* Greg Hinz has a post about an upcoming fundraiser for US Sen. Mark Kirk…
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, will be in town for a luncheon at the Chicago Club for which tickets are going for $1,000 to $5,400 a head. Team Kirk is hoping to pull in around $200,000 at the event, almost enough to pay for a week of statewide TV ads.
The name sponsors include four prominent GOP fundraisers: Craig Duchossois, Barry MacLean, Miles White and Ron Gidwitz.
* A really nice man who helped me with some house-related stuff last week asked if I thought we’d have a state budget in January. He was laid off at IDNR and was told at the time that he could have his job back when a budget was passed. So, he was doing odd jobs in the interim to try and make some ends meet.
I didn’t want to lie, so I told him it was very possible that we’d never see a FY16 budget deal. He was pretty bummed out and I don’t blame him.
* Anyway, university chiefs are starting to fear the same result, or, more accurately, the lack thereof…
Even as members of Southern Illinois University’s Board of Trustees voted Thursday to approve a number of spending measures to keep the university moving forward, President Randy Dunn cautioned state funding is more tenuous than ever.
In fact, he said, chatter is growing louder in Springfield that public colleges and universities may never receive fiscal year 2016 funding. Lawmakers would choose instead to skip the appropriation.
“Obviously, that would be disastrous,” Dunn said, noting that SIU will “limp through” to the end of the fiscal year either way.
Beyond that, though, Dunn had more questions than answers about the impact of a full year without state funding.
“If we don’t see any appropriation for this year, where does the money then come from to … get all of these things paid back and get vendors caught up?” he wondered. “So that’s our big worry there.”
From the start, Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd says, there were red flags in the death investigation of Fox Lake Police Lt. Charles Gliniewicz.
“What I noticed was two striking things,” Rudd tells CBS 2’s Brad Edwards in his first interview since last week’s bombshell about a bad cop who staged his own suicide to look like murder.
“There was absolutely no defensive wound whatsoever,” Rudd says of the officer’s body.
The other suspicious factor: “His uniform was in roll-call order, which is rare in a struggle. There was only a little mud on his knees.”
Lake County Coroner Tom Rudd is dropping his re-election bid after FOX 32 raised questions about the validity of his nominating petitions. […]
“If I made a mistake, I will state that,” Rudd said. “I’m a physician, a scientist. I don’t know the vagaries of election law. It was an honest mistake.”
Rudd was facing an election board hearing on Tuesday after two citizens challenged the validity of his petitions. Rudd tells FOX 32 he paid individuals from North Chicago to gather signatures on his petitions, then signed a sworn affidavit at the bottom of the sheets saying that he had gathered the signatures himself. Rudd said he did not know that is a violation of election law.
FOX 32 also learned that one of the signatures on Rudd’s petitions is from a man who died in 2005.
Sounds like he was a pretty decent coroner, but shoulda hired some electoral help.
When Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich called together religious leaders last week to pray for justice in Chicago, one of his priests made a conscious choice not to attend. Doing so, he believed, would betray the flock he serves and protects.
Chicago Police Chaplain Dan Brandt says the furor that has erupted over the video of the shooting of Laquan McDonald and the clergy-led protests calling for the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel are “anything but Judeo-Christian in nature.” The skeptical eye that Chicago police now face is unwarranted and unjust, he says. […]
“You’re trained to shoot until the threat is gone,” Brandt, an archdiocesan priest, said in an interview. “I propose that Van Dyke was a hero. How many lives were saved by him stopping that armed offender from getting any farther, from doing more damage than he already had done?”
While Brandt concedes that he’s expressing “a pretty unpopular opinion,” he and other police chaplains insist that Chicagoans shouldn’t lose sight of what officers face every day. The clergy who counsel, comfort and console Chicago’s law enforcement want the public to pause a moment and consider those who keep their city safe.
Most of us have thought lately about how the police do their best to keep us safe. But absurd comments like this badly hurt law enforcement’s reputation. This insane, counter-productive solidarity with outlaw cops has to end.
In early November, 2014, Craig Futterman, a law professor at the University of Chicago, got a call from someone who worked in law enforcement in that city. The caller told Futterman about a squad-car dashboard-camera video from a few weeks earlier, which showed a police officer shooting to death a seventeen-year-old boy named Laquan McDonald. According to the source, the video was at striking odds with the version of the incident that the Chicago Police Department had presented. In that account, the officer, Jason Van Dyke, acted in self-defense: McDonald was out of control and menacing him with a knife, so he shot him once, in the chest. But the source, describing the video frame by frame, evoked what sounded to Futterman like “an execution.” […]
This is not the first time that Futterman has received an inside tip about police abuse. He believes that the whistle-blowers represent “the majority of Chicago cops,” who are doing their jobs “just as you would want them to.” Those officers “hate this stuff” as much as anyone, because “it creates hostility to the police, and steals the honor of those who are doing things right.” Yet even the best-intentioned officers have to cope with a code of silence—the mirror image of the criminals’ code against snitching.
In the McDonald case, the first officers on the scene, responding to a call about a young man acting erratically and breaking into trucks, were doing things right. McDonald apparently did have a knife, and, according to the autopsy, he had PCP in his system. Futterman said that those officers were careful. They “needed to arrest him, take him to the hospital,” and “they called for backup, for someone with a taser.” Then Van Dyke arrived and instantly fired sixteen shots. In reports to internal investigators, the other officers either corroborated his story or said that they hadn’t seen what happened. One said that she had been looking down and missed the whole thing.
The code of silence has protected some particularly reprehensible behavior in the C.P.D., much of it directed at the city’s black population. Perhaps the most egregious was that of Jon Burge, a commander who, in the nineteen-seventies and eighties, headed a group of officers that he called the Midnight Crew. To extract confessions, the crew tortured dozens of men, most of them African-American, using electric shock, suffocation, and Russian roulette. Last May, the city agreed to a reparations agreement that included $5.5 million for the victims and an obligation to teach the episode in the public-school curriculum. According to the Better Government Association, between 2010 and 2014 there were seventy fatal shootings by the Chicago police, a higher number than in any other large city. (Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Dallas had a higher number per capita.) Between 2004 and 2014, the city spent $521 million defending the department and settling lawsuits claiming excessive force.
* As I told you earlier today, the state GOP has a new hashtag about Speaker Madigan. It also has a new web video…
The Illinois Republican Party launched a new web ad entitled “#TaxHikeMike” to coincide with a social media campaign by the same name. The new video highlights Speaker Mike Madigan’s statement to the City Club of Chicago on Wednesday, indicating that a return to a 5 percent individual income tax rate (a 33% increase from the current rate) is a “good place to begin.”
“In a rare moment of honesty, Speaker Mike Madigan said publicly what he has been hiding for months: He is intent on raising taxes and will fight to block reforms to state government,” said Nick Klitzing, Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party. “Madigan believes ‘a good place to begin’ is increasing taxes by 33%, but taxpayers want to begin by reforming the broken state government that Madigan has controlled for 30+ years. Speaker Madigan doesn’t want to engage in good faith negotiations that could lead to compromise; he wants a massive tax increase without structural reforms. He is #TaxHikeMike.”
City Club of Chicago, 12/9/15
Moderator: How high do you think taxes need to go?… A one or two word answer could do.
Madigan: Alright, let me avoid creating a headline for tomorrow’s newspaper.
… and say a good place to begin … a good place to begin … would be the level we were at before the income tax expired.
33% Tax Increase
Madigan: Starting there, you could go in whatever direction you want to go.
Madigan: Starting there, you could go in whatever direction you want to go.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin last week said he, the other legislative leaders and the governor had a “healthy” discussion about pensions.
“No one wants to talk about it but we have to talk about it,” he said. “The unfunded liabilities in our system continue to grow. We can’t lose sight of it. And I think that we can get there at some point.” […]
When he left that meeting the House’s top Democrat - Speaker Michael Madigan - said Gov. Bruce Rauner has tied his pension ideas to collective bargaining — the very issue at the heart of Illinois’ budget stalemate.
“It gets terribly complicated. Bottom line for understanding is that when the governor talks about changes in the pension laws, he always talks about changes to collective bargaining. That’s important to understand,” Madigan said.
So, is this yet another poison pill?
I asked the governor’s office for comment and was referred back to a couple of posts on my own website.
“You can’t do consideration without changes in collective bargaining,” I was told.
[Senate President John Cullerton’s] idea is to present them with a stark choice as their contracts come due for renewal: Workers could agree to a scaling back of the COLA they’ve been promised in retirement or forgo any pay raises while they’re still working.
“The state constitution,” said Cullerton, “does not guarantee pay raises.”
Cullerton predicts most workers nearing retirement will opt to keep their 3 percent COLA. But enough younger and middle-age workers will choose continued pay raises that will achieve more substantial long-term savings. Current retiree benefits wouldn’t be touched, and since 2011, new “Tier 2″ hires already have had their promised benefits reduced.
The latest pension-cutting concept outlined by Senate President John Cullerton looks like extortion—both unconstitutional and blatantly unfair
* So, is Madigan the lone hold-out on pension reform?
Maybe not.
* The Cullerton folks say their guy’s proposal is not the same as the governor’s proposal.
There’s an understandable reluctance to talk about details of negotiations. However, Cullerton’s spokesperson told me the big difference between Cullerton’s proposal and Rauner’s is that while Cullerton does support some changes to collective bargaining, “we are not fundamentally undermining the right to collective bargaining.”
Few legislators would make the decision that Esther Golar made. She knew her life was on the line and she made the untenable commute via car to Springfield because she cared so deeply for the constituents of this state. I can think of no greater person to honor with a lifetime achievement award than someone who was willing to give their life to this job.
Agreed.
* The 2015 John Millner Lifetime Service Award for the Illinois Senate…
I have known of Sen. Dave Luechtefeld since the mid 60’s when he was coaching at a rival high school and got to know him much better when I moved back to the district he was appointed to represent. I recall the first time we had a chance to talk. It was probably very obvious to him that I did not accept some of his strongly held conservative principles yet before I left he made certain that I had his personal cell number and told me to use it any time. I have tried never to abuse that privilege, yet he always returns my calls, once even after 9 pm on a Sunday.
He was always accessible and willing to listen. He, on occasion vented some of his frustrations to me as I was doing with him. We could honestly disagree but we always shook hands and left as friends. He understood my concerns and my “hot button” issues, yet he was never disrespectful.
Sen Dave represented his constituents well. His demeanor, commitments and principles (even when we might disagree) will be missed in the next GA
* Today’s categories…
* Best State Agency Director
* Best Legislative Liaison
Don’t forget to explain your nominations please. Thanks!
* Cook County state’s attorney candidate Donna More made some news…
She contributed $250,000 to her campaign on Friday, according to filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections. That made her what is known as a “self-funding candidate” under the law — and eliminated the cap on donations to any candidates in that race.
Before Friday, her family — specifically, her husband and mother — had donated a total of $99,000 to the campaign. Once donations by a candidate or their family to a campaign reach $100,000, that candidate becomes “self-funding” under the law, which means donation limits are no longer in effect. Those limits would have been $5,400 for individuals, $10,800 for corporations or unions and $53,900 for political action committees.
More’s campaign on Friday called the contribution “no big deal.”
“She’s putting her own skin in the campaign because she clearly wants to show the importance of this race, how important this race is to her and to the voters and residents of this county,” her spokesman John E. Davis said.
It goes without saying, but anybody who says a $250,000 contribution is “no big deal” has a completely different sort of life than just about everyone else.
State records show Donna More gave $2,500 to the Rauner campaign in September 2014, a couple of months before the governor unseated Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn. Those records also indicate More has given a total of $15,800 to candidates since 2001, with the rest of the money going to Democrats.
Federal Election Commission records show that since 1997, More also has donated $6,000 to John Ensign, a former Republican senator from Nevada; $500 to former Illinois GOP U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald; and $250 to former Republican U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia. […]
Chicago voting records, meanwhile, show that More voted in the in March 2014 Republican primary, when Rauner was on the ballot. Other than that year, she has voted consistently in Democratic primaries, records indicate.
Gee, I wonder who was on the Republican primary ballot last year?
A candidate in the hotly contested Democratic primary race for Cook County state’s attorney has added a former Chicago gang leader and ex-felon to her staff. But Chicago attorney Donna More calls Wallace “Gator” Bradley a “role model” deserving of second chances.
Bradley, a former member of the Gangster Disciples, was convicted of burglary and armed robbery in the 1970s. He served a year in prison and three years on work release. In 1990, he was pardoned by Gov. Jim Thompson for what Bradley describes as “the work I put back into the community.”
These days, Bradley’s is an “urban translator” and political consultant for More’s campaign. His main task, he tells me, is educating voters, particularly in black neighborhoods, to understand “that justice cannot be defined by race, religion or party.”
Recent campaign records show More’s campaign paid him $12,875 in less than two months.
He’s also worked for congressmen Danny Davis, Bobby Rush and Jesse Jackson Jr., among others. Democratic operatives say More has taken a controversial step by paying him directly out of her payroll.
* Related…
* Judge acquits Chicago police commander of abuse charge despite DNA evidence: The ruling marked another setback for State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, who despite bringing first-degree-murder charges recently against Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke for shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times has been barraged with calls for her to resign over delaying the release of the dash-cam video of the fatal shooting until 13 months later. Prosecutors had no immediate comment on Cannon’s ruling, but an Alvarez’s spokeswoman said the office would be releasing a statement shortly.
* Maybe instead of worrying so much about a handful of vetted Syrian refugees, the governor ought to be making sure the coppers can get to where they’re going…
Even a program that has put on the road thousands of new state police vehicles financed by a dedicated drivers’ fee has been caught up in the Illinois state budget debacle.
A vehicle registration surcharge that has raised $58 million and transformed the Illinois State Police fleet from a junkyard of overtaxed hulks to a stable of safe and more efficient cruisers is stalled because of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s moratorium on vehicle purchases.
An Associated Press analysis of records obtained under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act shows that the program has been successful in regularly removing from the highway pursuit vehicles that have surpassed their useful, cost-efficient and safe lifespans. A 2003 report maintained by the AP includes a squad car with 900,000 miles.
The Rauner administration is reluctant to talk about it. The state police finally responded to AP inquiries last week, saying the Republican governor’s executive order to reduce spending has stalled purchases; those being outfitted now were purchased under former Gov. Pat Quinn.
To be clear here, a dedicated revenue stream from a state fee pays for those new cars. The money does not come from GRF and cannot be used for anything else unless a new law is passed.
* From a CMS memo to state employees last Friday that was forwarded to me a kabillion times…
In recent weeks, there has been considerable misinformation directed to state employees about the future of our state employee group health insurance. I can assure you that employee premiums will remain at their current levels from now until June 30, 2016 (Fiscal Year 2016). Put simply, your existing plan, with the same carrier and the same costs, will remain in place throughout Fiscal Year 2016.
“It’s extremely misleading and disingenuous,” AFSCME deputy director Mike Newman said. “They had proposed until our last bargaining session to double employees costs in (the current) fiscal year. That proposal is now off the table because the state insisted on such outrageous demands for so long that it is now too late to be able to implement changes in this fiscal year.”
And according to Newman, the state is now demanding a doubling of employee costs starting July 1, 2016.
* Back to the memo…
You must be aware, however, that many of our current plans are considered Platinum Plus plans and are so expensive that they will likely be subject to federal penalties on luxury plans in future years. Premiums for these expensive Platinum Plus, Cadillac plans are likely to double after July 1, 2016. But here again, recent misinformation provided to some employees omitted a key fact. Starting July 1, 2016, under the completed contracts and in our current proposals, we will offer less expensive plans with the same carriers and the same services for substantially the same premium costs that we offer today. Said otherwise, you would have the option to pay the same premium you pay today even after July 1, 2016.
“They’re not less expensive plans,” Newman said. “What they’re saying is that if somebody wants to pay less in premiums, they can sign up for a plan that will have higher copays and deductibles and higher maximum out-of-pocket costs. Either way, the state’s proposal is for employee costs to double.”
* CMS…
Finally, despite the national trends that show massive increases in healthcare spending and costs in the next few years, we are implementing several cost-saving measures, including identifying and removing those individuals who are defrauding the system, that will allow us to contain costs going forward. Overall, we’re shifting towards a consumer-focused model and away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach, a strategy that mirrors what is happening in other states and is long overdue here in Illinois. Due to these cost-saving measures, the State has proposed a cap on any increases to employee premiums for 2018 and 2019. We would cap all annual increases in employee premiums for 2018 and 2019 at 10%, even if the State’s actual costs increase by an amount greater than 10%.
He cited a Chicago Sun-Times Watchdogs investigation published in November that found that although more than 50,000 people with mental illnesses have been barred from owning guns in Illinois in recent years, the law has done little to take guns out of their hands. […]
People with revoked FOID cards are required to report the disposition of their guns to the police. But law enforcement agencies typically don’t check whether they’re doing so, the Sun-Times found.
Under Harris’ bill, when anyone with a revoked gun cards fails to comply with the law, the local police would be required to go to court and seek a warrant to search the person’s home for the FOID card and any firearms.
* That same mandate would apply to people who are on the FBI’s Terrorist Watchlist…
Though more than 1 million people are on the terrorist watch list, Harris said a small fraction are U.S. citizens, and those on the list have the right to appeal. […]
State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, a gun-rights advocate who helped craft the current law, said he needs to study Harris’s proposal. But he argued that any new legislation should be worded so it doesn’t intrude on the rights of people complying with state gun regulations.
“I think Representative Harris may have great intentions on this, but I don’t want any law-abiding gun owners to get caught in trap,” Phelps said.
Keep in mind that this is an unfunded state mandate. Some mayors and sheriffs are gonna be upset. But it’s hard to vote against a bill like this.
The proposal is here. Several House Democrats have signed up as co-sponsors.
Nearly every one of the thousands of Chicago teachers who cast ballots last week to determine whether they could go on strike voted to do so.
The Chicago Teachers Union announced Monday that 96.5 percent of those casting ballots voted to back the strike. With nearly 92 percent of members voting, that means about 88 percent of all members support a strike, which could happen no sooner than late March, according to CTU vice president Jesse Sharkey.
“Rahm Emanuel really does not need a teachers strike,” Sharkey said. “And what we’re telling him is if he doesn’t listen to us, that’s what he’ll get.”
*** UPDATE *** Interesting…
So state's ed labor relations board set hearing on CTU's demand for fact finding for Jan. 21. Means strike can't happen til May at earliest.
* It’s been a very long time since legislators and statewide Democratic officials felt secure enough (or, more likely, not scared enough) to introduce or support legislation like this…
Attorney General Lisa Madigan says she supports a bill that would allow voters to recall Chicago’s mayor. But that doesn’t mean she believes Rahm Emanuel should leave office.
Madigan tells WBBM radio’s “At Issue” (http://cbsloc.al/1Ni3lCU ) she also thinks voters should have the power to recall all Illinois elected officials _ herself included.
And Dan Proft called on legislative Republicans today to sign on to the bill as well. Rep. Jeanne Ives is now a co-sponsor.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
The “Lisa Madigan for mayor” speculation had already begun in earnest before she did this interview. I have no knowledge about whether she’ll run, but I do know that lots of people have been asking me about it.
Emanuel has a long and difficult road ahead as he tries to rebuild public trust in the Chicago Police Department and himself, Madigan says.
She says Emanuel’s apology this week and heartfelt words are not enough.
“People are not going to believe that until they actually see real reform and real change taking place. Unfortunately, the type of change that’s needed isn’t going to come quickly or easily,” she says.
As for calls for the mayor to step down, she doesn’t believe that will happen.
Madigan agrees the video of the Laquan McDonald police shooting should not have been released when it would hamper an investigation, but that time should have been far less than 400 days.
“That would have given ample time for an investigation to take place and certainly ample time, which I think some of the concern is, for the officers to be interviewed and I am sure that happened well before the 400 day mark,” she said.
Oof.
There goes Anita, right under the bus.
* And this shows a better understanding of the situation than whatever I’ve seen expressed by any major white Chicago-area politician in recent days…
Madigan says things like this have led some—especially in communities of color—to see the police as an occupying force and not protectors:
“That belief, that feeling, undermines the majority of men and women in law enforcement who are doing a good job and have integrity and are courageous and putting their lives on the line every single day, but I think the situation we have now is simply untenable,” Madigan said.
[Friday] 21st Ward Alderman Howard Brookins Jr. released a robocall to warn of possible misconduct from Congressman Bobby Rush’s campaign. The call was sent to approximately 20,000 households in the 1st Congressional District at 4:00 PM central time. Rush’s petition signatures were challenged and his campaign needs to verify upwards of 570 signatures to make it on the ballot.
The transcript of the recording is as follows:
“This is Alderman Howard Brookins, Democrat for Congress with an important warning. You may be asked to sign a document for Congressman Bobby Rush who has failed to file enough valid signatures to make the ballot. Do not sign anything unless a notary is present and if you did not sign for him, do not sign anything at all.”
The Board of Elections recently changed its procedure when accepting affidavits from registered voters contesting that their signature is genuine. Rules of Procedure, Rule 9 states in the event the evidence consists of affidavits attesting to the genuineness of signatures, those affidavits must be notarized at the time they are signed. This is different than the procedure a few years ago, when the affidavits could contain a non-notarized verification.
A recording of the robocall can be found here and is attached to this document.
The Rush campaign calls the allegations “ridiculous.”
Campaign lawyer Brendan Shiller calls is publicity ploy and says Rush has more than double the number of names he needs.
Schiller says: “This is a cheap publicity ploy and a frivolous challenge. Our candidate has more than twice as many signatures as he needs and will remain on the ballot.”
There’s only one way to find out who’s telling the truth. Bring on the Illinois State Board of Elections.
* I don’t think that Speaker Madigan has ever had a primary opponent like Jason Gonzales. Have a look…
He’s probably a bit naive about vastly expanding voter turnout in the district, but other than that he’s pretty well-spoken
He’s also saying many of the right things to attract Raunerite support, including his comments at about the 9:30 mark about lowering Downstate project costs.
* The biggest question is whether he’ll have the money to compete. That seems likely to me, at least at this point. A candidate like him could attract some serious dough from wealthy Republican-leaning Chicago-area rich folks.
And over half of Gonzales’ first batch of reported contributions came from Steven and Diane Miller. Steven’s only other contribution was to Mayor Emanuel a few years back.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** Oops. Miller has given lots more than I initially turned up. With thanks to a commenter, click here to see them, including $110K to the Independent Maps group (which is full of Rauner backers) and $10K to Rauner, among others.
One of the concepts used so effectively by Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign last year was what are called “OODA Loops.” I’m going to oversimplify because of space, but the idea, developed by a military strategist and adopted by business leaders, is to essentially introduce rapid changes to a battle with the intent of disorienting an opponent and forcing over- and under-reactions. And then do it again and again to exhaust and eventually defeat the other side.
OODA Loops transcend traditional “rapid response.” They’re quick, forceful reactions specifically designed to force repeated mistakes by the other side. The Rauner campaign used those loops to literally run circles around Gov. Quinn last year.
They’ve also used the loops since the campaign ended. For instance, when Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion) attempted to hold legislative hearings on how the administration was hiding gubernatorial payrollers, they didn’t bow down as others had in the past. Instead, they attacked Bradley with snark-filled invective and caught him off guard, forcing multiple and escalating angry responses that made him look a bit pompous and, according to the Rauner folks, out of touch.
And they did it again last week.
For months now, Gov. Rauner and his top people have been saying that Democratic leaders ought to offer up a specific tax increase plan. The Republicans have laid out what they want from the long governmental impasse (Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda, which includes major attacks on organized labor). So, the Rauner folks say, it’s time for the Democrats to do the same. What do they want?
Staying silent or being vague about specific numbers has allowed the Democrats to stake out some high ground and avoid attacks on their rank and file members. Obviously, more revenue is needed. But it becomes far more real to the public when there’s a number attached. Hence, the effort to force the Democrats to be specific.
Last week, House Speaker Michael Madigan took a question at a City Club of Chicago luncheon from Chris Robling, a staunch Rauner supporter. Robling’s written question was about how high Madigan thought taxes needed to go. Madigan took the bait.
Instead of his customary vagaries, Madigan said a “good place to begin” would be to return to the taxing levels from before the income tax hike partially sunsetted in January. “Starting there you can go in whatever direction you want to go,” he said.
Madigan was not asked to fully clarify his remarks at the ensuing press conference, and for good reason. Why let a clarification get in the way of a great headline? So, Speaker “I want a 33 percent tax hike” Madigan’s gaffe was quickly trumped by media outlets throughout the state, eventually forcing Madigan to issue a clarification at 6 o’clock that night (those Madigan folks never do anything quickly) about the “misleading headlines and mischaracterization of the Speaker’s comments.” The Speaker went on to say in the release that he has “no plans” to advance a specific tax hike plan anytime soon. The response was issued so late, however, that it didn’t make it into most of the coverage, even though everything is now online and can be easily updated.
It’s no secret that Madigan favors a tax increase. He’s said all year that the budget can only be balanced with a mix of tax hikes and cuts. But it’s clear from the 6 o’clock walk-back that Madigan got too far ahead of himself.
Robling’s question began the process. The Rauner folks began working their loops immediately after Madigan answered the question, pushing hard on the concept that Madigan had finally admitted to a tax hike starting point and eventually forcing Madigan into attacking the media and issuing that clarification. The clarification was then portrayed as confirmation of the Speaker’s true intent: He didn’t misspeak, he accidentally said too much. Mistakes make politicians look weak. Clarifying the mistake was a further mistake because it confirmed the weakness.
And then the next day the Illinois Republican Party launched attacks on some of Madigan’s members, asking rhetorically if those members would “stand with taxpayers, or will they stand with #TaxHikeMike?”
The Rauner folks “won” the day, and “Speaker Madigan’s 33 percent tax hike plan” will help them win more, which is what this is about. Win more days and you further exhaust the other side. More exhaustion leads to more mistakes. Enough mistakes and the opponent is so disadvantaged that it eventually has no choice but to surrender.
Surrender, of course, is not in Madigan’s vocabulary these days. But he needs to be much more aware of what’s being done to him.
* In case you were wondering, the shout-out this morning was for Jack Kelly. He says the surgery went well and will be 100 percent in a week or so. Good news.
* The BGA has a very good story about the Rauner administration’s push to privatize some state services. Pros and cons are discussed, so I’d recommend a look at the whole thing…
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Privatizing the business recruitment agency is a top priority for Rauner. This year, House Democrats largely gave Rauner what he wanted in a bill, but the governor said he couldn’t support a sunset provision to review the private contract in three years.
The Department of Corrections. State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) says Illinois can save substantially by setting up a private nursing home for aging inmates. While corrections reform advocates say elderly prisoners should be housed in a central facility, neither they nor Democratic lawmakers interviewed support a private operator.
The Department of Central Management Services. Sen. Michael Connelly (R-Lisle) thinks the state’s central management services can be reformed to hand over functions to the private sector. Among the areas: property management, which can be better handled by a private company, he said. Sen. Syverson agrees, saying everything from landscaping to fleet vehicles should be examined.
State buildings. Durkin introduced legislation to help speed Rauner’s proposed sale of the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago. Assessing the value of state-owned properties is prudent and the Thompson Center is “the whitest of white elephants of state government,” Durkin said.
* Statehouse legend Jerry Shea has passed away. The former Illinois House Majority Leader and longtime lobbyist has been ill for some time.
The wake will be Monday afternoon and services will be held Tuesday morning. I’ll pass along details when I get them.
On a personal level, Jerry was always a decent gentleman to me. He took the time to talk with me even in the days when few would. He was also a walking Illinois politics encyclopedia. I learned something every time I spoke with him and will be forever grateful.
When he entered public life 18 years ago, Gerald Shea was, in his own words, “a brash young guy who wanted one of the best jobs in the Cook County Democratic organization.” Now, near the close of an eventful 10-year legislative career, his accomplishments and close relationship with Mayor Richard J. Daley have earned him the title of “Mr. Powerful” among State House observers.
A “temporary” high school dropout, Shea became a garbage collector in his hometown of Oak Park after his father, a printer for the Chicago Tribune was involved in a lengthy strike. He later pumped gas, tended bar and had a variety of other jobs to help subsidize his economics and finance degree from the University of Illinois and diploma from DePaul Law School. Two years of Army service interrupted his education.
Shea’s political career began in 1958. After failing to receive the recommendation of Oak Park Committeeman John S. Boyle for a deputy sheriff slot in the village courthouse, Shea did get his sponsorship for a caseworker position in the Cook County Department of Public Aid. He kept that job for a year and later became a department investigator and worked in its legal office. Boyle, who was then chief judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, was impressed by Shea’s drive and talents. This led to subsequent jobs as an assistant state’s attorney, Boyle’s administrative assistant, and director of research, planning and development for the circuit court. He was elected to the House from the 7th legislative district in 1966. He quickly assumed an informal leadership position by lobbying for Boyle’s legislative programs in the 1965-66 session.
His first formal leadership role emerged during the 1971-72 and 1973-74 sessions when he was an assistant to then Minority Leader Clyde Choate of Anna. Shea has never left the spotlight during the last six years, leading his party both during its majority and minority days.
Like most of Daley’s other confidants, Shea is Irish, a Catholic, a graduate of the mayor’s alma mater (DePaul) and has powerful political sponsorship. He differs from the others primarily in the use of quiet clout in place of partisan backslapping to see that the party’s needs are met. His suburban Riverside residence and marriage to the niece of a Republican representative (Joseph G. Sevcik, Berwyn) from the same district also make him somewhat unique in. the Daley organizational structure.
Now, at 44, Shea looks forward to a retirement, which will afford him more time to be with his wife, Joanne, and daughter, Courtney Claire; pursue his law practice; read more than his usual three novels per week; “tinker with cars,” and complete a thesis. When he finishes his thesis, he is expected to receive a master’s degree in taxes from John Marshall Law School, Chicago.
* The 2015 Judy Baar Topinka Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statewide Officeholder had a crowd favorite with strong nominations…
Jesse White: Only because he reengineered and cleaned up an office that was infamous before him, for bad service to the public and corruption. Even now, I actually enjoy going to one of his facilities because it renews my faith in government. He is the best example of “government turnaround” we have.
I can’t be certain, of course, but I think JBT would’ve approved.
* On to today’s categories…
* The Mark Beaubien Lifetime Service award for the Illinois House
* The John Millner Lifetime Service award for the Illinois Senate
As always, please explain your nominations or they won’t count. Thanks!
Friday, Dec 11, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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The giving doesn’t end there. Central Credit Union collects items for their local food pantry throughout the year, and their members are especially generous during the holidays, bringing in loads of groceries to assist the pantry during the holiday season.
Holiday giving is just one way that Central Credit Union remains focused on providing a positive impact in the communities they serve.
Central Credit Union and the Illinois Credit Union League wish you and yours a very happy holiday season!
State Sen. Mike Noland’s campaign for the Democratic nomination in the 8th Congressional District has added another endorsement from organized labor.
Noland, of Elgin, announced the backing of Teamsters Joint Council 25.
“Mike Noland has developed a strong relationship with the Teamsters union over the years,” said Teamsters Joint Council President John Coli.
Other unions backing Noland include the Bricklayers Administrative District Council of Illinois, Sheet Metal Workers State Council, SMART Transportation Division (formerly United Transportation Union), Fox Valley Building Trades, Elgin Trades Council, IFT Local 1211 (Northwest Suburban Teachers Union), Operating Engineers Local 399 and Painters District Council 30.
Noland is seeking the open congressional seat left vacant by U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth’s decision to run for the U.S. Senate. Also seeking the Democratic nomination in the west and northwest suburban district are Schaumburg businessman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Villa Park Village President Deb Bullwinkel.
I don’t think many people took Noland seriously at the beginning, but that labor support is impressing me.
After a meeting of Gov. Bruce Rauner and the state’s top legislative leaders this week, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said, “All of us did agree that the school aid formula is something that needs to be changed. It needs to be addressed. We’re not gonna handle it until after we resolve this budget impasse.”
“I’m not sure that’s something that’ll be on the agenda this year because of the complexity of it,” Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno said.
Cullerton’s office responded. “I’d like them to go to any public school auditorium or gymnasium and stand in front of the teachers and the students and tell them that their issues are too complex and too hard for state leaders to lean into,” said Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon.
Phelon said Cullerton is recommending education advocates with Advance Illinois and Rauner’s administration, like Secretary of Education Beth Purvis and state Superintendent Tony Smith, attend future meetings between legislative leaders and the governor. Legislative leaders have said they hope to have another meeting next week.
Cullerton won’t, however, hold anything else hostage if talks don’t progress.
State pension contributions will increase by $291 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1, a much smaller increase than the state faced in its current fiscal year.
The figure was reported Thursday by the General Assembly’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, which annually reviews the certified contributions Illinois’ five state-funded pension systems say are required. […]
The commission said the contributions to the pension systems in fiscal year 2017 will total $7.9 billion. That’s an increase of $291 million from the current year.
The increase is substantially less than the $681 million increase in pension contributions that were required this year. It is also substantially lower than the nearly $1 billion annual increases seen in 2013 and 2014.
A state legislative report says Illinois’ unfunded pension liability is $111 billion.
The General Assembly’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability listed the figure in a Thursday report. It covers five pension systems for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
The report comes as legislative leaders and Gov. Bruce Rauner have agreed to take another look at overhauling pensions. The Illinois Supreme Court rejected a previous plan lawmakers said would save the state billions in contributions.
The rally’s numbers quickly grew to about 200 who marched though streets in the Loop, chanting “How many shots? Sixteen shots!” in reference to the McDonald case.
And yet cable news went wall-to-wall.
Look, all of the protesters are angry and they have a constitutional right to vent. But we seem to be seeing many of the same people at these marches. It may be fun for some to imagine that this is a grassroots outpouring which will morph into something much larger, and I suppose it might. Who knows?
* But the city has a long tradition of small, well-organized protest groups making life difficult for those in power. It was the University of Chicago’s Saul Alinsky, after all, who wrote the book on some of this stuff.
* And as I pointed out the other day, the protesters want the mayor to resign but aren’t considering what happens when he goes. Steinberg fills in his readers…
First, the protests. I would bet none of them have the foggiest idea who would be mayor if Emanuel quit, which he won’t. Do you? It would be the city’s vice mayor, Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd). Sure, he’s the man to fix everything. Just last month, while black aldermen were condemning Garry McCarthy, Reilly was most prominent among the white aldermen genuflecting before the doomed police superintendent, singing his praises.
“Yours is one of the most difficult jobs in the city of Chicago, and we just want to make sure that you’ve got the resources that you need to complete the mission,” Reilly warbled.
So that’s the guy who’ll fix the police department when Rahm resigns? Which he won’t. Reilly would soon be replaced by the Chicago City Council, and we all know what kind of geniuses they’ve made mayor in living memory: puppet Eugene Sawyer and nice-guy-but-not-rocking-any-boats David Orr.
Yet the mob calls for Emanuel’s head. Long-term strategic planning is not the strong suit of mobs.
Again, I wouldn’t say the protesters are part of a “mob.” Many of them are trained people and some are affiliated with groups that are politically allied with larger entities like the CTU. Nothing wrong with that at all, but it’s important to know.
* An excerpt from a Donna More campaign e-mail to her Cook County state’s attorney campaign supporters…
Lately people supporting other candidates in the race for State’s Attorney have attacked me, not for my qualifications, my ideas, or the reforms I’ve been pushing. What they want to talk about are political labels.
So let’s set the record straight. Two years ago, like many people, I was concerned about the direction of our state. We were in fiscal peril and the power structure in Springfield was simply unable to function. I felt we needed change, and needed it badly. Even though I’m a proud, registered Democrat, I made a contribution to Bruce Rauner’s campaign because of his representations that he would bring a business-like pragmatism to a badly broken system. Today I regret that contribution, not because my political opponents have seized on it, but because Governor Rauner has fallen far short of my expectations.
I am a lifelong, independent-minded Democrat. I take a backseat to no one when it comes to championing progressive values. I give my support to candidates who I believe can do the job and people with ideas that can make a difference.
The fact is, my family and I have contributed to many Democrats, including County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
It is unfortunate that politics today is so polarized that a single contribution to someone from the other party is considered intolerable by the political class. But that’s the very reason I’m running for State’s Attorney. Because it should be obvious by now that this office, perhaps above all others, must be held by someone who thinks first about justice and the law, not about party or politics.
So that’s what you will get from me. I am a progressive Democrat. But I’m also an independent thinker and I know that will not always be popular with the political crowd.
Um, OK, but she made her $2500 Rauner contribution in September of 2014, which is most definitely not “two years ago.”
And More’s “family” may have made a lot of contributions to Democrats, but More has contributed just nine times in the last 14 years. And she only gave one person more money than she gave Rauner.
…Adding… A commenter checked the Federal Elections Commission site and discovered that Ms. More contributed to former Republican Congressman Eric Cantor in 2006.
…Adding, um, More… Another commenter points out that Ms. More contributed to Republican US Senators Peter Fitzgerald and the disgraced John Ensign.
State records show More contributed $2,500 to Rauner’s campaign in September 2014. She offers no apologies for it.
“I’m bipartisan,” she says. “I don’t view the state’s attorney as being Democrat or Republican. I’m not beholden to anybody on either side of the aisle.”
A new Ogden & Fry poll looking at the Cook County state’s attorney race shows conflicting numbers over support for Anita Alvarez. Of those surveyed, 61 percent approved of her job performance. But when asked whether she should resign because of her handling of the Laquan McDonald case, 61 percent said yes. Since those two answers seem at odds, the poll, commissioned by the Illinois Observer, was “double-checked for accuracy,” and here’s how pollster Tom Swiss explains the results: “It appears the Laquan McDonald case is so emotionally charged that nearly 40% of respondents who initially approved of State’s Attorney Alvarez’ performance thought she should resign in light of her handling of the McDonald case.” Find poll results here: http://bit.ly/1Y7MlCj
OK, first of all, a pretty important fact not mentioned above is that the firm polled Democrats…
Respondents were selected by random sampling of likely 2016 Democratic Primary voters.
Either way, that more than “seems” like a very odd result. I don’t think I would’ve run it if that was my poll.
* But there’s another poll out today from a more established firm. Public Policy Polling released its results of a poll of likely Cook County Democratic primary voters…
If the primary election for Cook County State Attorney were today, and the candidates were Anita Alvarez, Kim Foxx, and Donna More, who would you vote for?
Anita Alvarez 33%
Kim Foxx 24%
Donna More 11%
Not sure 32%
Do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove or strongly disapprove of the job Cook County State Attorney Anita Alvarez is doing?
So, she’s above water in Ogden & Fry among Democrats, but underwater in the PPP poll. Considering the O&F resignation result, I think PPP is probably far more likely to be true, but we’ll obviously need more polling.
The PPP poll was conducted for WGN Radio, Aldertrack and DNA Info Chicago.
* Also, the latest Ogden & Fry poll of likely 2016 Chicago primary voters trumped by Politico had Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s approval rating at a microscopic 18 percent while his disapproval rating was a whopping 67 percent.
PPP has very different results for likely 2016 Chicago Democratic primary voters: 40 percent approve while 56 percent disapprove. That’s still not good for Rahm, but it’s way different than the widely reported Ogden & Fry survey. And, frankly, considering everything that’s going on in the city, 40 percent ain’t really all that bad.
SPIN CITY — CBS/2’s Jay Levine last night gave five reasons why Mayor Rahm Emanuel will survive the CPD crisis. “Reason #2″ struck us as odd. Levine pointed to a recent poll showing just 18 percent approval rating for the mayor and 51 percent of those surveyed said they thought the mayor should resign. “Those polls are misleading. The real drop in his approval rating came after he pushed through a tax increase to balance the city budget. Not as a result of the police scandal,” Levine insisted. He failed to give a basis for that statement, however. It was something Emanuel operatives were pushing earlier in the week. The budget, and massive property tax hike was approved in late October. The poll was conducted on Dec. 2 — a week after the release of the explosive video and after Emanuel canned McCarthy. http://cbsloc.al/1mdRywt
The “basis for that statement’ is pretty clear. Ogden & Fry’s poll from September had Emanuel’s approval rating at 25 percent (not far from Ogden & Fry’s December poll) and a disapproval of 51.
And does it really matter that the tax hikes were approved in October when it was pretty clear to pretty much everyone that tax and fee hikes were coming and that the CTU was extremely angry?
Either way, there is zero doubt that Ogden & Fry was showing lousy Emanuel numbers back in September - long before that video came out. To ignore that is kinda goofy. And to claim that Jay Levine is somehow a shill for Emanuel because he simply pointed out some easily discernible facts is uncalled for.
* From the Howard Brookins campaign regarding their challenge of Congressman Bobby Rush’s petitions…
The Congressman filed 3070 signatures and has 742 remaining valid on his filing, an error rate of 76%. To qualify for the ballot, he needs to have 1,314. Therefore, he must rehabilitate at least 572 signatures.
Those 572 come out of a pool of 2,328 that were challenged for various reasons such as signature not genuine, signer resides outside the district, signer not registered, signer signed in multiple locations and signer address incomplete.
* But here’s the problem for Rush: The rules have changed. When the Rush campaign asks people to sign sworn affidavits attesting to the fact that they actually signed the petition the campaign will need a notary present during that signing. From the rules…
Evidence in the form of an affidavit must be sworn to, signed, and notarized before a notary public or other officer authorized to administer oaths in the State of Illinois.
From state statutes…
5 ILCS 312/7-105) (from Ch. 102, par. 207-105)
Sec. 7-105. Official Misconduct. (a) A notary public who knowingly and willfully commits any official misconduct is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
(b) A notary public who recklessly or negligently commits any official misconduct is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
(Source: P.A. 84-322.)
Rush may need to get hundreds of affidavits signed, and that won’t be easy if the rules are followed.
…Adding… Ronnie Woo-Woo and Willie Wilson’s former spokesman. Such a combo…
Ronnie “Woo-Woo” Wickers has two words for Mayor Rahm Emanuel: “You’re out!”
The Cubs’ resident rooter, known for his “Woo-Woo” chants across Wrigleyville, joined a City Hall news conference Thursday urging the recall of the mayor.
“When you’re right you’re right, and when you’re wrong you’re wrong,” Wickers said. “Get him out.”
Wickers was the last speaker in a demonstration led by Gregory Seal Livingston, former spokesman for mayoral candidate Willie Wilson and now head of the Coalition for a New Chicago.
* The 2015 Golden Horseshoe Awards for Best State Senator - Democrat, and Best State Senator - Republican go to…
Senator Toi Hutchinson and Senators Karen McConnaughay and Pam Althoff (yes, I know naming two is cheating) for the role each played as bill sponsor and JCAR members, respectively, in securing an end to the Governor’s child care cuts.
While no one has been able to get lawmakers and the Governor to publicly acknowledge and move to solve our revenue problem, there have been a few few instances where lawmakers have come together to reverse unilateral and reckless changes in policy made by the Governor. Chalk Rauner’s child care cuts up to whatever you choose. Lawmakers of both parties saw the value of the program, and realized that the cuts were devastating for both families and businesses in their districts.
None of these women crowed about their involvement, and none took the bait presented in the form of Ken Dunkin.
Bravo to these women who chose to disregard politics to stand up for other women– especially because they had to stand up to powerful men who would rather they had stood down.
They didn’t get the most votes, but that nomination by Emily Miller was so strong that I couldn’t pass it up.
* OK, on to our next category. We’re going to skip ahead for a bit because today is the anniversary of Judy Baar Topinka’s untimely death. I’ve made an executive decision to rename this category in her honor…
* The Judy Baar Topinka Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statewide Officeholder
Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan declared Wednesday that the state income tax rate should be raised back to at least 5 percent to help balance the state’s out-of-whack finances.
In doing so, Madigan potentially gave new life to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s argument that Democrats are to blame for the stalemate in Springfield because they’re intent on only raising taxes to dig out of the state budget deficit. That’s likely to be a GOP attack point in next year’s House and Senate campaigns as Republicans try to cut into significant Democratic majorities.
The comments came as Madigan, following a rare public speech, answered a question at a City Club of Chicago luncheon posed by a Republican strategist who wanted to know how high taxes should go. A famously disciplined and veteran politician, Madigan seemed aware of the risks of his response even as the words came out of his mouth.
“Let me avoid creating a headline for tomorrow’s newspaper,” he joked, then proceeded to create one.
That second paragraph is kinda puzzling because Madigan said yesterday (as he has said many times before) that he wants a mixed approach, some revenues some cuts.
But, hey, the Speaker walked right into that mess. If he didn’t want to talk about tax hike specifics, he shouldn’t have talked about tax hike specifics. Blaming the media for reporting the only real “news” out of yesterday’s otherwise boring event didn’t do him much good, either.
* The AP has my favorite line of the day, however…
Although Madigan has made no secret of his support for higher taxes during the monthslong fiscal standoff, his response to an audience question after a luncheon speech to a packed City Club of Chicago gathering represented his first mention of a specific number.
“Let me avoid creating a headline for tomorrow’s newspaper and say that a good place to begin … would be the level we were at before the income tax expired,” the speaker said. “Starting there, you can go in whatever direction you want to go.”
Then again, Madigan himself could’ve sought to clarify what he said at the scrum, but didn’t for whatever reason. He apparently didn’t realize what was going on while he was talking…
Please focus on "start" word from Speaker. Suggests he'd go higher, which is so wrong. Will chase more ppl out of IL https://t.co/tcj9QaMC2m
Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios, who also serves as chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, has lost another round in court in his attempt to avoid turning over documents demanded by the county’s Inspector General as part of the IG’s investigation of allegations Berrios’ office improperly granted an assessor’s office employee a special property tax exemption.
A state appellate panel ruled Dec. 8 that the ordinances enacted by the Cook County Board granting the office of the Cook County Inspector General powers to subpoena documents from all county officials, including separately elected constitutional officers, such as the county assessor, during misconduct investigations.
The Illinois First District Appellate Court opinion was authored by Justice Neville, with justices Simon and Hyman concurring.
“We find that the (County) Board has the power to investigate allegations that county officials have abused their powers or committed fraud in their official capacities, as the corruption of county officials pertains to the county’s government and affairs within the meaning of the Illinois Constitution,” the justices wrote.
It’s not been a great couple of years for Berrios.
The mayor was at his most emotional when he discussed the need for respect between officers and young black men, and when he mentioned parents who have lost children to violence and people who get out of jail with few options.
He talked about a recent lunch with young men who had been in trouble with the law.
“So I asked them, tell me the one thing I need to know,” Emanuel said. “And rather than tell me something, one young man asked me a simple question that gets to the core of what we’re talking about. He said, ‘Do you think the police would ever treat you the way they treat me?’ And the answer is no, and that’s wrong,” Emanuel said, his voice rising before he began to pound the lectern. “And that has to change in this city. That has to come to an end and end now. No citizen is a second-class citizen in the city of Chicago. If my children are treated one way, every child is treated the same way.”
Aldermen applauded the mayor when he noted that double standard.
“Tell me the one thing I need to know.” That’s classic Emanuel, which makes this story so believable for me. The mayor teared up, and, to me at least, he clearly showed that he “gets it.”
* But it’s legit to ask what took him so long. Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) and I had almost this exact same conversation last night…
Ford said Emanuel’s remarks on Wednesday showed a deep disconnect between the mayor and the black community.
“His speech to me was his recapping what we already know is going on,” he said. “The speech should have been: ‘We have diagnosed the problem. Here’s how we’re fixing it.’ Instead, you’re telling us what we already know? It’s like he’s having a revelation. That’s not good. … For this to be a surprise to the mayor, how the black community is treated, is pretty alarming.”
Ford told me that, while he most definitely welcomed the comments, he now wants the mayor to demonstrate with deeds that newfound understanding.
He’s right, of course. It’s going to take a lot more than heartfelt words to fix this mess.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was asked following his address Wednesday at the City Club of Chicago about the state income tax rate. Given misleading headlines and mischaracterization of the Speaker’s comments, the following clarifies his long-held position:
As I have stated for several months, and as I stated in my address to the City Club today, when it comes to solving the state’s budget deficit, I believe we need to take a balanced approach that includes a combination of new revenue and reductions in state spending. A cuts-only budget, as the governor proposed earlier this year, would severely cut medical care services for the elderly, the disabled and struggling families, would hurt middle-class families and would do more harm than good. That’s why we need a balanced approach.
We have no plans to advance legislation to change the income tax rate, and I am committed to working with the governor to develop a budget that provides for a balanced approach to solving our budget deficit.
“The breakdown in the system was real, and it was the direct result of decades of racism and neglect of communities of color,” said Ald. Roderick T. Sawyer (6), Black Caucus chair. “These are just the first steps, but we will remain committed to delivering full justice and making our Chicago the best that it can be for all of its citizens.”
Sawyer also noted that members of the Black Caucus have worked with the City’s Corporation Counsel to amend the way police misconduct settlements are handled.
“We are instituting protocol wherein the full City Council will receive a full briefing on these matters that will include all of the evidence, full discussion of the underlying case and a recommendation from Corporation Counsel,” said Sawyer. “To ensure we receive the full story, the plaintiff’s counsel will be on hand as well. Finally the video, if one exists, will be made available to the full Council at the briefing.”
* Their seven ideas…
1) CPD must stop shooting people in the back.
2) CPD employees who file false reports must be prosecuted. So far, the Cook County State’s Attorney has not pressed charges against the officers who filed false reports in the Laquan McDonald case. It has been more than 400 days, and still, no charges. This is unacceptable.
3) City Council and the Emanuel Administration must engage directly with the FOP to reform the disciplinary sections of the contract which at times have hindered proper action against officers who use excessive force or engage in other inappropriate behavior.
4) A special prosecutor is needed to pursue justice in all police involved shooting cases.
5) City Hall must support full integration with federal agencies to bring the resources necessary to tackle the systemic economic issues that have caused the conditions in our community.
6) The Blue Ribbon Task Force must be broadened to include community members, representation from the City Council, clinicians and members of the Defense Bar.
7) Due to the fractured nature of the relationship between the African American community and the CPD, we need full and serious consideration of an African American police superintendent to replace Supt. Garry McCarthy.
* Keep in mind that the two sponsors of HB 4356, Reps. LaShawn Ford and Mary Flowers, are Chicagoans who currently have Democratic primary opposition…
Establishes a procedure for an election to recall the Mayor of Chicago. Effective immediately.
Oof.
That’ll get some TV play (by design).
* As we discussed earlier today, Chicagoans are mad as heck right now. Tax hikes, crime spikes, police shooting videos, coverups, lies, you name it, they are mad about it.
And several state legislators are now at the mercy of those very same angry city voters.
So, under the bus goes Rahm, although not literally because I doubt this thing ever sees the light of day. It’ll be interesting to watch whether any more jump on as co-sponsors, however. The days of cowering before the mighty mayor appear to be over for now. He’s got no campaign money in the bank, no troops, and the voters hate him.
Nothing personal. Just business.
…Adding… I’m not even sure this bill would be legal since Emanuel was elected under the current rules (which do not provide for recall). Perhaps our legal type commenters can clue us in.
* At today’s City Club luncheon, House Speaker Michael Madigan was asked, “How high do you think taxes need to go?”
Here’s Madigan’s response, which is at about the 1:08:37 mark on the video…
“OK, let me avoid creating a headline for tomorrow’s newspaper. [Laughter]
“I’d say that a good place to begin - good place to begin - would be the level we were at before the income tax [increase] expired. Starting there you can go in whatever direction you want to go.” [More laughter]
House Speaker Michael Madigan says the state’s income tax should be restored to the 5 percent level it was at until January.
The Chicago Democrat told a City Club of Chicago crowd that the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit demands a tax hike.
A four-year, temporary increase from 3 percent to 5 percent expired last winter with the blessing of incoming Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. It dropped to 3.75 percent.
Madigan says the 5 percent level would be a “good place to begin.”
Sheesh.
*** UPDATE 1 *** More headlines…
* Tribune: Madigan: Raise income tax rate back to 5 percent, for starters
* Reuters: Illinois House speaker eyes return of 5 pct income tax rate
* WCIA tweet: BREAKING: IL Speaker Michael Madigan said he would support raising the state income tax back to 5 percent
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
In response to Speaker Madigan’s call for a 33% income tax increase “as a good place to begin,” Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno:
“It’s a busy time of year for most families, but taxpayers need to pay close attention. The powerful Democrat leadership is proposing a whopping 33% income tax increase – with no reforms to change the way we do business in Illinois. It’s outrageous and shows what we Republican legislators and Governor Rauner are up against in the state budget negotiations.
The citizens of Illinois want structural reforms that will lead to a more competitive Illinois economy and middle class economic growth, while protecting the taxpayers.”
* But that’s about to change. Remember the story from Monday about a group calling itself The Humanity Fund which sent a letter to Secretary of State Jesse White asking that its gay pride Festivus Pole be, um, “erected” in the rotunda?…
The 2015 Gay Pride Festivus Pole is approximately 6’6” tall, painted with purple-glitter, covered in the rainbow colors of diversity, and topped with an 8” disco ball.
And while Quinn was governor, the state entered into a contract with SEIU to contribute money for each hour worked by home care workers represented by the union toward health insurance.
The state is paying $1.11 an hour.
But here is the rub: Fewer than one-fifth of the home care workers actually accepted the insurance offered by the health care fund administered by SEIU.
So instead of the state just contributing toward the 5,000 employees accepting the insurance, taxpayers are paying for those employees and an extra 20,000 workers who said they didn’t want it.
Wouldn’t it be better if workers declining the insurance got a pay raise instead?
Why would Quinn negotiate a contract like that?
At least on the surface, it would appear the contract has the state paying 80 percent more than it should.
Messages were left with SEIU and Quinn, but neither responded.
There is no ‘surcharge,’ on everyone and certainly nobody is being compelled to pay for benefits that are not provided (which IPI is dishonestly trying to suggest).
The state’s preferred method of accounting is to work that amount into the hourly rate as opposed to paying a lump sum per individual, hence why, by their accounting, it looks like everyone is being charged for health insurance. Again, the rate is based on the cost of up to the capped level of 5,250 workers taking advantage of the SEIU health insurance.
The union, by the way, claims it has no record of being contacted about this story.
* Full statement from James Muhammad, SEIU Healthcare Illinois vice president…
“In its latest attack against our workers, the Illinois Policy Institute, the political right hand of Bruce Rauner’s pocketbook which dutifully serves as his policy mouthpiece, is making totally inaccurate assertions about health insurance benefits for home healthcare providers.
“The IPI is making the outrageous claim that the state is contributing funds towards unwanted and unclaimed benefits. This is simply inaccurate. The state ONLY contributes funding sufficient to provide health insurance for a portion of the workforce that works full-time, or close to full-time, and has set a maximum number of workers that it will fund to cap spending. And what the state DOES contribute to our health fund is efficient and cost-effective by any measure. What a coincidence that IPI has decided to attack benefits that Rauner wants to deny at the bargaining table, and for which a St. Clair County judge recently ordered him to restore funding. (The Rauner attack group also incorrectly asserted that the administrator of the fund isn’t a full-time worker.)
“We have countless and moving stories of low-wage workers, for whom the health fund has been a life-saver. But we don’t think this, or facts, matter to the IPI, which is pursuing a coordinated political agenda with Rauner and his billionaire friends to harm workers, strip them of their voice and ensure that employers can lower wages, benefits and protections throughout Illinois.”
Top Illinois Republicans Tuesday denounced presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s recent call to block all Muslims from entering the U.S. […]
“Banning any race or religion, as Donald Trump has suggested, is anathema to American values and should be rejected,” [Sen. Mark Kirk] said in a statement. “Instead, the American people need both parties to develop a clear and concise strategy to destroy the Islamic state and prove that our security transcends political rhetoric.”
* The folks at EMILY’s List are apparently too busy reading DC-based publications to notice some mere local reporting. Here’s their press release from late this morning…
EMILY’s List Exposes Trump-Kirk Agenda
Today EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, denounced Illinois Senator Mark Kirk for aligning himself with the extreme and dangerous policies espoused by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump. Earlier this year, EMILY’s List put Senator Kirk “On Notice” for his radical anti-woman and anti-family agenda, making his seat a top target for Democratic takeover in 2016.
On the heels of Donald Trump’s outrageous and unconstitutional proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, the Washington Post reported that Kirk “simply denied that Trump’s antics would have any impact on his contest.” Trump holds a commanding lead in all national polls of the Republican presidential primary.
“Senator Kirk has a long record of supporting dangerous and discriminatory policies that are in lockstep with Donald Trump’s offensive and incendiary rhetoric,” said EMILY’s List Communications Director Marcy Stech. “The people of Illinois don’t want an extreme Trump-Kirk agenda that demonizes entire segments of our population and puts American women and families in danger.
“As headlines predicting Trump-related losses down ticket start to pile up, maybe Senator Kirk should do some soul-searching about why he’s so tied to someone so toxic.”
They take an off-hand, brief comment about Trump’s impact on his own race and inflate that into a grand, unholy alliance with Donald Trump?
Sheesh.
EMILY’s List needs to apologize for this one.
Also, what “radical anti-woman agenda”? He’s one of the only pro-choice Republicans in that entire town.
Kirk agrees with other Republicans that what Trump has been saying on immigration since he began his presidential campaign, like claiming many undocumented immigrants coming from Mexico are “killers” and “rapists”, are reflecting poorly on the rest of the party.
“I would say that Trump is probably hurting the Republican Party with his over-the-top comments on the spirit and character of Mexicans, which is not correct,” Kirk said. “I went to school in Mexico. It’s not a country of rapists and criminals.”
And his “radical anti-woman agenda” apparently includes voting against a bill to defund Planned Parenthood.
Rep. Kelly Cassidy will hold a news conference Thursday to announce that she will introduce new legislation for 2016 that would replace criminal penalties with a civil fine for possession of a personal amount of marijuana in Illinois.
The news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT in the Blue Room of the James R. Thompson Center. Rep. Cassidy will be joined by Rev. Alexander Sharp of Clergy for a New Drug Policy and other members of the Illinois faith community who believe the state’s current criminal penalties for marijuana possession are causing harm to their communities.
The new proposal will include provisions Gov. Bruce Rauner and a majority of the members of the General Assembly agreed to earlier this year. It will largely mirror legislation previously introduced by Rep. Cassidy that was approved in the Senate (37-19) on May 21 and in the House (62-53) on April 23, as well the amendments proposed by the governor when he vetoed the bill and returned it to the legislature on August 14.
OK, fine, but I’m still peeved that Rep. Cassidy didn’t simply accept the governor’s amendatory veto that even Illinois NORML said would be fine with them.
Hopefully, the new bill goes enough beyond Rauner’s amendatory veto to make it worth the wait.
But, really, decriminalization means people would still be buying an untaxed, illegal product from unlicensed, unlawful dealers. Cut out the criminal element and legalize it, fer cryin’ out loud. Plus, the state is a bit short these days and could use the bucks.
* Nominations for the 2015 Golden Horeshoe Award for Best Illinois State Representative - Republican were neck and neck. Rep. David Harris just barely pulled it out…
There is no one member more deserving of praise than David Harris. He is a voice of sound reason that both sides should spend more time listening to.
Rep. Dave McSweeney is awarded a very close runner-up for strong nominations like this one…
I think that everyone in Springfield was afraid of what he might be when he first got to Springfield. And, yes, he has definitely still ruffled feathers, especially in his own caucus. But he has really established himself as an independent thinker, who, while very conservative, is also interested in getting things done and doing what he thinks is right. In a year that has seen so little independence on either side of the aisle, McSweeney has actually stood out.
* The 2015 Golden Horeshoe Award for Best Illinois State Representative - Democrat…
It may be moot given that he was just sworn-in as Auditor General, but my vote for best House Dem goes to Frank Mautino. Never mugging for the cameras, always willing to spare some time for you, always willing to give it to you straight. What more can you ask for?
Also, an intellectual and political grasp of the budget not seen in most mortals, let alone mere legislators. This guy ate, drank and slept with budget books. He’s forgotten more about budgets than most people will ever learn. He’s going to be missed by a lot of people who’ve too often taken him for granted. They don’t make them like Mautino anymore.
No, they don’t.
Congratulations!
* On to today’s categories…
* Best Illinois State Senator - Republican
* Best Illinois State Senator - Democrat
As always, make sure to explain your nominations or your vote won’t count. Thanks!
* House Speaker Michael Madigan will be speaking to the City Club today at 12:30. He hasn’t done this gig in years, but I kinda doubt he’ll break any new ground. The post-speech questions could be interesting, however. Watch it live right here…
I’ll have a ScribbleLive feed when the time comes.
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Rauner described Donald Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. as “an extreme action.”
“What he’s proposing is just fundamentally counter to American values,” Rauner said Tuesday in response to reporters’ questions. “I strongly, strongly disagree with candidate Trump.”
I think most agree that Trump’s proposal to halt almost all Muslim travel to the USA runs counter to American values.
But the governor wants a temporary ban on resettling vetted refugees here. The Donald wants a temporary ban on travel to this country by mostly unvetted tourists, etc.
“What we are trying to do is communicate with President Obama’s administration. What we’ve asked is that we share information with the federal and state government.” […]
“We have a duty to work together to try to block terrorists while allowing honest folks, immigrants and tourists to come to the United States,” Rauner said. “Right now the information-sharing is inadequate. The officials in Paris have acknowledged that their coordination and communication efforts among the different levels were not adequate.”
Wait.
The governor hasn’t called for blocking mostly unvetted Syrian tourists from coming to Illinois. He hasn’t talked about home-grown terrorists, either. He’s solely focused instead on vetted war refugees…
Critics say governors don’t have the legal authority to block refugees, and it’s discrimination to block out any one group.
But this time, Rauner didn’t just single out Syrians.
“I have asked the Obama administration to take a pause - it’s not a long-term action but a pause - in our acceptance, our welcoming, of refugees from Syria and Iraq,” Rauner said.
In written statements outlining his refugee policy, Rauner didn’t include Iraqis.
Apparently, Rauner didn’t read an open letter written by former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Schultz, former CIA Director General David Petraeus, former National Security Directors Brent Scowcroft and Gen. Michael Hayden, among others…
Given the stringent measures in place, we are especially concerned by proposals that would derail or further delay the resettlement of Iraqis who risked their lives to work with the U.S. military and other U.S. organizations. These refugees were given priority access to U.S. resettlement under the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act. The United States has a moral obligation to protect them.
* Gov. Rauner forgot to mention Libya, by the way. I guess his crack anti-terrorism unit didn’t brief him on the loyal Iraqi workers or that God-forsaken country…
“We have an anti-terrorism group in our state government. They are not being informed by the federal government on what’s going on, who’s coming, what the backgrounds are,” Rauner said. “We can treat it all with highly classified folks, and what I’m advocating is just an increased level of communication so we can battle against terrorists together.”
I asked the governor’s office this morning how many people are in the state’s “anti-terrorism group.” I’ll let you know if they respond.
…Adding… Soccermom in comments…
I spent some time this year trying to help an Iraqi refugee who had fled an abusive husband (leaving her young son behind) to start a new life in America. She came here just about penniless, with two suitcases. And she proceeded to become a horrible burden on Illinois taxpayers (If you call working two jobs, graduating Harold Washington College as valedictorian and getting a scholarship to complete her degree at an Ivy League school being a horrible burden.)
What a jerk.
*** UPDATE *** So, do we ban Illinois National Guard members from coming to Illinois?…
An Illinois man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to plotting with his cousin, a National Guard member, to attack an Illinois military installation as part of a conspiracy to support Islamic State, a U.S. prosecutor’s spokesman said.
Jonas Edmonds was charged with his cousin, Army National Guard Specialist Hasan Edmonds, of planning to carry out an armed attack on the military facility where Hasan Edmonds had been training in Joliet, 34 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.
Today, area native, Harvard graduate, and innovation consultant, Jason Gonzales, announced his candidacy for the democratic nomination for state representative of Illinois’ 22nd district.
“I’m running to make the needs of the 22nd district first priority. Our community is suffering from a major lack of economic development, quality middle class jobs, and too many families are now having to pay property taxes that they just cannot afford,” Gonzales said. “From my early experience in the service industry as an SEIU member, as a former small business owner, and currently as an innovation consultant; I’m ready to bring new ideas and leadership to solve Illinois’ and the 22nd district’s toughest problems.”
Jason Gonzales, 41, spent his early years on the Southwest Side of Chicago, the son of a Mexican-American union electrician father and a dental hygienist mother. He describes himself as a “troubled teenager” who attended an alternative high school. Despite these challenges, he changed his life and graduated with honors from Duke University, where he was a student-athlete.
Jason began as a union worker with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) before starting and owning a catering and food service business for 13 years. His ambitions drove him to earn a Master’s in Business Administration at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was a top student and served as an advisor and confidant to L. Rafael Reif, MIT’s 17th President. After MIT, Gonzales earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the prestigious John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where David Gergen, the CNN Senior Political Analyst and advisor to five US presidents mentored him.
He moved back to Chicago, where he founded an international nonprofit training entrepreneurs and bringing clean water to the developing world. He has worked in business and real estate, managing multi-million dollar development bids and contracts. Gonzales is currently an innovation consultant, who has worked with companies in both public and private sectors.
Jason received awards from the City of Los Angeles for innovative community development in Chicago, the Durham Companions for his work with at-risk youth and has been nominated to the World Economic Forum and Council on Foreign Relations for innovation and global leadership. He serves as a trustee for both the Garfield Ridge Civic League and MIT Sloan Club of Chicago. He is also a member of the City Club of Chicago, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Spertus Institute of Leadership.
“I love this state and my community; I refuse to believe that we cannot bring impactful and positive change to Illinois,” Gonzales said. After 45 years of Speaker Madigan, it’s time for a change.”
I’m assuming his bio will be fact-checked.
Speaking of checked, Gonzales’ petitions weren’t challenged. However, both of the two suspected “put-up” (by Madigan) primary candidates were hit by challenges.
Gonzales, 41, says Madigan allies observing candidate filings at the Illinois State Board of Elections just before the close of business on Nov. 30 acted swiftly when he filed his nominating petitions challenging Madigan for the Democratic nominations in the 22nd Illinois House District. Within minutes of Gonzales’ filing, nominating petitions for two other candidates were filed. […]
“I specifically timed it so I had a shot at just me and Speaker Madigan on the ballot. Evidently I didn’t time it late enough. I didn’t want to time it too close because I was afraid there might be a line or something could have gone wrong where I couldn’t have filed. So I was waiting for the last minute and honestly they were not expecting me. I watched the whole thing go down,” says Gonzales. “I filed and … one of Mr. Madigan’s lobbyists or assistants… saw me because they thought I wasn’t running. There were rumors that I had dropped out of the race and I guess they had sort of staked their belief on that. When he saw me, he jumped up, grabbed a file box, went out into the hallway and I watched him pull two candidates’ petitions out of the box. Another assistant prepared them and as soon as I filed, they walked in with other people and filed those candidates right behind me.”
The MJM peeps likely didn’t stake their belief on anything since they apparently had petitions ready to go.
“Many of the signatures it’s our belief that they are bogus or they’re not valid in one way, shape or form. So the community members have filed objections to these two candidates which are very clearly Madigan plants. ” Gonzales said. “I don’t know anything about them. They appear just to be people from the neighborhood. I will find out more. I’ll be stopping by their homes at some point to introduce myself.”
His campaign committee as of Dec. 8 had filed no financial information, though Gonzales said he would be logging about $20,000 in donations in a few days.
* Michael Sneed says CPS CEO Forrest Claypool is looking at cutting administrative positions by a third…
Insiders tell Sneed to look out for the massive cuts as a down payment on bridging this year’s $500 million budget gap — and an effort to avert the worst impacts on classrooms.
Sneed is told about 450 CPS administrative jobs could be chopped to the tune of $50 million. The CPS Central Office, which has 1,400 administrative positions, has a $150 million budget. […]
Backshot: Claypool has been hustling to persuade Springfield to step up and do its part with a new campaign called “20 for 20” — arguing that CPS students are 20 percent of the state’s enrollment, but only get 15 percent of the funding.
Claypool and Mayor Rahm Emanuel have asked the state for a $480 million bailout, which includes $200 million for the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund.
* Senate President John Cullerton is also on the “20 for 20″ bandwagon. From his Tribune op-ed…
We estimate that Chicago schoolchildren, among the state’s most disadvantaged, will receive $4,037 per student in fiscal year 2016 while all other districts will receive, on average, $5,461 per student. That’s less than $3 in state funding to Chicago schools for every $4 suburban and downstate schools receive, on average. […]
The state’s unequal provision of classroom funding is even more abhorrent because 86 percent of Chicago public schoolchildren are low-income. Studies have shown it takes more money, not less, to educate children living in poverty. […]
Schools with high levels of children in poverty should get more than average funding if we are to demand the same results as in other schools. But if Chicago schools simply received average funding — 20 percent of funding for the 20 percent of state enrollment the city represents — Chicago Public Schools would receive upward of $500 million more, enough to avoid classroom cuts this year while the district fights its way out of an unprecedented $1.1 billion budget hole.
State funding is based partly on the local property tax base, and Chicago’s is growing. While Cullerton’s point about low-income families is spot-on, if we want to start basing state school funding on population, a whole lot of wealthy suburban districts will make out like bandits.
Cullerton also mentions the $3.8 billion given by the state to suburban and Downstate schools for their pension fund. Chicago receives very little for its own fund. On that topic, he makes a good point.
Radogno and Durkin also said lawmakers agreed [during yesterday’s leaders’ meeting] to shelve talk of changing the formula Illinois uses to fund public education, saying they will take it up after a budget deal is reached. Lawmakers have long agreed that the system should be more equitable, but not on how to fix it.
Emanuel’s remarks come amid poll results released Tuesday that show 51 percent of Chicagoans surveyed believe he should resign over his handling of the Laquan McDonald case. Perhaps more difficult in the long run for the mayor, though, is that his job approval rating has dropped to 18 percent from 35 percent a year ago.
Ouch.
The robopoll, which is here, was conducted Saturday by Ogden & Fry. The same outfit did a poll for the same publication back in September which found his approval rating at 25 percent.
No doubt that Emanuel’s poll numbers are horrible, but his approval rating isn’t that much lower post-LaQuan McDonald than it was before the horrible snuff video was released. Why? Tax hikes, teachers’ union troubles, junk bond rating, etc., etc., etc. Chicagoans are a mighty grumpy bunch.
64 percent, by the way, say they don’t believe the mayor when he says he never watched the McDonald video.
Remember that “credibility gap” phrase from the old days?
* Even so, I’ve said before that I don’t see Emanuel ever stepping down. One poll certainly ain’t gonna push him out the door. Besides, what aldercreature are they gonna replace him with? Not happening.
It’s also been fairly clear since the election that Emanuel isn’t going to run for another term (a big tipoff is that he’s barely raised any money since the campaign ended). So, while the poll may drive the media narrative for a bit (at least until we get another poll), it likely won’t matter in the end.
* But when half the populace thinks their mayor ought to resign… Whew.
The council is definitely gonna run for cover. And that’ll make it far more difficult to do the things necessary to turn that city around. He can’t go big if aldermen are constantly watching their backs because of him.
* Subscribers were tipped that these petitions were probably bad enough to get him kicked. So he apparently dropped out instead. Tribune…
Flynn Rush, the son of U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, withdrew as a candidate Tuesday in challenging state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie for the March 15 Democratic nomination on Chicago’s South Side.
Currie, who has served in the legislature since 1979, is the House majority leader, the top deputy role for veteran Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Flynn Rush’s bid to get on the ballot already had faced a candidacy petition challenge. The State Board of Elections said Flynn Rush withdrew his candidacy on Tuesday afternoon.
The candidacy petitions of Bobby Rush also are facing an intensive challenge from Ald. Howard Brookins, 21st, one of three Democrats challenging the veteran congressman.
