When asked this by his opponents at a candidate debate earlier this month, Mr. Rauner said he “didn’t know” Mr. Levine at the time — Mr. Levine wasn’t indicted on federal corruption charges until a year later — and that GTCR got the work strictly because it produced good returns.
“I didn’t have ‘a relationship’ with Levine. I didn’t know him,” Mr. Rauner told me. “I didn’t interact with him. What I’ve been told is that he was an employee of a company in which we had a minority interest.”
In further comments over our tea, Mr. Rauner said GTCR’s ownership in the medical-services company that employed Mr. Levine varied from 5 percent to 40 percent, depending on the time. Two other GTCR officials — not him — served on the board of the firm, he said. And the medical services firm was one of scores owned by GTCR at the time, all of which had a number of highly paid officials, he said, though I doubt too many people at just one firm made $300,000 a year.
Mr. Rauner added one other thing: Mr. Levine’s original hiring by the medical firm predates GTCR’s acquisition of the company by at least a year, he said. If that’s true, it strengthens his case that Mr. Levine wasn’t fixing things for GTCR. But Mr. Rauner said he does not have access to the actual Levine hiring contract, which was extended by a company that no longer exists. Nor could he provide a copy of Mr. Levine’s departure agreement in 2004 or 2005 — after Mr. Levine was indicted on federal corruption charges — or say whether Mr. Levine received any financial settlement.
Asked whether he played the Illinois political game with Mr. Levine and others in getting pension work, Mr. Rauner replied that GTCR would make its pitch “to the staffs of the pension funds. . . .We did not interact with the board members.”
* But former TRS executive director Jon Bauman had this to say…
“Clearly, no one disclosed the (Rauner/Levine) relationship at the appropriate time,” Mr. Bauman emailed me. “On one hand, GTCR was one of four owners in a company that was one of maybe 80 to 100 in (its) portfolio. On the other, limited partners pay general partners (like GTCR) a good fee to know what’s going on in their portfolio companies and to be accountable for them. I’m missing the accountability here.”
After being against the Rauner company’s investment offer, Levine voted for it at the next meeting.
Paprocki told LifeSiteNews that people in today’s permissive society seem to think that hate is associated with not letting people get “what they want.”
“Any good parent will tell you that sometimes you have to discipline your children. Sometimes you have to say ‘no’. Sometimes you even have to punish.”
“When a parent does those things, they’re not being hateful towards their children, they’re actually being very loving by correcting them and showing them the right way to do things,” he said. […]
“We just have to understand that we are going to be facing a lot of opposition and as I said, my whole point for doing the prayer service is realizing it’s the work of the devil that’s behind this.”
* The unions aren’t the only groups trying to spoil Gov. Pat Quinn’s State of the State address tomorrow. The Illinois Republican Party has tossed in its two cents…
State of the State: 2014
Rhetoric vs. Reality: Gov. Quinn’s failed record on jobs
2010 SOTS:
Quinn Rhetoric: “I think the number one issue in Illinois today is getting our economy back on track.”
“Our mission this year is to revive our economy and put people back to work”
REALITY: To date, compared to when Gov. Quinn took office in 1/2009, Illinois has lost 93,137 jobs, the number of unemployed is up 36,892, the labor force is down 56,245, and the jobless rate is up from 8.0% to 8.6%, the third-highest of any state.[1]
2011 Budget Address:
Quinn Rhetoric: “We must be a state that has a dynamic, growing economy.”
“We are creating jobs.”
REALITY: At that time, from 1/2009 to 1/2011, Illinois had lost 111,050 jobs, the jobless rate had risen from 8.0 to 9.4, and the Illinois labor force shrunk.[2]
2012 SOTS:
Quinn Rhetoric: “In the past three years, we’ve worked together to strengthen our economy and make Illinois a better place to do business”
REALITY: At that time, from 1/2009 to 1/2012, Illinois had lost 78,762 jobs under Gov. Quinn, the jobless rate had risen from 8.0 to 9.1, and the Illinois labor force shrunk.[3]
2013 SOTS:
Quinn Rhetoric: “In the last four years, we have created jobs, invested in our public works, and enacted major reforms.”
REALITY: At that time, from 1/2009 to 1/2013, Illinois had lost 29,068 jobs under Gov. Quinn, and the jobless rate had risen from 8.0 to 9.0.[4]
Quinn Rhetoric: “Fortunately, thanks to President Barack Obama, we now have the Affordable Care Act, which will improve the health of the people of Illinois and create thousands of jobs.”
REALITY: ObamaCare enrollment in Illinois[5] is only 1/5 of the way to its goal[6], and Illinoisans are signing up slower than the national rate.
Illinois has enrolled only 1 out of every 210 people, or 0.47 percent of the population,[7] compared to the national rate of 1 out of every 146 people, or 0.69 percent of the overall population.[8]
The 61,111 Illinoisans who have signed up for ObamaCare is less than 1/3 of the 185,000 Illinoisans who have received cancellation notices because of ObamaCare… so far.[9]
“Since we purchased Monticello Plaza we’ve probably added about 12,000 square feet of new space with tenants who are opening and operating; we’ve signed another 30,000 square feet that we have signed leases on, but they’re not open yet,” said Midwest Asset Group owner Jason Plummer. “It’s good, but we’ve been fortunate to work with the village of Godfrey; it’s a great community.”
Pizza World and Russell Cellular, a Verizon store, occupy a new building added to the Monticello complex. Pizza World, owned by franchisee Dave Stafford of Godfrey, opened last week; Russell Cellular will open Monday. Each will have a ribbon cutting and grand opening in February.
Also opening next month at Monticello’s main and existing building is LAG Gaming, owned by Scott Hampton, and next door to the video game store will be a second location for Complete Supplements, owned by Matt Hamman, which has a Maryville store. A few months ago Apex, a physical therapy business, opened next door to the antique mall in Monticello.
Republican Illinois gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner officially opened his campaign office Saturday at Monticello Plaza with a grand opening in the afternoon when he spoke to the public. Rauner is a businessman from Chicago.
I’m told that Plummer donated the office space to Rauner’s campaign.
The Equality Illinois Political Action Committee (PAC) today issued its endorsements for candidates running for statewide office in Democratic and Republican primaries in the March 18, 2014, primary election. All the endorsed statewide candidates have strong records supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues, particularly regarding the freedom to marry. […]
Endorsements were based on answers to Equality Illinois PAC’s endorsement questionnaire, personal interviews, community input, and, where applicable, incumbent candidates’ voting records on important LGBT issues.
* The list…
For Governor:
Pat Quinn (Democrat)
For Attorney General:
Lisa Madigan (Democrat)
For Secretary of State:
Jesse White (Democrat)
For Treasurer:
Michael Frerichs (Democrat); Tom Cross (Republican)
For Comptroller:
Sheila Simon (Democrat); Judy Baar Topinka (Republican)
* The last two Saturday evenings, we were stunned to see that the parking lot was empty at the popular Ross Issac restaurant. After the second time, I turned the truck around and pulled up to the building. A posted sign said they were working on some equipment problems, but didn’t indicate a target reopening date.
Ross Isaac is an incredibly popular restaurant for Statehouse types, even if it is outside “the sandbox.” I like the place a lot and it has won at least one Golden Horseshoe.
* This morning, I received an e-mail from Sean Keeley, the chef/owner of the restaurant…
We had it rough last week getting things ready to reopen last night. There were rumors that we were closing for good, and I was hoping you could let your readers know we are excited to be back. I would greatly appreciate that so much, and I’d be happy to have you in to try some of the new items. We have a new menu and are planning our first Sunday brunch as well!
Thanks so much and take care, Sean Keeley
That’s a relief. And, finally, a decent brunch in Springfield. Great news all around.
And there’s no need to “have me in,” Sean. I’ll go on my own accord, and very soon. Maybe tonight. I’m pretty curious about the new menu.
* By the way, now that we’re on the topic of Springfield restaurants, I forgot to post the winner of our Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Political Restaurant in Springfield after voting ended. The winner was Sebastian’s, with Maldaner’s taking runner-up.
We Are One Illinois Coalition files suit to overturn “pension theft” law
The union coalition We Are One Illinois and a group of active and retired public employees filed suit today in Sangamon County Circuit Court to overturn pension-slashing Senate Bill 1 (Public Act 98-599). Defendants in the suit are Governor Pat Quinn, other constitutional officers, the state retirement systems and their boards.
“Our suit makes clear that pension theft is not only unfair, it’s clearly unconstitutional,” said Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael T. Carrigan. “Teachers, nurses, emergency responders, and other workers and retirees will not stand by while politicians try to take away their life savings illegally. The legislature and governor shirked their responsibility to uphold the constitution, so we are seeking justice in court to right their wrongs. Promises must be kept, and the rule of law must prevail over politics.”
We Are One Illinois Coalition members include the Illinois AFL-CIO; Illinois Federation of Teachers; Illinois Education Association; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31; Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73; Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge; Illinois Police Benevolent and Protective Association; Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois; Illinois Nurses Association; Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 2002; Teamsters Local 700; and Teamsters Joint Council 25.
SUMMARY
The We Are One Illinois lawsuit argues that the “pension theft” law violates the pension clause of the Illinois Constitution, which unequivocally states that a public employee’s pension is a contract that the state cannot diminish or impair.
Public employees and retirees “have upheld their end of that constitutionally-protected bargain,” the suit argues. It continues:
“Those Plaintiffs who are current employees teach our children, care for the sick and disabled, protect us from harm and perform myriad other essential services for Illinois and its citizens. Those Plaintiffs who already have retired similarly dedicated their careers to the men, women and children of Illinois. And, each faithfully has contributed to his or her respective pension system the substantial portion of their paychecks the Illinois pension code requires.
“Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the State. The State chose to forgo funding its pension systems in amounts the State now claims were needed to fully meet the State’s annuity obligations. Now, the State expects the members of those systems to carry on their backs the burden of curing the State’s longstanding misconduct. Specifically, Public Act 98-0599 unlawfully strips from public servants pension amounts to which they otherwise are entitled as a matter of law, let alone fundamental fairness.
“That is the very threat against which the Pension Clause protects.
“The Governor and the members of the General Assembly took an oath to uphold the Constitution. They acknowledge that other options exist to remedy the State’s knowing failure to adequately fund the State’s pension systems. But rather than work to remedy the impact of the State’s conduct in a manner that comports with their oath, complies with the Illinois Constitution and upholds the State’s constitutional promise to pension system members, the Governor and General Assembly unlawfully look the other way.
“Plaintiffs thus turn to this Court for protection and commence this action to defend their constitutionally-protected rights and protect the pensions they have earned. Plaintiffs request that the Court declare Public Act 98-0599, in its entirety, unconstitutional, void and unenforceable.”
CLASS ACTION
The coalition’s filing seeks to certify a class action representing all individuals, active or retired, who first contributed to the State Employees Retirement System, the State Universities Retirement System, or the Teachers Retirement System before January 1, 2011.
The suit’s 25 named plaintiffs representing the class are:
Lee Ayers of Chicago, a clinical lab technician at a university medical center for approximately 25 years;
David Behymer of Rushville, a retired teacher who taught art to children ranging from pre-school to high school for 30 years;
Christine Bondi of Ontarioville, who has worked for the Illinois Secretary of State for approximately 28 years as a public service representative and administering driving tests;
Monica Butts of Westville, a cashier with the Secretary of State for more than 12 years;
Gary Ciaccio of Kankakee, who for 33 years has worked for the Illinois Department of Human Services, caring for people with mental health issues or developmental disabilities;
Edward Corrigan of Pontiac, who retired after approximately 20 years as a correctional officer at an Illinois prison;
Michael Day of O’Fallon, a high school history teacher for 20 years;
Kenneth Dugan of Pesotum, an Air Force veteran and former state trooper who retired after serving nearly 30 years as a firefighter for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign fire department;
Jennifer Edwards of Chicago, who retired after approximately 30 years in various positions at the University of Illinois at Chicago, including assistants to the History Department chairperson and the head of the Department of Pediatrics;
Elaine Ferguson of Nauvoo, a retired teacher who taught kindergarten and first grade for more than 30 years;
Denise Funfsinn of Mendota, a special education teacher for 29 years;
Terri Gifford of Springfield, a health and physical education teacher for approximately 30 years;
Gwendolyn Harrison of Springfield, who has helped citizens find information for 14 years as a librarian for the Illinois Secretary of State;
James Herrington of Fairview Heights, a high school and college math teacher for 35 years;
Marlene Koerner of Herrin, a retiree who taught for more than 30 years;
Gary Kroeschel of Chatham, who has served as an information systems analyst for approximately 14 years;
Ellen Larrimore of Chicago, a library specialist for the past seven years at Northern Illinois University;
J. Todd Louden of Good Hope, who for nearly 30 years served in the Western Illinois University police force;
Stephen Mittons of Sun River Terrace, who is a child protection investigator and has worked for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services for approximately 19 years;
Jose Prado of Willowbrook, who has worked as a correctional officer and sergeant in an Illinois state prison for 15 years;
James Sheridan of DeKalb, who has served as a maintenance worker at Northern Illinois University for 13 years;
Thomas Tate of Salem, a nurse who for 34 years has served in the Illinois Department of Human Services caring for individuals with developmental disabilities;
D’Ann Urish of Springfield, a special education teacher who has spent 31 years educating middle school students with behavioral and learning disorders;
Caryl Wadley-Foy of Bradley, who retired after 32 years as a secretary in a state residential facility for individuals with developmental disabilities; and
Julie Young of Owaneco, an 11-year employee of the Secretary of State.
VENUE
The suit was filed today (Tuesday, Jan. 28) in the Circuit Court for the Seventh Judicial Circuit, Sangamon County, Springfield, Illinois. Sangamon is home to thousands of class members, as well as the state capitol and offices of the statewide officeholders and retirement systems named as defendants. Two of the three previously filed suits on this subject matter have been filed in Sangamon County as well.
STAY OF IMPLEMENTATION
In order to prevent irreparable harm to public employees and retirees who face immediate and irrevocable life decisions, and to avert unduly burdensome administrative complications for the state retirement systems, We Are One Illinois strongly believes that the pension-cutting law must not be implemented before its constitutionality is decided in court.
Consequently, the union coalition has sought for the past several weeks to reach agreement with the state Attorney General and the named defendants on a joint request to the court to enjoin the law’s implementation. Regrettably, the Attorney General refused. In its filing, We Are One Illinois reserves the right to seek an injunction.
- Crisis Caused by Springfield Career Politicians Continues -
After touting a pension plan that allegedly saved the state $160 billion over thirty years, newly released bond documents expose major shortcomings in the overall scope of the new pension law.
Not only does the pension plan save $15 billion less than was promised, but the documents also reveal the shaky foundation upon which the entire plan is built. According to the filing, a fraction of the projected savings occur in the first 10 years of the 30 year plan.* The other projected savings are heavily back-loaded.
“This pension plan continues to look more and more like other plans crafted by Springfield insiders that appear good on the surface, but fail over the long term and make real reform harder,” said Mike Schrimpf, spokesman for Bruce Rauner’s campaign. “Like the 1994 pension plan that kick-started the pension crisis, the new law is shortsighted, unrealistic, fails to fundamentally reform the system and could make things even worse.”
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the SEC cited the 1994 pension bill as the “primary driver” of the pension crisis.
“The politicians running for governor have all been in Springfield for the last two decades and played a major role in causing the pension crisis,” Schrimpf added. “It’s clear that career politicians are unwilling to shake up Springfield and won’t ever truly fix the pension system.”
“No wonder they also refuse to condemn the attempts by Pat Quinn and his allies to hijack the GOP primary,” Schrimpf said. “They all take money from the government union bosses and are part of the broken system of politics in Springfield.”
Pat Quinn Government Union Contributions
- More than $4.5 Million
Kirk Dillard Government Union Contributions
- More than $450,000
- Seeking endorsement from Illinois Education Association
- Seeking SEIU endorsement
Dan Rutherford Government Union Contributions
- More than $50,000
- Seeking endorsement from Illinois Education Association
- Seeking SEIU endorsement
Bill Brady Government Union Contributions
- More than $15,000
* Maybe it’s because this Tribune story appeared a few days before Christmas, or maybe because the Tribune is no longer an AP member its stories aren’t being picked up by other papers like they used to, but it’s fascinating to me that this piece has gained absolutely zero traction…
State Sen. Bill Brady’s homebuilding business has been sued twice for defaulting on loans worth millions of dollars since his last run for governor, including one case playing out in court as he seeks the 2014 Republican nomination.
Brady has built his political career in part on the success of his family’s Bloomington-based real estate development business, and he blames the recession that battered the housing market for the financial troubles that emerged as he launched his bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in 2010.
The family business has continued to struggle. Just weeks before the March primary election, Brady is due in court in Bloomington for a status hearing on a $2.38 million loan default lawsuit filed against him, his brothers and several of their development companies after they failed to make good on a series of loans.
Last year, Brady resolved a $1.7 million default case in Champaign County Circuit Court by selling some of the mortgaged properties to a campaign contributor.
* Bill Brady and his family build houses. The national economic collapse wiped out a whole lot of home builders.
In May of 2011, just 726 single family housing building permits were issued in the entire state of Illinois. Things have improved a little, but not much. Just 1,011 permits were issued last May. Take a look, for instance, at this new report on “zombie properties” in Cook County to see how bad things still are.
So, I don’t really fault him for his family company’s troubles. Frankly, it’s even a little amazing to me that his company remains a going concern.
* And maybe that’s what’s really behind the lack of publicity here. Things sometimes happen to businesses that cannot ever be controlled by the businesses themselves. And if that’s the case, is this really an issue?
* This week marks the fifth anniversary of the Illinois Senate’s vote to remove Rod Blagojevich from office. Kurt Erickson looks at what has changed…
Construction: During his six years in office, Blagojevich and the legislature were unable to agree on a way to pay for a job-creating road, bridge and school construction program. Within a year of his departure, Quinn and the legislative leaders had devised a plan to legalize video gambling and raise taxes and fees on booze and motorists. The money has paid for not only better roads, but new copper doors on the Capitol.
Taxes: Blagojevich was true to his word when he said he would never support raising taxes. But that meant he had to use sleight-of-hand budgeting techniques — like tapping into pension funds — to finance his pet programs. His actions, as well as those by chief executives who came before him, left the state in a precarious fiscal position. Within two years of his ouster, a temporary increase in the income tax was approved.
Pensions: After balking for years, lawmakers last month finally approved an overhaul of the state employee and teacher pension systems. Although it likely won’t save any money while it winds its way through the court system, passage of the changes showed the General Assembly and Gov. Quinn were finally starting to figure out how to make tough decisions.
New laws: While Blagojevich was in office, his signature achievements included the expansion of a health insurance program for kids and an increase in the minimum wage. Since Quinn came on board, the state has legalized medical marijuana and gay marriage, approved new worker compensation rules and offered up some guidelines for a controversial oil and gas drilling process that will: a) create thousands of jobs; b) ruin the environment; c) or, do some of both.
Prisons: After years of listening to Blagojevich threaten to close prisons, Quinn actually did it. The governor moved inmates out of the Tamms super-max facility and the all-female Dwight Correctional Center, as well as closed juvenile prisons and a handful of halfway houses. The closures confounded many observers because they came at a time when the prison system is grossly overcrowded.
* I put together a retrospective video a year after his arrest. It’s probably worth another look…
Man, I do not ever want to relive anything even close to that madness.
* For a moment, let’s backtrack to yesterday, when Bruce Rauner and his three opponents were slamming each other over the upcoming anti-Rauner TV ad blitz financed at least in part by organized labor. This was Sen. Bill Brady’s retort to Rauner…
Brady noted that union groups opposing Rauner in the primary are made up of members of both parties.
“Mr. Rauner fails to recognize that there are many union members — in both the public and private sectors — who are Republicans, who are disgusted with the failures of Pat Quinn, and who want to make sure their party nominates the best candidate to turn Illinois around,” he said in a statement.
* That’s not a bad point, although it is a little weird seeing the 2010 “right to work” proponent sounding so “moderate” on union members these days.
Here are some numbers to consider as well…
* Total Republican ballots cast in the 2010 gubernatorial primary: 767,485
But does an attempt to drum up support against a particular person — one who has the potential to present an election-time threat to a candidate with union support — cross the line?
At some point it becomes less a matter of trying to steer an election and more a case of trying to hijack it.
Rauner’s campaign says it has already crossed that line and has blasted the initiative.
“Local Republican leaders and grassroots activists aren’t about to let Pat Quinn’s allies subvert the Republican primary, and neither should any of the other candidates running for governor,” said Rauner’s campaign manager, Chip Englander.
It’s understandable unions are uneasy. They have been bruised by a few of the decisions made over pensions and other matters last year and are closely examining some candidates’ anti-union stances. It makes sense they would be selective about where to cast their support and the flurry of dollars that will follow such a pronouncement.
Resorting to schemes that undermine the opportunity of all voters to have an equal voice in the election process is over the line, though, and has potential to harm public sentiment toward unions more than any political candidate could.
* Now that his three Republican opponents have essentially told him to take a flying leap at a rolling doughnut, Bruce Rauner has issued a new press release attacking all three…
Why Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, Dan Rutherford Won’t Denounce Efforts of Pat Quinn’s Allies
- Their Records Look a Whole Lot Like His –
Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford today refused to condemn planned attempts by Pat Quinn’s Democrat and labor union allies to hijack the Republican Party.
“GOP candidates for governor are refusing to stand up to Pat Quinn and his allies, and Republican primary voters deserve to know the reason. They are part of the broken system in Springfield that has been failing Illinoisans for years,” said Chip Englander, campaign manager for Bruce Rauner’s campaign. “The truth is all of them sat in Springfield for decades and voted with the Democrats to raise taxes, to create the pension crisis, for big spending budgets and for sweetheart deals with the government union bosses.”
Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford supported legislation that called for hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending and pork.
Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford supported increasing taxes and fees by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford helped to increase the pay of legislators.
Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford have taken tens of thousands in political contributions from government union bosses.
Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford voted for pension legislation that has been cited as the primary driver behind Illinois’ record level of unfunded pension liabilities.
Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford are career politicians who have spent the last two decades in Springfield.
* Rob, my farmer friend I’ve told you about before, said over the weekend that the propane price situation is getting pretty darned scary. Let’s hope this move by Gov. Pat Quinn to declare an energy emergency helps…
As the latest blast of frigid air hung over much of Illinois, the governor’s declaration is designed to ease weather-induced distribution problems that have left some industry observers worried that homeowners could run out of the fuel during an upcoming cold snap.
The declaration eases regulations on propane truck drivers in order to allow them to drive into other states to fill their tanks.
For example, an Illinois driver heading to Texas would be able to cross into the state for propane even if they didn’t have proper licenses, said Quinn spokesman Dave Blanchette.
(T)his was done because, due to the current propane shortage, additional drivers are needed to travel to Texas to haul propane back to Illinois,” Blanchette said.
In addition, state officials also have lifted limits on how long truckers can operate within a 24 period, in order to allow them to travel further distances to pick up loads.
The shortage, industry officials say, is due to a confluence of events: a Midwest pipeline being shut down for maintenance, a high demand for propane last fall to dry a rain-soaked harvest of corn, competition for pipelines and rail cars caused by increased oil and natural gas production — and the extreme cold.
“I prefer not to call it a shortage,” said Simon Bowman, a spokesman for Pennsylvania-based AmeriGas, the nation’s largest propane retailer. “I prefer to call it tight supply.
“There is propane to be had, but it’s just having problems getting to some of the areas of the Midwest and Northeast,” he added.
* Sen. McCann called for an energy emergency declaration late Friday afternoon…
State Senator Sam McCann (R-Carlinville) hand delivered a letter to Governor Pat Quinn Friday calling on the Governor to declare a State of Energy Emergency in Illinois.
Sixteen states have made similar declarations in recent weeks as prices for LP gas, like propane, have skyrocketed and supplies have dwindled to dangerous levels.
According to the Illinois Petroleum Gas Association, 35-40% of homes in Illinois are heated by propane gas. High demand during harvest and frigid winter temperatures have depleted supplies of gas throughout the Midwest. Prices have also skyrocketed from around $1.50 per gallon in the summer to over $5.50 per gallon in some places currently.
“Thousands of Illinoisans are struggling to heat their homes, and many business owners and livestock producers don’t know whether they will be able to access or afford necessary supplies of propane,” said Senator McCann. “It is my hope the Governor will join numerous other states from across the country in helping ease the burden and cost on many families and businesses in our state.”
If Governor Quinn declares an emergency, he may temporarily lift the 80,000-pound weight limit on Illinois interstate highways, to allow more gas to be shipped in. He could also provide increased assistance to low and moderate income persons through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and would allow suppliers to qualify for low-interest loans to reduce the carrying costs of purchases.
The Illinois Petroleum Gas Association says no such declaration has ever been made in Illinois, but that the state is experiencing historical cold and demand for the product.
* OK, here are the questions I came up with for our gubernatorial candidate questionnaire. I took your suggestions and your follow-up preferences, tweaked some of them and settled on those that I think the candidates are most likely to answer.
I like all the questions, but I really believe we need to whittle down this massive list. So, take the poll, eliminate as many as you want and then please try to explain your votes in comments. Thanks.
…Adding… A deep divide is emerging in comments between those who love the “wonky” questions and hate the more personal questions, and those who prefer some of the personal questions.
My own feeling is that at least some of these personal questions are helpful to figuring out who these people are. Plus, some of those were suggested by a few of our top commenters here.
The bottom line, for me, is that this doesn’t have to be a completely boring exercise that the candidates will ignore or evade.
* Dan Rutherford tells Greg Hinz that his TV ad campaign will start during the Winter Olympics, which begin Feb. 7th…
Mr. Rutherford declined to say how big or long the ad campaign will be. “We’re planning it out,” he said. “We are going to be sustainable.”
But he did say the spots will be “positive,” concentrating on what he brings to the table as opposed to ripping Chicago businessman Mr. Rauner, who’s been under strong fire on the campaign trail lately, particularly from candidates Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard, both state senators.
Mr. Rutherford’s war chest is relatively modest by political standards, and certainly compared to Mr. Rauner’s horde. While Mr. Rauner is believed to have already spent millions on ads and has made it clear he’s prepared to write as big a check as is needed before the March 18 primary, Mr. Rutherford had just $1.4 million in the bank as of Dec. 31, though perhaps another $100,000 has come in since.
If he spends every penny on TV, Mr. Rutherford indeed may be able to stay on TV until the primary, but not with any vigor. Generally, it takes several hundred thousand dollars a week statewide to really make an impression.
But earlier this month, attorneys for GTCR and the other parties called the law firm’s complaint a “fantastical, meandering tale.”
“Each successive pleading is more chaotic, implausible, melodramatic and absurdly far-reaching in the scope of its various conspiracy theories than the last,” the defendants’ lawyers said.
In a separate court filing this month, attorneys for GTCR said the equity firm lost “substantially all” of the $60 million it invested in the nursing home firm since 1998, including $20 million when it tried to restructure Trans Healthcare’s finances in 2006.
GTCR’s court filing went on to allege that the attorneys who won the $900 million judgment for the estate of the Gainesville man previously had reached a settlement with the actual operator of the nursing home for $575,000.
Rauner campaign spokesman Mike Schrimpf labeled the damage lawsuits a “classic plaintiff lawyer scheme” to “go after as many deep-pocketed entities as possible,” including GTCR and other former investors.
From what I’m hearing, we can expect to see a lot more on this topic.
* From a Sunday press release…
Senator Bill Brady, Republican candidate for Governor, today challenged his opponent Bruce Rauner to come clean with answers to questions about his dealings.
“Bruce Rauner likes to paint himself as a hands-on businessman, talking about ‘being there in person, figuring out what matters … solving problems’ and how ‘in business it’s about getting to know them on a first name basis … getting to know each other personally.’ But Mr. Rauner apparently didn’t follow his own business philosophy when it came to dealing with corrupt insider Stuart Levine,” Brady said.
Rauner has said he doesn’t know and has never met Stuart Levine, even though Levine had a $300,000 annual contract with a company partly owned by Rauner’s firm GTCR, while Levine sat on a state pensions board awarding GTCR $50 million in state contracts.
In addition, his spokesman says he had nothing to do with the management of a health care company bought by Rauner and GTCR, which owned nursing homes where patients suffered neglect and died. He resigned from the board of another firm and sold off GTCR’s stock shortly before the company nosedived in an accounting scandal that resulted in conviction of three top executives, money to GTCR, and $285 million in losses to other investors, but again left it to his spokesman explain.
“If he’s not hands-on in business, how could voters depend on him to be hands-on when it comes to spending their tax dollars and managing state government,” Brady said.
“Mr. Rauner had a perfect opportunity at a debate Thursday to be forthright, but again stood silent on the reports that are now regularly coming to light about his dealings. The voters deserve those answers and I will insist that Mr. Rauner give them,” Brady said.
“The citizens of Illinois deserve a governor who will truly be hands-on dealing with the many challenges facing Illinois and building an economy that helps Illinois business grow and that benefits Illinois families.”
Discuss.
…Adding… Sen. Dave Syverson, who backs Sen. Dillard in the race, posted this on his Facebook page yesterday…
Remember what the Democrats did to Mitt Romney and Bain Capital regarding Sensata Co. in Freeport. While he had nothing to do with it, the facts of the issue meant little in the political world. The stories now coming out on Rauner’s inves…tments, while I’m sure there is a long detailed explanation that shows no involvement, all the public sees is the Headlines (like below) and the Democratic spun commercials. Whether we like it or not this is Illinois and Dem’s will play Obama politics (do whatever it takes, the ends justify the means) . We need a candidate that has been vetted, who can be a uniter, who’s not controversial, who can bring in Independents and Reagan Dems, who can win a General Election not just a primary, and then one who can work with both sides after for the Illinois we deserve.
Days ahead of Gov. Pat Quinn’s State of the State address, his budget director has sent lawmakers a letter detailing “encouraging” developments on Illinois’ billions in unpaid bills.
The Sunday letter says the backlog will be $5.6 billion by fiscal year’s end, down from roughly $10 billion. Budget chief Jerry Stermer says if progress continues Illinois will be in line with “private-sector benchmarks.” […]
A budget spokesman says there isn’t a connection between the letter and Quinn’s Wednesday speech. He says Quinn will later outline budget issues.
It’s AP Chicago, and it’s a quickie Sunday story, so those unfortunate realities make this story worth a closer look to see if it’s actually true.
I am writing to you today with encouraging news. Over the past five years we have worked together and made progress on many critical issues, from reforming our pension systems to overhauling Medicaid, and we have made tough choices and focused on policies that drive our economy forward. Thanks to this collaboration, we are projecting that the state’s backlog of bills will be down to $5.6 billion at the end of this fiscal year. That is more than 43 percent lower than the $9.9 billion backlog at the peak of the recession. […]
If the outstanding bills are paid down – and not allowed to pile up again – the amount of bills making their way through the state’s payment system in any 30-day period ($3 billion or 10 percent of the state’s general-funds budget) will be in line with private-sector benchmarks. Thank you for your collaboration and feel free to contact me with questions.
* But if you look at the accompanying charts, you’ll see that the governor’s budget office actually projects that the bill backlog will be about $400 million higher at the end of this fiscal year ($5.6 billion) than it was at the end of last fiscal year ($5.2 billion).
And this is old news. At the end of March, 2013, the backlog stood at about $9.1 billion. It dropped to $5.5 billion by the end of April, 2013. It’s stayed pretty much constant since then, rising a little, falling a little, rising a little. It was as low as $4.7 billion last July, and stood at $6.4 billion by the end of this past December.
So, why tout this old news? Well, despite the denials above, this is all about setting the stage for the governor’s State of the State address. He’ll probably outline some grand new ideas and he needs to show that, fiscally, things are looking up.
In reality, it looks like the state did a good job last April paying down bills, but they remain stubbornly high now and in the foreseeable future. The budget office says they were “conservative” with their end of fiscal year projections, but it is what it is. The pile was reduced nine months ago, and it’s remained at about the same height ever since.
The Quinn administration highlighted another part of the new estimates: if the pension law withstands a legal challenge from unions, the state will see its $100 billion pension debt immediately drop by about $24 billion instead of the previous $21 billion estimate. The better-than-expected projection is being driven by last year’s improved performance of the billions of dollars the pension funds have invested.
New calculations show the state will save about $15 billion less than initially projected from the controversial major government worker pension overhaul that lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn approved last month. […]
Last month, House Speaker Michael Madigan championed the pension overhaul as saving $160 billion over 30 years. But when the financial minds at the pension systems covering state workers, teachers outside Chicago and public university employees took a look, the savings estimate came out to $145 billion.
The full report that the story is based on can be accessed by clicking here.
…Adding… The Tribune has changed “The Quinn administration highlighted another part of the new estimates” to “Legislative supporters highlighted another part of the new estimates.”
Can’t speak for the Tribbies, but the Quinn administration is pointing at those unfunded liability numbers behind the scenes.
Americans For Prosperity
Targeting various IL House Districts
Agency: Mentzer Media, DC
1/27/14 – 2/2/14
Chicago $ Total: $49,690
Central IL $ Total: $2,401
Networks: CNN, ESPN, FXNC, HIST
Dayparts: All dayparts purchased
Zones / syscodes / $ total by zone
Bloomingdale / 6196 / $6,540 Target: IL HD 46
Oakbrook / 6217 / $7,925 Target: IL HD 46
St Charles Wheaton / 1733 / $12,465 Target: IL HD 46
Aurora Naperville / 1737 / $13,280 Target: IL HD 84
Kankakee / 1244 / $9,480 Target: IL HD 79
Champaign-Springfield / 0316 / $1,989 Target: All HD’s / State Capitol
Champaign Springfield U-verse / $413 Target: All HD’s / State Capitol
Total Order: $52,091
* They have several targeted ads on their YouTube page. Here’s a sample…
Peter Besenhofer, 47, worries that the gasoline tanker truck he drives to construction sites across the city and suburbs, sometimes carrying loads worth nearly $30,000, could make him a target.
“I don’t want to have to shoot anybody. Just showing a firearm can defuse so many situations. That’s one thing the statistics can never show you, because those instances never get reported,” said Besenhofer, who lives in Naperville.
He recalled one instance in the mid-1980s when he wished he had been carrying a gun.
“I was on my motorcycle and got turned around a bit and ended up at a stoplight right near Cabrini-Green. And people began looking at me and coming out of the woodwork like they were gonna jump me,” said Besenhofer, who sped away.
So, is he saying he would’ve preferred to flash a gun rather than just leave?
I don’t think I’ve seen a Republican - or just about any candidate of any stripe - work as hard for an AFL-CIO endorsement than Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka did.
She assiduously courted the unions who represent workers in her office, worked to help the Teamsters pass a bill important to the union that jabbed at a non-union cemetery owner (the comptroller’s office regulates some cemeteries), built strong relationships with some labor union leaders and attended tons of their events and even endorsed the union-backed pension reform bill.
In other words, she went above and beyond her Democratic rival Sheila Simon on pretty much all counts. The Simon family has long enjoyed union support. Except for his successful US Senate primary bid in 1984, union leaders and members almost always backed her father Paul.
And the daughter would’ve likely had organized labor’s backing this year if she’d run for the open state treasurer slot instead of for comptroller against Topinka. So it was little surprise when Topinka received the Illinois AFL-CIO endorsement this month
It’s no secret that Illinois voters have tended to lean Democratic for quite a number of years, so successful Republican candidates have to prove they are not completely hostile to the prevailing state winds.
Voters know Topinka well, and many probably still kick themselves for voting for Rod Blagojevich instead of her. Blagojevich defeated Topinka by 10 points in 2006. You’d be hard pressed to find many people who were proud of that pro-Rod vote today.
And even though Topinka is well-known to voters, Simon’s family name still carries quite a bit of cachet, so Topinka has not rested on her laurels. Instead, she’s worked hard to outflank Simon on her left, and not just with the unions.
Topinka has long been aggressively outspoken on gay rights issues, and she upped her credibility on the issue with the gay marriage proposal, working the bill hard and then receiving a huge roar of applause when, during the gay marriage signing ceremony, she offered to serve as a “flower girl” for any couple who is married under the new law.
The state Federation of Labor will make fall election endorsements this summer, so I suppose it’s possible that they could go in a different direction. But Simon probably didn’t help her case any when she blasted the Topinka endorsement by “insiders” acting “behind closed doors.” The AFL-CIO always meets privately to discuss these endorsements, and it’s doubtful Simon would’ve been so concerned about the process if she’d received the nod.
Simon sent out a press yesterday shortly before the labor endorsement was announced praising herself for raising a mere $132,000 in the fourth quarter of 2013. Topinka raised even less, but her campaign claims she back-loaded her fundraising for this quarter. We’ll see. Either way, Topinka has $914,000 tucked away in her campaign bank account compared to $379,000 for Simon, and Simon now won’t be getting much if any major union contributions in the near future.
Topinka also endeared herself to many state legislators who don’t have second jobs when she immediately cut legislative paychecks after a Cook County judge ruled last year that Quinn’s veto of member salaries was unconstitutional. Quite a few of those legislators are African-Americans and Latinos, so Simon didn’t help herself with them when she criticized Topinka for her fast action and said she would’ve waited to see if the judge stayed his order.
And even Gov. Pat Quinn, who often nurses grudges, has seemed to brush off Topinka’s paycheck move. Quinn told the Chicago Sun-Times’ Michael Sneed this month that he “can’t praise State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka enough” for her work on animal welfare issues. Quinn is still reportedly not happy with his lieutenant governor for the way she abruptly jumped off the ticket a year ago when Lisa Madigan loomed large as a potential challenger, and for when Simon refused to endorse him last summer when it looked like he faced a difficult primary against Bill Daley.
Despite everything, Illinois is Illinois, so this campaign isn’t a slam dunk for the incumbent comptroller by any means. And that’s a big reason why Topinka worked so hard to win the state Fed’s endorsement this month. Very smart politics.
* Buried at the very end of an article about big money being poured into the gubernatorial race is this quote from Michael Keiser, who, according to the Tribune made his money selling recycled greeting cards and said he met Rauner through the charter school movement…
“I think of public employees as the ‘haves’ of current Illinois society and the ‘have-nots’ as the private-sector taxpayers. And Bruce represents the have-nots.”
*** UPDATE *** Corrected to include the correct identity of the person making the quote. I was apparently moving way too fast earlier this morning and somehow misread the story. All apologies.
* Bruce Rauner’s campaign sent this out earlier today…
It has been widely reported in news outlets including the Associated Press, Chicago Sun-Times and Capitol Fax that Pat Quinn’s Democratic Party and labor union allies - a coalition that has invested $10 million in Quinn’s political career - are threatening to spend millions of dollars in this year’s Republican Primary trying to pick the GOP nominee for governor who they think will be easiest to beat in November.
The Republican Governors Association called it an “outrageous act of despair” that is an “attempt to subvert the democratic process.” The Illinois GOP condemned these types of “tricks, games and campaign schemes” and said they show “a blatant disregard for the voters of Illinois.”
Despite state and national Republican leaders speaking out against the planned efforts, GOP candidates Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, and Dan Rutherford have been silent on it.
“Republican primary voters deserve to know whether Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, and Dan Rutherford are working together with Pat Quinn and his allies to try to hijack the Republican primary,” said Chip Englander, campaign manager for Bruce Rauner. “Will they side with grassroots Illinois Republicans who want to choose our party’s nominee, or will they side with Pat Quinn’s efforts to attack Bruce Rauner?”
“The longer they stay silent, the more obvious it is that they condone and encourage this Democratic partisan attempt to meddle in the Republican primary,” Englander added.
At the same time, local Republican Party organizations are continuing to line up with Bruce. He has already earned endorsements from the Cook County Republican Party, Cuba Township Republicans, Wauconda Township Republican Club, Hanover Township Republican Organization, Palatine Township Republican Organization, New Trier Republican Organization, Palos Township Republican Organization, Republican Club of Evanston and the Northfield Township Republican Organization.
“Local Republican leaders and grassroots activists aren’t about to let Pat Quinn’s allies subvert the Republican primary, and neither should any of the other candidates running for governor,” Englander concluded.
“Rutherford has absolutely no involvement in this rumored coalition. To suggest that Rutherford’s silence is ‘condoning or encouraging’ such activity is ludicrous,” said Rutherford spokesman Brian Sterling. “Anyone who has the money and wants to spend it buying TV time is entitled to their share of the airwaves. He, of all people, should recognize that. Rauner should be worrying about things he can control.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Dillard campaign…
Dillard-Tracy Campaign Manager Glenn Hodas today issued the following statement in response to Bruce Rauner’s press release: Quinn Allies Attempting to Hijack GOP Primary. . .
“Rauner’s correct when he says ‘someone’ is hijacking the Republican Party. HE is.
“Rauner is a Democrat in sheep’s clothing. Rauner doesn’t want GOP voters to know that he voted Democrat, gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democrats to DEFEAT Republican candidates, and is on a first-name basis with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. And let’s not forget the State Journal-Register story, where Rauner admits giving $300,000 to Ed Rendell, the head of the Democrat National Committee, because Rauner, “wanted to have influence with the head of the DNC.”
“Like a hedge-fund vulture, Bruce Rauner is staging a hostile takeover of the Republican Party. Rauner reminds you of an Illinois Gordon Gecko, but with a cheap watch.”
“First and foremost, I have absolutely no connection to whatever efforts by third-party groups may be underway,” Brady said in a statement. “I’m working to defeat Pat Quinn and overturn the disastrous policies of Democrats that are driving Illinois jobs away.”
“Mr. Rauner fails to recognize that there are many union members – in both the public and private sectors – who are Republicans, who are disgusted with the failures of Pat Quinn, and who want to make sure their party nominates the best candidate to turn Illinois around,” he added in the statement.
* I know it’s late in the day on Friday, but I was finally able to track down the audio from last night’s post debate press conference. I wasn’t able to attend, so many, many thanks to Tanya Koonce, the WCBU news director, for passing these along.
* Sen. Kirk Dillard went after Bruce Rauner hard and the assembled reporters all ignored it when it came time to write their stories.
Dillard said that Rauner’s venture capital world was “You do it my way, or we’ll steamroll you.” Dillard then brought up the recent stories about nursing home deaths tied to Rauner’s company. “There is a cost to ‘My way or the highway,’ people have died.” Dillard claimed that “Bruce Rauner is just used to buying things… and he’s not going to be able to buy his 10th mansion in Illinois.”
“Read what the judge wrote in the nursing home case, ‘A callous disregard for human life,’” Dillard said.
Dillard mentioned the Michigan case, he hammered home the Stu Levine stuff. But almost none of this was covered by the reporters who were there last night. [Changed that sentence a bit so I could note that Gatehouse updated its story with the “my way or the highway” snippet.]
* Dan Rutherford said he didn’t need to participate in the “clarification rounds” because he’d already answered the questions. He also pledged to remain totally positive in his TV ads and said he wouldn’t tack one way or another before the primary. He is what he says he is right now, he said, pointing to his “honesty” about his position on new revenue, which is that he won’t commit until he sees what the situation is after the election…
* When it was his turn, Bruce Rauner said: “Here’s the situation, the special interest groups that make their money from government control Springfield… That’s the fact, it’s a tragedy.”
“The government union bosses, the trial lawyers, these corrupt groups, they can’t do anything to me. I’m impenetrable to them,” Rauner said.
He said his opponents are “part of the problem,” for voting “with Democrats” to raise taxes and fees, for big spending increases, for more debt, for bad pension deals, for pay raises for themselves.
“I’m gonna be dragged through the mud, my family’s gonna be dragged through the mud, my businesses are gonna be dragged through the mud.”
Rauner said the reason he was being attacked was because “my message is a threatening one” to the powers that be in Illinois. He said there was “no foundation” to the attacks so far. “There’s no there there.”
Though Quinn didn’t spill the beans in an interview Thursday he did say “it’s important that we have a continued building in our state.”
Adding that Illinois should support the “fundamentals” like building and repairing roads, fixing bridges also making sure schools are in good condition.
Political observers say its also a good bet that Quinn will continue his push to increase the state’s minimum wage to $10 an hour, which he recently said should be passed and put into place by the end of this year.
* The Question: Besides a new capital plan and the minimum wage, what do you think the governor will talk about?
* Not that it really matters, but David Earl Williams III and Susanne Atanus are the Republican candidates vying to get clobbered by Congresscritter Jan Schakowsky this fall.
Each of them have their, shall we say, idiosyncrasies. Daily Herald…
“I am a conservative Republican and I believe in God first,” Atanus said. She said she believes God controls the weather and has put tornadoes and diseases such as autism and dementia on earth in response to gay rights and legalized abortions.
“God is angry. We are provoking him with abortions and same-sex marriage and civil unions,” she said. “Same-sex activity is going to increase AIDS. If it’s in our military it will weaken our military. We need to respect God.”
Republican leaders came out strong against Atanus Thursday morning. Illinois Republican Chairman Jack Dorgan called on the candidate to end her congressional campaign, saying in a statement: “The offensive statements by Susanne Atanus have no place in the modern political debate, and she has no place on the ballot as a Republican. Her candidacy is neither supported nor endorsed by the leaders of our party, and she should withdraw from the race immediately.”
Adam Robinson, chairman of the Chicago Republican Party, emphasized in another statement that Atanus “is not in any way affiliated with any of our efforts in the Chicago GOP, nor have we ever supported, endorsed, or assisted her in any way at any time.”
Atanus, who lives in Niles, continued to stand by her comments.
“I am a Christian. I care a lot about the world and I care a lot about my obedience to serve God the right way,” she said. “I can’t turn my eye and look the other way when I know that abortions, gay rights and civil unions are making God very angry.”
A judge in Washington, D.C., has issued a domestic violence civil protection order against a Republican candidate seeking to represent Evanston in Congress.
Judge Jennifer M. Anderson ruled after a hearing last month that David Earl Williams III stalked his former girlfriend, a DC-area activist on libertarian and conservative causes.
The judge ordered Williams to have no contact with the woman and further ordered him to take a court-supervised anger-management class, undergo a mental health assessment and submit to treatment if the assessment deemed it necessary.
She also ordered him to not contact the ex-girlfriend by email, text messaging or social media.
Williams flatly denies the allegation and says he’s appealing. His campaign called the allegation “frivolous.”
Williams, who says he works in logistics, refused to disclose where he works because he has not yet informed his employer that he is running for Congress, he said.
The Illinois State Board of Education today called on lawmakers and the Governor to invest in students and the state’s economic future by changing their budgeting focus to increase the state’s share of funding for education. In order for Illinois to remain competitive nationally and internationally, Board members contend the state needs to move toward making K-12 education account for one-third of the state budget. As part of their request, the Board is asking that lawmakers honor the General State Aid (GSA) Foundation Level commitment of $6,119 per student. School districts have not received the full share of GSA promised to them under state law for the past three years.
Historically, Illinois’ State General Funds budget has dedicated approximately 27 percent to K-12 education. However, in order to increase economic vitality for the future, the Board is calling for a shift to 33 percent of the total state budget. The increase being sought on behalf of Illinois students is $1.08 billion dollars. When adjusting the FY09 K-12 education budget for inflation, the Board’s request amounts to a 1.5 percent decrease from the adjusted FY09 levels. Based on FY14 funding levels, the Board’s request would account for about 31 percent of the State General Funds budget.
“There is no doubt this is a lot of money, and some may scoff at our request, but we cannot shortchange our students, because we’re only hurting our state’s future,” said State Board of Education Chairman Gery J. Chico.
The bulk of the $1 billion increase, $879 million, is tied to the board’s push to fully fund the base level of funding for the state’s two million public school students.
Other proposed increases outlined in the plan include:
• $27.1 million for districts to administer a new test test called Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, which is similar to the ACT.
• $25 million for early childhood education programs designed to boost the number of students served in preschool programs by more than 5,500.
• $2 million to provide assistance to low-income students taking Advance Placement exams.
* But that’s not all the board wants. Back to the press release…
In addition to the General Funds request, the Board’s recommendation includes a $450 million capital request to support districts as they improve their technology infrastructure. This funding will be targeted toward improving the connectivity of buildings to broadband internet service as well as improving the network capabilities with the classroom. This request does not include funding for individual devices.
* According to a newly released Bureau of Labor Statistics table, union membership rose by 50,000 people in Illinois between 2012 and 2013. During 2012, union membership stood at 801,000. By 2013 it was 851,000.
As a percentage of total employed, union membership grew from 14.6 percent in 2012 to 15.8 percent in 2013.
By comparison, Indiana’s 2013 union membership percentage was 9.3, Michigan’s was 16.3, Ohio’s was 12.6 and Wisconsin’s was 12.3.
In 2013, the union membership rate–the percent of wage and salary workers who were members of unions–was 11.3 percent, the same as in 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The number of wage and salary workers belonging to unions, at 14.5 million, was little different from 2012. In 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available, the union membership rate was 20.1 percent, and there were 17.7 million union workers. […]
In 2013, 7.2 million employees in the public sector belonged to a union, compared with 7.3 million workers in the private sector. The union membership rate for public-sector workers (35.3 percent) was substantially higher than the rate for private-sector workers (6.7 percent). Within the public sector, the union membership rate was highest for local government (40.8 percent), which includes employees in heavily unionized occupations, such as teachers, police officers, and firefighters. In the private sector, industries with high unionization rates included utilities (25.6 percent), transportation and warehousing (19.6 percent), telecommunications (14.4 percent), and construction (14.1 percent). Low unionization rates occurred in agriculture and related industries (1.0 percent), finance (1.0 percent), and in food services and drinking places (1.3 percent). (See table 3.)
Among occupational groups, the highest unionization rates in 2013 were in education, training, and library occupations and protective service occupations (35.3 percent each). Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations (2.1 percent) and sales and related occupations (2.9 percent) had the lowest unionization rates. […]
Among major race and ethnicity groups, black workers had a higher union membership rate in 2013 (13.6 percent) than workers who were white (11.0 percent), Asian (9.4 percent), or Hispanic (9.4 percent).
By age, the union membership rate was highest among workers ages 45 to 64–14.0 percent for those ages 45 to 54 and 14.3 percent for those ages 55 to 64. […]
In 2013, among full-time wage and salary workers, union members had median usual weekly earnings of $950, while those who were not union members had median weekly earnings of $750. […]
Over half of the 14.5 million union members in the U.S. lived in just seven states (California, 2.4 million; New York, 2.0 million; Illinois, 0.9 million; Pennsylvania, 0.7 million; and Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio, 0.6 million each), though these states accounted for only about one-third of wage and salary employment nationally. [Emphasis added.]
* Politico looks back at an attempt during the Great Depression to rank the nation’s states from best to worst…
In 1931, H.L. Mencken and his fellow editor at the American Mercury, Charles Angoff, wondered the same thing. In a three-part series the magazine called “The Worst American State,” the pair compiled dozens of rankings of population data, largely from the 1930 census, determined to anoint the best and worst of the 48 states (and the District of Columbia), according to various measures of wealth, culture, health and public safety. In the end, Mencken and Angoff declared Connecticut and Massachusetts “the most fortunate American States,” and they deemed Mississippi “without a serious rival to the lamentable preëminence of the Worst American State”
At the time, Illinois ranked 9th on Mencken’s list.
* Politico has compiled its own ranking, “from reputable sources like the Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FBI, and on important factors such as high school graduation rates, per capita income, life expectancy and crime rate.”
The “master list,” which is an overall average, has Illinois 30th in the nation.
* WSIL TV asked the four GOP candidates where they stook on reopening the shuttered Tamms supermax prison…
One of the republican candidates for governor is pledging to reopen Tamms Prison. Kirk Dillard’s running mate was in Murphysboro Thursday to talk about that idea. We were there to ask a few more questions of Lieutenant Governor candidate Jil Tracy. She had plenty to say, not only on the state facility closures, but also on minimum wage and repealing the state’s gas tax.
“We are committed to opening, reopening the Tamms Correctional Facility,” [Tracy said.] […]
“I’m absolutely going to look at ways to open them. Now, it’s got to be done within a process and a place and a way that’s going to be appropriate. But that is mission that I have,” Rutherford explains by phone. […]
Rauner’s spokesperson Mike Schrimpf eventually got back to us after our deadline. He says Rauner would create a strategic assessment to see how best to use the shuttered Tamms prison and the other closed facilities. […]
Brady did not get back to us.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** From Brady’s campaign…
Senator Bill Brady, Republican candidate for Governor, today reaffirmed his commitment to reopen Tamms Correctional Center to ease overcrowding in the state’s prison system and to provide needed job opportunity in Southern Illinois.
“Illinois has about 49,000 inmates housed in facilities designed to hold 32,000 inmates, so this is not the time to be closing facilities as the Quinn Administration has done in recent months,” Brady said. “Those closings have further crowded our prisons, and as Governor I will reopen Tamms to lessen the potential for danger to our correctional officers, ease overcrowding, and return job opportunities to Southern Illinois.”
Brady previously had said as early as last August in DuQuoin that he would reopen the shuttered correctional facility at Tamms. Earlier this month, he made the same commitment when he visited Alexander County and met with residents and former employees.
An Illinois pollution panel has denied emergency regulations to control piles of petroleum coke.
The Pollution Control Board made the decision on Thursday regarding statewide regulations proposed by Gov. Pat Quinn. The board’s decision means the rules will go through the longer, regular rule-making process. […]
Quinn wants to require storage terminals to immediately install dust-suppression systems and prevent storm water runoff. He also wants companies to fully enclose the piles within two years.
Industry officials say the rules would hurt Illinois businesses, and there’s no need for emergency action.
Illinois business leaders say Quinn’s regulations would be unreasonably expensive and don’t need to be rushed into place. They point to last year’s deal on fracking, in which people on both sides of the issue took the time to sit down and hammer out a compromise.
The petcoke rules, for example, could affect other industries, such as trucking, rail, barges, refineries and power generation in unexpected ways, they said.
“We believe the IEPA can’t know how this will affect business,” said Tom Wolf, executive director of the Illinois Chamber Energy Council. “Without an emergency, why are we going through a process that lasts seven days? There’s no science behind it. Petcoke and coal can be stored safely. If groups and individuals want to bring forward ideas on how it can be done better, that is what legislation and rule-making are for. That’s what democracy is about. It’s not about seven days.”
* Gov. Pat Quinn has been getting a free ride lately because the Republican candidates are beating each other up. So, what stories about Quinn would you like to see here?
At City Hall, a stink is being raised over medical marijuana regulation.
Some of the aldermen don’t like where the state is forcing the city to allow medical marijuana dispensaries and growing areas.
It’s basically in manufacturing districts and Alderman Carrie Austin is crying foul. “Very resourceful individuals in the City of Chicago might open up a bakery with some brownies! So, that bothers me!”
A group of drivers filed a lawsuit against Cardinal Logistics Management Corp. alleging that Cardinal misclassified drivers as independent contractors.
The drivers allege that they were employees, as opposed to independent contractors, and the misclassification allowed Cardinal to be relieved of the obligation to reimburse the drivers for any and all employment claims. The drivers also contend that Cardinal avoided giving them required meal and rest breaks, avoided keeping itemized wage statements and paying for workers’ compensation insurance.
The parties have reached a settlement which would require Cardinal to pay $3.75 million to create a settlement fund.
Cardinal Logistics Management Corp. was owned at the time by… you guessed it, GTCR Golder, Rauner...
“We are extremely pleased with Cardinal’s performance in growing the business profitably and we think the market for outsourced, specialized, high-intensity local fleet operations will continue to enjoy significant growth.
“Cardinal’s innovative capabilities and national infrastructure are ideally suited to create value for its clients in that arena,” said Dave Donnini, member of Cardinal’s Board of Directors and Principal of GTCR Golder Rauner LLC.
[Plaintiffs attorney] Jennifer Whipple characterizes the case as “one of the most blatant cases of deliberate misclassification” she’s ever seen. […]
The lawsuit claims that Cardinal directs and controls the work its delivery drivers perform, but has established an elaborate system and a series of documents to disguise the employer-employee relationship. For example, Cardinal requires the drivers to agree to provide their own equipment to perform deliveries, but also requires them to lease the trucks from the company and cover all costs, such as fuel and maintenance, the suit says. It also charges that as a condition of employment, the drivers are required to establish their own corporations or limited liability companies, which “serve no purpose other that to perpetuate and shield Cardinal’s scheme.”
The complaint stems from the specific case of Gerald Smith of Reno, Nev., represented by Whipple, who worked as a delivery driver for Cardinal, driving a Home Depot-labeled truck and wearing a uniform with both Home Depot and Cardinal logos from May 2004 to November 2006.
Smith worked eight to 10 hours a day, six days a week, receiving a weekly paycheck from Cardinal after the company deducted a substantial proportion of his earnings for expenses, calculated entirely by Cardinal, the suit said. All of his work was done at the company’s direction.
“This company ignores its legal responsibilities to its workers and is maximizing profits at the expense of its workers,” Whipple said. “It is illegal and grossly unfair, and we look forward to getting some justice for these drivers.”
After a 15-year holding period, GTCR has sold Cardinal Logistics Management Inc ., a third-party transportation logistics provider with $325 million in revenue, to Centrebridge Partners, according to Jerry Bowman , president of Cardinal Logistics.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed..
Hat tip: William Kelly, who is a vehement Rauner hater. Still, those links don’t lie.
* By the way, GTCR bought Cardinal in 1997 and both were promptly sued by JB Hunt, which alleged Cardinal was trying to steal its employees and clients and attempting “blackmail.”
The embarrassing move had to be made because Frerichs claimed in the original video that he had “led by example” by “ending free lifetime healthcare for legislators.”
* I asked Sen. Frerichs about his vote yesterday, and he got back to me today saying there’d obviously been a mistake.
He said he supported getting rid of free health insurance for elected officials, but the final bill, he said, “included everyone,” including university employees, so he couldn’t support it.
“My media team and I were talking about various reforms I had supported,” Frerichs said, “I think what happened is we saw the bill and saw the first version, which I had voted for.”
* Making matters far worse, the legislation which Frerichs voted against was co-sponsored by none other than Tom Cross, Frerichs’ likely GOP rival. So, expect a Tom Cross press release in 3… 2… 1…
But, really, the goofiest thing about this mistake is that Frerichs has been running for treasurer for a year now. He’s had all this time to prepare the “perfect” official rollout and he blew it. That’s a seriously amateur mistake for a guy who claims to be running a top-notch campaign. There’s just no excuse for this stuff.
*** UPDATE *** Cross’ tracker was tossed out of Frerichs’ Chicago announcement event yesterday, but not before this video was taken of Frerichs taking credit for eliminating free lifetime health insurance for legislators…
Apparently, Frerichs dropped that particular line when he reached Peoria, which would be after I’d sent him an e-mail asking about the vote.
“There are many priorities out there, that is one of his,” Frerichs said.
Is it one of yours?
“In the treasurer’s office? No, the treasurer’s office is not in charge of pension reform. I think the things we need to focus on are making investments in our communities here in Illinois…” […]
Asked about Bruce Rauner’s criticism of Rutherford for not stepping up and taking a more central role in helping solve pension crisis, Frerichs said:
“The treasurer should be offering advice. We’ve seen the state going in the wrong direction”
Um, OK.
* Related…
* Ill. treasurer candidate hits incumbent on travel: Rutherford’s campaign spokesman Brian Sterling dismissed the criticism Wednesday, saying the treasurer is “very careful about mixing state and political business together.”
* Mike Frerichs kicks off Treasurer Campaign in Rock Island
* Lots and lots of new bills are being introduced, so, as always, keep in mind that a bill introduction doesn’t mean that it’ll pass. For instance…
An Illinois driver who smokes while kids are in the car could get slapped with a fine under a proposal pending in the Illinois Senate.
The measure would make it a crime to smoke in a vehicle where a minor is present, punishable by a fine of up to $100.
Police wouldn’t be allowed to stop drivers for this offense alone, but they could ticket a driver for it if the driver is caught committing some other punishable offense.
While opponents whistled the sound of falling bombs, proponents argued passionately for anti-smoking legislation aimed at protecting the health of young children.
House Bill 1769 went down in flames Thursday, garnering just 18 “yes” votes while the 91 opponents cheered.
The bill would have prohibited smoking in a vehicle with children ages 8 and under.
Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, sponsor of the bill, said he chose that age because children are in car seats until then. He thought it would simplify things for police officers.
Maybe this thing could move over time, or maybe it’ll just die like it always has. But a bill is just an idea at this point of the game.
“Every school district and every college that gives a pay raise from this day forward needs to also pay the pension cost of that pay raise,” [Sen. Bill Brady] told the Daily Herald editorial board Wednesday.
The idea is a cousin of the controversial proposal to have school districts pay for all of teachers’ future retirement costs, which Brady opposes. Opponents say the so-called cost-shift could hamper local schools’ budgets and force cuts elsewhere.
Brady says school boards shouldn’t be allowed to raise salaries and foist the cost onto the state.
“We have no control over those pay raises.”
Unlike Speaker Madigan’s “cost shift” proposal, Brady’s would only deal with pay raise costs going forward, not full salaries, past and present, and pension debt.
It’s not a bad idea. One of the reasons Illinois got itself in over its head on pensions is that the state made itself responsible for funding teacher and university pension systems. The costs just grew too high, and the state has no control over those costs, other than paying its bills on time (which would’ve kept those costs from rising, but hurt other budget items, like schools themselves).
* Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp responded to the new state rules forcing medical marijuana patients would have to surrender their FOID cards and concealed carry permits by saying carrying a concealed firearm after smoking medical marijuana is OK by him. He just doesn’t want people driving high…
“I just don’t think anyone should have their second amendment rights taken away from them because they’re on a prescription for a pain killer,” said Kettelkamp.
Kettelkamp is more worried about the people with driver’s licenses and medical marijuana cards, because he doesn’t feel there is an accurate way of testing drivers to see if they’re under the influence of marijuana.
“I don’t have many murders in Christian County,” said Kettelkamp. “But I have people killed in accidents, and that’s what really concerns me about somebody driving under the influence of marijuana. We’re not going to be able to detect that. There’s no way we can do a field sobriety test on an individual that’s under the influence of marijuana.”
* WICS TV also asked the Illinois State Police for an explanation of the FOID/carry ban for med-mar patients…
According to a statement from the agency, “possession of both a registry identification card and a FOID card is contrary to federal law.”
It should be noted that possessing marijuana, even while following all the rules of the new Illinois program, is also not allowed under federal law.
OK, I get that. You can’t do it under federal law. However, federal law also has some big penalties for growing, selling and smoking marijuana, whether medicinal or not, and Illinois has moved beyond that silliness.
* A federal suit over this issue was filed in 2011 after the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) issued a memo to all federal firearms dealers warning of severe consequences…
The memo says that “there are no exceptions in federal law for marijuana purportedly used for medicinal purposes, even if such use is sanctioned by State law…any person who uses…regardless of whether his or her state has passed legislation authorizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, is an unlawful user…and is prohibited by Federal law from possessing firearms of ammunition…..if you are aware that the potential transferee is in possession of a card authorizing the possession and use of marijuana under State law, then you…may not transfer firearms or ammunition to the person.” And indeed, Hauseur did not.
Wilson thinks that this BATFE policy violates her Second Amendment rights. With the help of Nevada lawyer Chaz Rainey of Rainey Devine, she filed suit in October in federal district court in Nevada against Department of Justice chief Eric Holder, the BATFE, and its acting director and assistant director.
As the suit says, “Ms. Wilson has never been charged with or convicted of any drug-related offense, or any criminal offense….Indeed, no evidence exists that Ms. Wilson has ever been ‘an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana….’ Ms. Wilson maintains that she is not an unlawful user of or addiction to marijuana….Nonetheless, Ms. Wilson was denied her Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms based solely on her possession of a valid State of Nevada medical marijuana registry card.” The suit argues the BATFE policy also violated her Fifth Amendment right to due process since it presumes she is a prohibited drug user arbitrarily.
* I asked all four Republican candidates and the governor’s campaign for comment on yesterday’s story by Doug Ibendahl about Bruce Rauner’s company’s involvement in some allegedly spectacular nursing home scandals. Dan Rutherford’s campaign politely declined comment “at this time.” Only Sen. Kirk Dillard’s campaign decided to weigh in. I didn’t hear back from anyone else, including Rauner’s campaign.
From a statement released by Glenn Hodas, who is Sen. Dillard’s campaign manager…
Yesterday’s stunning revelation about Bruce Rauner’s links to nursing home deaths and abuse, if true, is extremely disturbing. It shows how an obsession with profits can obliterate compassion and ethics.
At a bare minimum, the voters deserve a full explanation. Rightfully so, people all over the state this morning are asking, “Where is Mr. Rauner’s moral compass…does he even have one?”
And yet again, the steady drumbeat of controversies shadowing Rauner continues. One more story like this, and voters should ask Rauner to withdraw for the good of Illinois.
As we’ve said before, the problem with Bruce Rauner is not that he made a lot of money. Buts it’s how he made the money, and what he’s done with the money.
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