This just in…
Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 5:43 pm - The Illinois Supreme Court has denied a motion to take up a direct appeal of Cook County Circuit Court Judge Mary Mikva’s ruling that kicked Bruce Rauner’s term limits constitutional amendment off the ballot. The order is brief and to the point…
Motion by intervenor-appellant for direct appeal to this Court pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 302(b). Motion Denied
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Today’s numbers: 193 and 7.1
Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Harold Meyerson…
Median compensation in manufacturing is a third again higher than it is in the United States — yet, counter to the wage-cutting conventional wisdom in American boardrooms and economics classrooms, Germany is No. 1 in trade and the United States is No. 193.
* From IDES…
The Illinois unemployment rate fell in June for the fourth consecutive month to reach 7.1 percent while employers created 6,000 jobs, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The data is seasonally adjusted.
The combined April-June reduction of 1.3 points in the unemployment rate is the largest three-month drop since this data series began in 1976. The last time the rate was lower was October 2008 when it was 7.0 percent.
“Today’s numbers remind us that as our economy improves, more still needs to be done.” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “We need to continue to create job-training opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed so they can share in our growing economy.”
The significant drop in the unemployment rate so far this year reflects Illinois’ historical role of following the nation into and out of economic cycles. This pattern generally is expected to continue until global demand lifts Illinois’ manufacturing sector, which in turn would help housing and the construction industry.
The unemployment rate also is in line with other economic indicators. First time jobless claims have been trending lower for the past four years and in June were 6 percent lower than one year ago. First time claims in June also were at the lowest monthly level since 2007. Numbers from the independent Conference Board’s Help Wanted OnLine Survey show Illinois employers in June advertised for more than 212,800 jobs (203,500 seasonally adjusted) and 86 percent sought full-time work.
Employers added +250,900 private sector jobs since job creation returned to Illinois. Leading sectors are Professional and Business Services (+107,900, +13.8 percent); Education and Health Services (+59,100, +7.2 percent); Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+44,700, +4.0 percent); and Leisure and Hospitality (+34,600, +6.8 percent). Government continues to lead job loss (-22,100, -2.6 percent.)
In June, the number of unemployed individuals fell -30,600 (-6.2 percent) to 461,700. Total unemployed has fallen -291,800 (-38.7 percent) since the rate peaked at 11.4 percent.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Aside from the fact that Bruce Rauner’s new plan to tax services won’t come anywhere close to replacing the income tax hike revenues and won’t allow him to justify freezing property taxes, do you generally support or oppose a tax on services? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey solutions
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Rauner plan react
Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Democratic Governors Association…
Today, Republican billionaire Bruce Rauner again attempted to claim the mantle of job creator. The truth is Rauner has made his fortune by perfecting the art of massive layoffs and shipping jobs overseas.
Incredibly, in today’s pamphlet, he directly cites India and the Philippines as places where he wants to make Illinois more competitive. This is rich, since these are places where he himself has established companies to snatch American jobs, drives down wages and maximize profits.
Billionaire Bruce says he’s going to “travel the world” to work on jobs. Maybe while he’s over in China, the Philippines and India, he can say hello to some of his workers.
* From the IMA…
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) announced its endorsement of Bruce Rauner for governor at a press conference today with the candidate at Quality Float Works, Inc., a family-owned and operated manufacturing company. The IMA undertook a rigorous endorsement process that included candidate questionnaires, a survey of member companies, and individual interviews with both candidates. The IMA became the first statewide business organization to endorse in the race for governor and has donated $250,000 to Rauner’s gubernatorial campaign.
In their endorsement, the IMA pointed to the continued economic struggles the state is facing along with the hostile business climate towards job creators. Illinois manufacturers employ 570,000 workers directly and contribute the single largest share of the gross state product. Yet, the state’s poor economic conditions have resulted in nearly 130,000 manufacturing jobs disappearing - more than 47,000 of these jobs have been lost in the last few years.
“Illinois is closing one day at a time with a quiet exodus of businesses leaving the state. We cannot afford a hostile business climate coupled with a tax and spend policy that crushes investment across our state. While you cannot blame the current administration for all the problems facing Illinois, it’s time that Illinois has a governor who is fully committed to creating a pro-growth economic strategy. We are proud to support Bruce Rauner who is the right kind of leader to turn our economic ship around and put people back to work,” said Greg Baise, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association.
The IMA also applauded Rauner’s ambitious plan to grow jobs in Illinois. This includes a reduction in income tax rates, freezing property taxes and modernizing the sales tax structure so that we have a broad-based tax system. “In particular, Bruce’s call for a permanent extension of the Research & Development tax credit is critical because innovation is the lifeblood of manufacturing,” Baise added. “His commitment to reduce the high cost of workers’ compensation and bring long awaited tort reform - two issues that plague Illinois employers, particularly those in the manufacturing - are long overdue.”
Finally, Baise referenced the current limbo with hydraulic fracturing as a perfect example of the challenges facing business and state government. “More than a year ago, business leaders, labor unions and environmental organizations stood together and announced a comprehensive deal for hydraulic fracturing. This innovative technology will create tens of thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in new tax revenue. It has the strongest environmental safeguards in the nation and will reduce our reliance on foreign sources of energy. Today, a full 13 months after the measure was signed into law, the State has refused to issue the final rules. They have all kinds of excuses, but at the end of the day, they have failed to get the job done.”
I’ll add more as I receive them.
* Durkin and Radogno…
This afternoon, the leaders of the Republican caucuses in the Illinois House and Senate released the following statements in support of Bruce Rauner’s Jobs and Growth Agenda:
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont):
“The contrast in this election has never been more clear. Bruce Rauner wants to lower your income taxes while Pat Quinn wants to raise them 67%. Bruce Rauner wants to freeze your property taxes while Pat Quinn lets them rise. There’s only one candidate who has a vision to create jobs and turn Illinois into a growth economy, and that’s Bruce Rauner.”
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs):
“Middle-class families across Illinois are struggling under the Quinn-Madigan policies of higher income taxes, higher property taxes, and burdensome regulations. Bruce Rauner’s plan offers the citizens of Illinois a new direction of lower taxes, high-paying jobs and real opportunities for growth.”
* Quinn campaign…
Below is the statement of Quinn for Illinois Communications Director Brooke Anderson following the unveiling today of the Rauner Tax by Republican nominee for governor Bruce Rauner. Rauner’s proposal emerged today after 500 days of hiding his budget from voters, over a period where he repeatedly reneged on promises for details and solutions:
“After 500 days of keeping voters in the dark about his plans to deal with the state’s structural challenges, we now have clarity on exactly where billionaire Republican Bruce Rauner wants to take Illinois: into a ditch.
“Not only did Rauner today propose a regressive tax that pushes the burden onto the middle class to preserve tax breaks for the very rich, the Rauner Tax doesn’t even remotely add up.
“Under Rauner’s policies, Illinois would face a nearly $10 billion budget hole next fiscal year, which would cause radical cuts to education, public safety and health care services. Even according to his own pamphlet, the Rauner Tax adds up to just $577 million.
“Only someone who uses elite accounting methods to avoid taxes himself would propose a tax hike on services that hurts small businesses, hits working families the hardest and doesn’t solve the problem at the same time. Only someone with nine homes would propose taxing trailer parks.
“Bruce Rauner believes that if Rauner succeeds, Illinois succeeds. But history shows that is a failed ideology and just like his proposal to cut the minimum wage, the Rauner Tax is designed to help himself.”
* Rauner react to Quinn react…
In 2009, Quinn Supported A Tax Hike Plan Passed By Senate Democrats That Would Have Applied The State Sales Tax To “Dozens Of Services.” “Democrats warned of severe cuts in education and health-care funding without a tax increase, but couldn’t muster the votes in the House for a two-year, 50 percent increase in the personal income tax. The House likewise balked at the prospect of considering a Senate-backed plan to raise the income tax 67 percent and apply the state sales tax to dozens of services. Republicans, the minority in both chambers, opposed all tax-increase plans and blamed Democrats for a new round of dysfunction made infamous during the tenure of ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
With lawmakers facing the need to revisit the budget talks in coming months, post-session voting requirements will give the GOP a seat at the bargaining table. Rookie Gov. Pat Quinn, who supported both failed tax plans, said he would call legislative leaders together Monday to work on putting together a better budget than one that is ‘hopelessly out of balance.’” (Rick Pearson and Ray Long, “Tax Hike Defeated; Budget Gap Remains,” Chicago Tribune, 6/1/09)
· Quinn Testified In Favor Of The Senate Tax Hike Plan Before An Illinois House Committee. “The Senate Democrats’ 2009 income tax increase bill also included a provision extending the state’s sales tax to services, such as haircuts, that are not taxed now. Quinn testified for the bill before a House committee.” (Chris Wetterich, “Quinn, Brady Far Apart On Taxes,” The State Journal-Register, 10/3/10)
The Tax Plan Quinn Supported Taxed The Following Services (not an exhaustive list):
(5) Dry cleaning and laundry, except coin-operated (81232).
(18) Taxi and Limousine services (4853)
(12) Coin operated video games and pinball machines (71312)
(20) Motion picture theaters, except drive-in theaters (512131)
(30) Laundry and dry cleaning services, coin-operated (81231).
(37) Circuses and fairs — admission and games (7113).
(38) Cable and other program distribution (5175).
(39) Rental of video tapes for home viewing (53223).
* From the union-backed Illinois Freedom PAC…
Today, Billionaire GOP candidate Bruce Rauner held a press conference to propose 30 new regressive taxes. It comes on the heels of a bevy of news that Rauner and Rauner financed companies avoided taxes and overbilled taxpayers.
· Rauner used loopholes now under scrutiny by the IRS to slash his tax obligation. He avoided contributing a single penny to Social Security and Medicare for two straight years, in 2010 and 2011, but says he’s open to taxing retirement income including Social Security.
· Rauner was a director of HealthRev, which failed to pay $81,000 in Illinois taxes. The company also made thousands in contributions to Cook County officials after it received a multi-million dollar government contract.
· American Habilitations Services - a Rauner financed firm linked to deaths, assaults, and legal action - was cited by the state of Florida for overbilling taxpayers.
· The firm Rauner ran for 31 years, GTCR, failed to pay nearly $13,000 in unemployment taxes in 2005.
· Rauner’s current company, R8, failed to pay the state’s business license fee.
“It’s crystal clear: Billionaire Bruce Rauner wants middle class families to pay more, while he pays less,” said Neal Waltmire, Communications Director for Illinois Freedom PAC. “He already pays a lower tax rate than millions of Illinois’ middle class families, but apparently exploiting the status quo is not good enough for him.”
* From Brooke…
They are wrong about the Governor’s position. He opposes a tax on services as he stated unequivocally and spelled out, in his Budget Address this year.
“I won’t institute any new, unfair taxes on everyday services that working people rely on. It hurts working families the most to tax basic services like going to the Laundromat…like taking your child to daycare…like visiting the barber shop…or taking your dog to the vet.
We should not create a new and unfair tax burden on everyday families and the small businesses that serve them.”
http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/Documents/Budget/FY15%20Budget%20Address.pdf
* The Rauner folks point out that laundromats, daycare, barbershops and vet care - all mentioned by Quinn in his speech - are not covered by Rauner’s proposal.
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* The full plan is here. My initial take is it looks both fairly specific and pretty darned gutsy, which are both rarities from Bruce Rauner.
However - and this is a huge “however” - Rauner’s own data shows that a wide service tax would only raise $577 million a year. That’s barely a drop in the bucket. You can’t noticeably cut the income tax and expect to freeze property taxes on a mere half bil in new revenues…
* From a recent Paul Simon Institute poll…
8. Do you favor or oppose a proposal to make permanent the recently passed temporary state income tax increase?
Strongly favor 11.8%
Favor 16.8%
Oppose 19.0%
Strongly oppose 44.3%
Other/Don’t know 8.0%
9. Do you favor or oppose expanding the sales tax to cover services like dry cleaning or haircuts, which are not currently taxed?
Strongly favor 16.3%
Favor 21.0%
Oppose 16.0%
Strongly oppose 43.5%
Other/Don’t know 3.2%
So, the opposition to a service tax is pretty nearly as strong as opposition to extending the income tax hike.
…Adding… Rauner’s plan exempts those particular services. And they must’ve tested this other stuff. We’ll see.
* Also, he wants to tax radio and TV advertising. Yikes. That takes some stones, man.
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Are the grownups asserting themselves?
Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After initially casting petulant aspersions on the US Department of Justice’s request to delay testimony by subpoenaed witnesses before the Legislative Audit Commission, today’s editorial says the Commission should abide by the request…
Lawmakers have little choice now but to abide by the U.S. attorney’s request that they don’t conduct interviews. If they pursue this, their subjects are just going to refuse. Federal prosecutors have not, though, tried to curb the lawmakers’ investigation of documents related to the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative.
* Now, let’s look back at this excerpt of a June 4th Trib editorial…
Quinn wants Rauner to issue an austere budget plan so Quinn’s plan isn’t the only politically perilous one on voters’ radar.
Rauner plainly sees no reason to oblige for now. He’s surely relishing last week’s projection by the political numbers geeks at FiveThirtyEight.com: Early polling suggests that Quinn has a 25 percent chance of winning — and a 75 percent chance of losing — on Nov. 4. Of all the states with elections for governor this year, only Pennsylvania now has a higher likelihood than Illinois of switching parties.
Rauner will have to get more specific about his spending priorities. Voters aren’t paying much attention in June to an election to be held in November. But come fall, if Rauner doesn’t get into the dirty details, he’s going to invite comparisons to 1968 and Richard Nixon’s so-called secret plan to get the nation out of the Vietnam War.
* From an editorial this week…
At arguably the worst moment in Illinois’ two centuries of statehood, Quinn has signed a fictional state budget for the current fiscal year; Rauner offers no prospective budget at all, only talking points. Both of them are failing the people of Illinois.
Ask yourself: What, other than stern platitudes, has Quinn told you he would do differently to revive Illinois, its government and its nationally high unemployment rate? Instead, Quinn’s campaign is focused on shrill attacks on his opponent rather than a case for giving Quinn yet another chance to … do what else?
And ask yourself: What has Rauner told you he will do to broadly reconfigure state government, its financial obligations and the retirement systems that strangle its spending on other priorities? Rauner’s campaign so far has been a thin gruel of “Elect me — I’ll think of something” and “The failed incumbent is too weak to manhandle the other Democrats who run this state.”
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Rate the new Quinn video
Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Keep in mind, this isn’t a TV ad, it’s a YouTube video…
* The accompanying press release…
Quinn for Illinois launched a new Web video today highlighting Republican billionaire Bruce Rauner’s leadership style and record of mismanagement after a recent report brought to light that residents with developmental disabilities at long-term care facilities he owned were subjected to abuse, neglect and “deplorable” conditions.
Rather than take responsibility for the tragic results at the Rauner homes and explain what went wrong and what he did about it, he instead placed blame for drownings, deadly attacks and rapes on the backs of his “management team.” In video footage, Rauner says what happened at his American Habilitation Services was not just bad for the residents it was also: “a bad investment for us.”
Rauner has refused to detail what and when he knew of the “deplorable” conditions, or what he has done to remedy them.
The video includes reaction from state Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) - a leading advocate for protecting the most vulnerable - who summed up Rauner’s M.O. earlier this week:
“With Rauner, in his case, both with nursing homes and his organization that dealt with people with disabilities, the profits seemed to come first, the people seemed to come second.”
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Money reports
Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Pearson…
Democratic comptroller nominee Sheila Simon, currently the state’s lieutenant governor, reported more than $510,000 left as she takes on incumbent Republican Judy Baar Topinka.
Simon reported raising more than $181,000 in the three-month reporting period. Topinka’s report had not been filed late Tuesday, but she entered the quarter with more than $1.1 million.
Topinka eventually reported raising $148K with $1.26 million on hand.
* Riopell…
In the 11th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, a Naperville Democrat, raised $350,000 in the second three months of the year and reported having $1.4 million in the bank at the end of June.
Challenger Darlene Senger, a Naperville Republican state legislator, raised about $193,000 and had about $150,000 on hand in the same time period. […]
The biggest political money in the suburbs is in the 10th District, where Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Deerfield reported last week having $1.9 million on hand and Republican challenger Bob Dold of Kenilworth said he had $1.65 million.
* Timmons…
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, raised more than $481,000 in the second quarter as she continued to build a strong fundraising lead over Republican Bobby Schilling ahead of the Nov. 4 election.
Mr. Schilling raised about $236,000 in the second quarter and had $500,000 in cash at the end of June compared to the $1.4 million available to Rep. Bustos, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission,
Rep. Bustos has now raised more than $1.9 million in the 2014 election cycle while Mr. Schilling has raised $654,000. The Colona Republican is running to reclaim the 17th Congressional District seat he lost in 2012 to Rep. Bustos.
* Finke…
Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, had more than 60 times the cash on hand at the end of June as his opponent, Republican Linda Little of Decatur, based on just-filed campaign disclosure reports. […]
Manar, a former chief of staff to Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, was by far the most prolific fundraiser among Springfield-area candidates. Manar reported raising nearly $205,000 during the three-month period while spending more than $31,000. Combined with money already in his campaign account, Manar had more than $578,000 available at the end of June.
Little, meanwhile, raised a little more than $9,000 during the period and spent about $4,100. Along with money already raised, Little had just less than $9,000 in her fund on June 30. Little’s biggest contributor was Lake Forest businessman Richard Uihlein, who is a frequent contributor to Republican candidates. Little also reported receiving campaign staff assistance from the Republican State Senate Campaign Committee.
Manar collected at least $93,000 in the last quarter from organized labor. The Illinois Education Association and the Laborers’ union each contributed $16,000, while the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois and the Associated Firefighters each contributed $10,000.
Manar is supposed to be a Tier One target, but you would never know it by the money that Little’s raising and spending.
…Adding… More Timmons…
[Rep. Mike Smiddy] raised more than $104,000 in the second quarter of this year, according to the latest filing at the Illinois State Board of Elections. He had $105,000 in cash at the end of June compared to the $18,000 available to his Republican opponent, Jim Wozniak.
Mr. Wozniak, an assistant state’s attorney with Rock Island County, raised a little more than $20,000 in between April 1 and June 30. […]
[Sen. Mike Jacobs] has established a $110,000 fundraising lead over Republican opponent Neil Anderson, a Moline firefighter.
Sen. Jacobs raised $51,000 between April 1 and June 30, including $10,000 from the Associated Firefighters of Illinois Political Action Committee. He also received $5,000 from Southern Wine and Spirits of America Inc., of Florida, and $2,500 from MidAmerican Energy Co.
Mr. Anderson had $63,000 in cash at the end of the quarter compared to Sen. Jacobs’ balance of $173,000.
* And from the Mike Bost campaign…
The Bost for Congress campaign today released the following statement from campaign spokesman Ron Deedrick in reaction to the news that Mike Bost raised more money than incumbent Congressman Bill Enyart. The information is according to the latest reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
“Thanks to support from voters across the 12th District, Mike Bost succeeded in out-raising Congressman Bill Enyart by almost $30,000 over the second quarter. Bill Enyart is trailing in the polls and trailing in fundraising, it’s clear that Mike Bost has the momentum in this critical race,” Deedrick said. “Bost has constantly out raised Congressman Enyart for the last 4 months since the primary election. In May the campaign released an internal poll showing Bost leading by 6 points.”
Enyart raised $250,588, spent $128,117 and had $677,498 on hand. Bost raised $283,407, spent $136,360 and had $347,665 on hand.
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Text of Rod Blagojevich’s appeal
Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Emphasis added…
In McCutcheon v. Federal Election Com’n, 134 S. Ct. 1434 (2014), the Court struck down a law restricting aggregate limits on political (campaign) contributions. First, the Court noted that political contributions are protected speech under the First Amendment. McCutcheon, 134 S. Ct. at 1444, 1448. To restrict protected speech, the government must have a compelling interest. Id., at 1444. The government does have a compelling interest in “preventing quid pro quo corruption or its appearance …..” Id., at 1445.
The McCutcheon Court further explained that the government’s interest “in preventing the appearance of corruption is equally confined to the appearance of quid pro quo corruption, the Government may not seek to limit the appearance of mere influence or access.” Id., at 1451 (citation omitted). “The line between quid pro quo corruption and general influence may seem vague at times, but the distinction must be respected in order to safeguard basic First Amendment rights. In addition, [i]n drawing that line, the First Amendment requires us to err on the side of protecting political speech rather than suppressing it.” Id., 1451 (citations and internal quotation marks omitted).
Blagojevich’s conviction is based in large part on his attempts to solicit campaign contributions. In this appeal, he argues that the lower court’s instructions to the jury on this issue “omitted the quid pro quo requirement that the government prove that Blagojevich’s requests for campaign contributions were made in return for an ‘explicit promise or undertaking’ to perform or not perform an official act.” Def. Brief, p.50. Instead, Blagojevich’s jury was told to convict on the lower standard that he attempted to obtain a campaign contribution “knowing or believing that it would be given to him in return for the taking, withholding, or other influencing of specific official action.” Def. Brief, at p. 51.
The McCutcheon decision thus supports Blagojevich’s position that, where a criminal prosecution is based upon attempts to solicit campaign contributions, the government must prove a quid pro quo or explicit promise.
* Let’s go to the AP for some context…
Blagojevich’s attorneys filed their appeal one year ago, and the sides held oral arguments before a three-judge panel in Chicago in December. Going more than six months without a decision on an appeal is unusual, though it is impossible to say if the lengthy consideration bodes well for Blagojevich or for prosecutors.
Prosecutors are likely to file a response to Wednesday’s defense filing, though they aren’t required to. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, Randall Samborn, declined any comment.
The panel’s hard-hitting questions for a Blagojevich prosecutor during oral arguments raised defense hopes that some convictions could be thrown out. The questions’ focus: Exactly where is the line between legal and illegal political wheeling and dealing? And did Blagojevich cross it?
At one point, Judge Frank Easterbrook noted how exceptional the prosecution of Blagojevich was. He even compared Blagojevich’s bid to land a Cabinet seat to how President Dwight Eisenhower named Earl Warren to the U.S. Supreme Court after Warren offered Eisenhower key political support during the 1952 campaign.
* From that earlier hearing…
With some passion behind his remarks, [former chief judge of the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, the conservative Frank Easterbrook] asked if there was “any criminal conviction in U.S. history” other than Blagojevich’s in which a politician was convicted for trying to trade one job for another.
“I’m aware of none,” responded the government’s Debra Bonamici.
Her answer seemed to hang in the air for a bit as courtroom observers took that in.
Easterbrook described how in the run-up to the 1952 presidential election, then-California Gov. Earl Warren offered to use his post to “deliver California” for Eisenhower in return for a seat on the Supreme Court. It was a deal that Eisenhower eventually honored.
“If I understand your position, Earl Warren should have gone to prison, Dwight Eisenhower should have gone to prison,” Easterbrook implored. “Can that possibly be right?”
Her eventual answer was nuanced, including explaining the allegations included Blagojevich’s attempt to have a 501c (4) set up for him to head if he appointed Valerie Jarrett to the U.S. Senate.
* At the time, Wordslinger was befuddled by this turn of events…
“If I understand your position, Earl Warren should have gone to prison, Dwight Eisenhower should have gone to prison,” Easterbrook implored. “Can that possibly be right?”–
That’s nonsense. Show me, in any written history, that Warren made such an “offer” and that Eisenhower agreed to “honor” it.
As it was, 77 of the 90-member California delegation voted for Warren at the convention, so Warren hardly “delivered” the state to Ike.
How the U.S. attorney could let that fiction slide just shows how unprepared the office was.
The facts:
In 1952, Gov. Warren ran as a favorite son, and thought he had the 90-vote California delegation sewn up. In truth, Sen. Nixon spent the train ride from Sacramento to Chicago picking off a handful of Warren delegates for Ike.
Because of this, in part, Ike’s biggest backers, Gov. Dewey and Gen. Clay, recommended him for VP. Nixon was also considered an attractive VP candidate for his youth, war service and for being from the booming West. In addition, he served as a bridge between the right-wing isolationists (for the Hiss case) and the moderate East Coast internationalists (for his support of NATO).
After Ike was elected president, he nominated Warren for solicitor general, with the idea of appointing him to the next open Supreme Court seat, which he did.
But that was to keep Warren from being a primary rival in 1956 and to placate the liberal wing of the GOP, just as Lincoln did with Salmon Chase and the Radical Republicans in 1864.
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* Today’s live video link is here. I’ll be posting news story excerpts in the feed below so you can discuss this goofy mess…
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Another step forward on medical marijuana
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
On Tuesday, lawmakers who make up the obscure but powerful Joint Committee on Administrative Rules had no objections to the rules that will be used to implement the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program.
That means the medical marijuana program in Illinois can officially be put to use, and the process to begin registering patients, dispensers and growers can begin.
* But there’s a catch. More than one, actually. Oh, well There’s always a catch in Illinois…
State regulators must choose which businesses will get licenses to grow and sell pot, and must set up a laboratory and procedures to test the drug for safety. And then there’s the matter of figuring out how to start growing a crop that has been illegal for decades.
Bryan Willmer, an owner of Grand Prairie Farms in Frankfort who hopes to open a dispensary and cultivation centers in Will, Kankakee and Champaign counties, said entrepreneurs are hoping state officials will specify how to get seeds.
“I guess they should fall from the sky,” he joked.
State officials said Tuesday they will try to clarify that issue. In addition, the Illinois Department of Agriculture is converting one of its labs into a testing center, where pot can be checked for potency, mold and pesticides so consumers know what they are getting, said Bob Morgan, coordinator of the state program.
But first — hopefully within 30 days, he said — regulators will draw up criteria that will be used to score business applications to decide who will be awarded licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana. The state intends to approve up to 21 cultivation centers and 60 retail stores spread around Illinois, based on issues like security, patient education and expertise in growing crops, Morgan said.
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Caption contest!
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Ron Sandack physically illustrates a story to Rep. Fred Crespo during a recess at today’s Legislative Audit Commission hearing…
It was all in fun, of course. But the gloves did figuratively come off this morning.
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Blagojevich lawyers file new appeal claim
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
Jurors convicted the Democrat on multiple corruption counts, including that he tried to swap an appointment to President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat for campaign money or a job.
Wednesday’s two-page filing with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refers to an April Supreme Court decision striking down laws that restrict aggregate limits on campaign contributions.
Defense lawyers say that ruling also indicated the solicitation of contributions was corruption only when a politician gave a clear promise to take some official action in exchange for the donation. They say Blagojevich never made such promises.
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* The Sun-Times noticed that when Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka appeared with Gov. Pat Quinn at a bill signing ceremony, she whispered something about her son to the governor. Her mic was hot, though, and it picked up part of their conversation…
Topinka: “…get my son to SIU? He loves to teach.”
Quinn: “Oh really?”
Topinka: “Yeah. He’s got the qualifications too.”
Quinn: “I know him, too.”
Topinka: “SIU. SIU. SIU.”
Topinka then slaps Quinn on the shoulder with a broad smile.
* The video…
The governor’s spokesperson said Quinn “couldn’t make out what she was talking about.” It was “loud” the spokesperson said. Um, no, it wasn’t loud. Listen to the video.
* JBT’s spokesperson…
Topinka’s office said the comptroller is looking to have her son “closer to home.”
“The comptroller recalls mentioning that her son just completed 20 years of service in the military, that he has multiple degrees, including his J.D., and is interested in returning to Illinois, preferably Southern Illinois,” said spokesman Brad Hahn. “It was no different than a million other conversations she’s had about her son in the last few months. Like any mom and grandma, she would like to have her family closer to home.”
I called Hahn myself. I asked him over and over whether Topinka had asked the governor to help her son get a job at SIU. He gave the same response about how Topinka “recalls mentioning” blah, bah, blah.
Finally, I asked him if Topinka also recalled asking the governor about helping her son get a job. “Not specifically,” I was told.
Yeah. OK.
* Look, I’ve known JBT for decades. She loves her son. She’s incredibly proud of him. She talks about him all the time. And she’d do just about anything to have him closer to her.
*** UPDATE *** Topinka’s Brad Hahn just called back. Here are three direct quotes…
She talked about wanting to get her son back to Illinois.
She was not asking for a job.
She did not ask him for a job.
I’ve known Brad forever. He’s always been straight with me, so it’s weird that he was so evasive before. All he had to do was tell the Sun-Times and myself what he said in our second conversation and it’s end of story.
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Top ten donors to Rauner and Quinn
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Reboot took a look at the top ten contributors to Bruce Rauner and Gov. Pat Quinn…
While most of Rauner’s biggest contributions come from individuals, nine of Quinn’s 10 biggest donations come from organizations such as unions and political action committees.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Rauner raised more money during the second quarter period, but Quinn did spend as much, and so had more money available as of June 30.
To create an apples-to-apples comparison, these rankings are for donations made to both candidates after March 5, 2013, when Rauner first began collecting donations for his Republican primary race. Quinn has campaign donations on record dating back more than 20 years, but those are from earlier races.
The state’s campaign donation limits don’t apply in the governor’s race because Rauner in November crossed the $250,000 mark for self-funding. State law limits campaign donations to $5,300 from individuals; $10,500 from corporations, unions or associations, and $52,600 from a candidate political committee or political action committee. But those limits don’t apply if one of the candidates in a race provides $250,000 of his or her own money.
* The lists…
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Campaign TV ad buyers love crime shows
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From NBC Chicago…
There’s a reason why your primetime “Law & Order: SVU” binges are being interrupted with an increasing number of negative political commercials.
As it happens, politicians’ campaigns and the special interests that back them are intentionally programming their gloomiest, most attack-y ads during gritty procedural crime dramas that air in primetime, according to new research from The Cook Political Report’s Elizabeth Wilner.
Almost 77 percent of political spots that aired during police, mystery and suspense series were negative in tone, followed by 71 percent of entertainment magazine programs.
Political media buyers know that “if you are watching between the hours of 7 and 11, you already are tuning in for some sort of violence or character assassination,” Wilner told USA Today in an interview, adding: “You are primed … for drama anyway.”
* From the Cook Political Report story…
- Early morning (5am-8:59am) is by far the most popular “daypart”—i.e., time of day—for airing political ads overall, accounting for 24% of all spot occurrences covered in the study. A gap of 8,000 spots separates early morning (34,576) from the next most preferred daypart, daytime (9am-3:59pm; 26,608).
- Local news remains by far the preferred programming genre for airing political ads overall, claiming 43% of all spots included in the study and seeing nearly three times as many spots as the next most preferred genre, talk shows (61,039 to 21,054).
- Crime shows, followed by entertainment magazine shows, see the highest shares of negative ads out of all spots aired within those genres (76.5% and 70.7%, respectively).
The study was conducted of general election advertising in key Senate, House and governor races rated as “toss-up” by the Cook Political Report as of July 14.
Per Harley’s dataviz, 70.5% of all spot occurrences—or individual airings of TV ads—during primetime programming (8pm-10:59pm) were either totally negative or contrast, followed by prime access (7-7:59pm) at 68.1%. By comparison, 65.1% of all spot occurrences during early morning programming and 63.4% of spots airing during late fringe (11:30pm-4:59am) were negative or contrast.
* Local news shows have always been a desired political advertising vehicle and some DC TV outlets accommodated campaigns in 2012. From the Washington Post…
Faced with an unprecedented flood of commercials for candidates and causes, Washington’s TV stations have had to get creative to fit them all in. Some are trimming their regular programming to squeeze in a few more ads, and some are adding more news at other hours.
WTTG (Channel 5), the District’s Fox affiliate, for example, began bumping daily reruns of “The Simpsons” on Monday to add an extra half-hour to its 6 p.m. newscast. The expanded “News Edge” program will focus on political news — the kind of programming political advertisers demand most.
WJLA (Channel 7), the area’s ABC affiliate, has temporarily added two weekend newscasts to its schedule for the same reason. On Saturday, the station preempted network programming and aired a two-hour movie in prime time in order to create more local ad slots. The station has occasionally shaved time from some of its weekday programming to accommodate an extra political ad or two, said Bill Lord, WJLA’s general manager.
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* From the union-backed Illinois Freedom PAC…
*** UPDATE *** I’m told that the buy is about a million dollars over three weeks. It’s tough to get a handle on the number of ratings points though since an independent expenditure like this doesn’t get a candidate discount. Either way, it’s a fairly strong buy, so it’s on.
* Script…
Should billionaires like Bruce Rauner get to play by a different set of rules?
In 2012, Rauner made 53 million dollars, but paid a lower tax rate than many of us.
And Rauner used a loophole to pay zero, nothing into Social Security and Medicare for two straight years.
Now Rauner says he’s open to taxing our Social Security and retirement income…making it harder for Illinois families to get by.
Bruce Rauner pays less but wants us to pay more?
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Rauner has already responded via a fundraising e-mail…
Today Pat Quinn and Mike Madigan’s special interest allies launched a new round of negative ads against us.
I’m not surprised the machine is fighting back. Are you?
These folks will say anything to protect Pat Quinn and his broken promises. They want you to forget Quinn’s promises to create jobs (we lead the Midwest in job losses), avoid raising taxes on the middle class (Quinn now supports a permanent 67% tax hike on all Illinoisans), invest in our schools (Quinn cut education spending $500 million), pass term limits (opposes our term limits proposal), and clean up state government after Blago (Quinn’s administration is now under federal investigation).
Will you help me fight back TODAY with an urgent contribution of $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50, or $25?
Pat Quinn announced yesterday he has $12 million sitting in his campaign account - fueled by the Democrat Governors Association and his special interest allies.
Now today, the same group that spent millions unsuccessfully trying to defeat us in the primary is up with a new attack ad.
Make no mistake: Quinn-Madigan are playing for keeps. They will pull out all the stops because they know we will end the machine that has run Illinois into the ground.
Can you contribute now? Any amount helps, $100, $50, $25, $10, even $5. Every penny will be used to counterattack this latest offensive.
Illinois is run by lobbyists, for special interests, and the career politicians in charge let it happen. We can end all that – can you help take on the machine today with a contribution?
Thank you for all you’re doing. I’ll keep fighting to shake up the system – please fight with me.
Bruce Rauner
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A serious allegation against the Tribune
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Sunday’s Tribune story “Clout for Teachers”…
Michael Jacoby, executive director of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, is critical of narrowly drawn bills. “I don’t think it’s good public policy to run bills to support one person’s issue,” he said.
* As I told you Monday, there are serious questions about pretty much all of that Tribune story. Jacoby was the only Illinois “critic” quoted in the story, and I’d heard through the grapevine that he may have been quoted out of context, so I reached out to him.
The above line in the Tribune story referenced a bill pushed by Rep. Tom Cross…
Cross earlier pushed legislation to help a donor, Karl Karantonis, of Naperville, who wanted a license to be a chief school business official. ISBE said Karantonis didn’t qualify because he had a master’s of public administration rather than the required master’s in business administration, finance or accounting.
But a bill filed in February 2011 inserted language so that someone with a master’s degree in public administration could qualify. Former state Rep. Ron Stephens, a lawmaker on Cross’ leadership team, said he filed the measure after Cross talked to him about Karantonis.
As we’ve already discussed, Karantonis was hardly a major donor. And the bill was actually a darned good idea.
* It turns out that IASBO’s Jacoby agrees with me, and he says he told that to the Tribune. Here’s what he texted me yesterday…
After the quote I also said, but if the issue has legitimate impact on a larger group of people, then it is justified.
In fact, we supported the addition of an MPA degree to the CSBO endorsement because it would open the door to other highly qualified candidates.
Oy.
Look, I’ve made more than my share of mistakes. But in all my years, I have never once hacked somebody’s quote like that to make it fit into my own personal perspective. I wouldn’t be in business very long if word got around that I couldn’t be trusted. Campaigns, on the other hand, do that all the time. But reporters are supposed to call out people who pull this sort of crud, not engage in it themselves.
There were so many easily documented problems with Sunday’s story to begin with. But now, we have a quoted source claiming that evidence was essentially fabricated.
“Civilians” were dragged through the mud by the largest newspaper in the state for simply pointing out some very real problems with current state laws. And now it turns out that the only quoted “critic” says he isn’t actually a critic.
Something needs to be done about this.
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* Illinois Public Radio…
Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration has released thousands of emails to a panel of lawmakers investigating his troubled anti-violence program.
Senate Republican spokeswoman Patty Schuh says members of the Legislative Audit Commission received an estimated 2,000 emails linked to the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative on Friday and are currently reviewing their contents.
Schuh says the emails came at the request of the bipartisan commission. They’re expected to be discussed during hearings about the $54.5 million program scheduled Wednesday and Thursday in Chicago.
The commission is also expected to discuss a federal request to suspend interviews of those connected to the program for 90 days.
* Tribune…
It’s unclear if any of the seven aides who have been subpoenaed will actually testify today, or if they do, whether they will take the fifth. They include Barbara Shaw, former head of the anti-violence program; Jack Lavin, Quinn’s former chief of staff; Toni Irving, former deputy chief of staff; Malcom Weems, former head of the Department of Central Management Services; Billy Ocasio, a former senior advisor; Warren Ribley, former head of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; and Andrew Ross, Quinn’s former chief operating officer.
* Our good friends at BlueRoomStream.com will be broadcasting the hearing live. Click here to watch. I’ll also put together a ScribbleLive feed around the 10 o’clock start time.
*** UPDATE *** As promised…
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* 4:26 pm: US Attorney James Lewis sent a letter to the co-chairmen of the Legislative Audit Commission today asking again that the Commission delay testimony of subpoenaed Quinn administration officials. Read it here.
As you may recall, Republicans and the Chicago Tribune have wondered aloud why the legislative liaison branch of the US Department of Justice asked for the delay of hearings on the anti-violence program instead of the US Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, who is actually handling the case. The letter makes it clear that the US Attorney himself asked the DoJ to make the initial request…
The Assistant Attorney General made that request to the Commission on behalf of the Department of Justice and our office because we are conducting an ongoing criminal investigation as to conduct associated with NRI. We asked [the Office of Legislative Affairs] to make that request because we are genuinely concerned that interviews and testimony about the matter during this 90-day time period would pose several substantial risks to our ongoing investigation.
More…
We recognize and appreciate the importance of the Commission’s work. For that reason, we have asked only for the deference that we believe is necessary to avoid interference with our investigation. As you know, we have not asked the Commission to defer its collection or disclosure of documents or records as to NRI.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
* 4:54 pm - The Republicans on the Commission are preparing a joint response. Stay tuned.
* 5:17 pm - The GOP response…
Late this afternoon, the Legislative Audit Commission received a request from James A. Lewis, United States Attorney, Central District of Illinois, to defer conducting interviews or receiving testimony from individuals in connection with the State of Illinois’ Neighborhood Recovery Initiative for 90 days.
The request came because the office is “conducting an ongoing criminal investigation,” according to Lewis.
The bipartisan, bicameral Legislative Audit Commission will consider the U.S. Attorney and Department of Justice request at the public hearing scheduled for 10am Wednesday and 9am Thursday, if necessary, at the Michael J. Bilandic Building, Room 600, Chicago.
The Legislative Audit Commission will convene as planned. All witnesses – including those subpoenaed — are expected to attend as scheduled.
Sen. Jason Barickman, Co-Chair
Rep. David Reis
Sen. Bill Brady
Rep. Ron Sandack
Sen. Jim Oberweis
Rep. Rich Brauer
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* AP…
Republican Bruce Rauner says he raised about $8 million in the second quarter and has about $3.5 million on hand for his bid for Illinois governor.
The Winnetka businessman’s campaign released fundraising totals Tuesday for the three-month period that ended June 30.
Rauner also claims to have received more than 8,500 contributions in the quarter. Gov. Quinn was vastly outraised, but he has lots more cash on hand.
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* From Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle…
“I have decided to rule out a run for Mayor of Chicago in 2015 because I made a commitment to reform Cook County’s criminal justice system, transform our healthcare system, and ensure the viability of our pension system. We are making progress, but we still have work to do. I’m proud that we have balanced the budget every year while cutting the sales tax, holding the line on property taxes, and cutting a billion dollars of fat out of our budget. I am equally proud that our economic development initiatives have helped position our region to create new jobs in the near future. I promised to clean up Cook county government and we are changing the culture of how we do business. In many instances we have vastly improved the delivery of services to county residents, but we have a lot of unfinished business that I intend to address wholeheartedly. I am passionate about making Cook County a more fair and efficient place to live and work. I appreciate all of those who have expressed confidence in me by urging me to run for Mayor, and I hope you will continue to support me going forward.”.
One of her campaign aides has been stirring this pot for months, even to the point of leaking this false info today…
Preckwinkle is to release a statement revealing she is heartbroken over the decision today.
But she’s been saying publicly over and over for just as long that she isn’t running. So it’s really no surprise, despite that Sun-Times poll showing her beating Rahm Emanuel like a rented mule.
* Meanwhile…
Karen Lewis’ potential bid for Chicago Mayor has moved beyond just a thought — it’s an “organic,” growing movement, the fiery Chicago Teachers Union president said.
Lewis revealed on Monday she already has an unofficial exploratory committee in the works, a chairperson has been named and her camp is working to have a representative in each of the city’s 77 neighborhoods.
Since an Early & Often poll released Sunday put Lewis at a 9-percentage-point advantage over Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Lewis’ phone has been ringing non-stop, she said.
“They’ve been coming from all over the country,” Lewis said in an interview Monday. “Facebook is blowing up. Twitter is blowing up.”
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of an “unofficial exploratory committee” before.
If she does run, I may have to move back to Chicago just for the theatrical aspect. For a profanity-laced take on it, click here.
*** UPDATE *** Mayor Emanuel…
“Toni Preckwinkle has been a strong partner in tackling many of the challenges facing Chicago neighborhoods, and an outspoken voice for criminal justice and pension reform. The unprecedented cooperation between the City and County has produced more than $65 million in taxpayer savings, a reformed workforce board that’s finding jobs for more Chicagoans, and expanded partnership to expand minority and women-owned businesses. I agree that we have more work to do together on these and other issues so that we can find ways to improve Chicago and Cook County for everybody.”
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The cost of corruption
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A new study on public corruption and state spending started out with five hypotheses…
Hypothesis 1: All other things being equal, states with higher levels of public officials’ corruption are likely to have larger total expenditures.
Hypothesis 2: All other things being equal, states with higher levels of public officials’ corruption are likely to spend more on items that may provide a larger rent to corrupt officials, such as capital, construction, and highways
Hypothesis 3: All other things being equal, states with higher levels of public officials’ corruption are likely to spend more on items that may provide larger benefits to corrupt officials. This predicts that debt financing and expenditures on total wages and salaries will become larger in a more corrupt state.
Hypothesis 4: All other things being equal, states with higher levels of public officials’ corruption are likely to spend less on items that provide fewer opportunities for corrupt officials to collect bribes, such as education, welfare, health, and hospitals.
I’d quibble with some of that, particularly that last part. Rod Blagojevich tried to shake down a children’s hospital for a huge campaign contribution, for example.
* But it played out pretty well for the researchers in the end. As the Times of Indiana reports…
Spending comparisons between highly corrupt Illinois and Indiana, which placed in the middle tier of corrupt states, seem to bear out the researchers’ conclusions.
In 2013, Illinois spent $932.47 per person more than Indiana, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. At the same time, Indiana spent more than twice as much from its general fund on education than Illinois.
Illinois lawmakers this year approved a $1.1 billion “mini” capital spending program for road and bridge construction throughout the state. It follows a $31 billion construction spending plan approved in 2009.
Meanwhile, Hoosier legislators have resisted borrowing money to fund state construction programs and this year paid cash for new university buildings and some road projects.
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The city that makes it hard to work
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Agreed…
Chicago needs entrepreneurs. But too often, the city slows them down or chases them out of town.
The “City that Works” doesn’t work for startups. A simple process is necessary so that startups in Chicago can get off the ground and start working, hiring and paying taxes. One good place to start is to make Chicago a 24-hour city.
This idea arrived in America after Phoenix city councilmen observed the startup licensing process in Hong Kong. A Hong Kong entrepreneur can walk into a government office in the morning and walk out with a business permit in the same day.
So the Phoenix City Council set the goal of getting businesses through permitting in one day. Phoenix privatized the process to speed it up, allowed businesses to “self-certify” and is now allowing online permitting so that businesses can get licensed in less than 24 hours.
Chicago, more than anywhere else in the country, needs this type of regulatory innovation
* Let’s just think about one thing: Awnings. If you want to put up an awning in front of your store, you have to fill out a five-page application, submit it to your alderman for approval, then submit it to the city inspector, and then send it to the city council…
Each application for use of the public way requires approval by the City Council. Once the application is approved by the alderman of the ward in which the proposed public way use id located and submitted to BACP, it is prepared for City Council passage. The application is then referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Once approved by the Committee, the application is referred back to the City Council for passage by the Council. Where the aldermanic approval signature is not received by BACP within 60 days after applicant submission, and there is no applicant-sponsored ordinance as described in paragraph 3 above, then, provided the application is complete and accurate and the applicant is not in violation of any pertinent provision of the Municipal Code and has submitted the necessary Building Permit application(s) to install the sign, canopy, awning, banner or marquee and has been approved by all related inspecting departments, the application shall upon the 61st day be deemed approved by BACP and processed for submission to the City Council as a Mayoral introduction.
Then you pay a $400 city fee and have to buy insurance - a million dollars worth of liability insurance…
The Certificate of Insurance is evidencing no less than $1,000,000.00, combined single limit, with said insurance covering all liability, both public liability and property damage that may result from the granting of said privilege. Please ensure that the insurance liability is no less than $1,000,000.00.
The city estimates that it can take up to three months to navigate this process.
For an awning.
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Not good enough
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Chicago Tribune editorialized on the secrecy surrounding denials of concealed carry permits...
So far, the state has handed out 62,258 permits, denying some 1,620 for not following the rules or failing to meet some requirement. The Tribune’s Kim Geiger and Dahleen Glanton reported that local authorities have opposed some 2,400 applications (more than half of the objections coming from Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart), and 809 individuals have been rejected. Overall, Illinois has not been stingy with licenses.
But some of those who were turned down say they don’t know why — and can’t find out. One is Michael Thomas, of Chicago, a former Air Force reservist who was honorably discharged. “I have never been arrested or convicted for any offense, either misdemeanor or felony, in the state of Illinois or any other state,” he said in a letter to the Illinois State Police. But neither the state police nor the board will tell him why he was refused.
So the National Rifle Association is suing the state on behalf of 194 rejected applicants. It argues that the opaque process denies them due process, because they are not informed of the basis for the decision or given the chance to challenge it.
We don’t often say this, but the NRA has a point. We supported giving the state some discretion in handing out permits to carry loaded guns in public. Local law enforcement officers often know of risks (such as gang associations) posed by particular people who have not been convicted of crimes. Common sense argues for erring on the side of keeping firearms away from anyone who poses a discernible danger.
* As did the SJ-R…
But the law also allows the agency to object to an application even after those requirements have been met. The Concealed Carry Licensing Review Board, made up of people with federal, state and local law enforcement backgrounds, reviews the agency’s objections in private, and the state police says the board doesn’t have to explain its reasons unless ordered to do so by a court.
* So, the coppers have come up with some new rules…
Under the new rules, persons denied a concealed carry license will learn the reason, and be told what law enforcement agency made that determination. They then have to hurry to find evidence that proves they’re not a danger to themselves or others or a threat to public safety — they get ten days to make their case to the board.
It’s not clear, though, if the new rules will satisfy gun rights’ groups demands for due process, or what it will mean for the ongoing litigation.
The new rules are here. They’re inadequate. Giving applicants just ten days to respond and keeping all hearings closed to the public just aren’t good ideas.
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* From a press release…
As Governor Quinn heads into the final fundraising quarter of his campaign for re-election, he’ll do so with more than $12 million on hand. Quinn for Illinois today released their latest fundraising numbers, raising more than $3.7 million in the second quarter alone.
The Governor’s campaign had 1,357 donors in the second quarter, with 68% of them contributing $100 or less. Additional contributions since July 1 when the fundraising quarter ended have brought the total to more than $12 million on hand.
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Medical pot company bulks up
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A very interesting move…
The U.S. Senate’s former top cop is moving from guarding the U.S. Capitol to protecting pot.
Terry Gainer, who retired from the U.S. Senate in May as one of its longest serving sergeant at arms, has been hired as a security consultant for a Chicago-based start-up seeking to launch medical marijuana growing facilities in Illinois.
Green Thumb Industries, founded by Chicagoan Ben Kovler, is among a number of companies trying to position themselves as possible growers or distributors in the state’s budding medical pot business.
“GTI is wholly committed to ensuring our facilities are safe. Chief Gainer brings almost half a century of experience in law enforcement at the municipal, state and federal levels to our team,” Kovler said in a statement obtained by the Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises.
* And check this out…
The company also has hired Mike McClain as its lobbyist in Springfield. McClain is a close ally of House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago.
That would be the same guy we’ve named our annual insider award for.
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Not there yet
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governor’s office has sent me this press release three times since yesterday…
Governor Quinn Announces State’s Backlog of Bills Falls to $3.9 Billion
Lowest Point Since Governor Quinn Took Office; Strict Spending Brings Backlog Down from High of $9.9 Billion in 2010
CHICAGO - Governor Quinn today announced that the state’s backlog of bills has fallen from a high of $9.9 billion in 2010 down to $3.9 billion as of June 30, the lowest point since the Governor took office. Five years ago, Illinois was home to the worst pension crisis in America and the state’s backlog of bills was on its way to more than $9 billion. Since taking office, Governor Quinn has made tough decisions, enacted major structural reforms and cut state spending by more than $5.7 billion.
“Making the tough decisions has moved Illinois forward,” Governor Quinn said. “Today Illinois is in a stronger financial position than we were five years ago and we have more work to do to continue moving our finances in the right direction.”
The backlog of bills is now closer to the typical private industry 30-day billing standard – about $2.2 billion in Illinois’ case – and is a direct result of the Governor’s willingness to make the tough decisions including overhauling the Medicaid program, reforming worker’s compensation and unemployment insurance systems and implementing major efficiencies such as closing and consolidating more than 50 state facilities.
I agree that this is good news, but the state is still $1.7 billion away from its 30-day billing goal.
Also this…
But that income tax increase? It’s set to expire in January, halfway through this new fiscal year.
Democrats involved with crafting the budget have said they expect that’ll bump up the bill backlog again.
Illinois’ Comptroller, Republican Judy Baar Topinka, was unavailable for comment. But she recently said Illinois’ finances are “still a mess” and that she supports keeping the tax rate higher, and phasing it out over time.
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Not quite so egregious
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the DGA…
You’d think Republican Bruce Rauner would have this one down by now. After all, he already has had to face questions about outrageous neglect, abuse and deaths at nursing homes he owned. But there he was Monday, dodging accountability for actions related to a deadly chain of events at long-term care homes that he owned for people with disabilities.
When presented with the opportunity to be accountable for how he ran this business, he chose to blame his hand-picked managers. And when given the opportunity to be responsive to personal tragedies that occurred in his company, his conclusion was cold and calculating. Rauner said that this was simply a “bad investment.”
Oh, he may have tried to say the right things, claiming that “His heart went out” to the families of residents who were left to drown; children who died after being attacked by other residents; and mentally disabled people who were sexually assaulted by his employees. But once again, he takes no responsibility and he didn’t have anything to do with it, “They” did. The problem is, that “they” were his handpicked management team.
Watch the video from the Chicago Tribune, with complete transcript:
“It’s a failure, it’s tragic, it’s very upsetting and I feel horrible about it, The reality is the management team at that particular company that we invested in failed to serve the residents in a quality way. They failed the residents, they failed the staff, they failed the investors in the company.”
“All I could say is I wish we were perfect, I wish we always picked the right management team that always did the right thing and accomplished the right results…That management team failed. It was a bad investment for us.”
“We’re not perfect. What we are proud of is our track record. We’ve generally backed great management teams, we’ve invested in companies that did the right thing, got great results.”
Here’s the bottom line - when answering questions about a horrific streak of abuses that led to deaths, Rauner worries out loud about the poor investors rather the quality of care for the vulnerable. Rauner’s business model and profit-driven values may allow for this type of financial calculation at the expense of others, but Illinois shouldn’t.
* OK, that wasn’t a “complete transcript.” The DGA conveniently left off the beginning of Rauner’s comments…
“It’s a tragic situation, what’s occurred with some of the residents that were served by that company. My heart goes out to the families impacted.”
* Paul Vallas’ quote was better…
“Mr. Rauner is in the business of creating profit by squeezing companies by cutting expenses so he can sell those companies at a higher cost,” Vallas said. “Now that might be okay if you’re talking about shopping malls or maybe construction companies…but is it okay when you’re talking about nursing homes?”
And…
“This is the latest on a series of revelations about problems that he’s had with businesses and businesses that he’s invested in,” Vallas said of Rauner. “Either you’re a successful man who takes responsibilities or you’re a successful profiteer who ignores responsibilities.”
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Trib uncovers more problems with Quinn program
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Tribune takes a look at Healthcare Consortium of Illinois, which is based in Thornton Township, a major Democratic area…
Healthcare Consortium, in documents it sent state auditors, accused three of eight other nonprofits of misspending some of that [$1.2 million in state cash], and state auditors in turn questioned $125,000 that Healthcare Consortium itself spent to administer the program.
None of that counts several questionable expenses found by the Tribune. Those range from payments linked to a Dolton cop who records indicate accepted grant money to mentor kids at the time he was assigned to patrol the town, to a nonprofit’s executives buying scores of self-help management books, including one identifying “perfect phrases” for saying a program was successful.
The details are brutal. Make sure to go read the whole thing.
* The Rauner campaign and the state GOP are highlighting one aspect of the story, however. From a state party press release…
Former NRI Grant Adviser: “It was to drive, to get the vote out”
Bishop Lance Davis, Former Advisory Board Member to NRI Grant Distributor, Tells Chicago Tribune: “I believe, after the timing of it all, that absolutely, that it was to drive, to get the vote out.” (Chicago Tribune, 7/15/14)
Davis: “I don’t know what [NRI] was designed to do, myself. I thought it was to get kids, to change their mindset and their behavior, and to get them off of the street, and to set them onto something other than jail or nefarious activities, but I had no idea it was something that was more, you know — I won’t say sinister — but it’s certainly political.” (Chicago Tribune, 7/15/14)
* Bishop Davis cut a radio ad last year opposing the gay marriage bill and helped lead the opposition…
“We want to make sure that we a send a message to our elected officials that as a collective community and a collaborative, we will not allow you to speak in our churches, you will not be invited to our church when you’re running for office because we as a community are incensed,” said Bishop Lance Davis, senior pastor at a church in Dolton, who’s part of the group.
Quinn signed the gay marriage bill, so he’s obviously not welcome in Davis’ church.
* Davis also has ties to FreedomWorks, a very conservative national organization. From a report filed last month…
Despite the fact that the vast majority of black voters are Democrats and support President Obama, there’s a growing anti-establishment, anti-Democrat and anti-Obama trend that’s percolating in the black community.
Black urban communities, such as Chicago, are plagued with high unemployment, failing public schools, and crime. Since liberal policies have failed to help the black community, some blacks are questioning the political establishment and are seeking fresh alternatives to reverse the downward social and economic spiral.
Recognizing the growing dissatisfaction with politics as usual Empower.org, a FreedomWorks outreach program dedicated to help black Americans achieve their personal potential through education, financial literacy, and developing marketable skills, planned an event in Chicago.
On Father’s Day weekend, FreedomWorks and the community of The New Zion Covenant Church on the South Side of Chicago hosted the first Empower.org town hall for a candid discussion about the problems plaguing the community and new ways to empower the local citizens towards real progress.
At the event, I had the pleasure of moderating the panel of black leaders: FreedomWorks Senior Fellow and former NAACP chapter president, Rev. CL Bryant; Senior Pastor at New Zion Covenant Church, Bishop Lance Davis; Congressional Candidate in IL-02, Dr. Eric Wallace; Director of African American Male Resource Center at Chicago State University, Kwesi Ronald E. Harris, and Professor David Johnson.
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Frerichs to tout new IEA endorsement
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
This week, members of the Illinois Education Association, the state’s largest education employee union with over 130,000 members across Illinois will join Sen. Mike Frerichs (D-Champaign) at four stops throughout Illinois and announce their endorsement of Frerichs for state Treasurer. […]
IEA President Cinda Klickna said, “As state senator, Mike Frerichs has been a strong and consistent proponent for eliminating the significant and unfair disparities in state funding for school districts. We are excited about his candidacy and look forward to working with him as Treasurer.”
* The Ilinois GOP responds…
“Tax Hike Mike” Frerichs is touring the state this week to tout a recent endorsement. But like Gov. Quinn, his failures and broken promises on education don’t stand up to scrutiny.
Three questions for “Tax Hike Mike”:
Frerichs says school funding in Illinois is “horribly unfair” and where you were born determines the quality of education (WGN-AM, 7/13/14). So why did Frerichs (D-Champaign) vote for $35 million in pork spending for a new school in Speaker Mike Madigan’s district, while taxpayers in downstate school districts face property tax hikes to build their schools?
During Frerichs’ tenure in the senate, education funding has been cut, teachers have been laid off, and class sizes have gotten bigger. That’s despite a massive 67 percent income tax hike – supported by Frerichs and signed by Gov. Quinn, and a 23% increase in state revenue over Frerichs’ tenure. Why did Sen. Frerichs prioritize tax hikes over education funding?
Frerichs is the Chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee and claims to have “worked to reduce the costs and barriers of attending college in Illinois.” But tuition at the University of Illinois has risen 40 percent during Frerichs’ tenure, and Illinois ranks 46th in public higher education affordability. As Chairman of the Higher Education Committee, can Senator Frerichs explain why tuition has increased while state support has decreased?
“Both Frerichs and Gov. Quinn promised to make education a priority, but both broke that promise with funding cuts and a failure to support teachers, students, and families alike,” said Tim Schneider, Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. “We’ve tried the Quinn/Frerichs plan, and we’ve seen the results for Illinois. It’s time for a new direction.”
* In other news…
Democratic state treasurer candidate Mike Frerichs says he thinks lawmakers should “go back to the drawing board” and start over on changes to public employee pension benefits following a recent Illinois Supreme Court ruling.
Frerichs, a state senator from Champaign, said the court’s 6-1 ruling this month saying state-subsidized health care benefits were guaranteed under the pension protection clause of the Illinois Constitution made it highly likely that justices would find unconstitutional a law approved by lawmakers and signed by Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in December.
“I think in their opinion on health care, they made it fairly clear what their opinion on the state constitution is and how they’re going to rule on it,” Frerichs said Sunday about the public employee pension law on the “Sunday Spin” radio program on WGN 720-AM.
“We’ll wait and see what the Supreme Court rules, but I think it’s good to have a backup in place and to start working (on a backup plan) because I think it’s pretty clear we’re going to have to do that,” Frerichs said. “I think it’s probably time to go back to the drawing board.”
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I get letters
Monday, Jul 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a reader…
Considering that I depend on you being the most reliable and dependable source for anything political in Illinois, I seldom have reason to criticize your blog ( often I find the comments as interesting and telling as the article itself ), however, I must comment on an omission.
Southern Illinois has lost two giants in the past days - Al “The Pal” Dixon and Ken “Pass the Pork” Gray. I’m 65 years old and knew both men, albeit not as well as the late Paul Simon ( he and my parents grew up together ). I believe I remember seeing mention of Dixon’s death and some tributes, but have seen nothing yet about Ken Gray. Love him or hate him he was a unique, genuine, flamboyant and passionate individual who did much for his constituents and his district. I’m certain that many will have pointed and interesting comments about his years in congress and his contribution to my part of the State.
Thank you.
Discuss.
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Today’s number: $750,000
Monday, Jul 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rick Pearson…
Rauner’s camp reported receiving $853,450 in donations of $1,000 or more from July 3 to July 9 from 126 contributors, the reports showed, with the largest a $250,000 check from the Illinois Manufacturers Association. Rauner also got $100,000 from Tom Siebel, chairman and CEO of C3 Energy, based in Redwood City, Calif., the reports showed. […]
The newly filed campaign reports also showed Rauner’s campaign donated $750,000 to the Illinois Republican Party. It’s the largest ever donation the party received from a single candidate, though it has received larger donations from political action committees.
Rauner has raised a total of $25.2 million since kicking off his campaign last year.
…Adding… RollCall…
llinois Rep. Rodney Davis raised more than $550,000 in the second quarter, according to numbers provided first to CQ Roll Call.
The freshman Republican’s three-month haul brought his cash on hand total to $1.3 million as of June 30. […]
[Democratic opponent Ann Callis] has yet to release her second-quarter numbers, which cover fundraising from April 1 to June 30 and are due to the Federal Election Commission by July 15. As of March 31, Callis had $514,000 in the bank.
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Question of the day
Monday, Jul 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* David Hammond…
Over 10 years ago, I debated with left-leaning friends about the ethics of purchasing products from Oberweis Dairy, a company owned by a family whose political opinions some of us considered unacceptable. At that time, an Oberweis was running for Senate.
I’ve always liked Oberweis products and my feeling remains that if the food is good, I’m going to shop there.
I’m not saying that I’d drink at the Herman Goering Brewery and Bath House, but generally considered, if you start taking into account all kinds of disagreeable personal issues related to store owners, then you might not shop anywhere ever again. Still, there are limits.
Hobby Lobby is now in the news as a result of the SCOTUS ruling that allows them to avoid covering certain kinds of contraceptives for their employees. This ruling raises important questions about the limits of an employer’s power over employee lives, reproductive rights, separation of church-state, and other big issues. I do believe, along with dissenting Justice Ginsburg, that the court is “stepping into a minefield” with this ruling. I mean, where does it end? Will I patronize Hobby Lobby? Well, I never have and I don’t even know where their nearest store is located, so I guess I’ll confront that issue in the unlikely event I ever have to buy something at that store.
He then goes on to write that he would likely boycott Walgreen’s (a former client of his) if the company moves to Switzerland to avoid US taxation.
* The Question: Other than for personal service-based reasons, have you ever boycotted a corporation? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey solutions
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Today’s quotables
Monday, Jul 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bruce Rauner was in Peru the other day and gave a brief interview to a local reporter, who asked…
Are you going to release a more detailed budget?
His response…
“We shouldn’t get hung up too much on any one tax rate … or any one year’s budget,” Rauner said.
He said his goal was to reduce income tax to 3 percent, and that more plan outlines would be released soon.
* Meanwhile, freshman Congressman Bill Enyart talked to the Post-Dispatch…
His proudest moment? When he was the single “no” vote on a measure that would allow chaplains to go on military bases during the government shutdown last fall, but without pay.
Enyart thought it a symbolic vote to avoid images of chaplains being turned away from military bases or being arrested trying to enter them during the shutdown. Democratic leaders pleaded with him to change his vote. He felt the chaplains should have been paid, their offices opened and heated, even if the federal government was shut down. “If you are going to pass a piece of legislation, then let’s pass a piece of legislation that means something,” he said.
“My phones blew up,” Enyart said, with callers telling him, “you are voting against chaplains, you are against God.”
“I know better than anybody else in this Congress what chaplains do,” he thought at the time, having commanded 37 in the Illinois Guard. “And by God, you people are not helping them. That vote, more than anything else, expressed my frustration.”
From the NRCC…
Over the weekend, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran an article where Congressman Bill Enyart discussed his proudest moment since being elected in 2012. What was it? Being the only NO vote on a measure that would have allowed military chaplains to do their jobs during the government shutdown last year.
Yes, you read that right. The freshman Congressman is defying all logic and highlighting one of the worst and most embarrassing votes he has taken in the last year and a half. While every other member voting that day supported the measure, Enyart was the only politician to vote NO.
So folks as wide ranging from Jan Schakowsky to Michele Bachmann all realized this was a good piece of legislation, but Bill Enyart was the only one to vote NO showing what a partisan politician he has become in Washington.
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Rutherford’s huge internship program
Monday, Jul 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford’s office has offered an expansive college internship program during his tenure, giving more than 100 students tens of thousands of dollars in summer pay — and a plum for their resumes.
But the path to those jobs is often layered in clout, according to a Chicago Sun-Times review of the office’s program.
Documents obtained by the Sun-Times show the treasurer’s office maintained a list of applicants, alongside a notation indicating their referral.
Who made those referrals? Some of the biggest power players in the state, including elected officials, lobbyists, onetime political workers, donors.
* Telling context…
But the way that paid internships under Rutherford ramped up quickly raises questions about whether clout played a role in their hiring. In 2011, the office hired 48 interns, in 2012 it hired 51, in 2013 it was 58, and this year the number dropped to 21.
A spokeswoman with the office of the governor said the office has five unpaid interns this summer – who work for college credit. The Illinois Secretary of State’s office does not have an internship program, paid or unpaid. The Comptroller’s office has 14 paid internships this summer.
If you read the whole thing it’s pretty clear Rutherford used the internship program to curry favor with other politicians and enhance his 2014 prospects. Normally, this wouldn’t be a huge problem, but with other allegations of campaign/government mixtures, this could cause him some real trouble.
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* Kurt Erickson…
A chain of long-term care homes owned by one of Republican Bruce Rauner’s former companies has faced lawsuits and critical state inspections stemming from the death and mistreatment of residents.
At a time when the wealthy political newcomer says he would run Illinois like a business if he wins the race for governor, a review of court records and inspection reports shows American Habilitation Services was put under the legal and regulatory microscope in a handful of states in connection with fatalities and unfit living conditions.
Among the problems outlined in court cases, state records and multiple media reports are the deaths of developmentally disabled residents in bathtubs, “deplorable” living conditions, sexual assaults and a failure by employees to stop residents from harming themselves.
The problems at the company are similar to those outlined in a series of reports that emerged during the March primary election about a Rauner-connected chain of nursing homes.
Rauner spokesman Mike Schrimpf said the millionaire businessman from Winnetka was not involved in the day-to-day management of the company.
* The Democratic Governors Association breaks down the deets…
1. Death of an 11-year old.
At the Thomas Care Center in Houston, 11-year-old Xavier Alexander Hegwood died after an older resident “viciously attacked’ him in a playroom. The Texas attorney general Greg Abbott, now a Republican candidate for governor, later filed a lawsuit to seize control of the facility from AHS.
2. “Individual 48″
Also in 2005 in Texas, a woman identified only as “Individual 48″ died after she was found unconscious and on the floor. She later died. Because of improper transfers, she had not been properly diagnosed with congestive heart failure, Abbott alleged.
3. Arizona Drowning
In 2004, the family of a developmentally disabled woman who drowned at an AHS facility was awarded a $45.5 million judgment after she was left alone in 2001 in a bathtub and drowned.
4. Employee Assault
Abbott sued the Rauner homes in 2003 after a female resident of a home in Austin was sexually assaulted by an employee. Abbott wrote, “Not enough was done by administrators of Indian Wells House to investigate the allegations or to protect their clients,…Now a 32-year-old woman has to live with the company’s failure to fulfill minimum standards set forth in Texas law. Nothing will fully restore this woman’s sense of security, but my office will hold these kinds of facilities accountable.”
5. Marco Group Home
The Florida Department of Children and Families in 2004 found that an AHS home failed to report a sexual assault and had overbilled the state. The facility also had “a lack of food,” according to the Lee Newspapers.
*** UPDATE *** Response from the Illinois Republican Party…
Pat Quinn is skipping a major African-American economic empowerment forum at Chicago State University that Bruce Rauner is attending. Instead, he is sending Paul Vallas to attack Rauner on issues on which the governor has fallen short.
Paul Vallas knows Pat Quinn has a major problem when it comes to turning a blind eye to abuse and sexual assault at state-run facilities like group homes, developmental centers and youth prisons. Many unanswered questions remain – perhaps Paul Vallas can clear up the following questions today:
Why Did Pat Quinn Turn A Blind Eye To The Abuse Of A Mentally-Disabled Man, Ultimately Leading To His Death?
Why Did Pat Quinn Turn A Blind Eye To Pervasive Sexual Assault In Illinois Youth Prisons?
Why Didn’t Pat Quinn Fire A Single Employee At The State-Run Howe Developmental Center Despite Revelations Of Widespread Neglect And Abuse?
The details are here.
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Quinn tries to take back anti-violence issue
Monday, Jul 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Progress Illinois…
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL,2) urged state lawmakers to take action on gun violence during a Sunday visit to the site of a recent fatal shooting in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood. Gun violence over the fourth of July holiday weekend in Chicago left 16 people dead and more than 60 others injured.
Quinn and Kelly called on state legislators to pass the Illinois Public Safety Act, which seeks to ban the sale or delivery of assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines in Illinois and require background checks for the transfer of guns, according to a release from the governor’s office.
“The recent epidemic of violence in Chicago is unacceptable and we must join together to fight back,” Quinn said in a statement. “Public safety is government’s foremost mission and Illinois should not wait any longer to act. There are too many victims of a war being waged on our streets, a war fueled in part by the availability of deadly, military-style assault weapons that have no purpose other than killing.
“We must work together to protect the lives of those we love and stop what’s happening in our communities. I urge the Illinois General Assembly to take a stand and pass this legislation that will save lives and protect communities.”
It was an emotional event. Raw audio…
Quinn has been politically hammered (perhaps fatally) by his bungling (and perhaps worse) of his own 2010 anti-violence initiative. He needs to somehow retake the high ground on this issue. That press conference was the beginning.
* And speaking of the anti-violence initiative…
Republican candidate for governor Bruce Rauner was at the Run to End Homelessness Sunday.
This was the fourth year of the 5K run. A Safe Haven Foundation held the event in Douglas Park.
Rauner has been involved in the Safe Haven Foundation since its inception and chatted with participants before the run.
“It’s a very important cause,” he said. “I was honored to be one of the early angel investors in helping get A Safe Haven founded. And it’s a great organization. They do wonderful work helping end homelessness, and provide support service, transition service, especially our veterans.”
How is this related? Well, A Safe Haven Foundation received money from Quinn’s now radioactive anti-violence initiative.
Rauner’s campaign needs to keep that in mind when attacking Quinn on the topic. A Safe Haven is a great group (I’ve covered their work in the past here, here and here and some pals of mine and I sent them a few hundred bucks several years ago after turning a silly drinking game into a quickie fundraiser).
Rauner helped found this top notch group and its director appeared in a Rauner TV ad. These days, any connection at all to Quinn’s anti-violence program is somehow deemed corrupt. But that’s just not the reality. We should all keep that in mind.
* Other stuff…
* Another weekend, another shooting? Chicago needs a Marshall Plan
* Charges filed in death of photographer in Rogers Park
* Four officers injured in Montrose Beach melee: “One of my friend’s cousins got hit on the head,” said Mejias, who lives in the Clearing neighborhood on the Southwest Side. “Everybody’s like all riled up, so you see these gangbangers, they’re different kinds of gang, so they’re fighting on the other side.
* Rauner invested in troubled fund linked to Daley’s son: Rauner was among the early investors, pledging $200,000 for an ownership stake in Cardinal Growth of less than 2 percent. According to Schrimpf: “Some acquaintances of Bruce’s knew Bob Bobb, a former U.S. attorney, and encouraged Bruce to invest. A number of Chicago-area business folks invested in Cardinal, and Bruce had heard about it from a few of them.
* Quinn also had ties to seized firm: Bobb, a former federal prosecutor, and five other Cardinal officials contributed a total of $2,800 to Quinn’s federal campaign fund in April 2009, when Bobb hosted a fund-raiser for Quinn… McInerney gave $700 to Quinn’s campaign fund in 2004.
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* Absolutely nowhere in the Sunday Tribune’s “Clout for teachers” story did the paper find an unqualfied person who got clouted into a teaching license. Instead, they found 100 instances over five years where legislators made inquiries about people who’d been stuck in the bureaucracy or used legislation to try and repair the bureaucrats’ decisions. But legislators are made out to be the bad guys here. It’s a completely ridiculous premise considering that there are about a quarter million certified teachers in this state and all the Tribune could come up with was a handful of calls and letters and two pretty darned good bills.
* Look, this is what some reporters will just never understand…
“I have constituents who walk in the door and call daily with frustrations about the bureaucracy in Springfield,” [said state Rep. Chad Hays]
And when people call, responsive legislators check into what’s going on. Sometimes it’s just a goofy constituent who is totally in the wrong. Other times, constituents are having real problems dealing with the bureaucrats.
* But instead of recognizing this, a certain breed of reporters loves to twist stories by heaping praise on what is really just bureaucratic red tape…
an area many consider sacrosanct
Bureaucracies are run and staffed by human beings. Sometimes, even often-times, those people make mistakes, partly because they work in under-funded and under-staffed programs.
The natural inclination by some citizens who have to deal with those mistakes is to call somebody with power. And those “somebodies” are usually state legislators or US congresscritters.
My uncle, for instance, was having some serious problems with transferring over to Medicare. They apparently wouldn’t listen to reason or facts. So my mom, his sister, called his congressman and had him straighten things out (my only involvement was telling my mom the congressman’s name - just in case somebody wants to stupidly claim I “clouted” my uncle into a program he was clearly qualified for).
Making an issue out of someone who has had trouble dealing with unelected bureaucrats and then turns to an elected legislator for help and/or guidance is just out and out elitist.
* Also, that “sacrosanct” phrase is used high up in the Trib’s story. Deep down in the piece is this…
The Tribune contacted a half dozen states where most officials agreed it’s not unusual for lawmakers to ask questions about the process.
Apparently, it’s not so sacrosanct.
* And then there are the evil-sounding words like “donor”…
[Rep. Tom Cross] pushed legislation to help a donor, Karl Karantonis, of Naperville, who wanted a license to be a chief school business official. ISBE said Karantonis didn’t qualify because he had a master’s of public administration rather than the required master’s in business administration, finance or accounting.
But a bill filed in February 2011 inserted language so that someone with a master’s degree in public administration could qualify. Former state Rep. Ron Stephens, a lawmaker on Cross’ leadership team, said he filed the measure after Cross talked to him about Karantonis.
It looks to me like a constituent’s issue turned into a really good idea. Finance degrees are A-OK to be a school business official but a master’s in public freaking administration isn’t? What the heck is that about? Of course the law should’ve been changed.
Sometimes, good legislation is written because a constituent finds a real problem with the way things are being run. This is a clear and obvious example, which is why it passed unanimously in the Senate and almost unanimously in the House.
* Let’s get back to the notorious “donor” word. Notice how Karantonis is described as “a donor,” but the level of his involvement is not revealed.
Remember how I’ve been telling you lately that when reporters don’t attach numbers to their stories it’s safe to assume they’re exaggerating for affect?
Well, In the six years before Cross took that action, Karantonis and his wife had contributed $250 in 2010 and a whopping $25 in 2005, which was on top of another mind-boggling $150 contribution that year. The two had contributed a few hundred bucks before that.
Somebody, please, call the feds!!!
Again, we’re dealing with a totally elitist attitude here. If you are a “donor,” then you’re automatically tainted. Do not ever dare to offer up a valid legislative idea or you’ll be dragged through the public mud by a bunch of anti-democratic snobs who think the public should just butt the heck out of the oh-so-superior bureaucrats’ domains.
* The Trib story also goes into great detail about another bill that Cross passed to assist a guy who who had been “a math teacher, dean of students and coach at a private Aurora Christian school but wanted to make a career change.”
Nowhere in the story, however, do the reporters mention the real reason for the intervention.
Steve Hanson was enrolled at a university which for whatever reason didn’t realize that ISBE had changed the rules. It turns out there were four schools - Aurora University, Dominican University, St. Xavier University and Lewis University - which didn’t alter course requirements. So Cross’ bill (which passed unanimously in both chambers) allowed students in all those schools to be grandfathered in under the previous ISBE rules.
Hanson is now an assistant principal at Coal City High School. He’s a success story - a man who wouldn’t allow the bureaucrats to keep him from his dream. Good for him.
* And I just love this…
ISBE said it takes about 120 business days to process licenses due to the volume of work, new laws, a revamped licensing system and the nature of reviewing transcripts.
That’s classic bureaucracy”in-action” for ya. In fact, it’s probably the biggest scandal in the entire Tribune story. No wonder people are making calls to their legislators. Sheesh.
And when Speaker Madigan’s office asked to skip someone ahead a bit, the ISBE complied…
On Sept. 2, Madigan staffer Amy Ballinger-Cole appealed to ISBE governmental relations staffer Nicole Wills: “Please help! Let me know if there is anything I can do.”
In an email to Ballinger-Cole, Wills noted applications are processed in the order they are received. “It would be unfair to do otherwise,” Wills wrote.
Still, within hours, the certificate was issued.
Wanna guess why?
Because ISBE’s delays are stupidly long and they most certainly know this. If they had decided to be bureaucratically rigid on top of inept, then they would have attracted unwanted attention from a very powerful dude.
But if ISBE was smarter, they would’ve kept the brick on the teacher hopeful and waited for Madigan to react (as is his standard MO). When he did, they could tell him that they can’t help his friend’s kid because he’s not appropriating nearly enough money to process those requests in a timely manner. This being Illinois and Madigan being Madigan, the friend’s kid gets the license and nothing gets fixed.
* Let’s get back to what I said earlier about how some constituents are goofballs and are in the wrong…
Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, intervened in 2009 on behalf of Ian Scott, who had been disciplined by Iowa licensing officials and charged with falsifying academic credentials, records show. Even before the Iowa case, Scott got a job in the East Moline area as a substitute teacher, though he didn’t have the proper credentials at the time, according to records.
By 2009, when Jacobs’ office began calling on his behalf, Scott had acquired a substitute license and was pursuing a full-time license. But ISBE didn’t approve that license and began the process to discipline Scott.
Notice, again, that the Tribune doesn’t say how often Jacobs’ office called. Either way, the ISBE stood firm and the guy wasn’t given a license. I’ve asked the Board of Education for the precise number of calls Jacobs’ office made. I’ll let you know what they say.
*** UPDATE *** Here is the original e-mail from Ian Scott to Sen. Jacobs’ district office…
Dawn-
I just got off of the phone with Linda Tomlinson (Assistant Superintendent of Education for the State of Illinois) and Linda Jamali (Certification Advisor) from the ISBE. As of today, I still have a valid substitute license issued to me from the State of Illinois. No action has been taken against this license. However, now that I have tried to apply for a teacher’s certificate, there is a block on my account and the situation has to go to the legal department. I don’t know why and they could not give me a valid explanation. They said, “the sub license should not have been issued in October without looking over the information” and “it might have been missed.” They also informed me of the status of my application. They said that it is in the hands of Jessica Riddick (xxx-xxx-xxxx) within the legal department. As of last week, she is still waiting on documents from the State of Iowa. Through some research I have discovered that Jessica Riddick, in some capacity, has something to do with fingerprinting. If this is the information that they are waiting on they will not find it. I have never been fingerprinted for criminal purposes. I did attempt to contact Ms. Riddick, but was told that I could not speak with her due to my status as an applicant. I believe she is the person we should contact, or have the liaison contact, in order to find more pertinent information as to the status of my certification.
I have 14 days to secure my certification or I miss out on providing significant assistance to my family and the children for which I am teaching.
Talk about misleading. The guy never mentioned he was disciplined in Iowa for falsifying academic credentials.
And he was a major pest. According to internal ISBE e-mails, Sen. Jacobs’ district office manager contacted the ISBE about the matter after herself receiving “a lot of calls” regarding the delay.
A month later, Jacobs’ office manager sent an e-mail revealing that Ian Scott had been repeatedly calling Sen. Jacobs on his mobile phone while he was on vacation and was “also having a couple of others” call Jacobs. “Wondering if you have an update,” she wrote.
The ISBE staffer’s response two days later…
Hi, Dawn.
Sorry, I was out sick. I just saw this email. Mr. Scott’s application is still under review.
I’m so sorry - I wish I could get this to stop for you and the Senator, but unfortunately I don’t have anymore information than that to give you.
A few weeks later, the Senator’s staffer called again to get an update. The ISBE staffer sent an e-mail to other staff members…
Any updates, or the standard, we are still in processor reviewing and we have no timeline.
The response from a higher-up…
No update. File remains under review. Thanks, Nicole.
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Missing the point
Monday, Jul 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
At last month’s grand opening of a shopping center anchored by a Pete’s Fresh Market grocery, Mayor Rahm Emanuel hailed the supermarket as an oasis in what had been a “food desert” on the West Side.
Besides food, Pete’s also sells liquor — even though the new store is next door to a church, the Greater Bethlehem Healing Temple, and state law bans liquor sales within 100 feet of churches or schools.
So how can Pete’s be selling beer, wine and spirits?
With a little help from influential friends including Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th), who’s gotten tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the grocer in the past two years. […]
“This facility will be within 75 feet of our church,” Greater Bethlehem Bishop Chester Hudson wrote in a June 5 letter to Quinn. “We have received calls from local politicians and lobbyists on their behalf. Our response has been the same: NO.”
* The real problem here is the state’s outdated “blue laws.”
Look, nobody wants a seedy liquor store next door to anything. But a brand new supermarket? C’mon, man.
Go take a look at Google’s “Street View” of the church’s address. The block is mostly empty lots.
* The “scandal” in this story is that a legitimate business had to fork over campaign contributions, hire a Statehouse lobbyist and pass a bill just to open a much-needed grocery store over the objections of a church.
Oy.
The bill was originally introduced in 2013 by Senate President John Cullerton as an empty shell. These shells are used all the time because the state laws are so onerous. Sen. Iris Martinez took sponsorship in March of this year. Her original amendment exempted two Chicago church properties from the state’s blue law.
Rep. Dan Burke filed an amendment in the House which expanded the number of churches exempted from two to four and added other provisions…
Adds provisions that authorize the sale of alcoholic liquor within 100 feet of a specific school, a specific club that leases space to a school, and 4 specific churches located in the City of Chicago. Changes a specific exception to provisions concerning the sale of alcoholic liquor within 100 feet of a church, school, or hospital by providing that the shortest distance between the premises and the church or school is at least 66 feet (rather than 35 feet) apart and no greater than 81 feet (rather than 45 feet) apart. Further amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934 by providing that, subject to certain conditions, alcoholic liquors may be delivered to and sold at retail in any building owned by the Six Mile Regional Library District.
The library district, by the way, is in Granite City - far from Chicago.
The state law needs to be changed. Supermarkets shouldn’t have to go through this long and painful process just to open their doors.
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* From a press release…
On June 23, the Libertarian Party of Illinois filed 43,921 petition signatures to gain ballot access for their full slate of statewide candidates for the 2014 general election. On June 30, Lake Forest resident Lou Atsaves and Highland Park resident Gary Gale filed an objection to 23,791 of those signatures. Kelly McCloskey, Chief Hearing Officer for the Illinois State Board of Elections, held an initial hearing regarding the objection on July 7.
The Objectors did not appear at the hearing; they were represented by John Fogarty, general counsel for the Illinois Republican Party. This raises an important question: who are these Objectors and who is financing the undertaking to deny the people of Illinois an additional choice in the voting booth this November?
The Signature Review Process
A key outcome of the hearing was an order for the State Board of Elections to begin the signature review process. The review is scheduled for July 14 -18 at the State Board of Elections office in Springfield. During each day of the review, a dozen taxpayer-funded State Board of Elections personnel will sit in front of computers to compare the 23,791 signatures and addresses in question to the database of registered voters. Libertarian volunteers will be on hand each day to assist in reclaiming signatures for their candidates. If past experience is any guide, the Objectors will have representatives present as well. Will they be personal friends of Lou Atsaves and Gary Gale?
“The deck is stacked against every new party and independent candidate in Illinois,” said Lex Green, Political Division Director of the Libertarian Party of Illinois. “The process is designed to eliminate political competition and real choices for Illinois voters.” Mr. Green went on to note the enormous waste of time, taxpayer money, and legal resources to combat what the Libertarian Party refers to as “ballot blocking” by the two major political parties in Illinois.
For statewide races in Illinois, Democrats and Republicans only need 5,000 valid signatures to obtain ballot slots, while all other parties and independent candidates are forced—by Illinois election law—to collect 25,000 valid signatures and then are subject to challenges like this one.
Ben Koyl, the attorney representing the Party and its candidates stated “The Libertarian Party of Illinois calls on all voters—regardless of party affiliation—to contact their legislative representatives and demand the civil right to equal ballot access laws in Illinois.”
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Rauner up by 12
Monday, Jul 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column….
A new Capitol Fax/We Ask America poll found Republican Bruce Rauner leading Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn 51-39. That’s pretty much the same margin the pollster found for another client a month ago.
The poll of 940 likely voters was taken July 8th and has a margin of error of ±3.2 percent. 30 percent of the calls were made to mobile phones.
Gov. Quinn has repeatedly blasted Rauner for using complicated loopholes to avoid some taxes. I wanted to test the issue.
“Republican Bruce Rauner’s tax returns for 2010 and 2011 show that despite making around $55 million, he was not required to pay Social Security or Medicare taxes,” respondents were told.
60 percent said that made them less likely to vote for Rauner. 20 percent said it made no difference either way and another 20 percent said it made them more likely to vote for the candidate.
A dangerously high 66 percent of women said the tax issue made them less likely to vote for the candidate, compared to a 49 percent plurality of men. 27 percent of men said the news actually made them more likely to vote for Rauner, compared to 23 percent who said it made no difference.
That’s probably because Rauner is doing much better with men than women, despite running a zillion TV ads prominently featuring women. While he leads Quinn 60-33 among men, his female lead is just 3 points, 46-43. Quinn will surely put lots of focus there.
The poll shows Rauner is doing as well in Chicago as Republican US Sen. Mark Kirk did in his 2010 statewide victory, getting 20.5 percent to Kirk’s 19.5 percent. Quinn absolutely has to keep Rauner away from that 20 percent number or he’s toast. And the best way to do that is through negative TV ads.
The tax issue works very well in the city, with 73 percent saying they’d be less likely to vote for Rauner. However, 27 percent said it either didn’t matter (14 percent) or made them more likely to vote for Rauner (13 percent).
The poll also shows Quinn cratering in suburban Cook, with Rauner leading that traditionally Democratic stronghold 50-41. Quinn won the region by 13 points four years ago, and Republican Mark Kirk lost it by 9 points.
The tax issue made 59 percent of suburban Cook voters less likely to cast a ballot for Rauner.
Gov. Quinn is getting pounded in Downstate, losing the region 64-25, but the tax issue works fairly well against Rauner, with 59 percent of Downstaters saying it made them less likely to vote for the Republican. The issue works less well in the wealthier collar counties, however. Rauner leads Quinn 58-36 in the collars and voters were about evenly split on the tax issue, with 51 percent saying it made them less likely to vote for him, and 49 percent saying it either made no difference (23 percent) or made them more likely to vote for him (29 percent).
Quinn has also demanded that Rauner release his 2013 tax returns, which Rauner has not yet filed. Rauner responded last week by saying he would release the returns in due time and then pivoted to say: “Pat Quinn needs to release all documents and e-mails pertaining to the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative.”
As it turns out, the federal investigation into Quinn’s now infamous anti-violence program is just as bad for Quinn as Rauner’s tax situation is for the challenger.
“It was recently reported that a program implemented by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is under federal investigation for misuse of government funds,” respondents were told.
60 percent said that made them less likely to vote for Quinn, with 19 percent saying it made no difference and 21 percent saying it made them more likely to vote for him.
Considering Rauner’s big lead among men, the impact of the federal probe works “better” with men than women, with 64 percent of men saying it makes them less likely to vote for Quinn versus 57 percent of women.
The attack works best among Downstaters, with a very dangerously high 74 percent saying the investigation makes them less likely to vote for the governor. Any issue polling above 70 percent can be expected to “move” voters on election day.
The revelation worked least well in Chicago, where Quinn’s support is strongest. Just 33 percent said it made them less likely to vote for Quinn, while 30 percent said it made no difference and 39 percent said it actually made them more likely to vote for the guy.
So, the two most recent and prominent campaign issues basically cancel each other out, which is good news for Rauner because he’s sitting on such a big lead.
Discuss.
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