Special elections bill filed
Tuesday, Jan 6, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Subscribers were told about this earlier today…
Legislation is being considered that would establish a 2016 special election to replace late Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka.
The bill was filed Tuesday would apply to statewide vacancies of 28 months or more. It’s expected to be considered during Thursday’s special session in Springfield.
* From one of the pertinent sections …
In accordance with Section 7 of Article V of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, if the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, or Treasurer fails to qualify, or if his or her office becomes vacant, the Governor shall fill the office by appointment. If there are 28 months or less remaining in the term at the time of the vacancy or failure to qualify, the appointed officer shall serve for the remainder of the term.
If there are more than 28 months remaining in the term at the time of the vacancy or failure to qualify, the office shall be filled by a special election to be held at the next general election. In the case of a special election pursuant to this Section, the appointed officer shall serve until the election results are certified and the person elected at the special election is qualified.
The legislation also covers deaths near election days.
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Classy coming in, classy going out
Tuesday, Jan 6, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* IO…
Governor-elect Bruce Rauner has begun the process of cleaning house, sending dismissal notices to top Quinn Administration officials.
Governor Pat Quinn’s chief of staff, Ryan Croke, alerted cabinet directors, deputy directors and top lawyers in an e-mail on Monday evening that employment status letters would start to flow and that “some will be notified that they will not be retained.”
* I’ve heard about several of these letters so far. But, kudos to Rauner’s chief legal counsel for setting a very classy tone…
* And speaking of classy, Gov. Quinn today told his City Club audience about how he used his father as his role model for governance. Many of us have heard this story before, but not with such emotion…
Thanks to Commissioner John Fritchey for the video.
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Things are looking up
Tuesday, Jan 6, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crain’s takes a look at the Chicago region’s immediate economic future and pronounces it bright…
The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index, a closely watched indicator of industrial demand, averaged 62.5 over the three months ended in November. Anything above 50 signals a growing manufacturing base. “That’s really strong,” Kavcic says. […]
In 2014, Commonwealth Edison expected to see a 1.5 percent increase in household electricity consumption, not including the effects of its energy-efficiency programs, according to the utility’s projections late in the year. That’s the highest growth in usage since the recession. In 2013, the rate was just 0.7 percent. […]
Estimates of the region’s gross metropolitan product growth range between 2.3 percent and 3.4 percent. The same figure for 2014 is expected to come in at anywhere from 1.7 to 2.6 percent, depending on the source. […]
One reason [for why the region has lagged in the recent past] is that business and professional services—accountants, lawyers, consultants, advertisers, etc.—are such an important component of the local economy now. And those sectors tend to rebound later than others in a recovery. “This is where the professional services businesses really kind of kick in for Chicago,” he says. “Because we service so much of the surrounding Midwest area, it’s become the economic engine. That’s sort of the bellwether.”
Indeed, professional services jobs increased 2.6 percent in September over the same time in 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was the highest year-to-year jump of any category other than construction. Meanwhile, unemployment in the Chicago area fell sharply during the same period, to 6.1 percent from 8.4 percent. […]
Even commercial bankers—a group that, to date, has been pretty sour on the region’s economic performance—are coming around. “All of our customers are projecting very good years,” says Edward Wehmer, CEO of Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, the second-largest locally based bank holding company, with $19 billion in assets. “Wage inflation is going to start to kick in. Consumers are starting to feel better.”
* Also, the U of I’s “Flash Index” was at 106.5 in December. It’s been above 100 - the dividing line between growth and decline - for the past two years, and hasn’t been this consistently high since 2007.
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* Check out the wording in this press release…
The following statement is from Treasurer-elect Mike Frerichs regarding the announced appointment of Leslie Munger to the office of Comptroller:
“I called Leslie Munger last night to congratulate her, and I thank Governor-elect Rauner for selecting someone committed to eliminating the comptroller’s office.
Shortly before her passing, Judy Baar Topinka told me she was looking forward to working with me to combine the comptroller’s office with the state treasurer’s office. I am committed to keeping my promise to her to do just that.
I hope we can eliminate the comptroller’s office at the next election in 2016. By eliminating the comptroller’s office immediately at the next election, rather than waiting until 2018, we can save the taxpayers an additional $24 million.
I hope to meet soon with both Governor-elect Rauner and Leslie Munger to discuss eliminating the comptroller’s office sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I am confident that we can work together to eliminate as many redundancies as quickly as possible.”
Notice, he doesn’t say the two offices should be combined and a new person elected to fill that office. Instead, he wants the comptroller’s office eliminated so that he can then take over its duties.
Interesting twist.
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In search of a legacy
Tuesday, Jan 6, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Erickson…
In one of his final acts as governor, Democrat Pat Quinn could make one last push to raise Illinois’ minimum wage.
Although his aides remain tight-lipped about the prospect Monday, the outgoing governor could use his waning authority to call on lawmakers to act on the minimum wage when members of the House and Senate return Thursday for a special legislative session.
That doesn’t mean lawmakers actually will listen to Quinn, who leaves office Monday morning.
That wouldn’t surprise me at all. He’s trying hard to seal his legacy.
For instance…
Outgoing Gov. Pat Quinn has issued two executive orders he says are aimed at making the state more welcoming to immigrants.
Quinn on Monday ordered the Governor’s Office on New Americans to appoint a liaison in each state agency to help immigrants benefit from President Barack Obama’s recent executive action. The action curbs deportation and gives work permits to some immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally.
Quinn also says Illinois’ 10 existing Welcoming Centers should assist people applying for the federal action, and state agencies must provide information on how to obtain necessary records.
* The governor also sat down with the Tribune for an exit briefing…
The populist Democrat, who hands the reins of power to Republican Bruce Rauner on Monday, listed no regrets.
“I think you put your whole body and soul into every issue,” Quinn said when asked if he’d have done anything differently. “Some you win. Some you don’t win. Life goes on.” […]
Quinn said his biggest accomplishment as governor was guiding Illinois through the “dire straits” he inherited when he moved up from lieutenant governor six years ago. He took over after former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached and removed, with Illinois a late-night TV punch line. The state’s economy reeled from the Great Recession. […]
“I know, as long as I have breath to breathe, I’ll be organizing some cause,” Quinn said. “I was disappointed that the progressive approach to government, for a while, won’t be in Springfield in the governor’s office.
“The progressive approach means you’ve got to tell people the unvarnished truth, even if it’s hard,” said Quinn, barely masking his criticism of Rauner, whose plans for state government so far have been short on specifics. “It’s better to tell people what they need to know, not what politicians want them to hear.
* And check out this Quinn press release from this morning…
As 2015 gets started, Governor Pat Quinn today highlighted Illinois’ strong economic recovery. In 2014, the state’s economy significantly improved, with unemployment down and job creation up across Illinois.
“When I took office on January 29, 2009, the Illinois economy was in a deep recession. Today, our economy is significantly stronger,” Governor Quinn said. “Our work to make the tough decisions, invest in a 21st century transportation infrastructure and responsibly cut the cost of doing business in our state is getting the job done. This past year saw historic drops in our unemployment rate as more men and women are getting back to work across the state.”
Today the Illinois unemployment rate stands at 6.4 percent - its lowest level since June 2008. In November 2014, unemployment rates fell in every region of Illinois for the eighth consecutive month to a six or seven year low. Illinois has led the nation for five straight months with the sharpest over-the-year drop in the unemployment rate.
Since the start of 2014, 166,000 more people across Illinois are back on the job. Employers have added 298,700 private sector jobs since February 2010.
When Governor Quinn took office, he inherited a financial crisis and the worst recession since the Great Depression. Since then, he has driven economic growth by putting the state on more solid financial footing, cutting state spending by billions of dollars and achieving historic reforms to pensions and Medicaid. These tough actions have won praise from all three credit agencies and helped stabilize the state’s finances.
It goes on like that for several more paragraphs.
* I’m assuming he’ll make some sort of announcement at his City Club address today…
Outgoing Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is set to give one of his final public speeches as governor when he addresses business and civic leaders during an afternoon luncheon. The Democrat is scheduled to speak Tuesday at the City Club of Chicago.
Quinn has previously used the venue to float new ideas tied to the state budget or pension crisis.
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Today’s number: 1.4 million
Tuesday, Jan 6, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Illinois has shifted about 1.4 million of its Medicaid recipients into managed care, falling just short of a Jan. 1 goal to move more than 1.5 million into the alternative system of delivering health care. […]
A state law passed in 2011 required 50 percent of the state’s Medicaid population, which has grown to about 3.1 million people, to be enrolled in a managed care plan by the start of 2015. Nearly all of the 1.4 million people who have moved to managed care have made the switch in the past year, with nearly half of them switching in the past two months, according to enrollment totals posted on the Department of Healthcare and Family Services website.
Officials plan to enroll an additional 800,000 people in managed care by spring, for a total of about 2.2 million enrollees, said Jim Parker, acting administrator of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ Division of Medical Programs. The state has focused its efforts on the most densely populated counties, where there are more hospitals, doctors and specialists than in rural areas, Parker said. […]
Rep. Patti Bellock, a Hinsdale Republican who helped craft the bill, said she is satisfied with the department’s progress.
* Related…
* Top Medicaid official in Illinois to resign: The director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services plans to resign Jan. 9 as part of the transition to Republican Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner’s administration. Julie Hamos, 65, oversees the largest state agency and has responsibility for the $18 billion Medicaid program, which pays medical expenses of the poor and disabled, including the cost of more than half the state’s childbirths.
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A crack appears
Tuesday, Jan 6, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is not the response that Brown gave me when I talked to him yesterday…
[Gov. Pat Quinn] has said Rauner’s appointment should not remain in office for the full four-year term, arguing that voters should get to elect a new comptroller during a special election to be held at the same time as the next statewide election, in 2016.
Quinn has called lawmakers back to the Capitol on Thursday to vote on a special election. It’s unclear if the Democrat-controlled General Assembly will go along with the idea. While Senate President John Cullerton supports a special election and is drafting legislation on the issue, powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan has argued that Quinn and Rauner should come to an agreement without the help of lawmakers.
A spokesman for Madigan on Monday said it’s too soon to say if the matter will be called for a vote or if the speaker will back the proposal.
“That’ll be dependent on how the bill is prepared,” spokesman Steve Brown said.
So, he’s no longer saying that this is purely an “executive department” decision. A door has clearly been opened, even if only a little.
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Today’s quotable
Tuesday, Jan 6, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
After telling voters during the campaign he had a plan to simultaneously lower taxes and increase spending for education, [Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner] now says the state’s finances are far worse than he was led to believe. It could be a way to give himself some wiggle room while pinning blame for unkept promises on the Democrats who preceded him. […]
“Gov. Rauner needs to keep his commitments to voters,” [former state Sen. Kirk Dillard] said. “And if he can’t deliver on all of them, he needs to make it clear that it’s the Democrats that are preventing him from doing so.”
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* From a press release…
Governor-elect Bruce Rauner announced today that he will appoint Leslie Geissler Munger of Lincolnshire to fill the vacancy in the Comptroller’s office that will occur on Monday, January 12. Both also strongly endorsed “Judy’s Amendment,” which would merge the Comptroller’s and Treasurer’s offices, an idea long advocated for by Judy Baar Topinka.
“I am deeply honored to become Illinois’ next Comptroller and humbly look forward to serving all the people of Illinois,” Munger said. “I’ll be a guardian of their money and a watchdog for Illinois’ finances. Our state is in terrible financial shape, and I’ll do everything I can to help turn things around.”
“I’m not interested in a political career; only on doing what is best for the state we all love and want to make great again,” Munger added. “With that in mind, I will relentlessly advocate that the General Assembly put a Constitutional amendment on the 2016 ballot to merge the Comptroller’s office with the Treasurer’s office. That’s what Judy wanted, and the people deserve the opportunity to vote on it. I would look forward to helping eliminate the very office to which I was appointed.”
A career businesswoman with an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and an M.B.A. from Northwestern, Munger made her first run for state office last year, falling short of defeating an incumbent state representative by just 1349 votes in the Democrat-leaning 59th district. A full bio is below.
“No one can ever replace Judy Baar Topinkia, but Leslie is the perfect candidate to continue building on Judy’s legacy,” Gov.-elect Rauner said. “Leslie has always been laser focused on fiscal and economic issues, and as Comptroller, she will do everything within her power to help fix our state’s broken finances.”
“A first step towards delivering greater efficiency and reform for Illinois taxpayers is to merge the offices of Comptroller and Treasurer,” Rauner continued. “That is something that Leslie and I both support and believe should be the legislature’s focus in the days and weeks ahead. Rather than a special election for a short-term appointment, next year’s ballot should include a Constitutional amendment to merge the offices. That would be a long-term answer that will result in greater value for taxpayers. It would pass, and when it does, Leslie would be able to immediately begin work on winding down and merging the offices. That’s the right path to take and in the best interest of Illinoisans.”
Munger lost to Rep. Carol Sente, who blasted Munger for being a tea partier. Munger, however, denied the claims.
Nancy Kimme will reportedly stay on as chief of staff.
*** UPDATE *** Not surprisingly, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin approves…
“Leslie Munger is a smart choice for Illinois Comptroller. I witnessed first-hand her work ethic and became friends with her immediately. Leslie is honest, driven and dedicated to improving Illinois. She brings to the office 25 years of business experience in the private sector that will serve the taxpayers well. While no one can take the place of Judy Baar Topinka, I know Leslie Munger will do a great job as Comptroller and leading the charge to merge the two offices of Comptroller and Treasurer. Judy Baar Topinka would be proud of this appointment.”
* Also, from the Tribune…
Aides for Rauner said Munger was traveling out of state and could not be reached for comment Monday but said she will join Rauner on a statewide tour Saturday.
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* One of Mayor Emanuel’s opponents is about to write a big check…
[Mayoral hopeful] Willie Wilson tells Chief Correspondent Jay Levine that he’s about to write a seven-figure check to begin running a series of his own TV commercials.
Wilson’s initial outlay of $125,000 will be followed by $1 million check next week, for a series of campaign commercials that the former McDonalds restaurant-operator-turned-medical-supplier plans to start airing next week. Wilson shared two of them with CBS 2 on Friday. […]
The mayor has been running TV spots for weeks, spending at a rate of $500,000 a week to boost his re-election efforts.
With just about $100,000 in his campaign account, Fioretti’s fundraising is trailing Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s total of nearly $1 million and Wilson’s $1.3 million, if he follows through with those contributions. Still, all three combined don’t approach the nearly $10 million the mayor could have by the middle of the month.
Wilson deposited the check in his campaign bank account today.
* But, wait a second… Wasn’t hizzoner’s campaign boasting before Christmas how they’d easily knock Wilson off the ballot? Well, after initially challenging Wilson’s own petition signature, Emanuel’s vaunted campaign quietly dropped its efforts on Christmas Eve…
Wilson, who is black, has alleged that racism motivated Emanuel’s challenge of his petitions.
Emanuel denied that, but Wilson’s lawyer, Frank Avila Jr., said last week that Emanuel fears going up against “a strong African-American candidate.”
Avila said Wilson had collected far more than the 12,500 valid signatures needed to appear on the mayoral ballot.
“I’m very happy, excited and elated that this fraudulent, racist, unconstitutional and false objection has been dropped,” Avila said. “It showed how scared Rahm Emanuel is of Dr. Willie Wilson.”
* Meanwhile…
Usually when a family member runs for political office, it’s all hands on board. However, the son of Willie Wilson, a candidate for Chicago mayor, said he’s not supporting his dad because his dad barely supported him.
“I did not believe it. I did not believe it,” said Wilson’s son Mario Shannon.
Mario, 28, said he was stunned when he turned on the news recently and saw his father, Doctor Wilson, running for mayor of Chicago.
“If he can’t take care of someone, how could he run for mayor of Chicago? And I thought I would let the world know he is not the guy you all think he is,” Mario said.
* But another son defended his dad…
Terrell Wilson told FOX 32 that Willie has been a good father to him, especially after he became an adult and wanted to join his multi-millionaire father in business.
“I’m heading up the Youth, the youth side of the campaign,” Terrell said.
However…
Terrell said there were times in his life when he, too, was estranged from his father, who worked long hours and was often away from home. Terrell said he and two older brothers joined a criminal street gang as teenagers. In the mid-1990s, he said then 20-year old Omar Wilson was murdered in a gang-related dispute.
And…
Terrell said that at the age of 27, he re-established a closer connection with his father. He said he ran a factory in Tennessee for his father, with more than 100 employees, closing it down when it became uncompetitive. He said he’s made more than a dozen trips to China, helping his father move production to factories in that country.
FOX 32: It was cheaper to produce it over in China?
“Absolutely, Terrell added
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* Bill Roberts has resigned his job as legislative inspector general…
“I accepted the position on an acting basis so I could see if it was something I wanted to do on a more permanent basis,” Roberts wrote in an email to Illinois Times. “For a variety of personal reasons I determined that it was not a job in which I wished to continue.”
Roberts took the job after Thomas Homer, the previous inspector general, left the post last spring. Before leaving, Homer called on lawmakers to approve tougher ethics measures, including provisions for stronger penalties for violations of ethics rules. Homer was the legislature’s first-ever inspector general and investigated more than 160 complaints, but just four reports of his investigations were made public during his ten-year tenure, and no legislator was fined for any violation of ethics rules. A commission of legislators decides what, if any, punishment should be meted out for violations of ethics rules. That same commission decides whether the inspector general can conduct an investigation in alleged violations and whether reports on investigations should be made public. […]
Last summer, the Better Government Association published a report noting that Roberts, a former U.S. attorney and Sangamon County state’s attorney who was once counsel to former Gov. Jim Edgar and now heads the law firm of Hinshaw Culbertson, has ties to lawmakers he was tasked with overseeing. Roberts once represented House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, and his law firm has collected nearly $2 million for legal work for state agencies in recent years. In addition, Hinshaw Culbertson has made campaign contributions to several legislators. Roberts served as counsel to House Republicans during impeachment proceedings against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2009.
Roberts, a former US Attorney, is perhaps the most respected lawyer in Springfield. He only took the job after all four legislative leaders asked him to do so. He was never happy in the spot and was rightly irked by the BGA’s story.
* By the way, here’s the latest from the BGA…
Government transparency is woefully inadequate in many public agencies — including the Illinois Department of Transportation, or IDOT, which over the past few years has been anything but forthcoming as we sought answers on potentially illegal patronage hiring.
Now IDOT is facing questions about a transparency matter of a different kind: Tinted windows on state vehicles.
Over the past few months, the Better Government Association has spotted IDOT trucks with darkened passenger- and driver-side windows, making it tough to see inside, and raising questions about motivations of the occupants.
Out of fairness, we should say we haven’t found anyone goofing off, but we did find that one of the IDOT trucks was apparently illegally tinted, and at least one more vehicle was tinted without the agency’s permission.
No tax money was used to tint the windows. Employees apparently did it on their own…
An IDOT spokesman told us the two trucks we discovered with tinted glass are assigned to supervisors, and they’re on call for emergencies – such as accidents and weather problems.
The IDOT spokesman, Guy Tridgell, said the workers, not the taxpayers, paid for the window tinting.
“It looks like a small, unknown number elected to get some tinting done on their own. We understand this was primarily for security reasons” – protecting tools inside from theft – “and protection from sunlight during the summer,” Tridgell told us via email.
* It’s not clear whether the group’s new mascot was involved in the months-long Tintgate probe…
The BGA has a new mascot? It’s elementary, my dear Watson!
At the BGA’s Annual Luncheon on Oct. 14, the BGA introduced Watson the Watchdog — our new “watchdog in chief” — to a crowd of nearly 1,000 supporters. It’s safe to say Watson stole the show and won the hearts of the crowd barking on command and shaking paws with BGA board member Jose Padilla.
The BGA is proud to partner with PAWS Chicago, the largest no-kill shelter in the Midwest, for this important addition to our organization.
Watson is an underdog who survived the streets of Chicago and escaped euthanasia, and the BGA is fighting for the underdogs across Illinois.
“The underdogs in our society are the most susceptible prey to government corruption, fraud, waste and abuse. They’re the ones that suffer the most when programs intended for them don’t deliver on the promises made,” Padilla said on stage. “These are the kind of individuals who can’t afford to have their tax dollars wasted, can’t afford to have their government programs disappoint them.”
These days Watson is learning new tricks everyday with the help of dedicated trainers at PAWS Chicago. You’ll see Watson making the rounds sniffing out waste and fraud in government and putting corrupt public officials in the doghouse.
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Question of the day
Monday, Jan 5, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Review…
As soon as Governor-Elect Bruce Rauner is sworn in on January 12th, he will be making an unexpected crucial appointment - who will fill the shoes of the late Judy Baar-Topinka as State Comptroller. One of those names now circulating is State Rep. Jil Tracy, whose term will end when the new General Assembly convenes.
Former candidate for governor Adam Andrzejewski confirmed to Illinois Review earlier this week that he’s applied for the appointment, and now Quincy radio station WGEM is reporting that Tracy, who ran for lieutenant governor with Republican Senator Kirk Dillard, is willing to take the job on, too.
WGEM says Tracy told them she hasn’t “sought the position, but would be honored to serve as comptroller.”
Another name being mentioned for the job is Topinka’s longtime chief of staff Nancy Kimme, who was heavily involved in Rauner’s successful campaign for governor.
AA had a super-hostile relationship with Topinka, so I just don’t see that happening. And from what I’ve been told, Kimme doesn’t want the job.
* The Question: Who do you think Rauner should appoint as the next comptroller? Let’s leave aside the two year/four year argument for now, please. And make sure to explain your answer. Thanks!
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Remembering Judy
Monday, Jan 5, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Neil Steinberg returned from vacation to find an early December note from the late Judy Baar Topinka. It was a kind note, filled with praise for one of his columns. Steinberg, like just about all of us in the media, received these little notes from JBT on a regular basis…
For the record, it wasn’t a particularly good column, never mind wonderful. But if you were puzzled by the outpouring of general sadness at the passing of Judy Baar last month, I think that note explains a lot, and perhaps gives us all a few tips about living our own lives in the coming year.
What does it show?
1. Make an effort. Judy put herself out. She went to the trouble. There is no part of the comptroller’s job that involves greasing reporters’ massive egos and, indeed, her note wasn’t done with the idea of a quid pro quo, of tilling the soil for good coverage. Her kindness would curdle if it were followed up by her rattling the cup for publicity. But she didn’t. She was just being nice.
2. Be nice. When people have a complaint, you sure hear from them. And sometimes I want to say, “You’ve never said a word, for years, about ever liking anything, and now something bothers you and I’m supposed to listen to you grouse?” Being nice is planting the seeds that flower later. I guarantee you, had Judy Baar been irked by something, I’d have snapped to attention, because that wasn’t her way.
3. Be interested. My column started by talking about books and ended by talking about Kardashian’s butt. Judy moved the focus into the age of Elizabeth I. There’s something refreshing about that. The range of interesting things is boundless, unless we blinder ourselves. Look around.
There are more conclusions I could draw, but that’s enough.
One of the things I said about Topinka during her memorial service is that we should all think about the attribute we most admired about JBT and then emulate it. We’ll never have another Judy Baar on this planet. They most definitely broke the mold. But we can sorta keep her alive by individually adopting some of her best attributes as our own.
* And that brings me to my own “beyond the grave” story. Shortly after JBT died, her top staff members began clearing out their offices, figuring they’d all be out of jobs within days.
One of those staffers found a gift for me from Topinka stuck in the back of a desk drawer that she’d forgotten to give me. It had been in that desk drawer for close to four years. She presented me with the gift after Topinka’s memorial service. It was the closest I came to crying since Topinka had died.
The gift was a couple of tschotskes that Judy had probably picked up at a yard sale: the “Miller Family Crest”…
* If they had been given to me right away as ordered, I probably would’ve chuckled, rolled my eyes and tossed them into my big pile of political stuff that my descendants will have to sort through after I’m gone.
But now, they’ll take up a prominent place in my office. I plan to have them both framed, with one going to my daughter, who has known Judy since she was a small child.
* So, again, think about the attribute you admired most about JBT, then try your best to emulate it. We’d be a much better place if we all did so.
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Today’s quotable
Monday, Jan 5, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Tribune’s budget story…
As a candidate, Rauner spoke mostly in general terms of his desire for lower taxes and higher school spending, though he did not reconcile the two or explain how he intended to accomplish both. He added another wrinkle in mid-December, telling an audience in Springfield that he had no intention of making significant cuts in the Medicaid program providing health care to the poor.
But education and Medicaid together comprise the two biggest items in the state budget, accounting for well over half the spending in the already stretched general funds that pay for day-to-day expenses.
“That dog won’t hunt,” said Ralph Martire, executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, a union-backed research center in Chicago. “He can’t maintain or enhance the spending he claims he will maintain or enhance with the tax policy he proposes. One of those two has to give.” […]
[Former Gov. Jim Edgar] said Rauner’s most pressing task is reconciling the state to the impact of Thursday’s income tax cut, which is expected to slice $2 billion from state revenues over the next six months. If left intact, the income tax cut could cost the state more than $4 billion in revenue over an entire budget year.
“Doomsday’s coming, we do not have a printing press,” Edgar said. “I was talking to some people to see if there’s any smoke and mirrors left and I don’t think there are. They’ve used them all.”
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Rosemary Mulligan
Monday, Jan 5, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I was on vacation when former Rep. Rosemary Mulligan passed away. Here’s a react roundup. House GOP Leader Jim Durkin…
“I am very sorry to learn about the death of my former colleague, Rosemary Mulligan. Rosemary was a fierce advocate of women’s health issues and protector of our most vulnerable citizens. Rosemary took the time to really understand the state budget and she was never afraid to ask the tough questions on behalf of Illinois taxpayers. She was a passionate fighter for her district and all families in Illinois during her 20 years as a legislator. She will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to her to family during this difficult time.”
* Gov. Pat Quinn…
“Rosemary Mulligan was an inspiring leader who was never afraid to reach across the aisle to get the job done. Today we mourn her loss.
“As a member of the House, Rosemary was a true public servant who fought for the people of Illinois. She was a respected voice on a wide range of issues from human services to early childhood education, victims’ rights and transportation.
“Rosemary was an energetic bridge-builder who made Illinois a better place. She will be greatly missed.”
* Governor-elect Bruce Rauner…
“Diana and I offer our heartfelt condolences on the passing of former State Representative Rosemary Mulligan. Rosemary was a tireless advocate for her district, a defender of the taxpayer and a champion for Illinois women. She was a true public servant whose legacy will continue to guide us for years to come.”
* Personal PAC’s Terry Cosgrove…
25 years ago this complete stranger called me and said she was going to run in the Republican primary against the leading right-wing Republican in the Illinois House (Penny Pullen) and was going to beat her—Rosemary asked for Personal PAC’s help and the rest is history. I admired Rosemary because she was absolutely fearless in the defense of women’s rights, LGBT people, children and the less fortunate, telling everyone and anyone exactly what she thought, often times very colorfully. Her personal generosity, passion and spirit is rare in today’s politic. She also had a wicked sense of humor and did not suffer fools very easily. As many of us know, Rosemary had a very tough last few years.
Illinois is a much better place because of Rosemary Mulligan and I was always honored to call her my friend and hero.
Rest In Peace Rosemary.
* Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois…
“Rosemary Mulligan was a traditional Republican who believed deeply in individual rights and dignity, and as such she unapologetically championed equal rights for LGBT individuals in Illinois.
“During the debate on civil unions, Rep. Mulligan was in frail health but drove all the way to Springfield to cast a decisive vote in favor of equal rights for same-sex couples. She will be terribly missed.”
* Illinois GOP Chairman Tim Schneider…
“From her tireless service in the Illinois Legislature, to her dedication to women’s rights and the disabled, to her lifetime of work making our state and country a better place, Rep. Mulligan will be truly missed.
“On behalf of the Illinois Republican Party, our prayers and condolences are with her family and loved ones today.”
* Sun-Times…
[Stephen Granzyk] described his older sister as “sort of being on the margin of a new generation.” Mulligan left college to marry and have children, becoming involved in local politics later in life.
“She really was a self-made woman. Had she been born five or 10 years later she might have gone to school, gotten a law degree and gone even further,” he said.
Mulligan defeated GOP Rep. Penny Pullen in a 1992 primary race so close that a recount was called.
In subsequent elections, House Democrats spent considerably to defeat her. But Mulligan fiercely held on to her seat cycle after cycle, once purchasing another home across town in Des Plaines after Democratic mapmakers drew her residence outside of legislative boundaries.
* Daily Herald…
In a discussion about a senior-living program in 2007, Mulligan accidentally called then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich a “blithering idiot” in a microphone she had meant to cover with her hand.
She both apologized for saying it and stood by the idea.
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have said it,” Mulligan said.
“Do I think he’s a blithering idiot? Yeah. Do I think he knows anything about the budget? No,” she said.
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Rauner’s $20 million “tip of the iceberg”
Monday, Jan 5, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz…
Days before he takes office, Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner has created a special $20 million war chest to push his agenda against what is likely to be strong opposition in Springfield—and lots more money is on the way. […]
“There are a lot of legislators who he is going to be asking to make a lot of tough decisions,” said one Rauner insider who asked not to be named. “The intent is to build a large and effective political operation in order to pursue his agenda.”
Some of the money may be donated directly to legislators’ campaign committees and other funds spent on their behalf. TV ads, polling and other activity on behalf of Rauner policies also is expected, the insider said. And the war chest only is “the first in a series,” part of a “multipronged effort” in which other funding vehicles will be formed, the source said. “This is the tip of the iceberg.”
* Rauner kicked in $10 million and two of his buds contributed the rest…
Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, who previously had contributed $4.9 million, gave another $8 million on Dec. 30. Richard Uihlein, CEO of Uline Corporation and a major donor to Republican candidates, added $2 million on the same day.
* AP…
Transition team spokesman Chip Englander said Rauner wanted to change and improve Illinois.
“In order to do that, he recognizes that he has to amass the resources to support reformers and compete with the special interest protectors of the status quo in multiple forums over multiple years,” Englander said in a statement.
* The Tribune explains it as a way to “buttress lawmakers who follow the new chief executive’s as-yet unstated agenda after he takes office in mid-January”…
The willingness of Rauner and his allies to use their wealth to push an agenda could give the incoming governor added leverage with GOP lawmakers not used to taking difficult votes while Democrats have held one-party control of Springfield for the last dozen years.
“It’s got to help give Republicans some backbone for the tough votes they’ll have to take,” said David Yepsen, who runs the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. […]
“I think it can also be a shot across the bow that he’s not someone to be trifled with. He’s got the formal powers of governor, the informal powers of persuasion and he can shove money into a primary if a legislator doesn’t behave,” he said.
Rauner will need Democrats, who retain strong majorities in the House and Senate, to advance any of his agenda items. But it’s unclear whether he would use his money to back Democrats if they vote his way.
* Back to Hinz…
In flexing his personal financial muscle after an election, Rauner appears to be following in the steps of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The latter effectively self-financed his campaigns for mayor, but also opened his wallet to allies and would-be allies after taking office, and recently has funneled tens of millions into anti-gun and other causes.
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* AP…
A spokeswoman for Illinois’ Senate President says legislation is being prepared to establish a 2016 special election to replace late state Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka.
Democratic Senate President John Cullerton’s spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon says he and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office have had “very productive conversations in drafting this bill.”
Phelon says the legislation could be considered during a legislative special session Jan. 8.
* Finke is a wee bit skeptical…
House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, initially indicated that he didn’t want to get involved in the whole debate about whether or not to hold an election in 2016. Now there’s word he’s working on a bill with the Senate to hold an election. Maybe he did the political calculus and decided it wasn’t such a bad idea.
Then again, you can never tell what Madigan’s really thinking. He could “work” on an election bill and then decide not to push it very hard, which could end up dooming it.
Regardless, the special session next week will be Quinn’s last hurrah with the legislature. We’ll see if lawmakers finally do something Quinn wants.
* Erickson looks at the history…
If Madigan sticks by his call for an executive-level agreement — and one doesn’t happen — Illinoisans could be in for a rerun of a Madigan-Blagojevich showdown from 10 years ago.
In June 2004, after Blagojevich scheduled a special session on the state’s budget problems, Madigan convened the House and then adjourned 23 minutes later.
Lawmakers that day listened to an opening prayer, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, heard a few scheduling-related remarks and then were done for the day.
In later years, similar special session showdowns between the duo mirrored that template. In 2007, Blagojevich even went to court hoping to force Madigan to conduct business when the governor dictated.
The alliances from those days also seem eerily similar. In 2004, Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, backed Blagojevich. This time around, Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, is in Quinn’s corner when it comes to scheduling a special election.
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Good morning!
Monday, Jan 5, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Words to live by…
Now if you see me drinkin’ bad red wine
Don’t worry ’bout this man that you love
Don’t you think it’s sometimes wise not to grow up?
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Dec 23, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Should Illinois hold a special election in 2016 for comptroller, or should the next comptroller serve until January of 2019? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
online polls
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* From a press release…
The Justice Department today announced the filing of a lawsuit against the Chicago Board of Education, alleging that the board discriminated against pregnant teachers at Scammon Elementary School by subjecting them to adverse personnel actions, including termination in some instances, after they announced their pregnancies. According to the complaint, these adverse personnel actions were in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin and religion. The statute explicitly prohibits employers from discriminating against female employees due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.
The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that, starting in 2009, the principal at Scammon subjected female teachers to lower performance evaluations, discipline, threatened termination and/or termination because of their pregnancies. The complaint further alleges that the board approved the firing of six recently pregnant teachers employed at Scammon and forced two other recently pregnant teachers to leave Scammon. The department’s complaint seeks a court order that would require the board to develop and implement policies that would prevent its employees from being subjected to discrimination due to their pregnancies. The relief sought also includes monetary damages as compensation for those teachers who were harmed by the alleged discrimination.
Two teachers who had been pregnant while working at Scammon filed charges of sex discrimination with the Chicago District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC investigated the charges and determined that there was reasonable cause to believe discrimination occurred against the two charging parties as well as against other pregnant teachers. The EEOC was unsuccessful in its attempts to conciliate the matter before referring it to the Department of Justice.
According to the suit (click here), the principal in question targeted eight pregnant teachers, effectively forcing all of them out.
How the heck does this happen? Some of the teachers were tenured, for crying out loud. And why wouldn’t the Board work out a deal with the feds?
Insane.
* Meanwhile…
A mayoral contender and the Chicago Teachers Union called Monday for the resignation of Chicago Board of Education member Deborah Quazzo.
They cited a Chicago Sun-Times analysis that showed companies Quazzo has an interest in have seen their business from Chicago Public Schools triple since the venture capitalist was appointed to the board last year by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
On Monday, the teachers union also renewed its call for an elected school board, but the mayor’s office would not say what Emanuel knew of Quazzo’s business interests before choosing her in June 2013.
“If she has any integrity, she has to resign,” said Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd), a longtime mayoral critic who’s challenging Emanuel in February’s election.
The original story is here.
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“La-La Land”
Tuesday, Dec 23, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rod Blagojevich’s brother Rob has a new book coming out…
The publisher gave The Associated Press an advance copy of the book, which is titled “Fundraiser A” and set for an April release. Robert, a Republican, agreed to work as chief fundraiser for his brother, a Democrat, in mid-2008 after accepting Rod’s assurances — naively, he writes — that he wasn’t under investigation. An initial complaint unsealed after the then-governor’s arrest on Dec. 9, 2008, referred to Robert only as “Fundraiser A.”
Before the brothers’ joint 2010 trial, lead prosecutor Reid Schar proposed that if Robert talked Rod into a guilty plea, charges against the elder brother could be reduced or dismissed, the book says. Regarding the odds of convictions, the book says Schar told Robert’s lawyer, “We’ve got the governor, but your guy can win this.”
“Why did they indict me in the first place if they thought I could win?” Robert asked his attorney, Michael Ettinger, in rejecting the proposal. “I was never going to ask Rod to plead guilty to save me from prosecution.” […]
Robert paints his sibling as sometimes delusional and persistently unapologetic about entangling his year-older brother in a legal nightmare. The title of one chapter, “La-La Land,” is Robert’s commentary on the world Rod inhabited.
This may be the first Blagojevich book that I’m looking forward to reading.
* Some excerpts…
— The book blasts then-U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald for telling reporters on the day of the then-governor’s arrest that the feds had stopped a “corruption crime spree” that would “make Lincoln roll over in his grave.” Writes Robert Blagojevich, “As far as I was concerned, any idea of the presumption of innocence I should have had was long lost before the trial began — starting with Fitzgerald’s comment.”
— Robert saw his brother at their 2009 arraignment and became annoyed that he made no effort to express regret about the legal morass his big brother found himself in. Regarding the meeting, Robert writes: “You expect that he’ll apologize for dragging you into this mess. … Instead, he leans over the table and says, ‘You don’t look like a criminal to me.’ You don’t smile or laugh. This day is not a joke. You look at him without emotion and say, ‘You look like you need a haircut.’”
— To illustrate the tension between them, Robert recounts how Rod once walked over during a court recess at their joint 2010 trial to say Robert was “coming off clean so far.” Robert snapped back angrily: “Of course I should come off clean. I am clean. … This has nothing to do with me.”
* And…
Rod Blagojevich’s brother, Robert, says in a new book his relationship with his sibling has been so strained that the ex-governor even refused to see him when he traveled to Colorado to visit him in prison. […]
Robert traveled from Tennessee to the prison where Rod’s serving a 14-year sentence in 2012. He writes their relationship remains “completely broken.”
Discuss.
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Loose lips sink ships
Tuesday, Dec 23, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The AP on Mayor Rahm Emanuel…
The former congressman and White House chief of staff works out daily, runs marathons occasionally and is as fit as a 55-year-old can be. But Emanuel was never much of a ballplayer — he wound up ditching soccer for ballet as a teenager — and is only so much of a sports fan today.
“He’s really smart, very funny, very competitive and he knows the legislative process inside-out because he used to do the work,” said Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, a longtime colleague. “He also doesn’t swear nearly as much as his reputation makes it sound.
“But sports? I doubt he gives it a lot of thought,” Cullerton added a moment later. “I went to the Cubs opener with him this year and he didn’t seem to know much about it.”
Heh.
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* From a press release…
The Illinois Inaugural committee announced the musical lineup for the Inaugural Concert on January 12, 2015. Tickets can be purchased online at www.IllinoisInauguration.com
Superstar Toby Keith will headline the concert.
From his first No. 1 smash “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” to his latest release Drinks After Work, Toby has been one of the most consistent self-directed hit makers of his era. At the core of Toby’s unparalleled success is his songwriting, which has powered an astounding succession of hit songs to the tune of more than 85 million BMI performances on commercial radio stations worldwide. He has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association International with its Songwriter/Artist of the Decade distinction, is a three-time BMI Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year and was named the American Country Awards’ Artist of the Decade.
His albums have sold more than 40 million copies, ranking him among the top-selling all-genre artists on Billboard’s Top 200 Artists of the Decade. Keith is also Billboard’s No. 1 Country Artist of the Decade and No. 1 Country Songwriter of the Decade.
Legendary blues musician Buddy Guy will precede Toby Keith on stage.
Buddy is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, a pioneer of Chicago’s fabled West Side sound, and a living link to that city’s halcyon days of electric blues. He has received 6 Grammy Awards, 28 Blues Music Awards (the most any artist has received), the Billboard magazine Century Award for distinguished artistic achievement, and the Presidential National Medal of Arts. Rolling Stone ranked him in the top 25 of its “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
The Boat Drink Caucus – comprised of Representative Chad Hays, Representative Mike Tryon and Senator Don Harmon – will open the concert. The trio combine a Jimmy Buffett-like tropical style with classic rock favorites.
First they kicked off Phases of the Moon and now they’re opening for Buddy Guy and Toby Keith. Not bad.
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Congress finally does something
Monday, Dec 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* An important development that I missed…
Congress dealt a historic blow to the United States’ decades-long war on drugs [a week ago] Saturday with the passage of the federal spending bill, which contains protections for medical marijuana and industrial hemp operations in states where they are legal.
The spending bill includes an amendment that prohibits the Department of Justice from using funds to go after state-legal medical cannabis programs. If the bill is signed into law, it will bring the federal government one step closer to ending raids on medical marijuana dispensaries, as well as stopping arrests of individuals involved with pot businesses that are complying with state law. […]
“Congress has finally initiated a drawdown in the federal government’s war on medical marijuana,” said Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement. “This legislation makes it clear that the DEA has no business interfering in states’ medical marijuana laws. Taxpayer money should not be used to punish seriously ill people who use medical marijuana and the caregivers who provide it to them.” […]
Industrial hemp also received new protections from DEA intervention under the spending bill. The same plant species as marijuana, cannabis sativa, hemp contains little to no THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana associated with the “high” sensation. The farm bill, which President Barack Obama signed into law in February, legalized industrial hemp production in states that permit it.
Eighteen states have legalized industrial hemp production, and more than a dozen others have introduced legislation that would authorize research into the plant, set up a regulatory framework or legalize growing it.
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Two brief insights on new Kirk poll
Monday, Dec 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The election is a long way away, but this new poll has some merit for at least two reasons…
A new poll reveals that incumbent GOP U.S. Senator Mark Kirk is locked in a dead heat against U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who holds the slimmest of leads, in a 2016 general election contest.
The survey of 1,003 Illinois voters, commissioned by The Illinois Observer and conducted by We Ask America on Thursday, December 18 with a +/- 3% margin of error, has Duckworth leading Kirk 45.59-45.02%, with 9.39% undecided.
1) Kirk might be in for a real race; and 2) People are just done with Gov. Pat Quinn…
Meanwhile, Kirk is swamping soon-to-be ex-Governor Pat Quinn 55.0-35.7% with 9.3% undecided.
60 percent of indies and 21 percent of Democrats back Kirk over Quinn in this poll.
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Today’s number: $12.7 billion
Monday, Dec 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability…
CTBA’s issue brief, The Pending FY2016 Fiscal Cliff details the significant—potentially over $12 billion— fiscal shortfall facing the next General Assembly and Governor-elect Bruce Rauner as they work to craft a General Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2016. The issue brief delineates the amount of recurring income tax revenue the state stands to lose when the temporary income tax increases under the Taxpayer Accountability and Budget Stabilization Act of 2011 phase down on January 1, 2015, as well as the worsening of other fiscal pressures that are projected to occur under current law.
Assuming no tax policy changes, if spending on services in FY2016 is held constant in nominal, non-inflation adjusted dollars at FY2015 levels, the state’s accumulated deficit in its General Fund will almost double, increasing from an estimated $6.8 billion in FY2015, to $12.7 billion by the end of FY2016.
The full report is here.
* From the report…
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C’mon, man
Monday, Dec 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* There are those who believe that Treasurer Dan Rutherford believes he will run for something else in the future. Stories like this one, however, aren’t gonna help…
More than 25 nonunion employees in state Treasurer Dan Rutherford’s office got pay increases ranging from 8 percent to 36 percent over the past year.
Rutherford’s office also awarded $88,966 in one-time payments to 35 nonunion employees on Oct. 31. Most were less than $3,000, but former chief of staff Kyle Ham, whose base salary was $125,004, received a $10,000 extra payment. Ham started a new job Dec. 15 as chief executive officer of Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council. […]
Among employees who didn’t get raises in the past year but who did get one-time payments were Curt Conrad of Springfield, deputy chief of staff, who makes $99,996 annually and got an $8,000 payment, and Bridget Byron of Chicago, chief investment officer. She is paid $114,996 annually and got a $9,200 payment.
His office claims the bonuses and pay hikes were based on “performance … job duty changes and more responsibility.” But some of those folks worked on his campaign.
* And what happened with the union workers this year?…
Prochaska said AFSCME Council 31 represents about 30 workers in the treasurer’s unclaimed property division. The new three-year contract is retroactive to July 1, 2012. Members received lump-sums equivalent to 2.1 percent of salary for each of the first two years and 1.75 percent raises as of July 1. With changes in cost for medical coverage, the members at the treasurer’s office “about break even,” he said.
“They would not give these huge increases to management while they were at the bargaining table with us (saying) our request for 2 percent wage increases would not be fiscally responsible,” Prochaska said. “This was this administration’s final opportunity to profiteer off of state government on their way out the door, while the dedicated state employees who have and will continue to perform the actual work serving the public are left behind, literally and financially.”
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Unintentionally hilarious editorials
Monday, Dec 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a Southern Illinoisan editorial entitled “Free Advice for Topinka replacement”…
Well, Mr. Governor-Elect, you spoke a lot during the campaign about working “across the aisle” to get things done. Here’s your limited-time, risk-free opportunity to take it out for a spin while short-circuiting Democrats Pat Quinn and AG Lisa Madigan from creating an unnecessary special election two years from now.
Our simple free advice: nominate Sheila Simon to be the state’s next Comptroller.
And to ease the time crunch involved in your transition, we’ve taken the liberty of drafting your appointment speech:
I am today pleased to appoint Sheila Simon to be the next Comptroller of the great state of Illinois. I again commend the accomplishments of the late Judy Baar Topinka and the service she gave to Illinoisans for decades. And, out of respect to Judy and a sense of commitment to our state’s future, nominate the next most capable person to replace her.
Oy.
Homers to the bitter end.
* From an Ottawa Times editorial entitled “Voters spoke, now here come the budget cuts”…
As most people understand by now, Illinois does not actually have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. There has never been more money flowing into state coffers. There’s also never been more owed, and demand continues to outstrip supply.[…]
If Rauner has his way, the income tax rate will drop from from 5 percent to 3.75 percent on New Year’s Day.
It’s true that there has never been more money flowing into state coffers. But almost all that money is going to one thing: Pension payments. Until the Times figures out how to cut that gigantic bill, we have a revenue problem. Also, past due state bills are way down from where they were a few years ago. And the income tax is partially expiring on New Year’s Day regardless of Rauner, who won’t even be sworn in until January 12th.
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* Tribune…
Chicago’s red light cameras fail to deliver the dramatic safety benefits long claimed by City Hall, according to a first-ever scientific study that found the nation’s largest camera program is responsible for increasing some types of injury crashes while decreasing others.
The state-of-the-art study commissioned by the Tribune concluded the cameras do not reduce injury-related crashes overall — undercutting Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s primary defense of a program beset by mismanagement, malfunction and a $2 million bribery scandal.
Emanuel has credited the cameras for a 47 percent reduction in dangerous right-angle, or “T-bone,” crashes. But the Tribune study, which accounted for declining accident rates in recent years as well as other confounding factors, found cameras reduced right-angle crashes that caused injuries by just 15 percent.
At the same time, the study calculated a corresponding 22 percent increase in rear-end crashes that caused injuries, illustrating a trade-off between the cameras’ costs and benefits.
The researchers also determined there is no safety benefit from cameras installed at intersections where there have been few crashes with injuries. Such accidents actually increased at those intersections after cameras went in, the study found, though the small number of crashes makes it difficult to determine whether the cameras were to blame.
Go read the whole thing.
* More Tribune…
Nearly half of the Chicago red light cameras included in a new Tribune study did nothing to make drivers safer and may have caused an increase in injury-related crashes.
Researchers hired by the Tribune to analyze the effects of the city’s cameras said the finding involved 43 of the 90 camera intersections in the study — the ones that averaged fewer than four injury crashes a year before red light cameras were installed.
The small number of total crashes makes it difficult to know for certain whether the cameras were to blame for the increases, but the scientists from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute said they are confident in their conclusion that the cameras offered no safety benefit at those intersections.
* Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s opponents respond…
Chicago mayoral challengers Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Ald. Bob Fioretti are calling for an immediate suspension of the city’s red light camera program.
Citing a recent Tribune study that found the cameras fail to deliver safety benefits long claimed by City Hall, Garcia, a Cook County commissioner running against Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the Feb. 24 city election, said on Sunday that the city should stop ticketing drivers “until the red light camera can be justified.”
“The simple fact is that all the money that was received from the red light tickets made this administration blind to their impact on drivers and residents,” Garcia said at a news conference.
He called the cameras “a runaway program” and said a thorough investigation by an independent academic institution should be done to determine the effectiveness of the cameras.
* The Emanuel campaign responds with an oppo dump…
Statement Attributable to Steve Mayberry, Emanuel Campaign Spokesman:
“Before Commissioner Garcia can attack a program that is critical to public safety and has helped reduce the number of serious crashes that result in injury or death, he needs to explain his own questionable record on red light cameras. Commissioner Garcia must explain to the public why he accepted a $1,500 donation from Safespeed, a red light camera operator company, on March 10, 2014 and voted to approve their installation of a red light camera the very next day. In fact, Mr. Garcia’s tie-breaking vote ensured the company’s success. With all of the tough decisions we as a city must face in the next four years, the voters deserve better from a candidate for mayor.”
Background: Commissioner Garcia’s $1,500 Red Light Problem
In August of 2013, the Chicago Tribune reported that River Forest, Illinois officials needed Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) approval for River Forest’s contractor, Safespeed, to install and operate a red light camera at Harlem Avenue and Lake Street, where the FPDCC’s headquarters are located.
On March 10, 2014, Citizens for Jesus Garcia accepted a check from Safespeed, LLC for $1,500.
On March 11, 2014, Commissioner Garcia voted in favor of an intergovernmental agreement that allowed for a red light camera to be placed on Forest Preserve property. Garcia’s vote ensured its success.
From OakPark.com: “Drivers beware: The red light camera at Lake Street and Harlem Avenue will go online in a month. More than a year after the camera on Harlem at North Avenue went live, the River Forest village board Monday authorized an intergovernmental agreement with Cook County allowing for the device to be installed on Forest Preserve District property.”
* The campaign also defended the program…
Background: Facts on Red Light Camera Program
The City’s red light camera program has reduced dangerous angle crashes, which are three times more likely than rear-end crashes to cause serious injury or fatality (IDOT).
The reduction in this type of accident has had a very real effect on public safety overall.
Mayor Emanuel fired Chicago’s red light camera operator and put in new accountability and transparency initiatives that have been monitored by the independent inspector general.
…Adding… A new one just came in about Fioretti…
Attributable to Steve Mayberry, Emanuel Campaign Spokesman:
“Alderman Fioretti is against the red light camera program, but voted for its expansion in the 2009 City budget. The alderman doesn’t support the $13 minimum wage, but voted for the increase. He is opposed the use of TIFs to benefit large corporations, but pushed for $15 million in TIF dollars for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Alderman Fioretti does not have a problem with the Mayor—he has a problem with his own record.”
From the Garcia campaign…
“Commissioner Garcia has built his public career on listening to people — not ignoring them. He believes strongly local people know what is best for their neighborhoods. In this case, the camera was requested by River Forest. They also chose the vendor to be used. Both of those actions took place in 2013. Commissioner Garcia simply acted responsibly in listening to one of the municipalities covered by Cook County and ratifying their actions a full year later,” said campaign spokeswoman Monica Trevino.
“Today, Commissioner Garcia called for an investigation into the effectiveness of the red light camera program. For Mayor Emanuel to respond by unleashing his paid henchman is typical of his style of leadership. We still believe Mayor Emanuel owes Chicago drivers a thoughtful response to our red light camera proposal as soon as he returns from vacation. Until that time, the lights remain on and nobody is home.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** The Emanuel campaign retorts…
Attributable to Steve Mayberry, Emanuel Campaign Spokesman:
“Just a short while ago, Commissioner Garcia’s campaign released a fundraising email about red light cameras, asking for donations at the end. We guess it really is, as he stated yesterday, ‘all about the money.’
Was he ‘listening to the people’ when he accepted $1,500 from a red light camera vendor the day before he cast the deciding vote in their favor to install a red light camera?
Did Commissioner Garcia personally accept the check from the company?
Did Commissioner Garcia discuss with the company or its lobbyists the vote that was taking place the next day?
Or does Commissioner Garcia want the public to believe that this is all just a strange coincidence?
These are simple questions that someone seeking the City’s chief executive position should be willing to answer.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Garcia campaign…
“It has been 2 days since the Tribune’s devastating profile of the red light camera program showed it was neither safe nor fair. And still Mayor Emanuel has refused to answer those facts. What we have been saying is the Mayor owes the people of Chicago a response on why his red light program is not working, and when he gets back from vacation, I hope he will answer that question. Until that time, the lights remain on and nobody is home, and that’s no way to run a City,” said Monica Trevino, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia spokeswoman.
“Instead of researching his own government, Mayor Emanuel is researching Chuy Garcia, and he’s not even doing a very good job. The Mayor should spend less time researching his political opponents and more time researching how to effectively run the City.” That is what we are talking about here is research. The research shows the city’s red light cameras have not been effective. That means we should stop the program and reassess. We should not send out another ticket until we can look people in the eye and say this program works.”
“River Forest asked for a red light at that intersection — and they chose the vendor — because research showed there was a need.” Those are the facts, but Mayor Emanuel obviously cares more about trying to score political points than he does about the facts. Chicago can do better.”
* Related…
* Are Rahm’s numbers creeping up? New internals show him near 50
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Rauner’s gonna miss JBT more than he may know
Monday, Dec 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
There’s little doubt that the late Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka would’ve continued her straight-talking ways during a Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner administration.
Topinka was “good copy” for reporters. When she criticized a budget or a fiscal position, we listened.
Other Statehouse denizens respected her fiscal smarts as well. If she attacked a proposal, legislators and everyone else under the dome took note.
Rauner showed great deference to Topinka after the election, officing in her Statehouse suite and giving her chief of staff the authority to hire most of his new employees. I don’t think there’s any question that he grew to truly admire the quirky redhead.
But Topinka had called for a far more gradual reduction to the state’s 2011 income tax hike than Gov.-elect Rauner has said he wants. A particularly brutal package of budget cuts or one-time gimmicks proposed by Rauner next year wouldn’t have gone down too well with her. Rauner would’ve had to take her opinion into account before unveiling his budget, or suffer the consequences afterward.
She was also much more liberal than Rauner admits to. Topinka was expected to help build bridges between Rauner and organized labor, as well as to Democrats and left of center groups she worked with over the years and who have not yet become comfortable with the idea of a Republican governor.
Yes, many of us lost a friend this month, but we also lost an experienced, respected politico who could counsel the new and inexperienced governor about how to be a more effective leader, and one who could help nudge him, publicly or privately, to stay on a more humane and fiscally responsible fiscal path.
And with Topinka’s post-election passing, I don’t see any of Rauner’s fellow Republicans out there with the power or credibility who will also have the guts to stand up to the guy.
Some holes can be patched here and there. Both Republican state legislative leaders have ties to unions, for example. Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno is a former social worker who has championed human services causes.
But neither of those leaders have yet to show much independence from Rauner, whose money had a major impact on House races this year and could have an equally big impact on 2016 Senate races.
For instance, Gov. Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton have all forcefully argued for a special election so that Rauner’s pick for Topinka’s replacement won’t serve beyond a 2016 special election. A four-year appointment by Rauner, they all argue, is just downright undemocratic.
When the topic was first broached, Rauner claimed such an election would be unconstitutional, but the Illinois Constitution clearly says that the appointee serves until the successor is elected and qualified “as may be provided by law.”
The next day, the two legislative leaders, Radogno and House GOP Leader Jim Durkin, released what higher-ups in the attorney general’s office derisively dismissed as a “half baked” legal opinion about why a special session would be unconstitutional.
The opinion deliberately left out crucial words in important constitutional passages, defied logic by claiming “as may be provided by law” passage didn’t allow the Legislature to actually do anything, and ignored committee reports from and debate at the state’s Constitutional Convention which made it abundantly clear that the Legislature has the authority to act.
Not only did that opinion bode ill for the incoming Rauner administration (with one person at the attorney general’s office saying it reminded her of Rod Blagojevich, whose lawyers would often pull legal arguments out of thin air to counter the attorney general), it also showed an astonishing servility by the two GOP legislative leaders.
I don’t know whether Comptroller Topinka would’ve wanted a special election to replace her in 2016, rather than allow her successor to serve four years until after the regularly scheduled 2018 election. None of us do. She had her partisan leanings, so she might be wary of holding a special election in a presidential election year, when Democrats do much better than off years. But she was also a small “d” democrat and a four-year appointment sure doesn’t feel democratic to many folks.
I do know, however, that Topinka never would’ve signed her name to an obviously bogus legal “argument” like the one released last week.
“There’s a hole in the hearts of the people of this state,” Gov. Quinn said at Topinka’s memorial service last week. That’s true. But there’s also now a gaping hole in the government which assumes power next month.
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