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Late news: Rotering back on Supreme Court ballot; Griffin contributes $1 million to HGOP Leader Durkin’s campaign fund

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Today, Judge Maureen O. Hannon of the Cook County Circuit Court ruled that Nancy Rotering will be a candidate for Illinois Supreme Court Judge on the June 28, 2022 primary ballot. In response, Rotering released the following statement:

“We are grateful that the Court ruled in our favor today and upheld what we always knew to be true: that our nominating petitions complied with the Election Code. This effort to distract from the real issues that matter to voters was unsuccessful. Fighting for fairness is why I am in this race. We are pleased that the voters will have the opportunity to select me as their Democratic nominee for Illinois Supreme Court Justice nominee on Election Day, June 28.”

* And…


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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Auditor General documents more DCFS failures

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune

Illinois’ long-troubled child welfare agency under Gov. J.B. Pritzker has failed to ensure adequate care for children in its charge and has not properly tracked cases referred to it by people who are legally required to report suspicions of abuse or neglect, according to a newly released audit of the agency.

The audit of the Department of Children and Family Services found failures to conduct required home safety checks before children are returned to their parents; to provide follow-up services for the required six months after a child leaves the agency’s care; and to make sure children in DCFS care are receiving appropriate medical checkups and immunizations, according to Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino’s report.

The audit, which covered the 2020 calendar year, also found that the agency’s records system is unable to track or identify service referrals that fall under a recent state law requiring DCFS to treat a report of abuse or neglect as a referral for services when it is made by a legally mandated reporter, such as a teacher, and there is a documented prior case of abuse or neglect or an open investigation involving anyone in the household. […]

“What the hell were they doing?” Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert said of that finding. “That’s the most basic, essential thing that you do when you have a report that children are at risk. Everything else flows from the safety assessment.”

* From the summary

• Home Safety Checklists are home safety assessments and educational tools that assist in promoting the safety of children. A Home Safety Checklist is to be completed by DCFS whenever it is determined by a court that a child that has been court ordered into foster or substitute care can return to the custody of the parent or guardian. DCFS was unable to provide 192 of the 195 (98%) required Home Safety Checklists within our sample. Additionally, according to DCFS’ website, Home Safety Checklists had still not been updated with required new language as of March 16, 2022.

• Aftercare services are to be provided to the child and child’s family by DCFS or a purchase of service agency, and shall begin on the date upon which the child is returned to the custody or guardianship of the parent or guardian. However, DCFS did not ensure that children and families were receiving the recommended aftercare services for the required six months upon family reunification. Of the 50 cases tested, 29 (58%) did not have at least six months of documented aftercare services, according to information within DCFS’ system of record. In addition, aftercare services procedures were not updated to reflect the new requirements within Public Act 101-0237 until December 28, 2020, almost an entire year after the effective date of the Act.

• Children in DCFS’ care are not receiving their well-child visits/ check-ups as required by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Public Health’s administrative rules, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services handbook for providers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, as well as DCFS’ own procedures. Of the 50 cases tested within each category, 9 (18%) were missing at least one physical examination, 7 (14%) were missing at least one vision screening, 28 (56%) were missing at least one hearing screening, and 44 (88%) were missing at least one dental exam, according to data within DCFS’ system of record. There were also numerous data entry errors and inconsistent data entry locations for dates when services were received.

• Auditors attempted to review 50 cases to ensure that children were up to date on their age-appropriate immunizations. However, after reviewing 10 cases, it was determined that the immunizations data within DCFS’ system of record was unreliable for testing. DCFS was able to provide hard copy medical records showing that only nine influenza vaccinations were actually missing.

• The system of record for DCFS, the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS), is unable to track or identify child welfare service referrals and child protective investigations that are initiated as a result of the new requirements pursuant to Public Act 101-0237. Because DCFS was unable to provide a population, auditors were unable to test for compliance with the Public Act.

• When reviewing the organizational chart data provided by DCFS, auditors determined that 3,291 (55%) of the 6,037 positions listed within DCFS’ Operations divisions are categorized as unfunded. Of the 2,746 positions that are categorized as funded, 573 (21%) are vacant.

* The full report contains some sharp retorts from the auditors to the agency’s responses. For instance, here’s the DCFS response to the auditor’s recommendation that DCFS “should review the unfunded positions within its organizational chart data, and update the organizational charts accordingly in order to more accurately reflect staffing needs”

It is important to note that the number of positions necessary to fulfill the mission of DCFS is driven by caseload ratios that have been established for decades and are covered by a consent decree.

From the auditor

The B.H. Consent Decree requires that a caseworker be assigned no more than 12 new cases per month for 9 months of a year, and no more than 15 new cases per month for the remaining 3 months of the year. However, DCFS has not been in compliance with this provision of the B.H. Consent Decree since at least FY15 through FY20

There’s lots more, so go read the whole thing if you can.

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Campaign notebook

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Jesse Sullivan’s campaign has told reporters that the candidate has “never” ever “lied” about his service. As we’ve already discussed, there’s definitely been some stretching. But an op-ed he wrote for the Catholic Community at Stanford’s newsletter contains this bio…

Jesse Sullivan ’15 has been led from government and nonprofit work, to joining the military and being deployed in Afghanistan, to attending Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and creating Alter, a start up organization in Haiti and Myanmar.

I asked the Sullivan campaign if he wrote that bio and if he didn’t, then why didn’t he correct the record. They referred me to this link, which didn’t really answer my question. Perhaps he’s too busy managing his plunging crypto accounts. /s

Sullivan wrote in the op-ed that he “was serving with the U.S. military in the deadliest district of the Afghan war,” so that may have naturally led the bio writer to assume he meant he was in the military, since that’s the common meaning of that phrase.

* Republican congressional candidate Catalina Lauf skipped a League of Women Voters candidates forum and her excuse was a doozy

Candidates are too afraid to go against the status quo - so instead, a lot of them get sucked into traps like attending forums hosted by far-leftist groups. These far-leftist groups control the questions and watch Republicans debate amongst themselves, so it’s not like we’re debating THEM. We are debating each other and they sit there and laugh! WE are NOT attending because we are not afraid to disrupt the status quo and we’re NOT going to cower to the mob, just like we won’t once we get to Washington. The League of Women Voters are anti-American, anti-women, anti-gun/anti-individual liberties and they should be exposed for what they are instead of supported.

Whew.

The excuse was called out for its lameness by the McHenry County Blog

If Lauf, or any of the 11th District Republican candidates really wanted to make a point with the LWV, all six candidates could/should have worked together and made sure no IL-11 Republican candidate attended tonight.

That would have upset the status quo and none of the candidates to my knowledge tried to organize an LWV boycott.

* Marie Newman, who is in a major Democratic primary battle against fellow US Rep. Sean Casten, writes about her abortion for CNN

I was just 19 years old and about midway through college when I found out I was pregnant. There was absolutely no way I could afford to raise a child. I was already working two jobs, which hardly covered enough money to support myself.

But it wasn’t just my finances that drove my decision to end my pregnancy. In my heart, I knew one thing to be true: As a teenager barely out of childhood myself, I simply was not ready to take on the monumental responsibility of becoming a parent.

From that perspective, terminating the pregnancy, while a difficult act, was not a difficult decision. A few days after my positive pregnancy test, I visited a reproductive health care clinic not far from campus to have an abortion.

Looking back more than 30 years, I have no doubt that I made the right choice. I am grateful for that teenage version of myself who had the wisdom and the courage to make that difficult decision. And I’m even more grateful that I had the freedom to exercise that choice.

Like many faced with similarly difficult options, I had a life ahead of me, a career and endless opportunities that eventually put me in a place where I was one day ready to start a family. And when I finally became a mom, it was among the most wonderful, meaningful experiences of my life.

* On the complete opposite side of the spectrum…

Illinois Family Action (IFA), the political arm of the largest pro-life/pro-family advocacy organization in Illinois, today endorsed candidate David Shestokas for Illinois Attorney General. “This primary election is critical for the direction of pro- family issues in Illinois and the Attorney General is a key office to protecting families’ freedoms of choice in education, religion, and life. We support David Shestokas because he has a long career of articulated personal commitment to defending the laws of God,” said David Smith, Executive Director of Illinois Family Action.

“David’s passion for truth and integrity in government shows he will protect the unborn from a wayward government that has been complicit in the murder of over 63,000 babies. He has shown dedication to justice and equality under the law and is a strong advocate for protecting our unalienable rights. David believes that the Attorney General is the people’s lawyer and not the governor’s or the government’s. He has an agenda to Make Crime Illegal Again by monitoring county state’s attorney’s failures to prosecute and will direct appropriate prosecutions when a state’s attorney refuses to do so. He will create a law enforcement hotline for officers who have put themselves in harm’s way to make a good arrest only to see prosecution declined. David has been an eye witness to illegal election activity and will fulfill the Illinois Attorney General Act’s directive to prosecute election crime with his experience to direct the office investigators. His record, vision, and integrity are why IFA endorses David Shestokas to be elected as the People’s lawyer, the Illinois Attorney General,” concluded Mr. Smith.

David Shestokas responded, “The IFA endorsement fortifies the troops of Illinois’ patriot campaigns in our historic mission to hold steady for the God loving, moral backbone of this country. I will continue to fight as David Smith has stated for preserving and advancing the interest of family, faith, and freedom. Thank you very much David Smith and IFA.”

* Well, I suppose that’s one way to spin an endorsement from a major trade union…

As part of his DC Swamp-funded campaign, RINO Rodney Davis is now being funded by one of Joe Biden’s major Super PACs.

The United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, which spent over $1.2 million attacking President Trump in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, is launching TV advertisements in support of RINO Rodney Davis.

Joe Biden’s liberal DC Super PACs are endorsing RINO Rodney Davis because like Joe Biden, RINO Rodney Davis supports red-flag gun confiscation and amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Today, we are launching a new website, www.RodneyTheRINO.com, where you can learn more facts about RINO Rodney’s embrace of the Biden Agenda.

RodneyTheRINO.com includes shocking facts on:

    • Rodney Davis supporting Dick Durbin’s federal gun confiscation
    • Rodney Davis joining Adam Kinzinger to support amnesty for illegal immigrants
    • Rodney Davis betraying President Trump in 2016
    • Rodney Davis embracing Liz Cheney for President
    • Rodney Davis voting for the January 6th Commission

I am honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and support because of my conservative America First record, which includes my unwavering support for the Second Amendment, border security, and ballot security.

* Press release…

Democratic Secretary of State candidate Anna Valencia today has released a new digital ad, “Choice,” highlighting her commitment to reproductive justice and history of working alongside women elected officials and community leaders fighting the Trump and Rauner administrations. Released in the wake of the draft Supreme Court opinion indicating the Court may soon overturn Roe v. Wade and following yesterday’s failed U.S. Senate vote to codify Roe, the ad highlights the clear choice for voters in the Democratic primary on June 28.

The video is here.

* Politico

Illinois House speaker gets fellow lawmakers to donate more than $200K to wife’s judicial campaign: “ShawnTe Raines-Welch, an attorney running for judge on the Democratic ticket, has vastly outraised her opponents in the obscure race for a newly created Cook County subcircuit court seat,” by WTTW’s Paris Schutz.

— Republican Dan Brady, the Illinois state representative and secretary of state candidate, will be feted at a fundraiser tonight cohosted by House Minority Leader Jim Durkin. Brady is running against former U.S. Attorney John Milhiser, who’s part of billionaire Ken Griffin’s Republican slate. Durkin is endorsing everyone on that slate but Milhiser.

— Rep. Sean Casten has been endorsed by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, state Rep. Justin Slaughter, and Tinley Park Mayor Mike Glotz in his bid for the 6th District seat. Full list

* There was apparently an embargo on this. No longer…


  24 Comments      


Illinois Sports Facilities Authority emerges from S&P junk bond status

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Late last month

The Pritzker administration is poking a $29 million hole in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s re-election-year budget, a move prompted by slow-to-recover taxes on Chicago hotel rooms but also a sign of continued jostling between the two officials.

Earlier this week, the Illinois Department of Revenue notified the city that the state will be withholding $29 million in sales taxes that ordinarily would go into the city treasury—the so-called local government distributive share. Instead, that money will go to pay debt at the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the agency that owns and operates Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the White Sox, and pays the bond debt tied to the 2003 renovation of Soldier Field.

* And while that move may have angered the city a bit (even though state law is what it is and the city is flush with federal dollars), the action pleased S&P, according to the Bond Buyer’s Yvette Shields

S&P Global Ratings lifted the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority out from junk territory, upgrading the authority to BBB-minus from BB-plus.

The hotel taxes that repay its Soldier Field bonds are on the mend and the agency is no longer putting efforts to spare Chicago’s city government from covering gaps between its tax revenue and debt service.

Hotel taxes still lag the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era and aren’t expected to fully recover until at least 2024, but they are rising and the agency is recommending to its board for a second year in a row that its annual state hotel tax advance — formally known as the “chairman’s certificate” — fully cover debt service on $415 million of outstanding bonds.

“The upgrade reflects our view that ISFA will continue to request the full chairman’s certificate and that hotel tax receipts will continue to trend upward,” S&P analyst Geoffrey Buswick said Tuesday. “They requested the full amount last year and they have told us they intend to request the full amount this year.” […]

As the agency earlier this year projected another shortfall totaling $28 million, board members voiced concerns over the impact any further use of reserves or additional restructuring would have on the agency’s fiscal health. The agency also adheres to an additional bonds test requirement tied to hotel tax collections complicating refinancings.

* And here’s Greg Hinz on the latest Chicago Fed report

The monthly review of what top business leaders are saying indicates that the overall activity index dropped from +3 in April to -26 in May. That suggests overall economic activity in the region “was well below trend,” according to the report.

Activity had peaked in the second quarter of last year. With a few blips, it has slowly decreased, and now is at its lowest level since 2020.

The indexes of both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing also both dropped to -21 and -29, respectively, during the month.

* From the Chicago Fed

Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions (CFSEC)
May 2022

The Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions (CFSEC) Activity Index decreased to –26 in April from +3 in March, suggesting that economic growth was well below trend. The CFSEC Manufacturing Activity Index decreased to –21 in April from +9 in March, and the CFSEC Nonmanufacturing Activity Index decreased to –29 in April from –2 in the previous month.

    • Respondents’ outlooks for the U.S. economy for the next 12 months deteriorated, and remained pessimistic on balance. Twenty-six percent of respondents expected an increase in economic activity over the next 12 months.
    • The pace of current hiring decreased, but respondents’ expectations for the pace of hiring over the next 12 months increased. The hiring index moved into negative territory, but the hiring expectations index remained positive.
    • Respondents’ expectations for the pace of capital spending over the next 12 months increased, and the capital spending expectations index turned positive.
    • The labor cost pressures index increased, but the nonlabor cost pressures index decreased. Both cost pressures indexes remained positive.

  4 Comments      


*** UPDATED x3 *** Illinois Jewish Legislative Caucus members to Kari Steele: “Publicly repudiate the hate-filled rants and accusations leveled by your spouse and top campaign surrogate”

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Kari Steele is an MWRD commissioner currently running for Cook County Assessor

Dear Commissioner Steele,

As Jewish leaders, we write to raise alarm about anti-semitic rhetoric being advanced by your spouse, Maze Jackson, a radio personality and podcaster with a YouTube channel. As you know, Jackson has served as a leading surrogate for your campaign, including speaking about it extensively on his show, and commenting on the record in a recent Chicago Tribune article about the race.

As you may also know, the past year has seen a record upsurge in the amount of documented antisemitic incidents, an increase of 34% in 2021 over any previous year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. These incidents range from vandalism and hate speech to threats and violent attacks. Obviously, this increase in attacks has been deeply disturbing and terrifying for our community.

Amidst this surge, Mr. Jackson has allowed his show to be used as a platform from which attacks on the Jewish community have been launched.

These attacks have been targeted at Jews in general, as well as several Jewish individuals and a major Jewish civic organization, all of them active in working for more affordable housing in the city. On April 13 of this year, Mr. Jackson referred on his show to an unnamed “Jewish organization,” which he alleges “controls” the affordable housing activists who are part of the Chicago Housing Initiative (CHI). CHI is a broad coalition of community organizations and agencies working to expand the supply of affordable housing units across the city. CHI is not “run” by a Jewish organization, although the venerable Jewish Council on Urban Affairs is an active and committed participant.

This is a classic dog whistle, calling forth the time-worn trope that Jews control social institutions behind the scenes. Mr. Jackson lends credence to the conspiracy theory in which Jews manipulate these advocacy organizations in order to undermine the Black community. His shows’ call-in segments include vicious, irrational rants filled with accusations against Jews, none of which he squelches, challenges, disputes or even interrupts. Mr. Jackson provides a public platform for virulent anti-semites. And it is dangerous.

What has prompted Jackson’s attack on Jews in the affordable housing movement? Apparently a recent report by the Better Government Association laying out the relationship between property developer Onni Group and Mr. Jackson himself, so infuriating Jackson to cause him to lash out.

(https://www.bettergov.org/news/ald-walter-burnett-softened-stance-on-affordable-housi ng-after-cash-flowed/).

Commissioner Steele, as an elected public official, we urge you to live up to your obligation to publicly repudiate the hate-filled rants and accusations leveled by your spouse and top campaign surrogate on the airwaves, and to show some leadership in uniting, rather than dividing, those who are working for the betterment of our county and its distressed communities. As a candidate for a post with a huge public responsibility, we urge you to display both moral courage and high ethical standards.

As Jewish leaders, we cannot be silent when any among us come under this sort of nefarious and dangerous attack. We ask that you reject Mr. Jackson’s hateful behavior, and set an example of standing up for all those attacked for race, religion, or gender.

Sincerely,

    Rep. Jonathan Carroll
    Rep. Kelly Cassidy
    Sen. Sara Feigenholtz
    Sen. Laura Fine
    Asst. Maj. Leader Robyn Gabel
    Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
    Rep. Anna Moeller
    Rep. Bob Morgan
    Sen. Julie Morrison
    Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback
    Rep. Sam Yingling

* April 13th, 2022

Pt 1: https://youtu.be/bErD3r39XLc
Pt 2: https://youtu.be/Ok3ZK3rjqpM

33:13: “…but what we found in our discussion, Reese, was that the white folks that was behind this action were willing to throw out all of the other people just to be in the new buildings, and what was actually happening was a war for white people who were trying to take over the housing market. And I don’t know if you all remember when I started getting deeper into this, I realized that CHI was putting Black people at the forefront of this fight but realistically they were being run by a Jewish organization, and they were attacking not only the developer, the alderman and myself because we weren’t going to be dictated to by Chicago Housing Initiative, and that, if you recall, is when I discovered the whole t-shirt program. Remember when we talked about in these housing fights we see people that are dressed up in a certain color t-shirt, they show up for the press conference and they’re on a bus brought by some group of white people that organize them, stands them up there, and the white person tells them what to say? Well, what I’m starting to recognize as this is happening is that this isn’t about keeping affordable people in the housing, in the building–it is these organizations that have decided that the new stomping grounds for control of Black of housing was in the 27th Ward.”

47:04: “I wake up this morning and I look at who’s tweeting [the BGA article], who’s sharing it and these white liberal… [Maze stops himself from continuing] I’m not gonna put the other descriptive descriptor on them, but I must be clear that there are certain groups of people who feel like they have dominion over us…”

* More

March 31st, 2022
https://youtu.be/SUYz8kgTCT0

02:55:00 Co-host DJ Riis “I’m not voting for JB, he’s a Jew. He don’t know anything” [Jackson makes hooting sound.]

DJ Riis: “He’s Jewish, [sarcastically] whatever you want me to say.” “He doesn’t understand me. He hasn’t been where I’ve been. I understand that they went through something. We went through 400 years, though!”

[Jackson later makes a joke about JB’s weight. No comments about the hateful rhetoric.]

Feb 25th, 2022
https://youtu.be/U3WoFbGNU1s

2:10:01 Jackson: “When [JB] says he’s Jewish, I thought [his ancestors] came from Israel”

Guest: “No, they stole that land in 1942. Them people lying, they the fake Jews. We the real truth. The letter J is the last letter added to the American alphabet check it out. …

02:11:06 “Just stay in touch with your boy. I’ll keep you educated about the fake Jews. They stole the land after WW2. They know it! Shalom.”

Jackson: “Shalom Shalom.”

There’s a lot more, so click here if you can stomach it.

* There’s also another angle. Jackson has taken to going after Joanna Klonsky, who he claims was “behind” the BGA report. According to the story, Jackson was paid $417,500 to lobby his longtime friend and ally Chicago Ald. Walter Burnett, who eventually flip-flopped to a position in favor of Jackson’s client

One of Jackson’s first reported actions on Onni’s payroll was to organize a fundraiser for Burnett.

Burnett later said he didn’t know the fundraiser was for Omni.

* Anyway, this is just a slice of what Jackson said about Klonsky, who is Jewish, on that program

Hold on. I just want to make sure y’all get an opportunity to see the picture. Right. So as you know, they quick to exploit us. They quick to exploit us. So… Which camera? … I want you to see her. I want you to know her. [Long pause while Jackson holds up her photo and name] That’s where the story came from.

Screen cap…

* Also…


*** UPDATE 1 *** Maze Jackson…

“I take full responsibility for the words I have said and that were said by others on my show, I recognize that they were wrong, and I sincerely apologize for the pain they have caused the Jewish community.

As many people know, I am a vociferous advocate for the Black Community and fight daily against the negative stereotypes and associations assigned to Black People. To have my show, a show I created to be a venue for open discussion without hate or discrimination, cause others to feel stereotyped is extremely disheartening, especially considering the important role Jewish people have played in my personal development and life journey including my Godfather who spent time discussing these serious issues with me. I understand that the Jewish community has faced many of the same hardships of the Black community and we should work together to address those common hardships.

Over the coming weeks, I will be meeting with leaders of the Jewish community to apologize for the words stated on my show, but more importantly I commit to working with Jewish leaders to build stronger relationships and find solutions on ways our communities can rebuild what was once seen as an unbreakable bond.

Again, I want to emphasize that The Maze Jackson Show on What’s in it for the Black People Media is meant to encourage open and inclusive discussions to promote understanding and discourage hate. I apologize for any content over the course of my show that would go against that mission. I have spoken to the staff of my show and we all pledge to do better.”

That’s a strong apology. Good for him.

*** UPDATE 2 *** Kari Steele…

“I unequivocally reject any hateful rhetoric and apologize for the comments made on my husband’s show and the hurt they caused the Jewish community. As a woman of faith, I believe that we must respect everyone’s religion and faith.

I rebuke hate as an option in any circumstance. When I heard about the statements made on my husband’s show I immediately condemned them and expressed my anger and disappointment to him. I have also encouraged him to meet with leaders of the Jewish community to apologize and to work to bring our communities together.

As many people know, Maze has devoted his career to the pursuit of equity and respect for the Black community. He deeply values the notion of equity and the dismantling of negative stereotypes.

Ultimately, despite Fritz Kaegi’s best efforts to make it seem like it, Maze Jackson is not running against him for Assessor. Like all women, I am not my husband.

I am a proven public servant with over ten years of unblemished experience, and I have led on encouraging inclusion and diversity in my office. Any notion that my husband controls what I think or do in my personal or professional life is, and has always been, fundamentally untrue.”

If he’s promoting her campaign, this is fair game. Period.

*** UPDATE 3 *** Reasonable…


  65 Comments      


More on that WGN poll

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. Greg Hinz

If the latest poll is to be believed, the race for GOP rights to take on incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker is far too close to be called, though two contenders clearly are leading the pack.

According to the survey by WGN and Emerson College, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin leads but, despite all his millions in paid TV ads courtesy of Chicago hedge fund mogul Ken Griffin, only has 24.1% of the vote. That’s really just a hair ahead of downstate conservative state Sen. Darren Bailey, with 19.8%. […]

Bailey not surprisingly is all smiles over the results, and says he’s just beginning to rev up in the Chicago market. Team Irvin says their polls are better, but concedes the mayor may have been hurt by millions of dollars targeting from the Democratic Governor’s Association in a clear effort by Pritzker to select his general election foe.

Bailey’s gonna “rev up” in Chicago with what money? It’s like a million dollars a week to go on the teevee in that city. Maybe he shouldn’t have been giving so much money away to his pals last year.

Also, Bailey has been telling his supporters for months that he’s ahead in the polls without offering up any evidence. And now he’s all smiles?

* Anyway, speaking of the Democratic Governors Association…

“This new polling makes one thing crystal clear: voters are getting tired of Irvin’s refusal to take a stand. His numbers have slipped, and the race is closer than ever,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Over the next two months, voters will watch as Richard Irvin — a pawn for GOP megadonor Ken Griffin — and far-right extremist Darren Bailey battle for the nomination. No matter which candidate clinches it, voters know the truth: Gov. JB Pritzker is the only proven leader for the state of Illinois.”

Irvin’s numbers have slipped from what poll?

* Somebody apparently forgot about the DGA and Dan Proft’s PAC money when this was written

Irvin has spent $12.2 million on TV ads, while Bailey has spent about $1 million. In Chicago, Irvin has spent more than 40 times as much on TV as Bailey, according to a source familiar with the numbers.

Irvin campaign’s curious response: “JB Pritzker and his allies are funding Darren Bailey’s campaign because they know that Richard Irvin is Pritzker’s greatest threat in November.”

That ain’t “curious.” It’s true.

* Center Square

The other four candidates trail with less than 10% each: businessman Gary Rabine (7.8%), entrepreneur Jesse Sullivan (7.3%), attorney Max Solomon (2.3%) and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, (1.9%) […]

The economy is the top issue for 54.2% of those polled. Crime came in second (15.2%) with immigration (6.5%), COVID-19 (4.3%), education (3.6%), health care (4.7%) and the war in Ukraine (2%) rounding out the concerns.

It’s amazing to me that Jesse Sullivan could spend millions of dollars and is still trailing Gary Rabine, who’s barely spent a thin dime. And I do feel a bit sorry for Schimpf. He’s a good guy. But he’s running a bad campaign.

Subcribers know more about the issue section of the poll.

  51 Comments      


Bailey hints at possible Trump endorsement in Quincy

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sen. Darren Bailey talking to WMBD’s Matt Sheehan, who asked if he thought he would get former President Donald Trump’s endorsement

I am the only America first candidate. I am the only true conservative. And I believe at the end of the day that’s going to earn Trump’s endorsement. There’s a possibility that he may be coming to the Quincy area before the primary and that, yes, we have very high hopes that we will be receiving his endorsement.

  50 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* How’s it going?

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

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*** LIVE COVERAGE ***

Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

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