Kennedy basically said he’s not dropping out because he expects to win. That his polling shows when people are “fully informed,” they choose Kennedy far above his opponents.
Kennedy rejected a widespread feeling in political circles that he has run a poor campaign and now may be stuck in third place. “I’m up against a machine that has had a stranglehold on our state government and economy,” he said, asserting that his campaign’s internal polls show him beating Pritzker when voters are fully informed of the views of both.
Hampered by lackluster fundraising and spending much of what he has been able to raise, governor hopeful Chris Kennedy on Thursday offered a hopeful take on how he’ll be able to get his campaign message out.
“The Democratic primary voter shouldn’t be treated like somebody that we need to teach. They’re quite capable of learning on their own,” Kennedy said at a news conference outside the Loop headquarters of the Chicago Public Schools called to discuss education funding.
“They have multiple news sources. They read multiple newspapers. They watch television. They go to community events. They talk to their friends. They consult blogs and websites,” the Kenilworth developer said. “That group, when they’re ready to inform themselves about the election, will be fully informed and on our side.”
Asked when voters would be fully informed, Kennedy said only that “people decide over different periods” leading up to the March 20 primary election.
* An e-mail forwarded to me which was sent this afternoon by Sen. Chris Nybo to his Senate Republican colleagues…
From: Chris Nybo
Date: Thu, Feb 8, 2018 at 3:18 PM
Subject: John Tillman Non-Profits
To [Senate Republican Email Distribution List]
Hello Everyone,
I am very troubled by the reports about John Tillman’s non-profits that are starting to emerge. I am going to schedule a call with staff to discuss whether we can draft a Joint House Senate Resolution asking for investigations by the FBI, the IRS, or the Attorney General’s Office (as appropriate). Please let me know if you have an interest, and I will include you in the group. Also, this is somewhat sensitive, so I would ask for the courtesy of respecting the confidentiality of caucus communications.
Thanks, Chris
Background is here and here. I’ve asked Mr. Tillman for comment and will post it as soon as I see it.
Man, the knives are really out today.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From John Tillman…
My personal comments:
Sen. Nybo is obviously doing the governor’s bidding. This response and the governor’s response are entirely political theater. Gov. Rauner is well aware of our entire coalition. He was briefed twice on what we’ve built including once at the mansion. He was so impressed with what we’ve built, he hired some of our top staffers. And speaking of the governor’s staff and the repeated turnover, that is an indictment of his ability to lead.
Regarding the Sun Times story, the transactions described were reviewed by our legal and financial counsel, and withstand both legal and ethical scrutiny. It is important to note that the journalists describing them became aware of them specifically because of our scrupulous adherence to both the letter and spirit of the law: they are all publicly disclosed on our required financial forms.
The real intent and purpose of this story — from a union-owned newspaper — is to attack and smear one of the most powerful and compelling threats to the status quo in Illinois. It raises serious questions about the motivation for publishing such a purposely misleading story.
John
*** UPDATE 2 *** Sen. Nybo…
Mr. Tillman’s response reeks of “thou doth protest too much.” I haven’t spoken with the Governor in nine months. This is about good government. And if John, Dan Proft, and their crew are so confident in the lawfulness of their operations, then I expect them to be big supporters of any legislative request to have the FBI, IRS or any other law enforcement agency examine everything. They should, after all, have nothing to worry about, right?
*** UPDATE 3 *** The Circular Firing Squad is locked and loaded…
You know anyone can file a complaint with the Illinois Election Board against Senator Nybo's campaign committee. I'm sure the good senator has nothing to hide so he would welcome the thousands of dollars in legal fees he'd pay to defend himself.
Pritzker can apologize over and over again for the racial remarks he made a decade ago, which were captured on a FBI wiretap of former Gov. Blagojevich’s phone, but — he’s busted.
He got caught saying the very things that a lot of black people suspect white people say when there are no black people in the room.
Pritzker, the billionaire in the Democratic primary for governor, positioned himself as a candidate who genuinely cares about the black condition.
He was strategic is picking a black running mate, Juliana Stratton, and quickly lined up a slew of black elected officials to support him.
But Pritzker’s remarks about three African-American politicians during a private conversation show he didn’t have much respect for black politicians, let alone the black community.
Wednesday afternoon, activist Jedidiah Brown went to a South Side Pritzker campaign office allegedly to get answers about Pritzker’s comments. He did it while on Facebook Live, and after a loud confrontation, was asked to leave the office, which he eventually did. Just another sign that this controversy isn’t over.
That video is here. Brown tried to attend today’s Pritzker meeting with black ministers on the West Side while doing a Facebook Live event. There’s some profanity in both of these vids, but click here to watch if you want.
* Gov. Rauner was asked about Pritzker’s caught on tape comments today…
It’s incredibly disrespectful and demeaning and manipulative and it shows how broken our political system is, with this machine that he’s been part of.
“Crass” is a problematic adjective. It comes from the Latin crassus, which translates to “thick” or “dense” in both the literal and figurative senses. But in contemporary usage, crass has come to mean without refinement or subtlety, as in the crass commercialism of Christmas or the crass rhetoric of President Donald Trump.
Jones, now retired, was old-school — a powerful political insider and canny deal-maker strongly identified with Chicago, where he’d once worked as a sewer inspector. He likely would have had a tougher time winning re-election to the U.S. Senate than White, who’d consistently demonstrated his popularity at the polls statewide.
But “crass”? And just a “little more crass” than White, who was, by implication, therefore, also somewhat crass? Would Pritzker have used that word to describe top Caucasian politicians?
And would he have described the most plausible Caucasian candidate as the “least offensive” option, as he did Jesse White, instead of, say, the “most acceptable” option?
A mild-mannered Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th), whose father was Chicago’s second black mayor — Eugene Sawyer — has some advice for the bombastic former Senate President Emil Jones, who blasted black pols Tuesday supporting Dem gubernatorial hopeful J.B. Pritzker as being “meek” and “safe” blacks.
“[His father, former Mayor Eugene Sawyer] taught me to make friends; enemies come on their own.
“Being disagreeable doesn’t always bring everything to the table and get the most benefit for your community.
“And I disagree with Emil’s use of the word ‘safe’ black. It’s important to be an electable black.”
What in heaven’s name was Pritzker doing palling around with Blagojevich? No, the governor hadn’t yet been indicted. But there was intense chatter at the time about what the feds were up to. Pritzker was clearly interested in snagging some sort of government job, and he ignored the flashing yellow lights in pursuing it with Blagojevich.
One might say much the same about Pritzker’s refusal to distance himself from Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan in the same way that Kennedy and Biss have. He’s clearly calculated that being kinda nice to Mike will net him more than ticking the speaker off will.
That tendency—cozying up—is something Pritzker has yet to fully explain. And it bothers me a lot more than his actual comments, though I admit I’m not in a perfect position to lecture black people about how they should feel about such disparaging remarks.
The gubernatorial campaign still has a little time to go. We’ll see what Pritzker does next to make this right—though apologies can only go so far to fix the real, underlying problem, which is how willing he may or may not be to speak truth to those who wield power.
“J.B.’s running around town, calling people, apologizing, and people are saying he needs to show the community some love,” a prominent African-American politician told me Wednesday.
“But love isn’t enough. J.B’s got to show us some glove,” the politico said.
“Glove?” I asked. “G-l-o-v-e, glove?”
“Yeah, glove,” he laughed. “That’s love with a ‘g’ on it. You understand?”
Yes, I do.
And you spell “glove” this way: $$$$.
* Pritzker also dropped by the Chicago Defender for an interview. Not much there, but click here.
* Related…
* WVON: JB Pritzker Joins Maze and Charles to discuss his comments on FBI Tapes
* WVON: Cliff Kelley Discusses JB Pritzker with Emil Jones
* Running mate defends Pritzker over wiretapped remarks: Stratton, in Springfield for legislative session, said what Pritzker “did yesterday is what I would expect any of us who have perhaps made a misstep or done something we’re not necessarily proud of. We admit what it was, we apologize for it.” “But we also point to the things that countered what happened nine years ago and show all the things that (Pritzker’s) done throughout his career and all the things we’ve done on the campaign trail and all the things we expect to do for the people of Illinois once we defeat this failed governor we have now,” Stratton said.
Gov. Rauner: Well, I can tell you I would absolutely not give them another nickel, I can say that. I’ve been a longtime funder of efforts to bring free market principles to Illinois and to America. They used to be an advocate there. But I’m very troubled, very troubled by what I’ve learned. And I certainly would not give them any more money.
Reporter: Can you elaborate on what you’re troubled by?
Gov. Rauner: Based on what I’ve seen, I have not studied the whole article that’s come out, but based on what I’ve been told and what little I’ve learned about it, it sounds like there’s been improper structure there and improper, um, uh, benefits.
Reporter: Do you think the attorney general’s office should take a look at Tillman?
Gov. Rauner: I’ll leave that to the attorney general, but I’m troubled by what I’ve seen.
I’ve asked the attorney general’s office for comment and will post it when I get it.
*** UPDATE *** From the attorney general’s office…
We’re reviewing the information and will determine if we need to take a next step.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Tillman’s response…
Assuming that’s because Diana won’t allow him to donate to us. Regardless, we wouldn’t accept his donation. Our members believe in balanced budgets, responsible gov't and reducing taxes on Illinois’ middle class – all of which @GovRauner has failed to achieve since taking office
The two had a good thing going and didn’t even know it, but then they just had to ruin it by firing Goldberg, et al and moving those Policy Institute employees into the governor’s office, which, in my opinion, led directly to Rauner’s signature on HB40, which totally blew everything up.
Question: “[inaudible] Is there a message there, though, that budget stalemates going two years without a budget is not a good idea?”
Rauner: “It’s a terrible idea.”
Question: “So you’re promising there will not be another stalemate like that?”
Rauner: “Haha, you know what? Speaker Madigan has already indicated, he’s already told members of his caucus that he would love to see another budget stalemate this year. The speaker thrives on that sort of disagreement. That sort of disruption. This is his goal. He views that as politically advantageous for him. That’s a fact. He would love to see that stalemate. I don’t want to see a stalemate. I want more economic growth and truly balanced budgets.”
Question: “Well are you willing to make the kinds of concessions that would be needed to avoid a stalemate. You say you want to repeal this tax, he doesn’t want to repeal this tax.”
Rauner: “So, I was overridden last summer in a massive tax increase with no reforms and a still out of balance budget. Still, even after a massive tax hike, there is still deficit spending, our unpaid bills are still climbing. As they have for years and years and years. This system is broken, Mike Madigan has rigged it to be this way. He’s been in power for 35 years. And he’s run the system for his political benefit rather than what’s good for the people of Illinois. And this is what we need to unite together to change. I believe a new speaker, someone who’s there for the right reasons, not to get rich from high property taxes, which is what Mike Madigan does. Someone who’s there for the right reasons, we can work on a bipartisan basis to get balanced budgets. I know there are Democrats in the General Assembly who’ve I’ve met with who’ve said, “Governor, you’re right. We’d like to work with you but we’re scared….”
Question: “Alright, but if you don’t get a new speaker, are you willing to make the kinds of concessions on repealing the tax, whatever, to avoid another one of these budget stalemates?”
Rauner: “I will negotiate in good faith, make compromise, find common ground in every way that I possibly can. And I’ve done that so far.” [Emphasis added.]
Um, he’s “done that so far”? That might be news to former Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno and the House Republicans who voted to override his budget and tax vetoes, but whatever. Then again, he did say “in every way that I possibly can,” so maybe that’s his out.
* Anyway, I sent a quick text message to 15 House Democrats asking them if they’d heard Madigan say he’d love to see another budget stalemate this year. I’ve heard back from 13 so far and they all said a version of “No.”
Here’s a few of the texted replies I’ve received so far. I talked to one on the phone because she was driving. Some texts, as you will see, are ever so slightly edited…
F— no. What a liar… You guys have to call him out on that s—.
Nope! We haven’t even discussed the budget yet. We have had two caucus meetings and they have focused on the hospital assessment and sb444. He’s making s— up again
He’s lying
No. Nothing like it
Absolutely not.
Uh no!! And all the members are wanting a budget as far as I know. What a weirdo.
No - we just talked about the Hospital Assessment in Caucus. I’ll check around. The consensus we have is he wouldn’t do that in an election year. [And then several minutes later] Called a few folks I trust and it’s a negative on that statement that I could find. I’ve never heard the speaker say that. Honestly, a budget impasse makes the rank and file look bad as well
He has not said that to me or in caucus. That would not be well received and I do not believe he would say that.
…Adding… Steve Brown says Madigan hasn’t said what the governor claimed. Also, too…
I'll say it on the record. @GovRauner is lying. In no way or form did Speaker Madigan say or hint to House Democrats that he wants a budget stalemate repeated. Rauner should apologize to the Speaker. He's unfit to occupy the Governor's office. https://t.co/6wPqLMPaVf@capitolfax
* The Belleville News-Democrat asked area legislators and candidates about legalizing recreational marijuana. Here’s GOP state Senate candidate Jason Plummer…
“The idea that recreational marijuana is an innocuous substance with no ill effects on personal or public health is false. When I talk to local law enforcement about the possibility of legalizing cannabis, they point out that where they find marijuana, more dangerous substances are very often present. Research backs up their experience that this drug is a gateway for young people who are now increasingly vulnerable to falling victim to opioid addiction.”
He added: “Marijuana stunts neurological development, damages the lungs, just as cigarettes do, and impairs drivers. Special interests see the potential for huge profits, and advocates for legalization of recreational marijuana see a short-term tax windfall as sufficient to justify allowing the spread of drugs throughout our communities, but I view this as a cynical position that carries a long-term cost to families, communities, employers, law enforcement and addicts themselves. I strongly oppose legalization for recreational purposes.”
Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Smithton) also called marijuana a “gateway drug,” as did his Republican opponent and two of Plummer’s Republican primary opponents.
“I do not support it under any circumstances. It has nothing to do other than generate revenue in the state of Illinois with no contemplation of end result, which is addiction, and treatment for addiction and maybe the escalating addiction of marijuana to other drugs, which enhance the feeling or the effect of cannabis.”
Maybe they’re using the “gateway” argument because these candidates live so close to the Gateway Arch. I dunno.
* Anyway, I’ve always thought that for a small number of people, pot can be a gateway drug partly because they grow accustomed to breaking laws so they may start breaking other laws. Or they start hanging out with dealers and bad things start to happen in their own lives. Legalization would mean folks might hang out at the Walgreen’s.
However, the majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, “harder” substances. Also, cross-sensitization is not unique to marijuana. Alcohol and nicotine also prime the brain for a heightened response to other drugs52 and are, like marijuana, also typically used before a person progresses to other, more harmful substances.
It is important to note that other factors besides biological mechanisms, such as a person’s social environment, are also critical in a person’s risk for drug use. An alternative to the gateway-drug hypothesis is that people who are more vulnerable to drug-taking are simply more likely to start with readily available substances such as marijuana, tobacco, or alcohol, and their subsequent social interactions with others who use drugs increases their chances of trying other drugs. Further research is needed to explore this question.
And marijuana can help alleviate the opioid crisis, which is a big dealio down in the Metro East.
* But the grand prize goes to Rep. Charlie Meier’s GOP primary opponent Don Moore, who said: “I’m also not a proponent of looking for easy ways to raise tax dollars.”
St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly, the leading Democrat, outraised incumbent Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, in the fourth quarter with more than $315,000, mostly from individuals. Bost raised just over $248,000 in that time, the majority of it from PACs.
The cash-on-hand contest is also competitive. Bost went into 2018 with $686,012 available to him, compared to Kelly’s $520,523.
* Money and other considerations have prompted the Cook Political Report to change the Bost district from “lean Republican” to “toss up”…
IL-12: Mike Bost (R) — Southwest border: East St. Louis, Carbondale
Toss Up. This southern Illinois district gave President Trump a 15 point margin and Bost has been consistently underestimated. But the district also voted for Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth by nine points. More importantly, Democrats may have landed their most prized recruit of the 2018 cycle in St. Clair County prosecutor Brendan Kelly, who outraised Bost this past cycle.
Kelly, a Notre Dame graduate and Navy veteran who served on ships in the Middle East, is the type of moderate Democrat that has done well here in the past. He plays up his work in the county attorney’s office combating the opioid epidemic. Republicans hint there’s plenty to go after in his prosecutorial record, but they’ll have a hard time painting Kelly as a liberal. This is a top-tier Democratic opportunity.
Long way to go, so we’ll see. As the rater mentions, Bost is consistently underestimated. And while Trump and Duckworth did both win that district, Republican Leslie Munger also won it by 5 points.
* You may recall that back on December 6th we discussed JB Pritzker’s decision not to debate his rivals during a March 5 debate hosted by WCIA TV in Champaign. He got some heat for the decision at the time, but, for whatever reason, no other media outlet reported on the dispute.
The debate, scheduled to be hosted by Springfield-area television station WCIA, is in danger of being cancelled after Pritzker’s campaign confirmed this week that the candidate will not participate in the event.
* Sen. Daniel Biss, who, unlike Pritzker, is not airing any TV ads on Downstate stations, has launched an online petition to save the debate. Press release…
Nexstar, the corporate owners of WCIA Channel 3 in Springfield and its media partners, are considering cancelling the only televised downstate debate before the March 20 primary election because JB Pritzker is declining to participate. This debate, scheduled for March 5, would be hosted by WCIA Channel 3 and would be televised in every media market in the state.
In the past month, WCIA has published two stories critical of Pritzker. WCIA’s reporting in one story showed how Pritzker had cashed out hundreds of millions of dollars in Hyatt stock, funneling the transactions through shell corporations. In the second story, WCIA revealed that Pritzker had used two of his other firms to max out contributions to Michael Madigan and the Illinois Democratic Party as he was preparing to run for governor.
“Pritzker, who has recently dropped in the polls and is batting off one negative news story after another is clearly worried about going up on stage in front of a statewide audience two weeks before primary election day,” said Biss communications director Tom Elliott.
“We’ve seen this before: a billionaire businessman who doesn’t want to answer tough questions and blames the media while avoiding them. If Pritzker is that worried about facing questions from members of the press or from members of his own party, he is clearly not ready to go up against Bruce Rauner in the general election.”
“Middle class and working families can’t afford four more years of Bruce Rauner, and they deserve to hear from the candidates seeking to replace him. Daniel Biss agreed to this debate when it was first proposed last year, and intends to participate.
The Biss campaign is inviting Illinois voters who share this commitment to help “Save our Downstate Debate” by signing a petition, which will be delivered to Nexstar and WCIA Channel 3.
* Chris Kennedy, who also isn’t airing any Downstate ads, has his own petitions…
Chris Kennedy’s campaign for governor launched an online petition today, urging organizers of the state’s only televised debate happening outside of Chicago to keep the debate as scheduled, despite JB Pritzker’s decision not to participate: https://kennedyforillinois.com/wcia-petition/
Chris Kennedy:
“By rejecting the only televised debate scheduled outside the Chicago market, JB Pritzker has sent a clear message to voters that they’re not worthy of hearing where he stands on the issues. This is a clear indicator of what a Pritzker administration would look like: a top-down approach to leadership and no transparency. It all sounds dangerously familiar. We all need to be vetted by the press and by the voters. JB shouldn’t be exempt from that, but if he chooses to hide behind his TV ads and sit out this debate, the debate should still happen. Voters should still have the opportunity to hear from the candidates who have the courage to face them.”
Robin Kelly: I’m Congresswoman Robin Kelly. We all know our property tax system is broken and our communities are paying the price. But this March, we can fix it. And Fritz Kaegi is leading the charge.
Fritz Kaegi: I’m Fritz Kaegi and I’m running for assessor because we all deserve fairness. And that’s worth fighting for.
David Orr: Fritz is a progressive Democrat. He’s a finance professional. He’s a numbers guy. And he’s the best candidate to clean up the mess in the Assessor’s office.
Robin Kelly: They say we can’t beat the machine, but We Can!
* Berrios challenger Kaegi calls assessor’s office ‘for sale’ as candidates hold dueling news conferences: Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios and primary challenger Fritz Kaegi engaged in political stagecraft on Wednesday via dueling news conferences scheduled for the same time and the same floor of the County Building. First, Berrios announced he was extending the deadline for senior citizen homeowners to seek a property tax exemption, saying, “I have always paid special attention to seniors.” Kaegi, meanwhile, waited in the hallway outside the assessor’s office for Berrios to finish. Then, Kaegi stood behind a sign declaring Berrios’ office was “for sale” and accused the incumbent of “auctioning lower property tax assessments in exchange for campaign cash.” Kaegi was referring to Berrios’ acceptance of campaign contributions from property tax appeals lawyers, whose work Kaegi said ends up giving owners of more expensive properties a break, increasing the property tax burden on owners of lower-priced properties. That “leads to a structurally racist outcome that most impacts black and brown communities all over this county,” Kaegi said.
* Berrios, Kaegi Clash Over Tax System During Melrose Park Forum: Kaegi, said he is the only candidate in the race who is a certified Illinois assessment officer (“which is required for every township assessor and county assessor in the state except Cook County”) and that he would commit to three immediate priorities once he gets in office. If elected, the Oak Park resident said, his first-year priorities in office would be to implement a valuation model “that is more accurate and less regressive,” reveal how taxpayers’ assessments are calculated, and refuse to tax donations from property tax appeals lawyers. “I can do all of this in the first year without any new laws,” Kaegi said.
* Pritzker’s latest 15-second TV ad on Daniel Biss…
* Script…
Dan Biss says he’s a proven progressive. But he’s taken money from big banks. And Biss voted with Republicans in Springfield and voted to let the state garnish wages when people fall behind on student loans.
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Authorizes the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to deduct from the salary, wages, commissions, and bonuses of any employee in this State and, as otherwise permitted, any employee outside the State of Illinois by serving a notice of administrative wage garnishment on an employer for the recovery of a student loan debt owned or serviced by the Commission. Provides that levy must not be made until the Commission has caused a demand to be made on the employee such that the employee is provided an opportunity to contest the existence or amount of the student loan obligation. Effective immediately.
In a desperate attempt to change the subject away from his racially offensive discussions about African-American elected officials with disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich, JB Pritzker is once again attacking Daniel Biss. The new attack ad comes on the same day polling shows Biss is the stronger candidate to beat Governor Bruce Rauner in the general election.
“Pritzker’s panic continues,” said Abby Witt, campaign manager for the Biss campaign. “In JB’s latest sloppy attack ad, the billionaire venture capitalist claims to be better on reducing student debt and college costs than the middle-class father whose family recently finished paying off student loans and who passed the Student Loan Bill of Rights into law this year.
“It’s clear JB will say anything to deflect attention from the constant drumbeat of negative stories about him. JB can reinvent Daniel’s record all he wants, but voters know Daniel is a proven progressive who’ll fight for working families. The same can’t be said for JB Pritzker, whose record remains as elusive as his tax returns.”
OK, except notice the Biss folks didn’t address the substance of the ad.
As Illinois prepares for Governor Bruce Rauner to unveil a proposed budget next week, the worst-rated state is already awash in billions of dollars of red ink, according to Comptroller Susana Mendoza.
Lawmakers and Rauner will have to contend with deficit spending in the current fiscal year as they work to craft a spending plan for next year, according to Mendoza, a Democrat whose office is charged with paying the state’s bills. She outlined the shortfall in an interview at her office in Chicago:
* $2.3 billion of deficit spending in the form of unappropriated liabilities held at state agencies as of Dec. 31
* $8.4 billion of unpaid bills as of Feb. 7
* $1.03 billion of late-payment interest fees incurred as of Dec. 31, 2017 - Note: At least $143m has been paid
* $1.7 billion general fund deficit, according to the governor’s office of management and budget
Rauner on Feb. 14 is scheduled to present his spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The Republican, who is up for re-election this year, has pledged to roll back an income-tax hike enacted by the legislature in July over his veto. That revenue boost ended an unprecedented two-year budget impasse, which had threatened to send the state to junk-status. Lowering taxes even just a quarter point would shave an estimated $1 billion off the state’s projected revenue, according to the comptroller’s office.
* The Bloomberg story was published before the governor’s budget director testified yesterday with some updated numbers. Monique Garcia and Bill Lukitsch at the Tribune…
[Budget director Hans Zigmund] said the lawmakers’ budget plan was nearly $1.7 billion out of balance, but that number has been whittled down to $600 million through a combination of spending cuts, borrowing from specialized accounts and more revenue coming in than expected.
So, the budget passed over the governor’s veto is $600 million out of whack, which isn’t gigantic.
Then [Zigmund] detailed looming problems, including the state’s roughly $8.3 billion pile of unpaid bills. Of that, $1.1 billion is tied to what Zigmund called “unappropriated liabilities,” or money the administration spent without permission from lawmakers as it sought to keep the prison system and Medicaid program afloat during the impasse.
Zigmund said Rauner would propose a way to address the combined $9 billion shortfall next week.
Zigmund’s unappropriated liabilities number is less than half the comptroller’s, so I’m not sure what’s going on there.
The state did not have a budget in place for the 2017 fiscal year but kept spending money through a variety of court orders, consent decrees and automatic spending.
About 85 percent of the supplemental spending request is for expenses for Corrections and for Medicaid.
Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, who chairs one of the Senate Appropriations committees asked how soon the money to operate Corrections will run out if a supplemental bill isn’t approved.
“Very quickly,” Zigmund replied. “Right now, we are having to very actively manage (the bills) that are going over to the comptroller, to do things like make sure the prisoners are fed, make sure the garbage is taken out, make sure the water and lights are running.”
“Unappropriated liabilities” also includes running up the state’s tab by signing contracts without authorizing appropriations.
* And none of this includes GOMB’s previously projected $2.15 billion deficit for FY 2019, which starts July 1.
However, not all of those unpaid state bills are actually overdue. A few billion or so are likely within the normally acceptable bill-paying cycle. So, the hole, including next fiscal year’s projection, is maybe somewhere around $8 billion. Hooray!
* Keep all that in mind when the Illinois Policy Institute claims it has a balanced budget proposal. The institute says it has found $2.173 billion in alleged savings, some of which are impossible to accomplish with Democrats in charge and some are fiscally iffy to say the least.
Either way, the plan addresses only next fiscal year’s problem while seemingly ignoring the carry-over from this fiscal year.
A communications staffer ousted by Gov. Bruce Rauner is accusing the governor’s office of stonewalling on requests for public information, including emails to and from first lady Diana Rauner regarding an abortion bill the governor angered conservatives by signing.
A former member of Gov. Rauner’s communications team has asked to dismiss a lawsuit seeking emails from first lady Diana Rauner about a controversial abortion bill.
The suit was filed by Diana Rickert, who briefly served as Rauner’s chief of staff for communications last summer. It alleges the governor’s office did not follow open records laws by failing to release records she requested.
Court records show Rickert filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss the suit Wednesday. Attorneys for the Liberty Justice Center, which is where she now works and which is representing her in the case, did not respond to a request for comment.
Rauner spokeswoman Rachel Bold said the administration provided Rickert with documents and “there was nothing left to litigate.”
Billionaire JB Pritzker is the wealthiest candidate ever to run for Illinois governor and likely the most philanthropic, laying claim to at least $152 million in donations in recent years to children’s programs, universities, hospitals, a state Holocaust museum and much more.
Some of those donations have gone to causes tied to politicians and social activists now endorsing Pritzker’s campaign. Also In late 2016, he gave $250,000 to the non-profit bankrolling restoration of the governor’s mansion in Springfield, the same residence Pritzker soon after began campaigning to occupy.
Pritzker’s largesse is a major selling point of his bid for governor. But a Better Government Association examination shows that charity comes at little real cost to the candidate himself but considerable expense to federal and state treasuries.
Records show Pritzker has funded his charitable giving almost exclusively with inherited proceeds, much of it filtered through offshore tax havens and then deposited in a tax-exempt nonprofit he controls, the Pritzker Family Foundation.
The result is that Pritzker’s philanthropy, and any accolades that go with it, have been bankrolled with what is essentially found money. He did little to earn the proceeds and paid no taxes on the bulk of it before giving it away.
Pritzker’s record as a philanthropist is a central element in a campaign that asks Illinois voters to put him in charge of their tax money. In ads and speeches, he stresses how he has used his money to do good and make a difference.
But the complete story is more complex. Most people who make charitable donations do so out of earnings or savings on which they have already paid taxes. Pritzker, on the other hand, did no work for most of the money he has given away or pay taxes on it.
Go read the whole thing. Pritzker has basically admitted doing this for a while, saying he doesn’t pocket money from overseas family trusts and donates it to charity. But the BGA story is another, less, um, charitable, way of looking at it.
* Pritzker campaign response…
JB is very proud of his work with charitable causes across Illinois. Everything from expanding school breakfast programs to 235,000 low-income kids, to helping create a non-profit technology incubator that’s created over 7,000 jobs, to standing up for wrongly convicted men and women behind bars and building a museum that every year teaches 60,000 Illinois kids and teachers to stand up to hate.
The fact is the trusts referenced in today’s story were set up generations ago by relatives of JB, but it was JB who made the decision that all distributions made should be given entirely to charity. As a result, hundreds of millions of dollars have gone to support meaningful programs across Illinois.
The suggestion that JB’s commitment of countless of hours of time and millions of dollars in support to these organizations is not genuine, and even worse, questioning the sincerity of the motives of people supporting his campaign like Barbara Bowman and Holocaust survivors who personally worked with JB to build the museum is not only incorrect, it’s insulting.
Pritzker has played a major fundraising role for construction of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center museum in Skokie, and his foundation donated $9.9 million to the effort. Two Holocaust survivors, leaders of the drive to build the museum, appear in another Pritzker campaign ad titled “Standing Up to Hate.”
Slayen said the donations and endorsements reflect long standing relationships and shared interests, not political tit-for-tat.
“To be clear, the implication you’re making is both ridiculous and offensive,” Pritzker’s spokeswoman said. “And if you are seriously asking if Holocaust survivors, a champion for early childhood education, and a decades long public servant are trading their endorsements for charitable contributions then the answer is unequivocally no.”
* The Pritzker campaign would like you to see their full response…
And if you are seriously asking if Holocaust survivors, a champion for early childhood education, and a decades long public servant are trading their endorsements for charitable contributions then the answer is unequivocally no. It is incredibly insulting to the lives these people have led and the impact that they’ve had on their communities to even make such an accusation. We are honestly dumbfounded that an organization like the BGA, which again, has received significant contributions from JB’s Foundation, would attempt to connect nonexistent dots.
* I told subscribers about this poll earlier today, but had a brain freeze and wrote something which I then had to correct. Been one of those mornings…
Daniel Biss today released a new poll of a general election audience, showing that Biss withstands JB Pritzker’s hypocritical attacks and is polling stronger than any other candidate in the race against Bruce Rauner, despite Pritzker’s historic spending, so far at more than $20 million. In head-to-head matchups, Biss leads Rauner by 17 points (47% Biss / 30% Rauner / 23% not sure), while the race is narrower between the two billionaires (48% Pritzker / 35% Rauner / 17% not sure).
Meanwhile, billionaire politicians are remarkably unpopular in the state, with Pritzker nine points underwater at 33% favorable / 42% unfavorable, Donald Trump down 21 points (37% favorable / 58% unfavorable) and Bruce Rauner down a whopping 37 points, with 26% favorable / 63% unfavorable.
“This confirms what we’ve known all along: voters prefer a middle-class governor in Daniel Biss rather than having to choose between billionaires Pritzker and Rauner,” said Biss campaign manager Abby Witt. “Despite Pritzker outspending Daniel 20-to-1 on TV ads, Daniel continues to build momentum and is the strongest candidate to beat Bruce Rauner.”
The poll, conducted February 5 - 6, 2018, samples a general election audience and comes on the heels of a public poll and JB Pritzker’s own polling showing Biss surging into second place.
Through an often-dizzying series of transactions, Tillman and his associates have moved millions of dollars around five interconnected nonprofits they run, steering money to for-profit ventures in which they have a stake.
For example, in addition to his role as chief executive officer at the institute, Tillman is the board chairman and former president of Think Freely Media, another small-government nonprofit that once shared office space with the institute and received hundreds of thousands of dollars from it in grant money.
In 2015, Think Freely Media made a $49,400, no-interest loan to a for-profit data and marketing company called Crowdskout. That came a few months after the nonprofit loaned Crowdskout $60,000 plus interest. At the time, Tillman had “majority unit control” of the entity that owned Crowdskout, according to a financial audit of Think Freely Media. […]
“If this is basically seen as an indirect loan to the officer, that’s a flat-out violation of nonprofit law in Illinois,” [ Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer of the University of Notre Dame Law School] said. […]
“Obviously, these are all fully disclosed transactions, all at fair market value as they should be,” Tillman wrote. “And yes, people and companies are paid for providing services. When I have had a role with an organization, that relationship must be properly disclosed to the board and I recused myself regarding any decisions made.”
On four occasions from 2013 to 2015, Think Freely Media gave grants to nonprofits that then hired for-profit marketing firms controlled by Tillman, records show.
“We’ve had the good fortune of being able to assist others in getting off the ground along the way — all of which is publicly reported,” Tillman wrote.
Tillman pitched Crowdskout to many Republicans, and Rauner hired the firm in 2016, paying it $200,000 to do market research for his campaign, according to state records.
The poll — which has a 2.82 percent margin of error — surveyed 1,209 likely Democratic primary voters on Tuesday and Wednesday and has Pritzker ahead by just more than three percentage points. […]
Of African-American voters polled, 28.1 percent said they still supported Pritzker; 22.9 percent supported Kennedy and 20.3 percent said they’d vote for Biss. There were still 18.2 percent of American-American voters that were undecided, according to the poll.
The poll also asked specific supporters whether there’s still room to change their mind ahead of the primary. Of Pritzker supporters, 56.7 percent said they might switch their votes; nearly 41 percent of Kennedy and Biss supporters said they might also change their minds.
Voters were also asked who their second choice would be for governor. About 46 percent of Pritzker voters chose Kennedy; 21.5 percent chose Biss. Of Biss voters, 17.8 percent chose Pritzker and 66.1 percent chose Kennedy. Of Kennedy voters, 24.4 percent said their second choice was Pritzker, while 52.3 percent chose Biss.
*** UPDATE *** Man, I have had such a horrible morning. I was thinking of another firm when I posted this story. Click here and here for some unflattering background on the pollster.
* I was hanging out with a good friend the other day who told me about a recent conversation he’d had with a non-political friend. His pal was very impressed with Sen. Daniel Biss’ first TV ad (click here to watch it if you haven’t seen it). Why did he love the ad so much? The reason can be found in this scene…
The guy said that anybody with an ironing board right off the kitchen had to be a regular person.
* The Question: Where do you think the ironing board is in the homes of the other gubernatorial candidates? This question applies to both parties and you can guess the ironing board locations for as many or as few as you wish. Have fun.
Today, Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration appeared before a legislative body investigating the state’s botched response to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at a state-run veterans’ home in Quincy. Over three years, 13 people died. At a hearing last month, lawmakers asked the administration to turn over more information about the state’s response to the outbreak.
Well, lawmakers will have to wait longer. According to the Associated Press, Rauner’s administration required lawmakers to file public records requests, then denied the requests as “overly broad”:
“Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Nirav Shah…told a joint House-Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Wednesday that Sen. Tom Cullerton’s request for communication surrounding the crisis that has led to the deaths of 13 residents and sickened dozens more is subject to the Freedom of Information Act. He used an exemption for “overly broad” requests to deny the request from Cullerton. He invited the Villa Park Democrat and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman to narrow the request.”
Today’s hearing also revealed the workers at the state-run Quincy home only learned about the Legionnaires’ outbreak through media reports. Rauner’s administration already came under fire after it was revealed the state waited 6 days before telling residents and the public about the outbreak.
“Thirteen people died at a veterans’ home and Bruce Rauner’s administration is hampering an investigation into why it happened,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “It took a major investigation to force Rauner to even admit there was a problem at Quincy. Now it appears his administration is more interested in protecting themselves than finding answers as to what happened.”
Illinois Public Health Director Nirav Shah told a joint House-Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee that his agency denied Senate committee chairman Tom Cullerton’s demand for communication about the crisis under an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act. […]
“I didn’t realize that as a senator, I had to file a full FOIA request for an agency that the General Assembly is responsible for doing an appropriation on,” Cullerton said.
No public body is obligated to follow FOIA. The preamble to the law states a presumption that all government records are public. The law exists to ensure that taxpayers have recourse to get public records from reticent government bodies.
“We’re asking you to answer a request to fix a problem where not just one person died … 13 people died on your watch and you didn’t fix it,” said Sen. Michael Hastings, a Tinley Park Democrat. “And you want to play hide the ball?”
“My request wasn’t a FOIA request. I set it up as just a follow-up to the answer where (Shah and Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Erica Jeffries) said ‘yes we will provide the information,‘” said Cullerton. “I filed a follow-up, just reminding you and saying ‘could you please provide the information?’”
When questioned by Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, on when public health would release the requested emails, Shah said they would when public officials discuss how to narrow the request with representatives of Cullerton and Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“It seems to me there’s some kind of a cover-up,” said Welch. “We’re in 2018, and there appears to be way too many deaths of veterans. One is too many. And yet it seems to me that you guys are withholding information and avoiding answering questions.”
“I’m going to be very clear for the record and everyone in the gallery, too: Your assumption that there is a cover-up at play is 150 thousand percent unfounded and is wholly rejected,” Shah retorted.
There’s at least one other interesting story from today’s hearing. More later.
* According to the Secretary of State’s office, Legionella bacteria was found in a humidifier that serves the south end of the Capitol Building, which is the House’s side. The humidifier, I’m told, has been shut off.
From a memo…
TO: All Capitol Complex State Employees
FROM: Mike Wojcik, Director of Physical Services, Secretary of State
Trey Childress, Deputy Governor & Chief Operating Officer
SUBJECT: Update on Water Testing for Legionella Bacteria
DATE: February 7, 2018
Reliable Environmental Solutions, Inc., in concert with the Secretary of State Physical Services Department, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), BRiC Partnership, LLC Consulting Engineers, the Capital Development Board (CDB) and the Office of the Architect of the Capitol (OAC) continue to test the water throughout the Capitol Complex. We provide you this update because thus far, of more than 300 preliminary water test results, four have indicated a positive reading for the presence of Legionella bacteria. Water testing is ongoing and final results are expected within two weeks.
As a result of the positive findings, remedial efforts are underway to drain and disinfect those areas that have preliminarily tested positive for the bacteria. Also, a water flushing program has been instituted throughout the Capitol Complex to maximize fresh water running through the pipes and fixtures. The Secretary of State Physical Services Department previously removed aerators and disabled the showers in the Capitol Complex. Removing aerators allows for a non-aerated and thinner stream of water for hand washing.
Legionella is the bacteria that can cause Legionnaires’ disease. We are not aware of any reports of Legionnaires’ disease among Springfield state employees or the general public. We have been advised by experts that the transmission of this bacteria in normal, day-to-day office operations is unlikely. This is an issue we continue to take seriously and the health and safety of state employees and visitors remains our top priority. We will pass along relevant updates as they become available.
For more information regarding Legionella bacteria, please visit the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website:http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/legionellosis.
Two of the four locations were in the cooling tower at the CMS Computer Center on West Adams St. The other was in the women’s restroom in the Howlett Building’s basement.
Kennedy said, “there was no requirement to put in affordable housing” at his Wolf Point development because the property was grandfathered in under rules that applied before adoption of the city’s affordable housing ordinance. […]
Nevertheless, Kennedy is correct in stating no legal mandate required him to include affordable housing at his Wolf Point development. We rate his claim True.
A source familiar with the casting decision, however, said that Talent Group, which bills itself as “Chicago’s leading nonunion talent agency,” provided several cisgender male actors who auditioned for the transgender woman role, and that the Ives campaign selected the actor who appeared in the ad.
[Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti] and Ives briefly served together on the Wheaton City Council before Ives entered the Illinois House and Sanguinetti later became lieutenant governor. Sanguinetti said she and Ives are “not friends.”
“The Jeanne Ives that you folks are seeing in that commercial, that sort of spirit, is the same Jeanne Ives that I have known for the last seven to eight years,” Sanguinetti said. “I saw it from the dais, I’ve seen it in my community and now all of you are getting a taste of it, and I’m hopeful that that will be rejected.”
Sanguinetti said Rauner’s new ad was inspired by the sit-down at the Tribune.
“I think we were all surprised that she had good things to say about Speaker Madigan,” Sanguinetti said. “That was a shocker, not only to us, but to the rest of Illinois … that warranted a response.”
As a follow-up to an interview earlier this week, today, Scott Drury, Democratic candidate for Illinois Attorney General, began releasing on Twitter (@Drury4IL) documents and records of his interactions with Mike Madigan and his leadership team. Today’s records relate to a dinner meeting in October 2016 when Madigan requested approximately $60,000 from Drury, as Drury sought to pass child protection legislation that had stalled in the House.
During a radio interview on Sunday, Drury provided details of the dinner meeting, including Madigan’s request that Drury funnel the contribution through an entity known as LIFT PAC – a super PAC to which Madigan had no nominal connection. Madigan’s spokesman later claimed he could not verify the accuracy of Drury’s account. Drury believes he can assist with that. “Like James Comey, I, too, thought it wise to keep records of interactions with a power hungry leader used to getting his way,” said Drury.
According to Drury, he refused to be part of what he viewed as a money-laundering scheme and did not contribute to LIFT PAC. Undeterred, Madigan later proposed that Drury make the contribution through an array of Democratic candidates under Madigan’s control. For similar reasons, Drury refused.
So far, Drury has released an October 7, 2016 voice message from Madigan to Drury which led to the dinner meeting.
* Not much here except Madigan asking for a call back…
On Sunday, I described a series of meetings with Mike Madigan involving his request for approximately $60,000 to be funneled through a SuperPAC. His spokesperson questioned the validity of the allegations. Like @JamesComeyFBI , I kept records. This voicemail started it all. pic.twitter.com/d39XeqNWtL
By the way, I asked the Daniel Biss campaign this morning to respond to Drury’s allegations of a “money laundering scheme” at the LIFT PAC. Biss, you will recall, ran that political action committee. So far, no response.
*** UPDATE *** From the Biss campaign…
“Daniel was as committed to defeating Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner and their right wing agenda in 2016 as he is today. You’d think all Democrats would feel the same.”
Shocking testimony at a General Assembly investigatory hearing this morning revealed that Bruce Rauner left the staff at the Quincy Veterans’ home in the dark about the Legionnaires’ crisis, with those on the ground only learning of the outbreak from media reports.
Quincy AFSCME Union heads say communication is lacking within the Veterans Home. In all 3 legionaries outbreaks they say they and many staff members found out via media reports. pic.twitter.com/viOTCPdlfZ
“Staff on the frontlines of the Legionnaires’ crisis were operating entirely blind because of Bruce Rauner, relying on the media to learn about a deadly outbreak at their own workplace,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Rauner inexcusably failed to notify residents, families, and staff of a disease that took the lives of 13 of our nation’s heroes and spouses.”
I was stunned when I heard that testimony this morning.
Lots more troubling stuff was discussed during that hearing. More later.
* Third party testimonials by better known figures are important for first-time candidates. And lest you think this is being aired now because of the FBI tapes thing, I asked one of Pritzker’s campaign people last week about a vouching ad and was told off the record that something like this was coming soon. Rate it…
* Transcript…
Announcer: Why do so many leaders we trust support JB Pritzker for governor?
Sen. Tammy Duckworth: JB’s the one I trust to fight for women, children and families all across Illinois.
Secretary of State Jesse White: JB’s economic plan will create jobs and opportunity in neighborhoods across our state.
Hardhat-wearing guy: He’s the one we trust to stand up for Illinois workers.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza: JB will beat Bruce Rauner and bring real change to Illinois.
Sen. Dick Durbin: As Democrats, we need to come together. Let’s back the candidate ready to lead Illinois. That’s JB.
State school officials said Tuesday that about $350 million in additional K-12 education money could begin flowing to school districts in April.
At the same time, they said about 20 issues with the new funding distribution formula need to be addressed to clarify what lawmakers intended when they passed the new formula last year. […]
Smith said the education agency still believes the law, as it was approved, doesn’t do exactly what lawmakers think it should do. The ISBE has come up with 20 more changes it believes are necessary for the new formula to accomplish what lawmakers intended.
Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, an author of the new formula, wanted to know if those 20 changes would be enough, assuming lawmakers approved them.
“I don’t know,” Smith said.
* From Speaker Madigan…
“After six months of negotiation with the Rauner Administration, House Democrats are preparing to advance a framework for an update of the Illinois hospital assessment program, which must receive federal approval before June 30, 2018. Today, state Rep. Greg Harris filed the amendment to Senate Bill 1773.
“This amendment includes the work of a bipartisan, bicameral working group that has deliberated in good faith to update the hospital assessment program. It also includes some elements still under discussion which will be finalized in coming days. The working group deserves our thanks for this collaboration that is aimed at ensuring the state secures these resources that are vital for our hospitals.
“It has been the goal of House Democrats to push the administration toward an update that expands access to care in underserved communities of color and rural communities alike. The plan we are introducing reflects this commitment by taking steps to help secure hundreds of millions of dollars in new federal funds, and securing both safety net hospitals and rural critical care hospitals.
“As has been our priority, the plan also contains an appeal process for provider claims, and new transparency and accountability measures which recent audit findings show are urgently needed. Despite the Rauner Administration’s failure to account for billions of dollars in claims paid, claims denied, administrative costs, and other basic quality metrics needed to ensure patients are receiving quality care, they continue to operate without oversight. The administration unilaterally handed out some of the largest state contracts in state history to large insurance companies. While these contracts did not require that the administration be held accountable for mistakes within the system, we are correcting that in this bill. Our bill will increase transparency and hold the administration accountable for maintaining accurate records of all receipts of payments. Under our plan, all future purchases of care would also require full and proper vetting as laid out in the state’s procurement code.
“While the administration has not provided sufficient time for Managed Care Organizations to develop networks in the new markets they will be covering, we incentivize hospitals to participate in the Medicaid program, which increases access and helps reduce the overall cost of the program because patients are given a choice.
“This plan is a critical step toward a state health care policy that is guided by what is in the best interests of patients and taxpayers, not big insurance companies and the politically connected.”
Raging debate over increasing the legal smoking age in Illinois from 18 to 21 years old will likely continue after two legislative committees advanced bills on Tuesday.
House Bill 4297 and Senate Bill 2332 were given immense scrutiny by public health groups and advocates for retailers as both bills were reviewed and debated by Illinois House and Senate health committees. Both bills made it through their respective committees and could be added to either chambers’ docket for further debate soon.
The measures would increase the purchasing age for tobacco products to 21 but decriminalize possession of them by those under 21. Sponsors argue underage tobacco use is a public health issue, not a crime.
“We know that of all the current smokers today that nine out 10 of those current smokers began as teenagers,” said Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Deerfield, the Senate bill’s sponsor. “I believe it’s time for Illinois to take this action.”
Public health officials and other advocates said the goal is to keep the products out of the hands of teens by cutting off the main supply line: 18-year-olds.
Opponents complained the plan would hurt small businesses and convenience stores, which could be fined $200 for a first offense.
They also argued that the legislation sends the wrong message. While buying tobacco under 21 would be barred, underage possession would not be penalized.
Republican Sen. Sam McCann of Plainview voted against the measure, saying it would make the “product harder to obtain but easier to possess.”
Current law penalizes underage smokers with a $25 fine for a first violation. Chief sponsor Sen. Julie Morrison, a Democrat from Deerfield, said the penalties are rarely enforced.
It’s old-hat for State Rep. Joe Sosnowski. The Rockford Republican is back with another effort to strip public notices out of newspapers.
This is an annual right of passage for some Republicans in statehouses across the country. Barring Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, taking up the cause in 2016, Sosnowski has been the go-to vehicle in Illinois for this failed idea: this is his sixth go at it.
Some form of this boilerplate conservative think tank-sponsored legislation has never made it out of committee in Springfield. In fact, only one state has ever passed such a law: Utah snuck it over the line in 2009 only to see it repealed in 2011 after government bodies failed to comply with posting the required information. In short: Utah’s legislation passed a law they were destined to break.
Just how bad are government bodies in Illinois at doing the internet? Pretty bad. A 2014 audit by the Citizens Advocacy Center of 750 units of government showed that only 57 percent of government bodies complied with posting agendas of upcoming meetings as required by law, and only 49 percent of those bodies surveyed maintained any website whatsoever.
Members of the Illinois Board of Higher Education narrowly voted Tuesday to send a $3.47 billion spending plan to the state legislature, a decision that followed weeks of debate questioning how the state’s public institutions can best move forward from two years of severe budget strain.
The endorsed budget was the more conservative of two options floated by trustees and was mostly unchanged from the plan originally presented in December. It seeks a $254.4 million increase over the current fiscal year, including a $100 million boost for Monetary Award Program grants for low-income students, around $31 million to cover inflation, $31 million for veterans grants and $20 million for emergency capital projects.
The contention centered upon the proposed share for Illinois’ 12 public universities, which collectively received about 41 percent of their typical state funding during the two-year budget impasse.
The board initially proposed a 2.2 percent increase, which if approved would send a little more than $1.1 billion to the public universities. University presidents, in an unusually public protest, signed a letter urging the board to present a more aggressive number. The school leaders wanted the budget to propose $1.2 billion, the same amount universities received in 2015, the last year of regular funding before the impasse struck.
But presidents of the state’s public universities had petitioned the board for another $100 million to restore their funding to 2014-15 levels, before the two-year state budget impasse. While recognizing the state’s financial plight, the presidents’ Dec. 11 letter said the recommendations would place more burdens on their schools after a funding cut this year and “two years of financial calamity” before that.
“The two-year budget impasse cost public universities tens of millions of operational dollars, and the lack of capital funding forced institutions to cancel or dramatically cut back on necessary construction and maintenance projects,” they wrote, adding that they have also cut expenses while controlling tuition and fees to respond to criticism about rising college costs. “The divestment in Illinois public higher education must stop now.”
Executive Director Al Bowman said the board understands the universities’ position, and their request is “certainly legitimate,” but the board believes that the recommendation “should reflect the state’s current financial situation. If we’re asking for an extra $254 million, we found it difficult to request an even larger amount, even though the universities need the money.” […]
UI spokesman Tom Hardy said Tuesday it was disappointing that the IBHE “did not concur with the public universities’ recommendation for a reasonable higher education appropriation to return us to the level of funding that preceded the devastating, two-year budget impasse. In the coming legislative session, we will continue to advocate for adequate, reliable funding of public higher education — a critical asset for the welfare and prosperity of Illinois and its people.”
* Drury has been saying all along that Speaker Madigan is behind the effort to kick him off the ballot. Hiring Madigan’s top election lawyer will only buttress his argument…
The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 announced today that it has retained election attorney Michael Kasper in the ongoing challenge of Representative Scott Drury’s candidacy for attorney general in the upcoming Democratic primary. Following a challenge by Local 150 member Thomas Rottman, a Cook County judge ruled last week that Drury’s name should not appear on the ballot, and Drury vowed to challenge the ruling.
The following statement can be attributed to James M. Sweeney, President-Business Manager of IUOE Local 150:
“We are challenging Scott Drury’s candidacy on behalf of working men and women across Illinois because when it has mattered most, Representative Drury has sided with Governor Rauner against middle-class families. Drury refused to stand up to Governor Rauner’s ‘right-to-work’ agenda when workers were counting on him, causing a vital veto override to fail by a single vote.
“Our challenge is based in the simple fact that Representative Drury failed to abide by the same election law we expect every candidate to follow. Illinois families cannot afford an attorney general who will side with Bruce Rauner’s extreme agenda, and we deserve an attorney general who pays attention to detail.
“Because Representative Drury will use the tens of thousands of dollars he has taken from wealthy Republicans to find a loophole in the law, we have retained Mike Kasper, a top election attorney, to ensure that Drury is held accountable for his faulty filing.”
Representative Jeanne Ives, challenger to incumbent Governor Bruce Rauner, has released a new radio ad statewide. The :60 second spot, Lead the Charge, contrasts Ives record as a conservative reformer with Rauner’s record of betrayal.
My name is Jeanne Ives and I’m the conservative Republican running against Bruce Rauner for Governor.
I’m an economic liberty, pro-family West Point grad.
I’ve spent the last five years battling Chicago Democrats.
I didn’t think I’d have to spend so much time battling Bruce Rauner.
But when Rauner betrayed conservative families, that’s exactly what I did.
Rauner made Illinois a sanctuary state. I voted against it.
Rauner made you pay for abortions in all nine months of pregnancy. I voted against it–and so did every other Republican legislator.
Rauner took money from your schools to bail out the Chicago Public Schools. I voted against it.
National Review has called Rauner the worst Republican governor in the country, because he is.
Rauner betrayed us.
I honor who we are as conservatives.
Rauner can’t win re-election.
He said he’s not in charge.
With your help, I’ll lead the charge.
*** UPDATE 1 *** I was sent this new Personal PAC social media ad last night and forgot to post it today…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
Statement in response to Ives ad from Jennifer Welch, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action PAC Chair:
“The latest misleading ad from Jeanne Ives further perpetuates falsehoods about abortion care in Illinois. Ives continues to attack a legal medical procedure by making untrue claims about specific details that are not a part of House Bill 40. To be clear, HB 40 did not include any language regarding when abortions are performed. Illinoisans expect their elected officials to tell the truth. Rep. Ives is falsely representing a law and misleading voters.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Press release…
The following can be ascribed to Colleen K. Connell, executive director of the ACLU of Illinois:
Seeking the Governor’s office in Illinois, Representative Jeanne Ives seems determined to mislead the electorate. Her campaign’s new radio advertisement ignores the reality that House Bill 40 – passed and signed into law over her objections – simply ensures access to health care (including abortion care) for low-income women and some state workers in Illinois. It did nothing – nothing – to expand or alter when abortion care is legal in our state. She may have opposed the legislation, but she cannot mislead people as to its actual meaning and intent.
State Rep. Jeanne Ives said Tuesday she’s not concerned about winning over those offended by a controversial TV ad she released last weekend.
“It’s a 50 percent plus one race; of 800,000 primary voters, I need 400,000 plus one. Same thing in the general,” said Ives, who is running in the GOP primary against incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“The purpose of that ad was to explain who Gov. (Bruce) Rauner has sided with,” she said in a meeting with the Herald & Review Editorial Board. […]
Ives said she wants to be the unifier that Rauner hasn’t been, building coalitions to get her agenda passed. She said he “got nothing done and then only put in a progressive social agenda that is completely against our party platform.”
The running mate of Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives says a controversial ad was created to draw attention to the campaign, but says the content is not racist.
“We knew when we released this it would draw a lot of attention because it’s so in your face,” said Rich Morthland of Cordova, who is running for Lt. Governor with Ives.
“But, I don’t think it’s racist. What I think is wrong is to have an incumbent running away from his own record and he has allies and surrogates trying to defend him and derail this ad,” said Morthland in an interview Monday with WQAD-TV. […]
Morthland says he doubts the controversial will be pulled, and said it has accomplished what it set out to do.
“To draw attention”, he said. “Drastic times, they call for serious measures.”
The ad is not subtle. It’s harsh. Several actors appear in the spot, including a young woman in a pink cat protest hat who thanks Rauner for expanding taxpayer-supported abortions, and a man whose face is covered by a kerchief who thanks Rauner for protecting “illegal immigrant criminals.” The portrayals are demeaning. […]
Yes, the ad is directed at Rauner and lampoons his political record. We get that, and we get that campaigns are rough and tumble. “The commercial does not attack people, it tackles issues,” Ives said. That’s where she’s wrong. The Ives campaign created a TV ad with bouncy background music that featured cartoonish liberal characters, and included a man in a dress who claims he can now use the girls bathroom. The ad goes well beyond tweaking Rauner. It mocks and belittles Illinois residents who shouldn’t face derision from a gubernatorial candidate. Ives is punching down, and in a way that strikes many voters as intolerant of people who already face a lot of that. […]
She wants to be governor of all the people, yet she reveals a side of her character that’s unbecoming of an elected leader. Ives disparages the LGBT community to ignite her campaign.
What’s offensive? The ad doesn’t dwell on her policy positions. Its scoffing tone shows that Ives believes people who are different from her are fair game for ridicule. That’s a problem for someone who wants to be governor.
“Thank you for signing legislation that lets me use the girls’ bathroom,” the man in the dress says to Rauner in the ad, referring to a bill Rauner signed. The bill actually said nothing about transgender bathroom rights. Instead, it allowed transgender people to change their gender printed on birth certificates with a doctor’s approval.
Can this kind of stuff get you elected in a Republican primary? Who knows? Donald Trump won the White House by, in part, bashing undocumented immigrants, who are largely law-abiding, as a bunch of killers.
And taking the low road has earned Ives another $2 million campaign donation from the conservative Lake Forest donor Dick Uihlein — the same enlightened guy who bankrolled creepy Judge Roy Moore’s campaign in Alabama.
“What’s the big deal?” Ives asked on Monday, responding to critics of the ad.
Jeanne Ives’ new political attack ad is brilliantly dreadful and dreadfully brilliant.
Dreadful because it trots out ugly stereotypes and peddles brazen lies.
Brilliant because, by provoking an indignant response not only from liberals but also mainstream members of Ives’ own Republican party, the ad is giving her a big shot of what her campaign now needs most: Publicity.
The governor was also asked if he had any thing he wanted to “do-over” from his first term. […]
He also said he would have spent “even more time trying to get groups of legislators together,” instead of focusing on one legislator at a time.
“The [Illinois House] speaker [Mike Madigan] can rule with an iron fist and fear. If we can get them as groups to stand up. People, the caucus, realizes that. Many of the Democratic members realize what I’m working for and actually would help, but they’re scared. And we need to get them united as groups of people,” Rauner said.
Groups of legislators? Like what? The Black Caucus? The Downstate Caucus? Women? Chicagoans? Greens? Which one of those groups would unite with him against Madigan?
When Don Moore, a Republican vying to run for state representative in the 108th Illinois House district, started his fundraising committee in January, he had a little more than $1,000 in the account.
Since then Moore, a Troy resident and Madison County Board member, has reported only a $2,000 in-kind contribution from the Chicago-based Illinois Opportunity Project, which paid for consulting services.
However, commercials supporting Moore, who is challenging state Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, have been running on cable television in the area as well as online.
So how does someone with little money in his campaign account have so many 30-second TV commercials, including a two-week set of advertisements with cable provider Spectrum Reach in Madison County for 282 spots?
* The answer is Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC, which has busted the caps in that primary race by doing independent expenditures with ads like this…
I gotta say, I kinda like that ad. It sticks with you.
Rep. Meier voted for the tax hike, but voted against the veto override.
* Related…
* Tom Kacich: Ives’ strategist backing more than one horse: Dan Proft, a Chicago radio host and head of the Liberty Principles Political Action Committee, has directed $105,610 into the campaign of Dan Caulkins, a former Decatur City Council member and current Eastern Illinois University trustee. Proft, formerly an ally of Gov. Bruce Rauner, now is advising the Ives campaign… The unusually sizable Liberty Principles PAC expenditures, which went to mailings, television advertising, social media and digital advertising on Caulkins’ behalf, also remove overall contribution limits for all candidates in the 101st District race.
Today, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle endorsed JB Pritzker for governor. President Preckwinkle joins U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Secretary of State Jesse White, State Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, and Chicago City Treasurer Kurt Summers in supporting JB’s campaign to defeat Bruce Rauner.
“Toni Preckwinkle has worked tirelessly for Cook County and I’m so proud to have her endorsement,” said JB Pritzker. “From strengthening the county’s healthcare system to reforming its criminal justice system, she has shown a deep commitment to serving the people. While Bruce Rauner slashes funding for critical services and tries to pit communities against each other, I will be Toni’s partner in the work ahead to invest in our communities and lift up Illinois families. I will be a governor who listens, brings people together, and moves our state forward and I am so proud to have Toni Preckwinkle’s support in this campaign.”
“I’ve seen JB’s record and I know what’s in his heart,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “This is a leader who has been there for our communities. From expanding early childhood education and providing school breakfasts to low-income students, to supporting critical organizations like the Center on Wrongful Convictions, the DuSable Museum, and After School Matters, JB has done the real work to build opportunity in our communities. Right now, the only question our community should be asking is who has a record of showing up for us, and I truly believe that JB is that leader.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the ILGOP…
Morning Rich,
Just wanted to flag for you that Toni Preckwinkle has already endorsed Pritzker. See the attached video from WTTW on 10/16/17. It’s a bit disingenuous for them to claim that it’s a new endorsement.
…Adding… The Pritzker campaign accurately points out that they never issued a formal endorsement by Preckwinkle until today.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Meanwhile, this campaign press release sure makes it look like Biss will get the NASW nod today at 10…
On Wednesday, February 7, Daniel Biss will hold a press conference with the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
WHAT: Press Conference with NASW
WHEN: Wednesday, February 7, 10 - 11 a.m.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
Today, at a press conference in Springfield, the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers announced their endorsement of Daniel Biss and Litesa Wallace for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois.
“We’re proud to endorse Daniel Biss for governor,” said NASW IL Legislative Affairs Director Kyle Hillman. “Social workers have been on the frontlines of the budget crisis, and we know there’s no forgiving Bruce Rauner for the chaos and destruction he’s brought our communities. At the same time, we know many of our problems began before Bruce Rauner: access to care has long been restricted along lines of race, class, and geography, and decades of lawmakers have failed to raise the revenue necessary to secure funding for social services from one year to the next.
“We’re with Daniel because we’ve seen him take on our broken system as he’s led the fight for a progressive income tax and because he has a track record of passing meaningful reforms, such as banning the unscientific and incredibly damaging “conversion therapy” for minors and allowing social workers to be reimbursed by Medicaid. We’re proud to stand with him in this race, just as he’s stood with us for years.”
“I’m proud to receive the endorsement of the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers,” said Daniel Biss. “We’ve collaborated for years to resist Bruce Rauner’s budget cuts and develop policies to support social workers and the families they serve, and I was honored to be chosen as the NASW IL legislator of the year in 2017. However, as proud as I am of the work we’ve done together, I’m also frustrated at how our agenda has been stifled by Bruce Rauner, his budget crisis, and the broken political system he represents. I’m running for governor to change what’s possible—for social workers, and for middle-class and working families all across our state—and looking forward to working with NASW IL in years to come to make our progressive vision a reality.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner has won the endorsement of the Cook County Republican Central Committee over challenger state Rep. Jeanne Ives, just as her campaign has been gaining money and recognition.
Cook County was important in the 2014 Republican governor primary, when Rauner prevailed by more than 27,000 votes over his nearest competitor, then-state Sen. Kirk Dillard. Rauner won the nomination by fewer than 24,000 votes statewide.
Though the county is a Democratic stronghold in statewide elections, it also had the most Republican primary voters in Illinois that year. More than 168,000 people in Cook County voted for a GOP candidate for governor in the 2014 primary. […]
On Tuesday, the Cook County GOP announced Rauner got 66 percent of its endorsement vote to 15 percent for Ives. Its statement didn’t elaborate on the remainder.
“(White)’s totally, he’s totally, you know, uh, he’s Senate material in a way that Emil Jones isn’t, if I may say,” Pritzker says, referring to former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., a Blagojevich ally who is now serving as a Kennedy surrogate in the 2018 governor’s contest.
“OK,” Blagojevich says.
“I mean, you know. He’s just, I don’t know how to say it exactly, but Emil’s a little more crass,” Pritzker continues.
“He’s been running around the black community talking about all the things he’s gonna do. Blah, blah, blah. … He’s trying to buy the black vote. He’s like a one-eyed jack. But, those tapes show you the other side of his face. This is what he really thinks about black folks,” said Jones, who has endorsed Chris Kennedy for governor.
“What he meant by ‘crass’ is that I’m an uppity black. I fight for my people and, sometimes, that ruffles feathers. What he was saying in comparing me to Jesse White is that Jesse White is a safe black. Jesse White is not gonna do what Emil Jones does. Dr. King was a crass black. Harold Washington was a crass black. It was said in a derogatory manner.” […]
“Look at the other side of his face. The other side of his face is that he does not accept strong black leadership. He likes acceptable blacks who are meek and won’t say anything,” Jones said.
Jones was not impressed when told that Secretary of State Jesse White, City Treasurer Kurt Summers and Aldermen Pat Dowell (3rd), Michael Scott Jr. (24th) and Walter Burnett (27th) all stood with Pritzker on Tuesday as the candidate offered his public apology.
“I expect that from them. They are all safe blacks. A safe black is not gonna challenge or do anything,” Jones said.
“This is a slap in our face, taking our community for granted, playing our community against each other, this is not the kind of leadership we need at this time,” said 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale.
Pritzker had recently been invited to speak at Sweet Holy Spirit Church, but Bishop Larry Trotter has now dis-invited him.
“For Pritzker to refer to (Emil Jones) as ‘crass’ is a slap in the face to every African American in Illinois. Just to think we are six days into Black History Month and a candidate for governor thinks it’s funny to join in on such derogatory discussions about our leaders,” Trotter said.
Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Galia Slayen told me: "We certainly respect Kina’s feelings on this matter and are sad to see her go from the campaign. She was a field organizer."
…Adding… I changed the headline and deleted a tweet because of this…
Organizer who said Pritzker rally who posted on FB postponed, has deleted that post, Pritzker team said "postponement had nothing to do with today" and asks me to take down original tweet, "miscommunication with the venue" #ILGov@JBPritzker (I'd rather hear from the organizer)
* The JB Pritzker campaign’s latest press release covered a bunch of the same ground as his Chicago press conference. Pritzker’s running mate wasn’t at the event because she’s in Springfield for session. Here’s the portion of the release with her statement…
State Representative Juliana Stratton said, “I joined this campaign because of JB’s values, his record of helping people, and his compassion. All along, JB and I have had countless frank conversations about race, the challenges we face as a state and a country, and the path forward. He is someone who really listens and seeks to understand.
“I know JB wishes he had pushed back more on that call and I know he wishes that certain things were not said. While I am in Springfield and was unable to join him at today’s press conference, I remain proud to be on this ticket with someone I know is a better man than who he was on that tape. This is a critical election for so many of our communities and the question in front of us is who can we trust to show up for us, who has the record of lifting people up, and who has demonstrated a commitment to equity and justice. I am confident that leader is JB and I look forward to continuing our work together to move this state forward.”
* And Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago) sent me this a few minutes ago…
J.B. Pritzker is a good man with a good heart, and real experience solving big problems. He is committed to a better future for all Illinoisans, especially those currently struggling. All of us, if every conversation we had was recorded, would have some embarrassing moments. But J.B.’s track record in the African-American community far surpasses that of the other contenders. He has supported the Center on Wrongful Convictions and invested both his time and hundreds of millions of dollars in early childhood education and school breakfast programs, because justice and opportunity are more than just words to him. And unlike the other candidates, J.B. has spent real time in our communities, has listened to our voices, and has a plan for supporting our businesses and our schools. I’m proud to support his candidacy for Governor.
* From an e-mail announcing Equality Illinois’ endorsement of JB Pritzker for governor…
“Whichever Democratic candidate advances to the general election, the Equality Illinois PAC Board knows that it will have a supporter for LGBTQ equality.”
The Equality Illinois PAC is proud to endorse JB Pritzker for Governor and his running mate Juliana Stratton for Lieutenant Governor.
“JB Pritzker has been a strong and public champion of the LGBTQ community since long before support for LGBTQ equality was the norm among Democratic political leaders,” said John Litchfield, Equality Illinois PAC Board Chair. “Going back decades, he has marched in Pride parades, worked to elect LGBTQ people to office, and supported civic organizing efforts of LGBTQ community groups to broaden support for LGBTQ equality. There are few leaders in our state who have served as courageously and consistently for LGBTQ equality over recent decades as JB Pritzker.”
Litchfield added, “We endorse JB Pritzker and Juliana Stratton in the Democratic primary with the expectation that as Governor and Lieutenant Governor they will meet us at our table as active participants in the conversations and issues facing the LGBTQ community in Illinois now and in the future.”
For the second time in two weeks, a major Illinois rights group has endorsed only one Democratic candidate for governor, J.B. Pritzker, bypassing other contenders who appear to be equally strong backers of the group’s agenda. […]
The endorsement is reminiscent of last month’s decision by Personal PAC, an abortion rights group, to back only Pritzker. As was the case with Personal PAC, Pritzker is a major financial backer of Equality Illinois: He was a gold-level, $15,000 sponsor of its annual fundraising dinner last month and chaired the event two years ago, with $30,000 donated then. […]
[Equality Illinois Executive Director Brian Johnson said] “the board felt he had the best chance to bring the pro-LGBTQ message” to success in the November election. That’s similar to what Personal PAC officials said in arguing that Pritzker alone in the Democratic field has the financial resources needed to battle the likely GOP victor, incumbent Bruce Rauner. […]
Biss’ spokesman called the endorsement “disappointing.” The campaign of a third candidate who backs the group’s policy goals, Chris Kennedy, did not immediately have a comment.
As a queer person who served on the Equality Illinois PAC Board and have supported the organization since the day I moved to Chicago, I am sorely disappointed by their decision to endorse JB Pritzker.
Daniel Biss and Litesa Wallace have been champions of LGBTQ Equality bills in Springfield, including the bill to legalize same-sex marriage, the bill banning conversion therapy for minors, the bill banning the “gay/trans panic” defense, the birth certificate modernization bill, the bill to guarantee PrEP for Medicaid recipients, a Foster Children’s Bill of Rights, a bill to reduce youth homelessness, the TRUST Act, and the Equal Rights Amendment.
But Equality Illinois chose to endorse JB Pritzker, saying his support of the LGBTQ community is “unprecedented” because he held a gay marriage in his home 25 years ago, marched in gay pride parades, and donated $45,000 to the group in the past three years.
This endorsement suggests that my beloved #LGBTQ rights organization cares more about making their donors happy than supporting the lawmakers who carry their bills.
There’s no reason they couldn’t have endorsed both Daniel and JB… and that question still remains unanswered.
The Democrats vying to succeed Attorney General Lisa Madigan fought it out at a forum in Springfield Monday night, agreeing on most of the substantive issues while sniping at one another over campaign contributions and perceived conflicts of interest.
The mood at the forum, hosted by the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association at The Hoogland Center for the Arts, was cordial for most of the night but grew heated as the crowded field sought to differentiate themselves from one another.
Chicago Park District board president Jesse Ruiz was on the defensive for admittedly accepting donations from utility companies such as Exelon, ComEd and People’s Gas. Ruiz, who said his job reading meters for the latter company helped put him through college, said he’s “glad they have faith and confidence in my leadership.”
However, Ruiz said that he’s “never pulled a punch on anybody” because of a campaign contribution or past political support, pointing to his calls for then-Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool, an ally of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, to resign.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, who also has accepted donations from utility companies in the past, said she needs to raise funds to get her name out, but the money has never affected a decision she’s made.
* The Question: How important to you are these debates about fundraising sources? Make sure to explain your response.
Pritzker did say, however, that Blagojevich never asked him to fund a not-for-profit group on Blagojevich’s behalf. Creating that group to pay himself a big salary was one of Rod’s weirder pipe dreams. So, at least that revelation isn’t coming down the pike (as long as he’s telling the truth, of course).
Pritzker also called on the Tribune and the feds to release all recordings related to him right away.
With Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White at his side, Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker apologized Tuesday for portions of a newly revealed wiretapped conversation with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich in which he pitched White as the “least offensive” choice to fill then President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat.
“I regret some of the things I didn’t say and some of the things that I did,” Pritzker said of the Nov. 14, 2008, phone conversation with Blagojevich in which he described then-Illinois Senate President Emil Jones as too “crass” for the job and joked along with the governor when Blagojevich suggested appointing Obama’s controversial pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, to fill the vacancy. […]
Pritzker didn’t specifically say which parts of the call he regretted but admitted he was “not my best self” on the call and that he should have “pushed back” against some of Blagojevich’s comments. […]
“I know where his heart is,” said White, who described Pritzker as a friend of nearly four decades.
* Pritzker said he thinks now as he did back then that White “would have made a great United State’s Senator.” Pritzker was indeed heard saying on the FBI tape that White was “totally… Senate material.”
…And it opens up the secretary of state spot, which is the key spot that controls jobs, etc.
Two years earlier, of course, the US Attorney’s office had announced it was taking over a state investigation into “very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud” by Gov. Blagojevich’s administration.
* Press release…
Ald. Roderick T. Sawyer (6) issued the following statement on Tuesday in response to reports of new recordings of gubernatorial candidate JB Pritzker discussing the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Barack Obama after his election to the presidency with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich:
“I was disheartened to hear JB Pritzker’s deeply problematic comments. JB is relying heavily on the support of the Black community and elected leaders like myself to carry him to victory in March. It is my hope that he will act to demonstrate, both through words and action, that he does not simply view African Americans as one-dimensional ‘things’ to be manipulated for political expedience. JB–and all white political leaders–must stop looking for ‘safe’ or ‘palatable’ Black figureheads–as he apparently sought to characterize Jesse White to be.
“I continue to believe JB is the best positioned to beat Bruce Rauner in November, and I will maintain my support for his candidacy. But I will also look for clear assurances that his thoughts around matters of race and equity have evolved substantially since those calls were recorded in 2008. And I will continue to speak out and demand dignity and justice in the treatment of our community by all political leaders–Democrat or Republican.”
* More…
Former State Senate President Emil Jones says he resents @JBPritzker calling him "crass" "he owes our community a huge, a huge apology" calls Pritzker a one-eyed jack who just showed the other side of his face. @ABC7Chicagopic.twitter.com/8E79ejgGdU
Jones is a Chris Kennedy supporter and there was significant push-back against his possible appointment to Obama’s Senate seat, not just from Pritzker. However, this is the definition of “crass”…
lacking sensitivity, refinement, or intelligence.
Sen. Jones may be lacking in some “refinement,” particularly to a billionaire, but the man is smart as heck.
* Biss campaign…
Today, at a press conference in Springfield, Daniel Biss and Litesa Wallace delivered the following remarks in response to the Chicago Tribune’s story revealing inappropriate conversations between J.B. Pritzker and former Governor Rod Blagojevich.
“Last night we heard more from the FBI tapes of conversations between JB Pritzker and former Governor Rod Blagojevich,” said Daniel Biss. “This latest conversation represents all that is wrong with our politics: powerful white men, totally unaware of their privilege, horsetrading people of color to gain more power. The conversation, including phrases like “least offensive” or “a little more crass”, personally I found it disgusting.
“It is past time that we lift the veil on the ugly imbalance of power between the wealthy and well-connected, and the people who have for too long been taken advantage of by our broken system. We need to address these systemic inequalities in our politics and in the services we provide as a state. We have inequities in education, in employment and in the criminal justice system. Inequities born out of a system that is rigged to benefit a few at the expense of all the rest of us, and these tapes are another example of it.
“We see this in boardrooms and backroom deals all the time. Where wealthy white men with power that pit black and brown people against each other, using people as pawns in a game for profit or political gain. What we’ve seen in the past is a broken political system, and in order to have a future that is just and fair, we need transformational change. We need a politics built on co-governing that views all people as equals. And we have to acknowledge our privilege and build a government that reflects the people it represents.”
“As a woman of color, a Black woman in particular, a mother and a lawmaker,” said Litesa Wallace. “When I heard the sentiments expressed on those FBI tapes it revealed to me that we’re still not seen as complex, educated, talented human beings. We were simply seen as objects; our racial background are simply used as something that can be a checked off a long list of the least dynamic characteristics for political candidates.
“My role as a legislator and in this campaign is more than just being a face. I’ve been an advocate; I will continue to be an advocate; and I will do what I believe is right. I will continue to work hard on behalf of middle-class and working families like mine. And I am reminded after hearing those tapes as to why Daniel. The first reason why I endorsed him initially is that he is the most qualified person to enter the race. The second reason was because he actually believes in the kind of politics he just described. A type of politics that no longer depends on those backroom deals, one that actually depends upon co-governing, creating a shared democracy amongst others. And making sure that the voices of those that are intentionally silenced are actually amplified. So, I’m here proudly as his running mate and I’m also here to say that it’s time out, and time up, for the type of pandering that we’ve seen in terms of identity politics in the State of Illinois and across our nation.”
* Related…
* Gay rights group backs Pritzker: Giving Pritzker the nod this time is the political action committee of Equality Illinois, the state’s largest and most prominent LGBTQ rights group. “There are few leaders in our state who have served as courageously and consistently for LGBTQ equality over recent decades as J.B. Pritzker,” said PAC Board Chairman John Litchfield in a statement.
JB Prtizker spoke to Jesse White by phone last night, White "is very comfortable with him, good conversation, connecting as friends" but White spokesman won't say if Pritzker apologized after calling White "least offensive" African American choice to replace Obama in Senate
“I think that Jesse has been in politics long enough to know that there is a context for everything, and sometimes that may be bigger than what is obvious,” said Rocco Claps, political director for White’s campaign. https://t.co/55GQ5G5Fly
* The SALT work-around is a pretty interesting idea. From a press release…
In an effort to put more money in the pockets of Illinois taxpayers and infuse funds into the Illinois economy, State Representative Peter Breen (R-Lombard) has launched the Illinois Tax Reform Plan. The plan, consisting of three taxpayer-friendly bills, was unveiled today at a press briefing in Springfield. Each bill has the potential of lowering taxes on Illinoisans and Illinois businesses.
The cornerstone of Breen’s package is HB 4563, which expands Illinois’ current Invest in Kids Act tax credit model to allow Illinoisans to make fully deductible charitable contributions to 501(c)(3) foundations supporting public school districts, while receiving tax credits to reduce their partially deductible state and local income tax (SALT) payments. The new federal tax law provided a $10,000 limit on deductions for SALT payments, while placing no limit on charitable deductions. “While changes to the federal tax code are providing many opportunities for taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned money in their own pockets, folks in states where property taxes and income taxes are too high need relief. The Congress left intact the full deduction for charitable contributions, and my Illinois workaround to the new SALT deduction cap relies on the very successful education tax credit model upheld by the Tax Court and IRS, and used by states across the country. This plan has the potential to put over $1 billion every year back into Illinois taxpayers’ wallets. Rather than sending this money to Washington bureaucrats, these dollars can be pumped into the Illinois economy, to help our state grow and prosper.”
Through Breen’s SALT workaround, the current Invest in Kids Act, which allows taxpayers to make donations to private schools in exchange for a tax benefit, would be expanded to include contributions made to K-12 school district foundations. Taxpayers can make annual contributions to school district foundations up to the total amount of their state income taxes and residential property taxes, in exchange for a tax credit equal to 100% of their donation. The bill would ensure little to no cost to the state by amending the school code to ensure that state payments to the K-12 districts benefitted by the program would be reduced by the amount of the total contributions received by the districts.
The second bill in the package, HB 4376, would allow parents who choose to send their children to K-12 private or parochial schools in Illinois to use their Illinois Bright Start program funds (529 Plan) to help offset those costs rather than only using those funds for college.
“Today’s Bright Start Program does not provide the flexibility provided by the recent changes in federal tax law, to allow families the ability to use their own 529 plan account for K-12 educational expenses,” said Breen. “My bill expands the Illinois Bright Start Program’s definition of ‘qualifying expenses’ so that families may enjoy the full tax benefits newly available through the revised federal tax law. Expanding the use of these tax-free funds will help hard-working Illinois families save for their kids’ education.”
HB 4376 also provides for a rollover of 529 plan funds into an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account to help individuals living with significant disabilities. Whereas 529 plans may only be used for education, ABLE accounts may also be used for housing, transportation, employment training and support, assistive technology, personal support services and health care expenses. “These types of accounts really help folks living with disabilities to maintain their independence and quality of life,” Breen said. “Individuals with disabilities and their families often rely on public benefits for income, health care, housing and other assistance, and eligibility is largely based on meeting an income threshold. ABLE accounts allow families to create a long-term plan with defined tax benefits for covering the significant costs associated to living with a disability.”
The final bill in Breen’s Illinois Tax Reform Plan is HB 4562, a measure to support the small businesses that will start or grow as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. HB 4562 will lift the requirement that individuals who operate a small business where they are the sole employee be in the unemployment insurance system. “This is a common sense issue. Individuals who operate a business where they themselves are the only employee certainly can’t really ‘fire’ themselves in the traditional sense of unemployment insurance, so they shouldn’t be forced to pay for this insurance,” said Breen. “There are thousands of single-employee businesses in Illinois, and while these entrepreneurs are contributing greatly to the Illinois economy, they’re being nickel-and-dimed through laws that force them to pay for services from which they would never benefit.”
Breen is hopeful he will have wide bipartisan support for all three bills and will be pushing for prompt consideration of the legislation in Springfield.
In wake of Des Plaines Elementary District 62 paying more than $127,000 in severance to its former superintendent accused of sexual harassment, a pair of suburban lawmakers are co-sponsoring legislation requiring local governments to provide public notice of similar payouts in the future.
State Rep. Marty Moylan, a Democrat from Des Plaines, filed the bill with Rep. David McSweeney, a Barrington Hills Republican, in response to the payout given former District 62 Superintendent Floyd Williams Jr. in November.
The legislation would require any unit of local government, including school districts, to provide public notice within 72 hours of approving a severance agreement with an employee or contractor accused of sexual harassment or discrimination.
Under the bill, the government would have to publish on its website and in a local newspaper the name of the employee, the amount of the payment, and that the person was accused of sexual harassment or discrimination.
Democratic politicians in left-leaning states have been brainstorming ideas to avoid serious pension and tax reforms. The creative financial geniuses in Illinois have come up with a doozy: a magic bond that would save the state as much as it borrows.
Democrats in the state House have proposed issuing $107 billion in bonds to backfill the state’s pension funds, which are short $129 billion. Annual state pension payments are projected to increase to $20 billion in 2045 from $8.5 billion—not including interest on $17 billion in debt the state previously issued to pay for pensions.
At the request of state retirees, a University of Illinois math professor performed a crack analysis showing how the state could use interest-rate arbitrage to shave its pension costs. Under the professor’s math, the state could sell 27-year, fixed-rate taxable bonds and invest the proceeds into its pension funds. This would supposedly stabilize the state’s pension payments at $8.5 billion annually, save taxpayers $103 billion over three decades and increase the state retirement system’s funding level to 90% from 40%. Can the mathemagician make House Speaker Michael Madigan disappear too? […]
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner won’t fall for this ruse. But if a Democrat defeats him this fall, unions may pull this magic bond out of their bag of political tricks.
So far, Martwick has no co-sponsors, so I’m not sure that “Democrats in the state House have proposed” anything of this nature. Not yet, anyway.
State Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard), an Ives supporter, says controversial ad should be taken down: "I don’t like the ad. The points made could and should be made in a much less incendiary way … It’s not an ad that really helps to advance the conversation." #twill
That’s at least two legislative Ives supporters who are saying this. Rep. David McSweeney came forward yesterday.
…Adding… I missed this yesterday. Many thanks to a commenter for the link…
Add House Rep. Tom Morrison to the list of pro-Ives Republicans who opposes the ad. "I thought it was jarring. It's not the ad I would run if I was a candidate," Morrison says. Wouldn't say if he would take it off air. https://t.co/7V6jGaYSyj
Asked what he would do if he could have one "do-over" from his first term, @GovRauner says he would have spent far more time communicating directly with the people of Illinois. (He says he'd do that by spending far more time with "you guys" - the media.)
Rauner was asked about what he would "do-over" in first term. One: "I would have spent far more time communicating directly to the people of Illinois and explaining what's going on." Two: Would work on trying to get Democrats to see his view, citing Ken Dunkin as an example.
There’s that “story-telling” stuff for the kabillionth time - also known as his “unhealthy obsession with media and messaging.” He’s never understood (to this day, apparently) that it wasn’t the messaging, it was all the unpopular stuff he was trying to do that hurt him. He couldn’t have spun his way through a two-year impasse. No how, no way.
Also, Dunkin is his template for success with legislators?
Sheesh.
* More from the interview…
Rauner asked to react to two words: President Trump. His reaction: "President of the United States." Pressed further, says he doesn't have a "particularly close relationship with him." But re Medicare overhaul: "I need the White House's help."
That initial reaction is one of the most hilarious dodges I’ve seen a very long time. Mad props.
But the president’s rhetoric and tone are the biggest problems? This analysis from the same guy who calls most members of the General Assembly and the judiciary crooks? From the same man who just last week blasted an auditor general’s report as fake news even though his own agency had agreed to the recommendations? From the… oh, forget it. I ain’t got all day.
Ives called her ad a parody of Governor Bruce Rauner’s “Thank You Mike Madigan” ad. […]
Dan Proft, a radio host and conservative strategist who used to work with the Rauner campaign but defected to Ives, defended the ad.
“Not everybody’s tone or sensibility is the same, so people are going to take things differently. But in terms of the veracity of the statements in the ad and the representations, the characterizations of issues and issue positions the governor has taken, that’s all factual,” Proft said.
* After Ives’ speech, Proft was asked by at least three reporters if he wrote the ad. He didn’t answer that question, but he did attempt to explain the ad to Mary Ann Ahern…
* One take I’ve heard a lot about this ad is it probably kills Ives’ chances of winning more than a tiny handful of newspaper endorsements. She might’ve actually received the Trib’s nod, but even though the mother ship hasn’t yet weighed in, it’s tough to see how they can go with her now.
It’s hard to tell who Republican state representative and gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives is going after in a new ad that has mouths dropping across party lines — incumbent Bruce Rauner or anyone in Illinois who doesn’t fit a narrowly defined conventional conservative mold.
In one of the more over-the-top political ads to hit the state’s airwaves in a long time — and that is saying a lot — Ives’s campaign goes for the political throat. While it would be easy to dismiss it simply as sexist, transphobic and slightly bigoted, it just might be a sign of the tone of things to come in a super-heated gubernatorial primary race.
But arguably, the ad speaks most to the conservatives who were already backing her, while turning off moderate Republicans who had been looking for an alternative to Rauner.
Ives continued: “That’s exactly — the fat cat Exelon guy, that’s exactly who he bailed out. Hello. The teacher from Chicago Public Schools, that’s whose pension you just bailed out. The transgender man, that’s exactly what typically a transgender man looks like.”
At that point, an audience member shouted out, “no, it’s not,” to which Ives replied, “with all due respect, look, I’ve had him show up at my door.”
Later, Ives told reporters the she encountered a transgender lawyer when she was in a court battle involving a death threat she’d received in connection with her position on same sex-marriage legislation that passed the General Assembly in 2013. The laywer was representing the person who had allegedly made the death threat and showed up at her door, Ives said.
Attendance at the City Club event was more sparse than many political events hosted by the group. Ives delivered a wide-ranging speech that included her biographical background, policy positions and critique of Rauner.
It’s a targeted statewide TV and digital ad on Representative Ives’ poor record on taxes and her unwillingness to take on Mike Madigan. We will continue highlighting JB Pritzker’s record and we’re able to walk and chew gum at the same time. But Representative Ives has already proven herself to be a completely unelectable candidate in the general election, and we’re going to make sure Republicans know how wrong she is on the issues of taxes and failing to fight the status quo.
* Here’s the ad…
* Script…
Jeanne Ives took thousands from a shady labor union tied to Mike Madigan.
She voted against increasing your property tax exemption.
Now, she’s criticizing Bruce Rauner for calling Mike Madigan a crook, brags about Madigan voting for her bills and complains Rauner is “picking on Madigan.”
Let’s recap. Jeanne Ives was for higher taxes, took shady money from Madigan’s cronies and now defends and defers to Madigan.
Jeanne Ives might just be Mike Madigan’s favorite Republican and Illinois’ worst nightmare.
Rauner Responds to Ives The Only Way He Knows How: With Lies.
At the Tribune editorial board meeting, Governor Rauner bragged about playing golf with Madigan and knowing him very well.
As Governor, it’s been more like Rauner caddying for Madigan.
It was Rauner who abdicated during last year’s budget debate, and let 15 House Republicans pass Madigan’s tax hike.
In fact, Ives has actually taken on Madigan and won as she did in preventing a Chicago teachers pension holiday backed by CPS and Madigan that would’ve skipped three years of pension payments.
This ad is consistent with Rauner’s character. He is an unrepentant liar. If he’ll lie to Cardinal Cupich, he’ll lie to anyone about anything. And in his three years as Governor, he has lied to everyone about everything.
As State Representative and House Republican Floor Leader Peter Breen (R-Lombard) said after the last of Rauner’s many betrayals, HB 40, “Rauner’s promises were just flat out lies.”
As Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) said, “Rauner has been completely ineffective - other than the TV ads and press releases he hides behind - in attempting to actually pass something. He could be the most ineffective politician in the country.”
Ives expects Rauner to lie about her and to lie to Illinois families. That’s just what he does. And so it begins.
*** UPDATE 2 *** DGA…
Incumbent Governor Rauner Forced to Turn Attention to Republican Primary
Nation’s Most Vulnerable Incumbent Begins Running Ads Against Primary Opponent after Failing to Avoid Serious Challenge
It was never supposed to get this far. Today, news broke that Governor Bruce Rauner will air an attack ad again his primary opponent, State Representative Jeanne Ives. Rauner tops most national lists as the “most vulnerable incumbent” running for reelection, and spent months ignoring Ives in the hope she could not put together a serious primary challenge. For her part, Ives has rung up a string of bad press stores: she’s cancelled a fundraiser with a white supremacist, had to refund a $1,000 donation from a neo-Nazi, and put on air one of the most offensive ads ever.
Yet, Rauner now finds himself wasting time and resources running ads in a Republican primary.
Thanks in part to Rauner’s unpopularity and ineptitude, Ives has kept rolling along. She racked up endorsements from numerous sitting legislators and county parties. She absolutely walloped Rauner in their only debate together. And Ives received $2.5 million from a Midwestern mega-donor that used to be a strong Rauner ally.
Now, she’s got Rauner’s attention.
“Bruce Rauner’s been looking over his shoulder all winter and now he’s officially sounding the alarm,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner was already suffering from Trumpian-level approval ratings and today’s news that he’ll air attacks against State Rep. Jeanne Ives shows just how weak his position really is. Rauner failed the voters of Illinois, regardless of their party, and now he’s paying the price.”
Shortly afterward, Pritzker offers the name of one candidate he doesn’t want to see get the Senate job: then-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who was angling for the appointment and later pleaded guilty to federal charges of illegally siphoning campaign funds for personal use.
“Oh God, please,” Pritzker says of Jackson Jr. “I mean, what a, I mean it would be a nightmare. I hope you don’t do that.” […]
“[Secretary of State Jesse White is] totally, he’s totally, you know, uh, he’s Senate material in a way that Emil Jones isn’t, if I may say,” Pritzker says, referring to former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., a Blagojevich ally who is now serving as a Kennedy surrogate in the 2018 governor’s contest. […]
“I mean, you know. He’s just, I don’t know how to say it exactly, but Emil’s a little more crass,” Pritzker continues.
* Natasha Korecki literally wrote the book on the Blagojevich case. She was a top notch reporter at the federal courthouse, so here’s her take…
My first reaction was that it reminded me of a piece my colleagues and I wrote for the Sun-Times on Jan. 4, 2009. The story (and I’d link to it if the Sun-Times hadn’t taken down all of its online archives) centered on then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s phone call with Blagojevich about the Senate seat. Like Pritzker, Reid called to urge Blagojevich against appointing Jesse Jackson Jr. or Emil Jones. At the time, the powers-that-be were worried Blagojevich might do just that and were hoping to persuade him toward one of their picks.
The Sun-Times story at the time: “Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell a U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn’t want in the post: Jesse Jackson Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones. Rather, Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times. Sources say the Senate majority leader pushed against Jackson and Davis — both Democratic congressmen from Illinois — and against Jones — the Illinois Senate president who is the political godfather of President-elect Barack Obama — because he did not believe the three men were electable. He feared losing the seat to a Republican in a future election. Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero confirmed that Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) — the new chief of the Senate Democratic political operation — each called Blagojevich’s campaign office separately Dec. 3. Sources said they think that at least portions of the phone conversations are on tape. The calls reveal the varying forces directed at Blagojevich as he weighed the appointment.”
It’s with this in mind that I read the Tribune piece in which Pritzker was advocating for an African American (who was not Emil Jones or JJJ) in the post. At the time we wrote the Harry Reid piece, he was criticized for not including a black candidate on his list to Blago.
In the recording the Tribune published, Pritzker describes White as the “least offensive,” which is, well, offensive. Tough to tell if that was Pritzker trying to manipulate Blagojevich into choosing his guy without seeming to pressure Blagojevich, which was a tactic used by many people calling Blago then.
As someone who sat through both Blagojevich trials and wrote a book about it, the Pritzker call sounded like yet another power player trying to exert influence on Blagojevich over what was a major appointment. Recall that Rahm Emanuel called Blagojevich during this period asking him to appoint his congressional successor and brought up Forrest Claypool. And on the eve of his election as the first African American president, Barack Obama himself called SEIU leader Tom Balanoff, giving him the go-ahead to talk to Blagojevich about appointing Valerie Jarrett to the seat Obama was vacating. In this context, Pritzker wasn’t all that different.
Saturday at the Annual Stupor Bowl held at Reagan Middle School the best and brightest at the art of answering questions and knowing trivia came to battle it out to see who will be the 2018 Stupor Bowl Champion.
However, everyone at the event received a big surprise when Governor Bruce Rauner made an unexpected visit to the event. The Governor had been in town the night previous for the Lee County Republican event, a Night to Remember Reagan.
At the Stupor Bowl the Governor made a time to give a few remarks, shake some hands and pose with participants for several photos. After the Governor left the Stupor Bowl got down to business.
Moderator Tom Wadsworth said they had 21 teams participate in this year’s event. Wadsworth said he and his team work all year on the questions and he felt the quality of questions appealed to a broad spectrum of topics.
* The Tribune reports on a Nov. 14, 2008 FBI surveillance recording of a phone conversation between then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and JB Pritzker discussing options for filling President-elect Barack Obama’s US Senate seat…
“I’m sure you thought of this one, but Jesse White,” Pritzker tells Blagojevich. “Even though I know you guys aren’t like, you know, bosom buddies or anything, it covers you on the African-American thing.” […]
Pritzker notes that elevating White to the Senate would open up another appointment for secretary of state, an office coveted for its patronage jobs. “It’d be a lot less pressure on you. You don’t have to put an African-American in that spot,” Pritzker says. […]
“All I would say is I think that there need to be more, you know, people of color that serve in public office,” Pritzker said. “I mean, I think that’s something, I’ve supported a lot of candidates over the years who are people of color and Jesse White’s, I think, a beloved person in the state of Illinois, so I can only imagine that’s what I had in mind.”
Interesting how Pritzker would point out to Blagojevich the immense patronage benefits of elevating White to the Senate and appointing his replacement. It’s not inconceivable that Pritzker could appoint White’s replacement if he wins.
* MAA’s take…
Newly released Blago-Pritzker FBI tapes, @chicagotribune reports @JBPritzker refers to Secy of State Jesse White as "LEAST OFFENSIVE" in discussing African American candidates for open senate seat with Blago #ILGovhttps://t.co/nfkiMvuvRy
In listening to the recording again, it sounds to me that Pritzker’s main goal for this particular conversation was to dissuade Blagojevich from appointing then-Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. to the open seat. Blagojevich and Jackson had been close at one time, but they’d had a huge falling out and Pritzker could’ve saved his breath.
* OK, for this next part, you may have to first click here for some background information on Rev. Wright and click here for background on Bill Ayers. Here’s my transcript of the rest of the tape about possible Senate appointments…
Blagojevich: And how about this one? God, if I knew for sure I wasn’t running again…
Pritzker: Yeah.
Blagojevich: How about Rev. Wright?
Pritzker: Oh, my God! [Both laugh] Bill Ayers!
Blagojevich: How about f-ing sending Rev. Wright there? I’d bet ya he’d take it.
Pritzker: Hilarious.
Blagojevich: Huh? Would that be f-ing funny?
Pritzker: Hilarious. Oh my God. [Both laugh]
Blagojevich: Yeah. [Laughing] Right there on the Senate floor. It’s not ‘God Bless America,’ it’s ‘God Damn America!’
Pritzker: God damn America.
Blagojevich: ‘Well now, when Barack was in Sunday school, I used to tell him’…
Pritzker: That’s funny.
The guy had better get out the checkbook again.
* From Galia Slayen at the Pritzker campaign…
On the same day Bruce Rauner released a new attack ad in the Democratic primary with edited audio of illegally leaked calls, the Chicago Tribune has now released portions of calls they’ve chosen to sit on for nine months. JB has always made clear how much he admires Jesse White and believes he would have made a great Senator for Illinois. Bruce Rauner should spend less time colluding with a newspaper on how to play politics in another party’s primary and more time figuring out how to be in charge and stop failing this state.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rauner campaign…
“The Pritzker campaign must be panicking because now they’re just making things up.”
On Monday, the Chicago Tribune published a never before released recorded phone conversation between J.B. Pritzker and former governor Rod Blagojevich revealing an inappropriate and ongoing conversation regarding Pritzker’s requests to be appointed to office by Blagojevich in 2008, after Barack Obama was elected president.
“The recorded conversations between JB Pritzker and Rod Blagojevich represent everything that’s wrong with the connection between money and power,” said Daniel Biss. “For too long our broken system has allowed the wealthy to have unfettered access to the decision-makers in our government. That’s what breeds corruption. And when that access involves two influential white men making political calculations based on skin color, that’s what perpetuates a racist system.”
“People shouldn’t be reduced to their race,” said Litesa Wallace. “Like anyone else, black people have individual strengths and weaknesses, and none of those are predicated on the color of our skin. When I hear conversations between the rich and powerful that minimize anyone based on race, or gender, or any other characteristic, it reminds me of the work that remains for all of us. We must stop treating people like commodities and build a world where we have co-governance and a true representative democracy.”
“JB Pritzker owes us all an apology,” continued Biss. “What JB said is racially insensitive at best and at worst reveals an attitude that is disrespectful to African Americans. He needs to stop blaming others and take responsibility for his actions, not hide behind statements issued by a campaign spokesperson.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Kennedy campaign…
Ra Joy:
“To hear JB Pritzker say the words ‘least offensive’ to describe black men in America, black elected officials from Illinois, is beyond offensive. We are more than a ‘thing.’ We are leaders, we are voters, we are parents, we are sons and daughters, we are neighbors, and we are trying to overcome generations of racism. Structural inequities make that difficult, if not impossible, and JB Pritzker’s demeaning language unravels the progress we’ve made.”
Chris Kennedy:
“Our true character shows when we think no one is watching. JB’s conversations with Blagojevich are disqualifying and they’re a reflection of his integrity. The language he used to marginalize the African-American community is unacceptable. To use the term ‘least offensive’ to describe anyone, particularly one of our state’s longest-serving African-American leaders, is dismissive and disrespectful. JB Pritzker should apologize instead of blaming others.”
