Caption contest!
Monday, Dec 10, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Democratic state Senate President John Cullerton on Sunday continued his push for legislation that would give a special driver’s license to illegal immigrants.
Cullerton told congregants at a packed Spanish-language service at St. Pius V Church in Pilsen that though the bill sailed through the Senate, he would need their help to get it through the House.
“The reason why we need to pass this legislation is not just so that illegal immigrants can drive, but also so that everyone will be safe,” said Cullerton, whose talk was translated into Spanish. “I hope you can continue to encourage your legislators in the House of Representatives to vote for the bill.”
Under the measure, an estimated 250,000 illegal immigrants would be eligible for three-year renewable driver’s licenses. The special licenses would require drivers to pass vision, written and road tests. It could not be used as an official form of identification.
* Cullerton photo…
Caption?
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Question of the day - Golden Horseshoe Awards
Monday, Dec 10, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Golden Horseshoe for Best Senate Secretary/Admin. Assistant goes to Robin Gragg…
Robin Gragg in the senate presidents office. Dealing with the calls and people she deals with on a average session day would cause the normal person to be jaded. But not Robin. She gets through every day with a smile and her quick wit.
The woman is unflappable.
* Runner-up is Melissa Earle, who is coming off a particularly difficult week…
Anyone who can put up with the traffic up in that office deserves the award!!
Agreed. It can get crazy up on 6.
* Now, let’s move on to today’s categories…
* Best House Legislative Staffer - Non Political
* Best Senate Legislative Staffer - Non Political
We’ll start the “political” staff category tomorrow. Let’s keep this to the folks who generally stay on payroll year-round. And remember that this is about intensity, and not about raw vote totals. No comment = no impact. Thanks.
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Fracked without consent?
Monday, Dec 10, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After rejecting requests to lease their oil and gas rights for fracking on their land, a southern Illinois couple has discovered that their property could be fracked without their consent…
A rural Williamson County couple was surprised to learn that the rights they own for oil and gas on their property may not protect them from the possibility of fracking on their land.
Joy and David Ramsey recently discovered that despite owning the gas and oil rights on their 44 acres of land east of Marion, they could be forced into a lease that would allow high-volume hydraulic fracturing on their property. […]
According to the Illinois Oil and Gas Act, unwanted leases can result under certain circumstances.
Drilling occurs in units, which vary in size but are usually between 10 and 40 acres. Drilling permit applicants need to secure the rights for all the property within the unit.
Because units can be spread across separately owned interests, if all leaseholders agree, they may integrate their interests and develop their lands as a drilling unit. However, if leaseholders can’t agree to integration within the unit, a hearing could be set in the matter.
The hearing would determine whether the unit is integrated.
* An attempt to regulate fracking came up short last spring.
As always with legislation, the question here is one of balance. There’s a real, tangible overall good to extracting lots of natural gas in order to lower the nation’s dependency on other fuel sources. If Illinois turns out to have a large amount of frackable natural gas, the state could receive tons of tax revenues. On the other hand, there are some real concerns about the impact on local landowners from fracking. A southern Illinois group has compiled a small list of problems so far. Click here to see it.
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Radio silence
Monday, Dec 10, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
One of the most fascinating things about the media frenzy surrounding state Sen. Donne Trotter’s arrest last week was that not one of his Democratic opponents in the 2nd Congressional District immediately jumped in front of the cameras to comment about it.
They stayed quiet even when Trotter (D-Chicago) announced the next day, after bonding out of jail on a gun charge, that he wouldn’t drop out of the race to replace former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.
And still nothing was said after media reports revealed that the gun was not registered and that Trotter had not reported an outside security job on his financial disclosure reports.
Trotter was arrested Wednesday morning for allegedly attempting to bring an unloaded pistol and an ammo clip through a security checkpoint at O’Hare International Airport. Reporters swarmed the courthouse after Trotter posted bond Thursday and then, when he refused comment, some descended on his home on the South Side.
His arrest was one of the biggest news stories in the city, mainly because of his congressional bid, yet none of the dozen or so other prospective Democratic candidates in the 2nd District special election issued a statement or responded on the record to questions about his arrest or his unknown second job.
One campaign insider said late last week that his operation was maintaining a “no comment” stance regarding Trotter but marveled how it was “really amazing” that everybody had shown such restraint in a race that appears to be hotly contested.
Well, Trotter is armed, I cracked.
All kidding aside, the political dynamics in black-majority political districts can be a lot different than in white districts. So many blacks have been arrested in this country that a candidate who piles on somebody right after they’re busted probably wouldn’t be received well by black voters — who make up most of the electorate in the 2nd District.
Plus, there’s an old political saw about how one should “never commit homicide when an opponent is committing suicide.”
Ironically, Trotter was arrested for allegedly violating a law that he voted for twice. Once a decade ago, when he voted to increase the penalties for his alleged violation from a misdemeanor to a felony.
And then again a few years ago when he moved that statutory language to another part of state law: “It is unlawful for any person to board or attempt to board any commercial or charter aircraft, knowingly having in his or her possession any firearm, explosive of any type or other lethal or dangerous weapon.”
Notice the word “knowingly” in the text. Trotter told police that he forgot he had the small, .25-caliber pistol and a separate ammo clip in his travel bag.
Trotter’s story is that he didn’t knowingly bring the gun through security, which seems logical because trying to do so at O’Hare would be a spectacularly stupid thing to do. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office, however, decided to charge him with a Class 4 felony, which carries a prison sentence of one to three years and a fine of up to $25,000.
A former state’s attorney in another county who once was a legislator said Trotter’s “I forgot” defense will be a “tough slog.”
“The case law on this provision (knowledge) is clear and well established,” the ex-prosecutor said in an email message. “About the only way I could see a possible defense under this provision would be if Donne picked up someone else’s luggage that looked just like his luggage and carried it to security without ‘knowing’ that it contained a gun — or that someone planted a gun in his luggage.”
He said he always liked Trotter, but the Chicago senator is “in a world of hurt with the law.” But he added it’s “ridiculous” that every unlawful use of a weapon charge is a felony.
“There is no misdemeanor provision of UUW available for first-time offenders,” he grumbled.
And word from inside is that Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez may take a hard look at Trotter’s revelation about his special gun-carrying permit via a job with a Chicago security company.
Things could get very ugly or end very quickly. And his opponents may have jumped on Trotter by the time you read this.
* And as it turns out, what I was hearing from inside the state’s attorney’s office was correct…
The pistol-packing misadventure at O’Hare Airport that landed state Sen. Donne Trotter in a lockup facing felony gun charges has spawned a separate investigation into the politically connected security company Trotter said employs him as an armed guard, DNAinfo.com Chicago has learned.
Law enforcement sources say the investigation will likely look into whether Trotter, who makes nearly $90,000 a year as senator, really does moonlight as a security guard for Allpoints Security and Detective Inc., 2110 1/2 E. 71st St.
And a separate state probe has been launched to determine if the Southeast Side security firm has acted as a “front” to procure firearm control cards for people who are not employed as armed guards, according a source close to the investigation.
Apparently, the state’s attorney likes to leak info about ongoing investigations. Not good at all.
* In other news, Dick Durbin demanded no special treatment for Trotter…
“We’re very serious, and we have to remain serious at airports. When people want to bring firearms on airplanes, they’ve got to know they face felony charges, which is what is looming over Sen. Trotter at the moment,” Durbin said.
“What happens as a result of this case, I can’t say. But we can’t make exceptions because someone’s an elected official,” Durbin said. “This applies to everybody across the board. Don’t tempt us. Don’t try to test the system because we’re serious about safety on our airplanes.”
I would add that there shouldn’t be any special leaking about this case, either.
* Related…
* Washington: Donne Trotter’s gun is worse than his stupidity
* Slating: Becoming chosen one doesn’t carry weight it once did
* Race to Replace Jackson Lacks Star Power
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Alvarez defends “false confession capital”
Monday, Dec 10, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez committed what could amount to political suicide on 60 Minutes last night. The program was about the large number of false confessions in Chicago - highest in the nation. Have a look…
* You should really watch the segment, but Zorn has the transcript of Alvarez’s self immolation…
Byron Pitts: (Alvarez) defends the actions of the police in these two cases.
Alvarez: We have not uncovered any evidence of any misconduct by the police officers or the State’s Attorneys that took the statements in these cases.
Narration: Alvarez still believes the confession Terrill Swift gave in the Nina Glover case. Despite the fact there was no DNA evidence linking him or the others to the crime.
Byron Pitts: Did you find any of the boys’ DNA on the victim?
Anita Alvarez: No, we didn’t.
Byron Pitts: Did you find any of their DNA in the basement of the house?
Anita Alvarez: No.
Byron Pitts: How do you explain that the boys would say they raped a woman, and there not be any DNA evidence? Doesn’t that strike you as odd?
Anita Alvarez: Well, we would love to have DNA on everything. And every piece of evidence that we have, in every crime. But it doesn’t necessarily occur.
Narration: Last year, the (New York-based) Innocence Project retested the one DNA sample that was recovered inside the victim Nina Glover. It was submitted to the National DNA Database and a match was made to Johnny Douglas, a serial rapist and convicted killer, who is now deceased. But the new discovery did not change Anita Alvarez’s mind.
Byron Pitts: You find out years later that, in fact, the DNA found inside the victim’s body belonged to Johnny Douglas. And Johnny Douglas is a convicted serial rapist and murderer. That doesn’t tell you that he most likely is the person who killed this woman?
Anita Alvarez: No. It doesn’t. Is he a bad guy? Absolutely, he is. Absolutely. But, can we prove, just by someone’s bad background, that they committed this particular crime? It takes much more than that….
Narration: In the case of Robert Taylor, Jonathan Barr and James Harden, DNA found inside the 14-year-old victim Catteresa Matthews was also retested, and a match was made to Willie Randolph, a 34-year-old convicted rapist, with 39 arrests. (Innocence Project Defense attorney) Peter Neufeld says prosecutors rejected the DNA evidence and instead came up with an unusual theory to explain it all away.
Peter Neufeld: They suggest perhaps after the kids killed her this man wandered by and committed an act of necrophilia.
Byron Pitts: Necrophilia. A lot of our viewers won’t know what that means.
Peter Neufeld: Having sex with a dead person.
Anita Alvarez: It’s possible. We have seen cases like that.
Byron Pitts: Possible?
Anita Alvarez: It is. We’ve seen it in other cases.
Byron Pitts: It’s possible that this convicted rapist, wandered past an open field, and had sex with a 14-year-old girl who was dead?
Anita Alvarez: Well, there’s all kinds of possibilities out there, and what I’m saying is that I don’t know what happened.
* Zorn concludes…
Just days after Alvarez was embarrassed by the grand jury indictment in the Koschmann case comes this fresh evidence that she’s not up to her job. She just doesn’t know what happened? And this is the woman we expect to represent the interests of justice in Cook County?
Make sure to watch the entire segment to get the full impact.
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What would it take to strike?
Monday, Dec 10, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* There has never been a statewide AFSCME strike in Illinois. The Tribune spells out what the law says about the issue…
First, the governor’s office must declare that negotiations have reached an impasse. Both sides say at this point, that hasn’t happened.
Should that happen, however, the administration could then try to impose the terms of its “best and final” offer. The union has the right to appeal that move to the Illinois Labor Relations Board to dispute the declaration of an impasse. The governor has a bit of a home court advantage because he appoints the panel.
If the board were to side with the union, talks would resume. The board also could agree with the administration that negotiations are deadlocked. Such a decision would force the union to put the contract up for a vote. The options: go along with the governor’s final offer or strike. The union would have to give the state five days notice before walking off the job.
It’ll be a while.
* The paper also looked at pay and benefits…
Quinn’s office distributes a chart that attempts to paint Illinois union workers as higher paid than their counterparts in other states. But the document features just nine other states, and the administration won’t explain its methodology, so it’s unclear whether it is making an apples-to-apples comparison.
Meanwhile, union spokesman Anders Lindall tried to frame the debate by suggesting that increasing wages to keep pace with the cost of living would cost less than $1 a month per person in Illinois. But that math doesn’t take into account that not everyone in the state pays taxes. […]
The administration says an individual worker pays $564 to $1,014 a year in premiums, with copays as low as $15. The cheapest plan is in line with other states, with the national average for an individual state worker policy coming to about $563, according to a study released this year by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
By comparison, private sector employees paid on average $1,127 a year in individual health care premiums in 2010, the most recent year available. As such, the governor wants state workers to pay more in health care premiums and copays.
* The paper also editorialized about a bill passed in May that allows the governor to set retiree health care insurance premiumus…
…the new law authorized the state to charge retirees, but lawyers for Gov. Pat Quinn say they have to negotiate an agreement on that with the state’s largest public employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Those negotiations have been dragging on for months with no end in sight.
Can’t the state now impose a premium charge for retirees? Quinn’s legal team says retiree health care has been a mandatory subject of collective bargaining since 1997, when then-Gov. Jim Edgar put the issue on the table. The lawyers say the state cannot start charging retirees for health care costs without AFSCME’s blessing. You can guess where AFSCME stands. The state’s largest public employee union has no intention of giving up one of the cushiest benefits the state offers.
When the bill passed, Madigan said the state is not obligated to provide free health care to retired workers. He made that clear several times on the House floor.
“I think it’s pretty well agreed, by everybody who’s working on these issues, that in the case of retiree health insurance there is no contractual relationship. There is no contractual obligation on the part of the state to continue to provide that health insurance. Said differently, the state is in a position to discontinue it at any time,” he said.
* Related…
* Pension experts divided over Nekritz-Biss plan
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Report: $4 million spent in last three weeks
Monday, Dec 10, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The race between Democrat Cheri Bustos and Republican Bobby Schilling generated some major spending in the campaign’s final three weeks…
An eye-popping $4 million was pumped into Illinois’ 17th District congressional race in its final 20 days, according to an analysis of finance reports, bringing the total cost of the campaign to $13.9 million, by far a record for the Quad-City area. […]
In reports that covered the last three weeks of the campaign, Bustos and Schilling spent more than $1.2 million between them. But that paled in comparison to the $2.8 million that their political parties and outside groups poured into the race’s final days.
The bulk of the late outside spending came from the political arms of the House’s two parties, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee, as well as the Karl Rove-founded Crossroads GPS advocacy group. The DCCC spent nearly $928,000 in the last three weeks, while the NRCC spent about $718,000. Crossroads spent $518,000.
Bustos, meanwhile, outspent Schilling in the last three weeks, the reports said. She spent $673,823, while Schilling doled out $559,336.
Discuss.
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* A spokesman for Gov. Pat Quinn says the state plans to appeal. This is AFSCME’s statement, with one from Quinn supposedly coming soon…
Frontline state employees represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 won a partial but important victory in Cook County Circuit Court yesterday when Judge Richard Billik ordered that the administration of Governor Pat Quinn is obligated to pay wages the governor has unilaterally withheld from some 30,000 state workers since July 2011.
Governor Quinn refused to pay negotiated wage increases provided in the union contract, arguing that the state legislature failed to appropriate sufficient funds. An independent arbitrator subsequently found the Governor in violation of the contract and ordered him to pay the wages, but the administration appealed.
While Billik found that the state cannot immediately pay more than the appropriated amount, he ruled that this argument does not dissolve the state’s contractual obligation. The state must pay what it can now and make employees whole eventually.
“This ruling is a strong affirmation of the union’s clear and simple position: Employees must be paid the wages they are owed, and a contract cannot be unilaterally discarded,” AFSCME Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer said.
Judge Billik had previously ordered the state to preserve and sequester funds available at the end of the 2012 fiscal year, preventing them from lapsing until the case is decided. He has now ordered the Quinn Administration to work with the Comptroller to place those funds in a trust that cannot be accessed except to pay employees what they are owed. Billik will issue a further ruling clarifying how these funds may be disbursed.
Affected employees are those who work for the Illinois Departments of Corrections, Human Services, Juvenile Justice, Natural Resources and Public Health as well as the Human Rights Commission.
“Governor Quinn has wasted hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars with the goal of preventing middle-class public employees from being paid according to their contract and the law,” AFSCME director Bayer said. “We urge the governor to end his wasteful court battle and move forward to pay employees who have waited far too long.”
*** UPDATE *** From the Governor’s office…
The Illinois General Assembly did not appropriate money for raises in its Fiscal Year 12 budget. As the Governor has said repeatedly, the state cannot pay money it does not have the appropriation authority to spend. We will immediately appeal this ruling.
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* I absolutely hate deciding on the best legislative admin assistant awards. I love them all, but they rule the world so I’m scared to death of them (just kidding… kinda).
Kristin Milligan got a whole lot of nominations this time around. Her boss, Skip Saviano, lost his election, so let’s all hope her future is bright and secure. Kristin won last year, so that’s why I chose to give it to someone else - not because she isn’t the best. I just wanted to spread it around a bit.
And even then, I couldn’t decide. So, I’m declaring a tie in the “Beth Hamilton Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Secretary/Admin. Assistant.”
Carol Shehorn…
Have to agree that Carol Shehorn is a “gift” to anyone who works with the House and Leader Currie. It does not matter if it’s perfunctory day, Budget Address Day, committee deadline week or the last in May, Carol goes above and beyond the call of duty to assist people. And she does it with a smile on her face and makes everyone from an intern to a Legislative Leader feel like they are the most important person she will talk to that day. They don’t come any better than Carol.
And Sally McDaniel-Smith…
Sally Smith is unquestionably the best admin in the House. Her patience is astounding. She supports House legal staff with a smile on her face – even though dealing with 12 young lawyers day in and day out is enough to make even the sweetest person near suicidal. Even when deadlines are looming, HWV’s left eyeball is twitching, and everyone is at their wits’ end . . . Sally remarkably remains calm, cool, and collected. There were days I would have nominated her for sainthood – let alone a golden horseshoe.
I truly wish I could give it to every nominee.
* Now, let’s move on to today’s category…
Best Senate Secretary/Admin. Assistant
As always, keep in mind that intensity is all-important here. Nominations without explanations will be ignored.
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* Pantagraph…
After portraying state workers as overpaid and then terminating their union contract, Gov. Pat Quinn now wants them to know he still respects them.
In a letter sent Tuesday to about 49,000 employees under his control, the Chicago Democrat wrote that he wants to work with them to help address the state’s fiscal woes. […]
“Governor Quinn’s latest rhetoric doesn’t match reality,” AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said. “For months he has blamed state employees and retirees for Illinois’ budget problems and lied about their pay, health care and pension benefits.
“If he truly respects their work, he has a funny way of showing it, by trying to lay them off, weaken their bargaining rights and drive down their standard of living,” Lindall added.
* And here’s the e-mail…
Subject: Update: Our efforts to negotiate a new agreement
To all state employees in Illinois:
Throughout my career, I have respected the important work of public employees. Today more than ever I admire your dedication to serve in the midst of often difficult circumstances.
We did not create the unprecedented financial challenges we now face, but working together, we must take the difficult steps necessary to put Illinois back on sound financial footing.
Recently you may have read or heard about the status of bargaining between the administration and AFSCME.
My team continues to negotiate with AFSCME and other unions that represent most state employees with the goal of reaching a fair agreement as soon as possible.
I want to make very clear that my staff has not left the bargaining table. We are meeting again with AFSCME’s team next week. We have made significant efforts to compromise in negotiations, bearing in mind the reality of our unprecedented budget challenges.
I value your hard work, your commitment to the common good and your service to Illinois and its people.
* I also asked AFSCME for a response…
The proof will be in what the administration brings to the table. All year long our proposals have been extremely modest, and in the most recent round of negotiations we moved dramatically. We are seeking only to keep pace with the cost of living over the life of the agreement, while the state’s demands have relentlessly sought to drive down the middle class standard of living of state employees and retirees.
The Quinn administration’s demands reflect its misleading and overblown claims about worker pay, health care and pensions. They are not the basis of a fair agreement. So instead of talking about respect, it’s time to show it, with a new and different proposal at the table next week–one that doesn’t dig into the pockets of state employees, unaffordably driving up their health care costs and undercutting the middle class wages their families depend on.
* By the way, Quinn was booed by AFSCME members today at the Greater Kankakee Airport during an event to announce this…
A major national energy company on Thursday announced a $260 million expansion plan of an existing pipeline in Herscher that will make Kankakee County the center of gas distribution in the northern United States and Canada.
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Report: Serious internal strife at IML
Friday, Dec 7, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Daily Herald reported this week about some major turmoil within the Illinois Municipal League. Fascinating stuff…
Several board members — mainly from the suburbs — are questioning hiring practices, construction projects and financial management of the Springfield-based agency, according to letters and documents obtained by the Daily Herald between League officials and board members of the agency.
“The two biggest issues are the upper level management and personnel issues,” said Woodridge Mayor Bill Murphy, a past president of the League’s board and current member of its executive committee. “Those can be resolved with the timely resignation of Executive Director Larry Frang, who should be allowed to retire with dignity sometime in 2013. Earlier, than later.” […]
In February, a motion to fire Deputy Director Roger Huebner from his $192,474-a-year post was rejected 7-5 by the board’s executive committee.
That vote came on the heels of Huebner’s daughter being hired to a $32,500-a-year post as the League’s media relations specialist, a position that didn’t exist before her hiring. […]
The opposition mayors also expressed concern about more than $720,000 in renovations to the League’s offices in Springfield over the past six years that were not put up for bid.
* And you almost never see public comments like this from another municipal group…
“We’re in the camp of concern,” said Mark Fowler, executive director at the Northwest Municipal Conference that represents more than 40 suburbs in Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. “It’s imperative for all organizations like ours to be good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars and that’s the bottom line. I think there are significant questions that some board members have that need to be answered by the organization.”
Go read the whole thing.
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* From a news report dated December 6, 2012…
Gov. Pat Quinn says he’s working “night and day” with other top Illinois leaders on ways to address the critically low water levels on the Mississippi River.
The river covers hundreds of miles of the state’s border and is important to agriculture in Illinois, particularly because many of the state’s products are transported on the river.
The nation’s worst drought in decades has led to low levels. If they worsen, barge operators fear the waterway could become impassable.
* From November 7th, 2012, speaking about pension reform…
Quinn told reporters Wednesday he’ll be “working on that issue night and day.”
* June 15, 2010, at MidAmerica Airport…
“We’ve got to work night and day to keep building this airport,” Quinn said during a dedication ceremony inside a new $5.7 million facility.
* May 3, 2012…
“I look forward to working with the General Assembly night and day to make more progress in the remaining four weeks”
* October 31, 2011, after lawmakers had overridden his veto of the ComEd-backed “smart grid” bill…
“My job as governor is to protect our democracy from being infected by corruption or undue influence by powerful corporations and interests and I plan to do that night and day.
* November 5, 2010, after winning the governor’s race…
“I have to do my job right now as governor,” Quinn said. “I have work to do. I know the people of Illinois want to make sure we get our economy back in stride, and that’s what I focus on night and day.”
* August 17, 2010, after Rod Blagojevich’s conviction…
“We have to work night and day to ensure that government is honest as the people of Illinois.”
Quinn turned to leave, got to his office door, but reporters shouted questions and he turned around. “Allright,” he said, and returned to the podium.
* March 29, 2010, while introducing his new running mate…
Pat Quinn says Sheila Simon’s background in public service; local government and law make her a qualified running mate. Both realize the challenges Illinois faces with its budget billions in the red. “We know there’s a real serious challenge to get our economy back on track and we’re going to work night and day to be able to do that,”
* January 13, 2010 State of the State Address…
“I think in the past year, we’ve worked together, night and day in some cases, to win the trust of the people”
* January 4, 2010…
Quinn resolved to keep working hard to create and protect jobs. “I further resolve to promote economic growth in Illinois by rooting night and day for a Cubs-White Sox World Series,” he added.
* April 3, 2009, after Rod Blagojevich was indicted…
“Today, more than ever, I’m committed to making sure our government has fundamental reform, top to bottom,” he said. “We’re going to work night and day to make sure the government of Illinois is honest and clean.”
* From January 29, 2009, after being sworn in as governor…
By Thursday’s end, Mr. Quinn, who has two years remaining in what is now his term, was issuing a plea for unity.
“It’s extremely important that the people of Illinois come together,” he said at a news conference. “I’m going to be working on that night and day.”
Emphasis added.
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Open thread: NIU Orange Bowl
Friday, Dec 7, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It occurs to me that there may be several NIU grads out there who might want to gloat a bit about the Huskies…
Dave LaCerra’s Mount Prospect basement is covered in Northern Illinois University football memorabilia, including a piece of the goal post from a big 1983 game (in which he played for the NIU Huskies), framed prints, a collection of hats from every NIU bowl game, and game ticket stubs stapled to the ceiling. This week, he added a small Christmas tree decorated with Huskies ornaments.
“I bleed Huskie red,” said LaCerra, 48.
Naturally, LaCerra will be traveling to Miami to watch NIU play Florida State in the Orange Bowl Jan. 1.
Whether there’ll be enough Huskies fans to fill the other 17,499 seats allotted for NIU in Sun Life Stadium remains to be seen. On average, an NIU football game draws about 16,000 fans, a school spokeswoman said. The university has about 22,000 students, along with an estimated 190,000 alumni in the Chicago area alone.
Getting them to the team’s Bowl Championship Series debut isn’t a question of ticket price or availability. Student tickets are free, and non-student tickets start at $75. But booking a last-minute trip to Miami over the New Year’s holiday isn’t cheap, with airfare from Chicago to Miami running around $500 and rooms getting harder to find.
Anybody going?
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Promises, promises
Friday, Dec 7, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greenfield resident Luke Lamb is one of six finalists to replace retiring state Rep. Jim Watson (R-Jacksonville). Lamb described himself to the Jacksonville Journal-Courier as “your local freedom fighter,” and made five promises if he’s appointed. Among them…
“Any campaign funds left in my war chest when I leave office will be donated to charity or to other candidates who support the statehood of Cook County,” Lamb said.
Um, OK. At least we know where he stands.
* But this promise really caught my eye…
Every vote he takes will be posted on a publicly viewable Facebook page, along with an explanation of why he voted that way.
There are often several dozen votes taken in a single day. I don’t think he’s quite clear on that concept, but I suppose it’s a nice thought.
* Doug Coop appears to be the most mainstream of the candidates profiled in the piece…
Coop has packed a lot of experience into his 34 years - everything from small and corporate business, to agriculture, to military and federal public service.
“I think I am more uniquely qualified because I have had such a different experience working in the Department of Defense with tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said the rural Jacksonville resident. “I’ve also got corporate experience working at Caterpillar in Aurora. I have small business and agricultural experience because of the farm I manage with my dad.” […]
“Personally, I think Representative Watson did an outstanding job over the past 10 years. I also think that there is a bit of responsibility on the part of whomever gets the position to see to it that the people of our district get what they paid for. They elected Representative Watson, so they should get a replacement who is similar in his values and experiences.”
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Trotter claims he’s staying in the race
Friday, Dec 7, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC7…
State Senator Donne Trotter is out on bail after being charged with trying to board an aircraft with a gun and ammunition. On Thursday, he spoke about his political intentions.
“I intend on staying in the race at this time and will continue to campaign for the people of the Second District,” Trotter said.
“On advice of my attorney, I can’t respond to any questions addressing what’s going through the court system at this time,” Trotter said. […]
Only days ago, Democratic party insiders told ABC7 that Senator Trotter was the odds-on favorite to win the party’s endorsement to be the replacement for Jesse Jackson Jr. Now that Trotter faces a felony weapons charge, that has clouded his political future. […]
“Until there is something that points to him being guilty, people made promises to him so they are not going to cut and run,” U of I Institute of Government & Public Affairs Professor Cedric Herring said. “They are going to support someone who has the political power.”
* But another university political scientist had this to say…
The charge does not bode well for Trotter’s congressional run, said Jeffrey Hill, chair of the political science department at Northeastern Illinois University.
“For someone who was arguably the front-runner in the campaign, this could only increase the probability he’ll face good competition,” Hill said.
This is a good example of how reporters can find any university “expert” to say whatever the reporters want them to say for their stories. I usually just skip over those sorts of comments, but it’s useful to see the contrast here, for illustrative purposes if nothing else.
* Gov. Pat Quinn was reserved in his comments yesterday…
Gov. Pat Quinn said the fate of a Chicago lawmaker charged with bringing a gun to O’Hare International Airport should play out in the courts.
The governor declined to say Thursday whether state Sen. Donne Trotter should be removed from office.
* Quote of the day…
As he walked down a hallway with his lawyers, he told one reporter that he doesn’t give a flying whatever you ask me. When asked if he is still running, Trotter said “from you.”
* Meanwhile, Phil Kadner reports that Trotter may have violated a city ordinance…
(A)ccording to the Chicago Police Department, while Trotter did have a firearm owners identification card, required by state law, and a permanent employee registration card, required to work as a security guard or private detective, he did not register his handgun in Chicago.
“Even police officers who live in Chicago are required to register their guns,” a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department said.
“Anyone who lives in the city and owns a gun is required to register that gun.”
* But the NRA’s Todd Vandermyde had this to say in comments about the issue…
The city tried forcing private security and detectives to do that [register their guns], it went to court and they lost. they came back to the legislature and tried to change the law and it went nowhere. The City spokesman is wrong.
* Roundup…
* Hotline Sort: Scorecard for Illinois-02 Special Election
* Arrest Not Derailing Trotter’s Plans to Replace JJJr
* Arrest raises questions on Trotter’s job at security firm with city deal
* Quinn: Trotter’s fate should be left to courts
* State senator in O’Hare gun case freed on bond
* Mitchell: Where is Sandi Jackson?
* Former Cissna Park village clerk arrested
* Person On The Street - Westbound on Madison Street from Austin to Central: In light of the bank fraud indictment against state Rep. LaShawn Ford, do you think he should resign his seat or fight to the end?
* Ford says he’ll fight bank fraud charges, supporters mount defense - Indicted state rep heads to court next week
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Words of wisdom
Friday, Dec 7, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Jim Sacia (R-Pecatonica) writes a folksy, conversational weekly column for his local newspapers and always sends me a copy. His latest is partly about the crush of upcoming legislation in the January lame duck session…
I receive hundreds of emails, and as I have often shared, Sally receives them first. She gets rid of the junk mail and prints what I should see on hard copy, then I write my response and she sends it on.
Arguably, thousands have come in this past week about these issues. The easy ones to answer are the ones you’ve received from various groups and told to send on to your legislators.
Come on folks, use a little imagination. Almost a thousand identically worded emails are easy to respond to. I write one response, Sally sends it on. Tell me what you really think. I need your honest thoughts, not what some agency wants you to forward to your legislators.
Sending a form letter to a legislator is a good way to be ignored. It just doesn’t work except in the aggregate, I suppose. And even then, it probably doesn’t work all that well.
And I’d say the same thing about comments here. Elevate yourselves, people. This ain’t no newspaper website.
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This just in…
Thursday, Dec 6, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 12:51 pm - Thanks to a commenter for the Tribune link…
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, who suffered a stroke in January, plans to return to the Senate floor on Jan. 3, the first day of the new Congress, Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Ill., said Thursday.
A Senate official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the return date and said it would be marked by a “significant event” with Kirk walking up the Capitol steps to the chamber.
Hultgren said there were plans for a “big party and celebration when he comes back,” and that lawmakers from Illinois may gather in or near the Senate chamber to welcome him.
“I’m just really excited,” he said. “ I’m so grateful for the recovery he’s been able to make.”
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Question of the day - Golden Horseshoe Awards
Thursday, Dec 6, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Best restaurant goes to Sebastian’s this year…
Awesome food, love the atmosphere especially in the lower level, and the servers there rock
The Hideout downstairs is definitely a whole lot of fun.
* Runner-up is Saputo’s…
You have to give it to the restaurant that reserves the same table for Speaker Madigan to eat there regularly.
* Best political bar this year is DH Brown’s…
At one time mostly Republican, but in the last few years more Dems have joined the party there which really makes for more interesting and vibrant political commentary. Definitely on the upswing again as a political hang out for both parties. Also great prices for an honest drink.
* Runner-up is JP Kelly’s…
I think JP Kelly deserves it this year. There has always business whenever I go in there. Young staffers and seasoned vets. I’ve also seen more Springfield political types there than anywhere else.
* OK, now let’s move on to today’s category…
* The Beth Hamilton Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Secretary/Admin. Assistant
This topic usually draws some of the most comments, so we’ll do the Senate tomorrow.
Remember, intensity rules the day, not vote counts. Your explanation matters. If you don’t explain your vote, it won’t be counted.
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* Public Policy Polling asked Illinoisans about whether two imprisoned former governors should be pardoned. They don’t want it…
Do you think President Obama should pardon former Governor Rod Blagojevich, or not?
He should……………………………………………….. 15%
He should not………………………………………….. 75%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 10%
Do you think President Obama should pardon former Governor George Ryan, or not?
He should……………………………………………….. 20%
He should not………………………………………….. 70%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 10%
* Meanwhile, I was a bit surprised by the large number of Illinoisans who don’t have an opinion of US Sen. Mark Kirk in the latest PPP poll…
Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Mark Kirk’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 34%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 19%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 47%
Kirk has been mostly out of the public eye for months because of his stroke which is undoubtedly contributing to the results.
* But this is just silly stuff…
If the candidates for Senate in 2016 were Democrat Michelle Obama and Republican Mark Kirk, who would you vote for?
Michelle Obama………………………………………. 51%
Mark Kirk………………………………………………… 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 9%
Mrs. Obama has made absolutely no moves whatsoever toward this race, which is four years away, for crying out loud.
* From the pollster…
If Michelle Obama decided she wanted to follow the Hillary Clinton route once her husband leaves office in 2016 and go to the Senate, she’d have the upper hand on Mark Kirk. She leads him 51/40 in a hypothetical head to head. Kirk’s approval numbers are ok with 34% of voters approving of him to 19% who disapprove. But those numbers are no match for the first lady, who’s seen positively by 60% of voters to 33% with a negative
one.
* On a lighter note, there aren’t a lot of Rams fans in Illinois…
Is your favorite NFL team the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, or St. Louis Rams?
Bears …………………………………………………….. 63%
Cowboys………………………………………………… 1%
Packers………………………………………………….. 10%
Colts ……………………………………………………… 2%
Patriots ………………………………………………….. 1%
Giants ……………………………………………………. 1%
Steelers………………………………………………….. 4%
Rams …………………………………………………….. 2%
Someone else/Don’t have a favorite team …… 17%
* And Cutler gets a plurality of support…
Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Jay Cutler?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 41%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 15%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 45%
* Democrats and independents like him more than Republicans do…
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* Public Policy Polling’s recent Illinois survey asked Illinoisans about gay marriage. A plurality supported it…
Do you think same-sex marriage should be allowed in Illinois, or not?
It should …………………………………………………. 47%
It should not ……………………………………………. 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 11%
* From the pollster…
In Illinois even though there’s only narrow overall support for same sex marriage the numbers are 58% for and 37% against among voters under 45, another sign that it’s just a matter of time given the big generational divide on the issue. Black voters, perhaps following the lead of President Obama, think it should be legal by a 60/16 spread. That’s a much wider margin than we see with them nationally
* More from the crosstabs. A plurality of men oppose the idea…
* Republicans strongly oppose it and independents are less opposed…
* A majority of whites oppose it…
* Seniors are more likely to oppose the concept than any other age group…
* And even though there are no binding ballot initiatives in Illinois, a large majority thinks the public ought to vote on the idea…
Do you think Illinois voters should be allowed to vote on whether they think same-sex marriage should be legal, or not?
Voters should be allowed to………………………. 68%
They should not ………………………………………. 19%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%
Discuss.
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*** UPDATE *** Bail was set at $25,000…
Trotter, who spent the night at Chicago Police Department lockup, was released around 1:10 p.m. He had to post 10 percent or $2,500 to bail out of jail.
A reporter asked Trotter if he was still running. The South Side lawmaker responded: “From you.”
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* The state law that Sen. Donne Trotter is charged with violating…
It is unlawful for any person to board or attempt to board any commercial or charter aircraft, knowingly having in his or her possession any firearm, explosive of any type, or other lethal or dangerous weapon.
I highlighted that one word for obvious reasons. To convict him of a Class 4 felony, the Cook County State’s Attorney has to prove that Trotter knowingly had that pistol in his garment bag. Trotter contends that he forgot the empty pistol and a loaded clip were in the bag.
He did, however, vote for that law, so he should’ve been more careful than the average citizen. He knew the penalties.
…Adding… According to the Legislative Reference Bureau, the language in that above statute was actually first enacted in 1990. It was simply moved to a different part of the statute books. Trotter, however, did vote to increase the penalty to a felony from a misdemeanor in 2002.
* Also, there was a bunch of talk in comments yesterday and in at least one Sun-Times blog post about Trotter’s long ago opposition to concealed carry - as if that somehow applied here. He wasn’t carrying the pistol on his person. Apples and oranges.
But he certainly has voted against some pro-gun bills and voted for some gun control bills, even though he recently voted to override the governor’s attempt to use an amendatory veto to create a new assault weapons ban. Todd Vandermyde of the NRA defended Trotter repeatedly in comments yesterday. For instance…
It was a mistake, and the question is should he have is life ruined for a mistake?
Senator Trotter has had a mixed record on guns but with his new district that stretches down into Kankakee, he has kept an open mind.
I think the Sun times article is a hit piece devoid of context and taken from 1995. It’s 2012/13 I’m sure nobody ever changes their minds.
And…
I see a difference between someone who didn’t “know” the gun was there and someone trying to evade security and sneak one on.
* But Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez recently charged a 65 year-old flight attendant with a felony for doing almost the same thing as Trotter...
An attorney for the American Airlines flight attendant arrested at O’Hare International Airport said the woman did not know there was a gun in her carry-on luggage.
Sheila A. Schultz, of Palatine, Ill., was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bail Saturday for allegedly trying to bring a gun onto an airplane at O’Hare International Airport. She was arrested Friday after an X-ray machine revealed the gun in her carry on luggage.
Defense attorney David Studenroth told the Associated Press the woman’s husband inadvertently left the fully loaded .22 caliber revolver in the bag and that Schultz had no idea it was there when she went through the O’Hare security checkpoint.
Schultz, 65, was arrested and charged with one class 4 felony count of attempting to board aircraft with a weapon and one misdemeanor count of of possessing a firearm without a valid FOID.
* More…
Schultz was heading to work that morning, scheduled to be on a flight to Shanghai, China, Studenroth said. She was passing through an O’Hare security checkpoint for employees when an X-ray machine detected something in her carry-on bag. A security worker allegedly recovered a .22-caliber revolver containing live rounds and held her for Chicago police.
“She was unaware that the handgun was in that bag,” Studenroth explained. “Her husband forgot to take it out.”
Her husband, who does possess a valid FOID card, had come back from a trip to Michigan. “They share the bag,” Studenroth said.
According to Studenroth, the statute says someone must commit the act “knowingly.”
“She did not knowingly possess that handgun,” he said.
* Meanwhile, the political damage to Trotter’s congressional campaign is pretty obvious, but his most important supporter is not backing away…
“I need to sit down and talk to him face to face and find out what exactly happened,” said Frank Zuccarelli, who is chairing the effort to slate a candidate for the 2nd congressional district. The special election to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. is scheduled for February and the field is growing by the day. Before his arrest, Trotter, who lives on the South Side, was thought to be a top-tier candidate.
Zuccarelli, who is the committeeman for Thornton Township, has publicly said he would back Trotter during slating. So far on Wednesday, that hadn’t changed.
“I am supporting him and he is my friend, I’m sure there is a good explanation for what happened,” said Zuccarelli. He said he had only communicated with Trotter by text. Trotter let him know he had been arrested. “We have to sit down and talk…I’m sure he’s together, Donne’s together. I’ve got confidence in him, he’s a good man.”
The head of the Cook County Democratic Party, Joe Berrios, said ultimately it would be up to Trotter to decide if he’s going to pull out of the race.
* More…
Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who used represent part of the district Trotter is seeking to represent, said it could hurt Trotter’s chances in the race.
“As far as political, the people of the district and the party leaders have to make a decision to put a person with this kind of baggage in the answer in the Second District,” Kinzinger said.
One political analyst says while this arrest might not derail his campaign, it doesn’t help in a district that has already seen more than its share of controversial candidates.
“One doesn’t understand how one can go on a plane this day and age,” the Director of the Institute for Politics at Roosevelt University Paul Green said. “It will be used as an argument against him. It’s something he did but not a knock out.”
Trotter campaign slogans?
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No, they didn’t reject the idea
Thursday, Dec 6, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Today’s Tribune headline…
Unions reject plans for pension overhaul
Reporters don’t write headlines, but that one is particularly misleading.
I posted it late yesterday, so maybe you didn’t see it, but here’s the statement from the We Are One Coalition on the new pension reform proposal backed by 21 rank and file House members in both parties…
“We appreciate lawmakers’ latest attempt to move the pension conversation forward. As we have consistently stated, the We Are One Illinois coalition stands ready to work collaboratively toward a solution.
We were not consulted in the development of this plan, but our preliminary review suggests that there are significant problems with HB 6258 that need to be worked through. The pension debt was caused by the state’s failure to make actuarially adequate pension contributions, not by public employees, but like its predecessors, this proposal essentially balances the pension debt on the backs of teachers, police officers, nurses, caregivers, and other public servants both active and retired. It is also unclear at this juncture whether this proposal is constitutionally or actuarially sound.
We intend to thoroughly analyze this proposal’s elements and provide a more comprehensive response in the coming weeks.”
Neither the tone nor the substance of that release indicates outright rejection. If anything, it indicates a strong willingness to work out the problems. And the sponsors of the measure said this was only a “framework.” Things can be changed.
* More hopeful signs…
The move comes as Gov. Pat Quinn presses legislators to send him legislation to cut pension costs. His spokeswoman welcomed the legislation as a step forward.
House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, gave his support to the plan because it represents a comprehensive pension overhaul — a standard he’s used when supporting other pension proposals, said Steve Brown, the speaker’s spokesman.
House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego was more cautious, saying he liked some components but was not ready to sign on to the whole package. “It’s got the discussion going again,” Cross said.
The proposal contains a provision similar to one pushed by Madigan to shift the costs of suburban and downstate teacher pensions from the state to school districts. Some lawmakers are concerned that would lead to higher property taxes. But Rep. David Harris, an Arlington Heights Republican who is a co-sponsor of the bill, said school officials in his legislative district have signaled they may be able to absorb higher costs if stretched over many years.
* Another hopeful sign is that the Tribune editorial board didn’t resort to its usual demands to punish public employees and retirees with harsh pension measures. Instead, the paper looked at the bigger picture…
A group of 21 Illinois lawmakers filed a new pension reform bill Wednesday and hosted a news conference to unveil it. That may not sound like much. But given Springfield’s do-little history on this issue, it’s encouraging — not because of who headlined the news conference, but because of who didn’t: Gov. Pat Quinn, House Speaker Michael Madigan, House Republican Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno.
That quintet has been unable for years to build consensus on pension reform and lead a revolution. We’re hopeful this rump group of lawmakers can and will. This we know: For the first time, 21 rank-and-file sponsors and co-sponsors are stepping forward, declaring that they want to get serious on pension reform. They’re not waiting for Quinn and the four legislative leaders to cut a deal. They’re dealing.
Several of these members expressed impatience with the slow pace of progress. State Rep. David Harris, R-Arlington Heights, said there has been “a genuine frustration by lawmakers that there have not been meaningful negotiations.” State Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, added, “We must act now.”
We’ll take the liberty of reading between the lines: This group, all House members, wants a vote on this bill, or an amended version, before Jan. 9 when newly-elected legislators are sworn in. Good for them. We don’t see their initiative as a rebellious act against their leaders. It does, though, starkly highlight the failure of Quinn and the four leaders to solve the pension crisis.
* But…
“The cost shift is problematic. I don’t want to be critical of this,” House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) told the Chicago Sun-Times, referring to the Nekritz-Biss plan. “But I do think there are a few constitutional issues here.”
An aide to Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) also registered questions about how the idea stacks up to Illinois’ Constitution, which bars state pensions from being “diminished or impaired.”
“The Senate president is encouraged that members are identifying ways to capture the local share of pension costs from local school districts,” Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said. “However, the larger proposal appears to impose unilateral pension reductions without offering voluntary acceptance by participants. We appreciate the efforts of Representative Nekritz and her colleagues, but we will take a closer look at the plan to see if it can be squared with the pension clause.”
Nekritz said it’s difficult to judge whether the plan she and the rank-and-file lawmakers put together — or any pension cutback plan — will pass constitutional muster.
“We looked at a lot of the opinions that are out there with regard to constitutionality, and I just don’t think any of us standing here today . . . can know in advance what seven Supreme Court justices will do,” she told reporters. “All any of us can do is put our best foot forward to make sure we give them something to say, ‘Yes, we think this is constitutional.’”
* Related…
* Cost savings of proposed Illinois pension reform plan are unclear
* Illinois Pension Reform: State Lawmakers Unveil New Plan To Fix Underfunded System
* Illinois lawmakers pitch pension fix
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* I’m pretty sure he has a carry permit through his association with a private detective agency, but you can’t do this even with that…
State Sen. Donne Trotter on Wednesday was busted for bringing a handgun and bullets through an O’Hare Airport security checkpoint on his way to catch a flight to Washington D.C., sources told DNAinfo.com.
Trotter, who last week announced he would seek the Congressional seat vacated by former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., was charged with felony attempt to board an aircraft with a weapon, law enforcement sources said.
TSA agents discovered an unloaded .25 caliber pistol and a clip loaded with live rounds packed inside Trotter’s garment bag about 8 a.m.. Trotter told investigators that he worked the late shift for security for Allpoints Security and Detective Inc. the night before and didn’t realize the weapon and bullets were in his bag when he packed for his trip, sources said.
…Adding… WBEZ…
[Trotter] told WBEZ last week he was headed there for a national conference of black state lawmakers, and to tap his allies in Congress to hook him up with possible campaign donors for his 2nd Congressional District campaign.
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Question of the day - Golden Horseshoe Awards
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Best bartender goes to Mike at DH Brown’s…
Mike is the best bartender in Springfield! He is always watchful for a near empty beer bottle to quickly replenish. Most importantly he knows when a private conversation is taking place, whether it be among multiple lobbyist, legislators, or legislative staff and if he overhears certain aspects that are meant to be confidential, he keeps it confidential! He’s a great and trusted bartender that deserves a Golden Horseshoe after nearly 20 years of service at the best bar in town, D H Browns!
It helped that Steve Schnorf also weighed in with his support for Mike.
* Runner-up…
Jamie at Boone’s. She’s got a great personality and is always fun to hang around with after work. Great sense of humor too.
I also like that Jamie started a twitter campaign for herself.
This contest is getting outta hand.
* Best waitress is Annie at Sunrise…
I thought I would post here for her because she is so awesome and will stay open late for me so i can get a decent meal after a long session night. Also nice is that Annie is so far removed from the political climate that she will never ever see this until Rich gives her a 24k horseshoe and then she will only be confused.
* Runner-up goes to Jess at Brown’s…
She is always smiling and having a good time. Sometimes she even knows when I need another drink before I do, which, in my opinion, is one of the many marks of great service. And when the going gets tough, Jess is always there to make sure we have enough people to have a successful Bear Fight, which isn’t always in the best interest of the bar, the patrons, or the participants…but much appreciated nonetheless.
Congratulations to all. As you may or may not know, there’s no actual physical award. All you get is the recognition.
* OK, on to today’s categories…
* Best political bar in Springfield
* Best political restaurant in Springfield
Please provide responses to both categories. Also, remember that it’s not the number of nominations that matter, it’s the intensity of those nominations. So make sure to explain yourself or your vote won’t count.
Have fun.
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Cross won’t vote for budget veto override
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* House Republican Leader Tom Cross said yesterday that he won’t vote to override Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget vetoes…
In cutting the budget, Quinn proposed closing several facilities including the high-security Tamms prison and the women’s lockup at Dwight. The Democratic governor says the money should instead be spent on child-protection services.
Cross says an override vote is “purely symbolic.” It wouldn’t force Quinn to spend money on the prisons. It would simply restrict him from spending it elsewhere.
Cross says the state has money problems and “we have to recognize that someday.”
The Senate voted 35-16 last week to override the vetoes. It’s a sign that the bill might not be overridden today. We’ll see. Keep an eye on live blog for constant updates.
* Meanwhile, Gov. Pat Quinn refused to talk to reporters or address protesters yesterday in Decatur…
The fate of the Decatur Adult Transition Center and other facilities across the state remains uncertain, despite lawmakers in Springfield working to allot money for their operation.
Gov. Pat Quinn was in Decatur on Tuesday afternoon to speak at Richland Community College on an unrelated capital project for which funds were recently released. After finishing his remarks, the governor made a quick exit and did not speak to reporters or others in attendance.
Quinn cut $56 million from the budget and proposed shutting down several prisons and transitional centers across the state. But the Illinois Senate voted to reject the cuts last week, while the House may still call a bill to restore the money to the budget during its fall veto session this week. However, even if the House does reinstate the money, it would largely be a symbolic message. Quinn would not have to spend the money on prisons or facilities, though he couldn’t spend it elsewhere, either.
Students and other local politicians came to Richland to see the governor speak, while dozens of representatives of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union came to send a message to Quinn. As the governor took the podium, AFSCME members brought out signs in support of their workers at the facilities, as well as criticizing Quinn’s and other lawmakers’ attempts to reform pensions.
* He did speak in Peoria, however…
“We believe we’ve got to invest in clean water in the state of Illinois,” said Quinn. “We’re not too far from the Illinois River — that connects to great Lake Michigan, to the great river Mississippi — the mighty Illinois flows through our state.
“It is very, very important that we protect the Illinois River by making investments in wastewater treatment that we’re doing right here in Pekin, Ill.”
Ramble on, guv.
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Two opinions on Ford
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Dan Haley, the editor and publisher of the Wednesday Journal, a paper out of Oak Park, wrote a surprisingly strong column defending indicted state Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago) this week…
But here are the more telling facts: The houses LaShawn Ford bought to fix up and resell were all completed. He didn’t pocket the money and let the houses rot. He fixed the houses as he planned, and until the real estate market collapsed, he sold the homes and made payments on his line to the bank.
Sure, it isn’t good to owe a note to a casino. But the release of that fact by the feds is intended to suggest that Ford was living large and far past his means. That doesn’t seem the case. He lives in a modest home in “The Island” neighborhood of Austin. That’s south of the Ike and is about the most working class housing you can find.
What seems likely is that with Shore Bank’s failure, the FDIC scoured the bank’s books and came across the name of an elected official. They turned this modest case over to a U.S. Attorney’s Office that focuses lasers on hints of improprieties among the elected. And that led to this. Keep in mind that these charges go back to a time before Ford had even been elected to office. This isn’t political wrongdoing like all the rest of the Democratic hacks who’ve disgraced the West Side by selling their offices and have rightly gone to prison.
So why do I care? Because for 17 years we’ve published the Austin Weekly News and I’ve seen the greed and contempt of elected officials as they plundered the public purse while Austin reeled with crime and lousy schools and decaying services. It has been appalling.
And I know, because I’ve been there, that LaShawn Ford is different — different and better and decent at his core. He’s not a machine hack. He’s a fine man, almost certainly imperfect, but a person who is in government for all the reasons that should make us proud. This man talks about real issues of violence and guns, about education and opportunity. He doesn’t talk cautiously, craftily. He talks honestly and from the experience of living. He is present. He is visible. He knows real people and he listens well.
We could be jaded and say he got caught even if the wrong was small, common and mostly unintentional. So now he has to pay and we’ll move on to the next petty hack the machine serves up. Or we could be hopeful, perhaps even a bit naïve, and demand that actual justice — as in service and honor — be done and that a path gets cleared for LaShawn Ford to continue his work, perhaps humbled, but still strong and true.
This is a fight worth fighting. This is a man to stand up for.
* Contrast that opinion of a man who knows Ford to the opinion of one who doesn’t…
Another Chicago politician has been indicted, this one for bank fraud after he allegedly burned through hundreds of thousands of dollars that weren’t his on casino gambling, car loans and other high-rolling pursuits.
Illinois state Rep. LaShawn Ford, a Democrat, has not been convicted.
Still, blowing cash that isn’t yours so you can play Mr. Highlife is almost like saying, “I want to win the Moutza of the Month for November!” Isn’t it?
The ancient Moutza has nothing to do with the American finger, but everything to do with taxpayer contempt. And when we hapless taxpaying chumbolones extend our hands to such weasels, we offer the flat of our palms, our fingers spread wide. The Moutza.
“I believe I am innocent of the charges brought against me today,” Ford said in a statement Thursday.
That’s nice. We believe you, Rep. Highlife.
But we also believe in unicorns with long silvery flowing manes, and little forest imps with hairy feet who go on quests for golden treasure held by the evil dragon Smaug.
Mr. Ford, would you please talk to the hand? It’s pointed right at your face. See?
Nah!
Discuss.
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Edgar to pension critics: Back off
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* He certainly makes some good points…
Former Gov. Jim Edgar says the corporate titans who are pressing state officials to fix Illinois’ deep financial problems need to temper their criticism of the pensions received by government employees.
Edgar, a Republican who has served on some corporate boards, said he thinks some of the wealthy businessmen who have been pushing for a pension overhaul don’t understand that state workers don’t have the same types of compensation packages as those in private business.
“I think people in the private sector don’t understand there are some limitations in the public sector they didn’t have,” Edgar said. “I see what bonuses they get and things state employees don’t have.
“We never had profit-sharing. We never had stock options. We never had bonuses. All we really had was our retirement. They ought to be a little more understanding and not quite as harsh on state workers as they’ve been.”
Ditto for the Tribune editorial board, if you ask me, and nobody did.
* But as Doug Finke reminds us, Edgar was often in favor of increasing retirement benefits…
When a governor leaves office, he is required to submit a report to the General Assembly on the state’s condition and make any recommendations he deems advisable.
Some, like former Gov. JIM EDGAR, fulfill this requirement by preparing a book recapping their terms. Edgar called his book “Meeting the Challenge” which recounted his 1991-1999 term as governor.
On page 29, Edgar summarized what happened with state employees. While Edgar reduced the number of employees, the book noted that “a concerted effort was made to improve state employee benefits and make a career in government service more attractive.”
“The governor approved the most significant increase in pension benefits for state workers in a quarter century,” it went on. “As a result, Illinois moved from next to last among states in pension benefits to near the national average.”
The book also noted Edgar agreed to other improvements, like adding vision and dental coverage and long-term care insurance.
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*** UPDATE *** The response by Senate President John Cullerton’s spokesperson indicates that he believes the proposal is unconstitutional…
The Senate President is encouraged that members identifying ways to capture the local share of pension costs from local school districts. However, the larger proposal appears to impose unilateral pension reductions without offering voluntary acceptance by participants. We appreciate the efforts of Representative Nekritz and her colleagues but we will take a closer look at the plan to see if it can be squared with the pension clause.
*** UPDATE 2 *** . We Are One Coalition…
“We appreciate lawmakers’ latest attempt to move the pension conversation forward. As we have consistently stated, the We Are One Illinois coalition stands ready to work collaboratively toward a solution.
We were not consulted in the development of this plan, but our preliminary review suggests that there are significant problems with HB 6258 that need to be worked through. The pension debt was caused by the state’s failure to make actuarially adequate pension contributions, not by public employees, but like its predecessors, this proposal essentially balances the pension debt on the backs of teachers, police officers, nurses, caregivers, and other public servants both active and retired. It is also unclear at this juncture whether this proposal is constitutionally or actuarially sound.
We intend to thoroughly analyze this proposal’s elements and provide a more comprehensive response in the coming weeks.”
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Here are some dot points about the new bipartisan pension reform plan being floated by 20 rank and file House members…
* Cost of living adjustments would apply only to the first $25,000 of a pension if the retiree does not receive Social Security and $20,000 if he or she does. This change applies to both current and future retirees.
* Pensioners would receive no COLA adjustment until they reach age 67 or five years after they retire, whichever comes first. The summary says this provision will apply to retirees already receiving COLAs. So an employee who retired at age 58 and is now 60 would not receive another COLA adjustment until age 63.
* The retirement age would increase as follows:
Retirement ages in the current statute would apply to employees 46 and older.
One year would be added to current retirement ages for employees between 40 and 45 years old.
Employees age 35 to 39 would have to wait an additional three years.
Employees 34 and younger would have to wait an additional five years.
* Employee contributions to pensions would go up by 1 percentage point in fiscal year 2014 and 2 percentage points in fiscal year 2015.
* The salary that counts toward a pension would be capped at the higher of the Social Security wage base or the employees’ salary when the bill becomes law. […]
* School districts, community colleges and universities would take over the state’s pension cost at a rate of 0.5 percent of payroll per year.
* Pension systems would achieve 100 percent funding in 30 years.
* Courts could force the state, school districts and universities to pay their required pension contributions. “Other state funds” could be intercepted if the payments are not made as required by law.
* Once existing pension obligation bonds are paid off, annual bond service funds would be rerouted to pay off broader pension debt — about $694 million starting in fiscal year 2016 and $900 million per year in 2020.
* Sun-Times…
State Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook), a leader on pension issues in the House is spearheading the latest effort, is being joined by a group of lakefront Democrats and two Republicans - state Rep. Chris Nybo (R-Elmhurst) and state Rep. David Harris (R-Arlington Heights). […]
The cost shift, as it’s commonly known, is the component that could most easily blow up a pension-reform deal in January. Even though Nybo and Harris support the idea, they appear to remain in the minority among Republicans, who see that shift as a de facto property-tax increase of $20 billion or more on suburban and downstate school systems. […]
But Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) said there has not been any softening within her caucus on the question of shifting pension costs to suburban and downstate school systems, and that a cost-shift is a non-starter for most Republicans.
“The fact of the matter is the proposal on the table isn’t acceptable to us. Period. The end,” she told the Chicago Sun-Times.
In the big picture, a shift of a half a percentage point of payroll a year is not a whole lot of money and surely ought to be manageable. It won’t be easy, but new union contracts and better budgeting could avert major property tax hikes.
…Adding… A good point by Rep. Nybo…
Nybo said that while the idea of passing some of the state’s financial problems on to local schools still makes him uneasy, rising pension costs for the state means it has less money to send to schools.
“Schools are going to be hit either way,” Nybo said.
* Meanwhile, it doesn’t look like local government pensions will be addressed any time soon…
Roselle Mayor Gayle Smolinski told the Daily Herald Editorial Board Monday that a delegation of suburban mayors trying to lobby lawmakers in Springfield last week for pension changes on the local level found little support.
State officials could be looking to solve their own pension problems first before considering mayors’ rising police and firefighter retirement costs.
“It was worthless,” Smolinski said.
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Tweeting instead of debating
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A proposal to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers permits sailed through the Senate yesterday on a huge bipartisan vote of 41-16…
During 50 minutes of floor debate on the measure, which now moves to the House, only one senator spoke in opposition.
“Equal protection under the law and under the Constitution certainly goes hand in hand with equal responsibility to follow the law. I am in favor of legal immigration but oppose illegal immigration,” said Sen. Chris Lauzen (R-Aurora).
“Now we’re expected to believe that folks who are already breaking the immigration law, the employment law, the traffic laws will now follow the insurance law,” he said.
But other Republicans backed the plan, including Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont), who was among 11 members of the Senate GOP to vote for the measure.
Lauzen’s speech…
* But while opponents stayed mostly quiet on the floor, Sen. Kyle McCarter was actively Tweeting during the debate…
I’m really not a fan of this. If you’re gonna Tweet about a debate, at least have the stones to get up and speak your mind to your colleagues.
But maybe I’m wrong. Your thoughts?
* Related…
* GOP support helps move immigrant driver’s licenses
* Illegal immigrant driver’s license getting bipartisan support
* Illinois Republican leaders jump on immigration reform bandwagon
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Paper partially retracts prison worker story
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AFSCME reacted so strongly to the numbers included in a Belleville News Democrat story published this week that the paper has removed the story from its website and issued a partial retraction…
A Belleville News-Democrat article Sunday incorrectly reported the amount of overtime paid to guards and supervisors of the Tamms Correctional Center.
The amount of overtime paid from November 2011 through Oct. 31, 2012, was $425,281, according to payroll data from the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The article Sunday, and an editorial published Tuesday, incorrectly reported the state paid at least $884,000 in overtime to correctional officers, lieutenants, sergeants and shift supervisors.
The state did pay supervisors and guards $884,000 above base salary, but the figure includes overtime and “special pay,” according to IDOC. […]
The first sentence of Sunday’s article also incorrectly stated that there were more guards than inmates at Tamms. The overall security staff at Tamms was 221 and the total number of maximum and minimum security inmates was 227, according to IDOC figures.
The maximum security section had 208 security staff members and 138 inmates, the IDOC figures show.
Even so, as the retraction states, the maximum security section has far more staff than inmates.
* But this was not retracted…
In addition, there are 16 food supervisors earning an average of $71,600 a year working at Tamms. That’s the same number of food supervisors as at the Pontiac Correctional Center, which houses around 1,700 maximum- and medium-security inmates. […]
Meal preparation at Tamms consists mostly of food that is not cooked on the premises but comes in cans or packages from a Florida wholesaler, according to surveys by a prisoner advocacy group.
* AFSCME issued this statement before the article was partially retracted…
The Belleville News-Democrat has done a disservice to the public and misled its readers by publishing incorrect information in a recent report and editorial on Tamms Correctional Center. Contrary to the newspaper’s claim that employees were paid $884,000 for overtime worked from November 2011 to November 2012, in truth the figure is less than half that amount—just $425,000, according to information the union obtained from the Illinois Department of Corrections.
It should be noted that the newspaper failed to contact our union before publishing its false information. We have contacted News-Democrat editors and urged them to retract their report and editorial, correct them and issue an apology.
We are in the process of carefully scrutinizing all other purported facts cited in the article. It is clear that the paper’s central claim, that “there are more guards than inmates at Tamms,” is grossly misleading. The prison has approximately 234 inmates in its closed-maximum and minimum-security wings, and about 50 security staff per shift. To insinuate that there are ever more security employees on duty than inmates is false.
With respect to overtime, while some overtime is inevitable in any 24-7 facility, our union has long contended that regular reliance on overtime—especially forced overtime—serves no one, including employees who become exhausted, and should be reduced to the extent possible. It should be noted that existing overtime costs at Tamms are in line with the past—the FY 2011 overtime expenditure there was $340,000—and result from staff shortages. Right now at Tamms the state’s failure to hire needed employees in recent months has resulted in higher-paid correctional officers being temporarily assigned to clerical, food supervisor, supply and library positions that would pay lower wages if filled.
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