find this youth appropriate placement and did so as soon as possible.

    • Is it true “DCFS’s failure also caused Hartgrove [hospital] to bill DCFS for that portion of [her] hospital stay that was medically unnecessary and not covered by Medicaid.”

DCFS complied with all state and federal rules around reimbursement of its cost of care for this youth.

    • Is it true DCFS reimbursed itself $34,200 in April 2020 for expenses related to her inpatient hospitalization that was beyond medical necessity? If so, why?

In this case, MM required hospitalization and a new specialized placement, and costs were incurred and reimbursed as a result. There are federal and state rules that govern where funding to cover these costs comes from. DCFS follows these rules and any claims to the contrary are false and disingenuous.

    • Why has DCFS refused repayment of these funds — and will the department offer up an audit of the $83,000 of other federal benefit dollars spent related to her care?

Annual accounting of this youth’s benefits is required under Illinois law, and DCFS must adhere to all federal and state rules. An accounting has previously been provided to the GAL and OPG.

Thoughts?

  7 Comments      


Todd Maisch

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Todd Maisch started working for the Illinois Chamber back in 1994, eventually rising up the ranks to take over as President/CEO in 2014. I’ve known him and his wife Kim for what seems like forever. My heart goes out to his family. He was just 57 years old.

From the ILGOP…

“Todd Maisch was a champion for the business community in Illinois and will be deeply missed. He devoted his career working to building up small businesses, enact sound policy that energized local economies, and reduce the undue burdens that Illinois businesses and employers face. Our prayers are with his family during this difficult time” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.

This post will be updated.

…Adding… House Republican Leader Tony McCombie…

Todd Maisch was a fierce advocate for Chambers and job creators around Illinois, as well as a devoted friend to me and our caucus. On behalf of the Illinois House Republicans, we extend our deepest condolences to Kim, their two boys and the many he has touched over his many years of service and friendship. He will be missed!

* Comptroller Susana Mendoza…

“I am so heartbroken to hear the news about Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch passing away at 57. His departure leaves such a void in Illinois. He worked so hard to find bipartisan approaches to grow Illinois businesses. He understood we are all in this together. I treasure the time I spent with him, listening to him, speaking to his board. Democrats and Republicans around the state should all take a moment to honor Todd Maisch today for his advocacy for Illinois businesses. Our condolences go out to his wife and sons. May he rest in God’s peace and eternal glory.”

* Senate President Don Harmon…

“Todd Maisch was a statehouse fixture and synonymous with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. A fierce defender of and astute negotiator for the business community, Todd was also a genuinely likable person who could find the path forward among adversaries. He departs this world far too soon. My sympathies and thoughts go out to his family and friends.”

* House Speaker Chris Welch…

“I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Illinois Chamber of Commerce President, Todd Maisch.

“Todd was a fierce champion for the business community and an integral part of major policy wins for our economy, namely the Blue Collar Jobs Act and the historic Rebuild Illinois capital bill. Though Todd and I often found ourselves at opposite ends of policy debates, I knew he was driven by an adoration for our state and a sincere commitment to doing what he believed was right.

“I send my condolences and prayers to his family, friends, and the Illinois Chamber community. May your memories bring you comfort during this time of mourning.”

* Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea and Secretary-Treasurer Pat Devaney…

“We are saddened to hear of Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO’s Todd Maisch’s passing.

Todd was a veteran of the statehouse and will be greatly missed. Although we often sat across the table from each other on issues, we always worked to put our differences aside and find common ground to build a better Illinois for everyone.

Our hearts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

* Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora)…

“I am so sorry to hear of Todd’s passing. I have known Todd since I joined the Senate in 2007. We worked well together as we shared a passion for encouraging and empowering business development. He was a steadfast advocate for Illinois businesses of all sizes. He will be missed by many, and my thoughts are with his family.”

* Senate Republican Leader John Curran…

“The business community is losing a champion for working people throughout our state with the passing of Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch. Todd dedicated his career to building a stronger business climate and a stronger Illinois and he and his work will be greatly missed. My prayers are with his family.”

* Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association…

The Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association is saddened by the passing of Todd Maisch, and extends condolences to his friends and family. The transportation industry lost a great ally. Todd spoke clearly about the importance of transportation infrastructure to keep our economy moving. He championed investments in transportation and was key to making the Rebuild Illinois program a bipartisan win. Todd and the Illinois Chamber also worked with a diverse coalition in championing the enactment and enforcement of the Safe Roads Amendment to the Illinois Constitution to end diversions of transportation revenues once and for all. Todd expanded the traditional reach of the Chamber by working with labor and progressives on advancing economic opportunities for Illinois and its citizens. Todd Maisch made a difference. He will be missed.

* Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…

“On behalf of manufacturers across Illinois, we mourn the loss of Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch, who dedicated his career to strengthening the business community and bettering our state. We offer our sincerest condolences to his wife Kim and his two children, as well as the many colleagues who will carry on his memory and mission.”

* Gov. JB Pritzker…

“I am deeply saddened to learn of Todd Maisch’s passing. Throughout his career, he worked to advance proposals to grow the state’s business community, big and small. He was passionate about making Illinois a better place to live, work, and do business and he leaves behind a storied legacy of service.

MK and I send our deepest condolences to Todd’s friends and family during this difficult time. May his memory be a blessing.”

* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…

“Todd Maisch spent decades working tirelessly to bring business opportunities to every region of Illinois. I had the opportunity to work with Todd on various issues as a state legislator and as Attorney General. We may not have always agreed on policy perspectives, but Todd was always a gentleman and maintained an appropriate tenor during often-tense negotiations. His legacy will be one of service to the state of Illinois, and he will be missed.

“My heart goes out to Todd’s colleagues at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and my prayers are with his wife Kim and their two sons.”

  10 Comments      


Civic Committee wants to invest tens of millions of dollars, create thousands of jobs to pull off ambitious crime-prevention program

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sun-Times…

James Crown, one of the wealthiest men in Chicago, is aiming to use his national clout in business to try to fight crime in the city. The ambitious goal? To reduce the number of killings in Chicago to fewer than 400 a year within five years.

On Thursday, Crown — whose family was ranked 34th-richest in America by Forbes in 2020, worth an estimated $10.2 billion — is announcing a crime-reduction strategy focused on getting jobs for thousands of people in the most dangerous parts of Chicago, providing millions of dollars for civilian violence-intervention programs, strengthening law enforcement agencies and investing in low-income communities.

He’s a leader of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, which spent six months doing research and conducting interviews with former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, former police Supt. David Brown, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and leaders of dozens of organizations with ties to the criminal justice system.

* It wasn’t mentioned in the story, so I asked a spokesperson how much money was involved here…

They have acknowledged it will be tens of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs — but they won’t put a specific dollar figure out there until they have sat down with the violence intervention groups — analyzed state and private funding sources — looked at the schedule for scaling up — year by year — and determined the unfunded gap. So, the need will likely be smaller in year one than in year five and — as you know - public funding will also fluctuate — particularly as ARPA funds dry up.

* From the press release…

The Civic Committee has set ambitious goals that it believes the City should strive for and would put Chicago on track to be the safest big city in America:

Homicides:

    • Five years: Bring the annual number of homicides below 400 from the recent high of 804 in 2021.
    • Ten years: Bring the annual number of homicides below 200.

Shootings:

    • Five years: Bring the annual number of shootings below 2,000 from the record high of 3,561 in 2021.
    • Ten years: Bring the number of shootings below 1,000.

“We are clear-eyed about the challenges, but we also think it’s necessary to have a shared set of ambitious goals when it comes to reducing violence and saving lives,” Crown said.

To identify the areas where business can have the most impact, the Civic Committee engaged in a seven-month fact-finding process that included interviews with numerous elected officials, community organizations, academic experts, philanthropy, and law enforcement. Out of this process, the Civic Committee announced five commitments where it believes business can make the most significant contribution to address both short-term acute issues and long-term root causes of gun violence. They are:

    1. Helping take community violence intervention (CVI) programs to scale
    2. Hiring alumni of CVI programs with wraparound support services
    3. Enhancing policing/criminal justice reforms
    4. Hiring more broadly from underinvested communities
    5. Investing directly in underinvested communities

“We know that thousands of jobs are needed. We know that millions of dollars and technical support are needed. We know that our South and West Side communities need investment,” said Civic Committee President Derek Douglas. “Our five commitments reflect what business can bring to the table – a table that needs to be bolstered with leaders from across all sectors to work together and hold each other accountable to get the job done. No one sector can do it alone.”

The Civic Committee highlighted the work of the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities (PSPC), a consortium of 50 funders/donors, including the Crown Family Philanthropies, which helped drive home the need to take to scale Chicago’s growing network of community violence intervention programs which are on the ground saving lives. In particular, it noted PSPC’s support to expand the reach of the most effective programs, in one example, where gun violence dropped more than 40% last year.

The task force also affirmed that challenges in the law enforcement community are long-standing, with complex, deeply rooted histories. Douglas added, “We can and must support effective, constitutional policing while doing what we can to support those who put their lives on the line to make us safe. We also need to make sure our systems are set up to hold violent offenders accountable.”

Over the coming weeks, the Civic Committee will continue its efforts to reach out to partners in philanthropy, the non-profit sector, and the business community as well as Mayor Johnson, Governor Pritzker, President Preckwinkle, and other government leaders across the City, County, and State, to both hone in more precisely on the scale, scope, and timeline of the resources that are needed from the business community and to offer support for the broader “one table” effort to develop a single, comprehensive, data-driven plan that can be implemented over the next five to ten years.

To help drive this work, Douglas also announced that the Civic Committee has hired a team of public safety experts that will be led by Bob Boik, the former head of the Office of Constitutional Policing in the Chicago Police Department (CPD). Boik will serve as the Civic Committee’s Vice President for Public Safety to work with the task force to implement the five commitments. The Civic Committee has also engaged Ernest Cato III, a former top official in CPD, and former Accenture Vice President Eric Patton, as senior advisors to build partnerships and support the implementation effort.

  10 Comments      


Yes, we have big problems, but we’re most certainly not alone

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Daily Herald op-ed by Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington)…

Illinois may be located in the Midwest, but it is home to a surprising and alarming number of deserts. At least that is what the Democrats like to tell us.

Healthcare deserts. Housing deserts. Education deserts. Food deserts. Hospital deserts. Infrastructure deserts. Pharmacy deserts. Transportation deserts. For every problem facing our state, there is an accompanying “desert” associated with it.

And right on queue, there is a measure (SB 850) being considered in the legislature to allow the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create a Grocery Initiative and to study food deserts in Illinois and provide money to underserved areas. In other words, more government spending

The so-called remedy to these “deserts” is not the cure but is instead the underlying problem. Democrats have had total control of the state for a long time, and at no point has the thought occurred to them that just maybe the aggravating factors contributing to all of these “deserts” is the policies they have implemented. The left loves to talk about systemic problems and yet they ignore the systemic problems their policies have created.

Illinois has “deserts” because there is a climate crisis in our state. No, not global warming. A business climate crisis.

Let’s be very clear right up front: There is no doubt that our business climate is subpar, to put it mildly. Just look at the huge difficulties the governor has had while trying to lure an electric vehicle manufacturer here. It’s embarrassing.

But these problems aren’t confined to Illinois. They are all national issues.

* Let’s start with healthcare. ArcGIS…

Hospital Deserts in America

The National Rural Health Association reports that 77% of rural counties are considered “Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas”

Wikipedia…

A team of researchers found that in Los Angeles 89 percent of Black-majority census tracts were situated in trauma deserts; in Chicago, 73 percent; in New York City 14 percent. In Los Angeles County, South Los Angeles with one-million residents and the highest mortality rate in the county, also has the highest rates of disease and premature deaths from preventable conditions: “coronary heart disease, homicide, diabetes, lung cancer, and motor vehicle crashes.”

Washington Post…

In Texas alone, 159 of the state’s 254 counties have no general surgeons, 121 counties have no medical specialists, and 35 counties have no doctors at all. Thirty more counties are each forced to rely on just a single doctor, like Garner, a family physician by training who by necessity has become so much else: medical director of Culberson County.

* Housing deserts. USA Today…

Among Latinos, 42%, or roughly 21.2 million, lived in a census tract that lacked affordable housing in 2019. Nearly 9 in 10 of the Latino residents in such communities lived in five states: California, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas.

And…

Rental deserts make up about 31 percent of all neighborhoods nationally. This amounts to more than 22,000 census tracts where less than 20 percent of the stock is available to renters. Among these, nearly 7,000 are extreme rental deserts where just 10 percent of the stock or less is renter-occupied or vacant for rent. At the other end of the spectrum, high-rental neighborhoods make up just 5 percent of all tracts.

Rental deserts are disproportionately located in the suburbs where restrictive land use regulations and not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) politics can be common. In fact, suburban neighborhoods in metropolitan areas make up 54 percent of all tracts but account for 68 percent of rental deserts

* Education deserts…

An education desert is defined as a local area where there are either zero or only one public broad-access colleges nearby. […]

Of the nation’s 709 commuting zones, 392 are classified as education deserts, and these areas are home to approximately 35 million people (about 10% of the US population). These communities are spread across the country, with many concentrated in rural areas of low population density

* Food deserts. United States Department of Agriculture …

The Conversation…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 54.4 million Americans live in low-income areas with poor access to healthy food. For city residents, this means they are more than half a mile from the nearest supermarket.

WUWF…

Northwest Florida is home to 24 food deserts

According to the USDA’s most recent food access research report, 12.8% of Americans — more than 39 million people — live in food deserts. A food desert can be defined as a geographic area where residents may have low income and low access to healthy foods.

* Pharmacy deserts. The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California…

Black and Latino neighborhoods in the 30 most populous U.S. cities had fewer pharmacies than white or diverse neighborhoods between 2007-2015, USC research shows, suggesting that ‘pharmacy deserts’ — like so-called food deserts — may be an overlooked contributor to persistent racial and ethnic health disparities.

* Infrastructure deserts. NBC DFW…

A new study from Southern Methodist University Engineering experts found 62 infrastructure deserts in the City of Dallas.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Barbara Minsker led the research project using public data and aerial maps.

“An infrastructure desert is a low-income area that has very highly deficient infrastructure compared to other areas of the city,” Minsker said.

* Transportation deserts. Smithsonian Magazine…

Using GIS-based mapping technology, we recently assessed 52 U.S. cities, from large metropolises like New York City and Los Angeles to smaller cities such as Wichita. We systematically analyzed transportation and demand at the block group level – essentially, by neighborhoods. Then we classified block groups as “transit deserts,” with inadequate transportation services compared to demand; “transit oases,” with more transportation services than demand; and areas where transit supply meets demand. […]

Transportation deserts were present to varying degrees in all 52 cities in our study. In transit desert block groups, on average, about 43 percent of residents were transit dependent. But surprisingly, even in block groups that have enough transit service to meet demand, 38 percent of the population was transit dependent.

There are more examples and stats out there, but you get the gist.

* Meanwhile…

Governor JB Pritzker, Manner Polymers, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today joined local leaders and partners to announce Manner Polymers’ new manufacturing facility in Mount Vernon. Known as an industry manufacturing leader in polymer compounds, Manner Polymers’ new state-of-the-art Illinois facility will manufacture a wide array of PVC compounds, including automotive PVC compounds for use in electric vehicles (EVs) and components for solar panels.

The facility will be powered by a 15-acre solar field located on site. Bolstered by a Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) incentive package, Manner Polymers plans to invest $54 million and create more than 60 jobs for the Southern Illinois region.

That’s good news, but when the governor goes out of his way to enthusiastically tout the creation of only 60 jobs, there’s a problem.

  24 Comments      


Bills that didn’t make the cut

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Capitol News Illinois…

A proposed cannabis reform bill won’t get further consideration until at least the General Assembly’s fall veto session after stakeholders failed to come to an agreement during the spring session’s final stretch.

Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat and the bill’s sponsor, told Capitol News Illinois last week that Senate Bill 1559 didn’t pass in part due to disagreements around delta-8 THC, a synthetic psychoactive substance typically manufactured from hemp-derived CBD. […]

But advocates for the cannabis industry are pushing for a full ban. Ford said he refused to rewrite the bill to include a ban “without any serious dialogue from the public and from the state regulators.”

Delta-8, found in small traces of hemp and cannabis plants, is an easily accessible substance that can be purchased in licensed dispensaries but also in convenience stores that otherwise are prohibited from selling cannabis. Unlike the more well-known form of THC, delta-8 is often derived from CBD and causes a much milder high. But concerns over the substance’s safety have arisen across the country because it remains unregulated, and consumers of delta-8 have gotten sick after consumption. […]

The measure as drafted would address multiple areas of the state’s burgeoning cannabis industry, including reforms for craft growers, dispensary operations and licensing procedures. The stalled bill did not include any language on delta-8.

Among other things, the bill would have increased canopy space for craft growers from 5,000 square feet to 14,000 square feet. That measure, Ford said, could help those businesses grow to be more competitive in the industry.

* Crain’s…

Hopes for wide-ranging legislation that would fix a bunch of nagging issues in the marijuana industry fizzled at the last minute.

Instead, the General Assembly made just a few changes.

    • Social-equity applicants who won licenses for new retail shops got another year to find locations for their stores. They were at risk of losing those licenses starting in July if they hadn’t come up with locations.

    • The state also will have another $40 million to lend to new license holders to help them get started in a business where capital has dried up quickly.

    • Marijuana companies will be able to deduct typical business expenses from their state income taxes, something they can’t do on federal taxes because cannabis is illegal under federal law. Tax issues are a huge burden for an industry that’s struggling to become profitable.

But some other big changes that were expected as part of a broader weed bill that had been under discussion for months went up in smoke at the very end of the session.

Among them:

    • A provision that would have helped so-called craft marijuana growers to have 14,000 feet of grow space from the outset, rather than 5,000 square feet.

    • Drive-through and curbside service at dispensaries.

    • The ability for retail license winners to raise money from investors, albeit with restrictions, to get their stores off the ground.

* ACS CAN…

“The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is disappointed that the legislature didn’t pass legislation this general assembly that would have created paid medical and family leave, which would have helped reduce the cancer burden on Illinoisans.

“Cancer treatment is time-consuming–often requiring time off from work for doctor’s visits, surgery and recovery, chemotherapy and radiation. The flexibility to balance cancer treatment and employment is essential.

“A comprehensive paid medical and family leave bill that provides family leave insurance benefits to eligible employees in Illinois would help reduce the burden of cancer in our state. The legislation would have allowed those impacted by cancer to take time off work to attend to their own or a loved one’s care without losing their job or income.

“ACS CAN looks forward to hopefully working with the General Assembly during the veto session this fall to pass this important legislation and seeing Gov. Pritzker sign it into law.”

* The Telegraph…

The senators also discussed utility bills. [Sen. Erica Harriss, R-Glen Carbon] said some people in her district have seen bills go up by 90%. She co-sponsored a bill that would have allocated money in the budget to help people pay those bills, but the bill did not pass and the money was not released.

“We’re seeing a massive increase in bills and a decrease in the reliability of the energy grid,” said Plummer whose comment was met by laughter. Minutes before Tuesday night’s meeting, a power failure struck the Edwardsville Gun Club where it was held. Power was restored at 7:27 p.m., about an hour into the event.

* WAND…

An Illinois House Democrat has been trying to phase out the sub-minimum wages for workers with developmental and intellectual disabilities since 2019. State representatives had the opportunity to pass a bill tackling this issue Friday, but the Dignity in Pay Act failed to gain enough support after an intense debate.

Disabled workers have been paid much less than the state’s minimum wage for many years, and some lawmakers stress it is past time to eliminate the sub-minimum wage.

Rep. Theresa Mah (D-Chicago) said Friday that the state should empower people with disabilities to maximize their employment and self-sufficiency. Mah and many other lawmakers believe it is wrong that some people are paid as low as 50 cents per hour and make only $100 per month. […]

The Dignity in Pay Act could create a multi-year plan to eliminate the use of 14 C certificates on July 1, 2027. The Illinois Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force would be responsible for recommending future state policies, benchmarks, and funding levels to meet this goal. […]

“A lot of businesses don’t want somebody that only has an attention span of two to four hours that can work,” said Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Okawville). “They want somebody that’s able to work eight hours. So, you now have a person who you made unemployed and they don’t have that check.”

* Scott Holland…

Speaking of roads, consider House Bill 2910, which advanced out of committee (Transportation: Regulations, Roads & Bridges) on a 16-0 vote before failing 6-97-1 on March 23 in the full chamber. State Rep. Jawaharial Williams, D-Chicago, filed the bill in February hoping to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code to make it illegal to hold an animal while driving. The penalty would be a $50 fine.

Two Democratic suburban lawmakers signed on as co-sponsors: state Reps. Joyce Mason, Gurnee, and Suzanne Ness, Crystal Lake, and although the measure failed, the logic is sound: there are several distracted driving laws on the books and none explicitly mentions pets. The debate on cellphone use behind the wheel is settled, statutorily, but no one has explained why skipping to the next song on your playlist is inherently more dangerous than the Pomeranian between you and the steering wheel (to say nothing of smoking, eating, applying makeup or trying to keep the baby in the backseat from screaming). […]

Then there’s House Bill 1110, another Vehicle Code amendment. Also introduced by a Chicago Democrat, state Rep. Kam Buckner, this one has more sponsors, including House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna. The law would define “digitized driver’s license” and allow the presentation of such to law enforcement. It also caps the fee for any app required to display such a license at $6. The plan has been in the rules committee since March 27.

I access vehicle insurance cards through the carrier’s app and make sure my wife and oldest son have current copies on their phones. I probably wouldn’t pay $6 for a state app because I carry a wallet, but the teen drivers in my house would prefer fewer things in their pockets to potentially lose. There are extended questions, such as whether the digital license would work for proof of age or residency, but this is an idea whose time seemingly will come.

  22 Comments      


Why is this allowed to happen in plain sight?

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois Answers Project…

[Tiffany Henyard] wears two hats in local government. As the Dolton mayor, she takes home more than $46,000 in base pay and as the supervisor of Thornton Township, she makes more than $200,000 a year, records show.

An Illinois Answers Project and FOX 32 investigation has found that while in office, Henyard has:

    • Funnelled thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to a private foundation that bears her name. She says the organization helps people with cancer. The officers of the foundation are people who work for the township or the village.
    • Spent thousands of taxpayer dollars for a group bicycle ride to Springfield in support of a breast cancer bill, Henyard said in videos taken during the trip. But the bill was never formally filed and state lawmakers weren’t in session.
    • Spent thousands of taxpayers dollars for not one but two ice rinks. Elected officials say they did not authorize either expenditure.

In a September 2022 meeting, Henyard and the township board voted to give $10,000 to her foundation, which claims to help people with cancer. Records show the foundation’s paperwork was filed with the state the same day that the township payment was approved.

Documents show the foundation’s officials are all people who work for the village or township.

Dolton Village Manager Keith Freeman, who is also her paid senior advisor at the township, filed the paperwork for the foundation. Village of Dolton Housing Director William Moore and her executive assistant in Dolton, Carmen Carlisle, sit on the board. Thornton Township employees Cheryl Schranz, Pamela Airhart and Kamal Woods, are also nonprofit board members. […]

Last fall, under Henyard’s direction but without board approval, the Village of Dolton hired Minnesota-based KwikRink Synthetic Ice to build an artificial ice rink for $115,000, which included a $10,000 down payment.

But after the board found out and refused to pay the bill, leaving KwikRink with an ice rink collecting dust in a Minnesota warehouse pending payment, the village hired another company at her direction to supply the materials for a second rink ahead of a grand opening which came days before an election that would determine the fate of her control of the board. […]

According to township records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Henyard has received $316,000 in salaries and other payments since being appointed to the board in 2022. Those records show that she also received exorbitant reimbursement checks, though a township Freedom of Information officer never responded to requests for further clarification on those records. The Village of Dolton declined to provide records.

There’s a whole lot more, so go read the rest.

* Meanwhile, here’s Ted Slowik at the Daily Southtown…

Lawmakers have approved a state budget that proposes to send more than $9 million in state funds to Thornton Township and $6.8 million to the village of Dolton to cover operational costs and capital improvements.

I hope the state keeps close track of taxpayer dollars soon to be controlled by Tiffany Henyard, embattled supervisor of Thornton Township and mayor of Dolton. The money seems doomed to disappear into a black hole of zero accountability.

The majority of trustees on the Dolton Village Board said it’s been months since they’ve seen credit card statements, a warrants list of money owed to vendors and other financial documents. Henyard canceled Village Board meetings in March, April and May.

Henyard is spending $50,000 a month on a village credit card, Dolton trustees said. Trustees said they don’t know where the money is going. They’ve sued in an effort to promote transparency and see documents that would enable them to fulfill their oaths as stewards of village funds, but the court fight seems to have become an expensive legal slog.

Astute observers believe Henyard is commingling township and village funds and paying for gasoline for residents, continually throwing catered parties and spending big bucks on hair, makeup, photography and graphic design for promotions like billboards that misspelled Thornton Township.

Henyard seems to be wasting public funds in plain sight on frivolous endeavors. A village trustee publicly stated his belief that Henyard inherited a budget surplus when she became mayor in 2021 and now Dolton has a $5 million deficit.

Again, there’s more. Click here.

* Related Slowik columns…

    * Election prompts surreal scene in Dolton as mayor, trustees battle over legal bills: A spectacle that unfolded at a Dolton Village Board meeting Monday night seemed surreal. A DJ blared loud music as Henyard entered dressed as Nino Brown, a drug kingpin character portrayed by Wesley Snipes in the 1991 film, “New Jack City.” Henyard dressed in black leather and carried a stuffed dog to mimic a scene in which the head of a criminal enterprise intimidates, torments and physically assaults an underling.

    * Dolton trustees seek answers from Tiffany Henyard as mayor shrouds spending in secrecy: “The amount of money being spent without board approval, without checks and balances, is unacceptable,” Trustee Edward Steave said Monday night during a special board meeting at a Dolton Park District facility. … Trustees adopted an ordinance in February to cap credit card spending at $20,000 per month, but Henyard is ignoring the policy, House said. Henyard and trustees have battled over paying law firms and other vendors. … The board met at a Park District facility because last year when the board tried to meet at Village Hall on different occasions trustees were locked out, the power was shut off and the Fire Department was called, Steave said.

    * Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard blames Zuccarelli, state senator for $5 million deficit: Henyard also blamed the deficit on state Sen. Napoleon Harris, D-Harvey. Voters last summer elected Harris Democratic committeeperson for Thornton Township, a position Zuccarelli previously held. “Napoleon, your senator, was supposed to sign off on a $5 million amount to give to the township” Henyard said. “He did not give the township the $5 million, so that put the township in a deficit of $5 million, because they did a build out here at the township without even having the money in the bank.” I’ve previously criticized Henyard for mischaracterizing grant funds as “free money.” Her remarks about Harris seemed to indicate the senator might have unsuccessfully lobbied for a state grant that might have funded the Township Hall renovation. “I can assure everyone that Sen. Harris has never discussed funding or any grants with Supervisor Henyard and any claims suggesting otherwise are baseless,” Nakita McGraw, a representative for Harris, told me Wednesday.

    * Thornton Township firings and job postings driven by political revenge and not budget concerns, critics say: Amid the firings, the township posted on its website that it was seeking applicants for marketing manager, staff photographer, executive assistant, social media team, public relations manager, municipal communications coordinator, senior communications coordinator, youth communications coordinator, special events manager, township editor and event planner. None of the positions included information about job descriptions or minimal requirements, just links to a generic employment application.

  49 Comments      


Open thread

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s goin’ on? Keep it Illinois-centric please!…

  10 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go…

  17 Comments      


Live coverage

Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive…


  Comments Off      


« NEWER POSTS PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* Catching up with the congressionals
* Do better
* Big Beautiful Bill roundup: Pritzker says special session may not be needed, warns 330,000 Illinoisans could lose Medicaid; Planned Parenthood of Illinois pledges to continue care despite cuts (Updated)
* RETAIL: The Largest Employer In Illinois
* 'The Chosen One' tones himself down
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today's edition
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Live coverage
* Selected react to budget reconciliation bill passage (Updated x3 - Comments open)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
July 2025
June 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller