Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) announced on Friday additional appointments to the Senate Task Force on Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Awareness and Prevention.
“In making these appointments, it is important to bring both diversity and an outside perspective to how best address this important issue in the public and private sectors,” said Brady. “I want to commend those who are willing to serve on this Task Force, and I look forward to working with them when their recommendations are presented.”
As part of the Task Force’s composition, each Senate leader will make 12 appointments. On Nov. 13, Brady announced his five legislator appointments. The remaining seven appointees announced Nov. 17 are comprised of statewide associations that represent women or work to advance civil rights (2) and members of the public (5).
The two members from statewide associations that represent women or work to advance civil rights are:
* Ahlam Jbara – Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
* Dr. Kathleen Robbins – Equality Illinois
The five members of the public include:
* Maria Rodriguez – Former Mayor of Long Grove
* Maureen Maffei – Attorney, Ice Miller
* Julie Proscia – Attorney, Smith Admundsen
* Anita Rodriguez – Assistant State’s Attorney, Adams County
* TBD – Awaiting final confirmation
The goal of the new Task Force is to conduct a comprehensive review of legal and social consequences of sexual discrimination and harassment in both the public and private sectors. The Task Force will study and make recommendations on combating sexual discrimination and harassment in workplaces, educational institutions, and in State and local government.
Members of the Task Force will not receive compensation for their service and will submit a report to the General Assembly by Dec. 31, 2018.
Dr. Robbins is a Vietnam veteran and is transgender. Jbara is a Muslim. Those are not the sort of picks you’d normally expect from a conservative Republican like Leader Brady, so good for him.
…Adding… Press release…
Brian C. Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, the state’s LGBTQ civil rights organization
We applaud the appointment of Dr. Kathleen Robbins by Illinois Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady to the Illinois Senate Task Force on Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Awareness and Prevention. Kathleen is an excellent addition to the task force. She has significant life experiences, from service in the U.S. Air Force, the business sector, and the non-profit space, and is a member of the Equality Illinois Community Advisory Group.
We thank Leader Brady for appointing Kathleen and for ensuring an inclusive discussion of the impact of sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination in Illinois.
Indeed, it is essential that the voices of LGBTQ people, especially transgender individuals, be included in these discussion and deliberations. According to the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey of more than 27,000 transgender respondents from across the United States, 47% have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime. Furthermore, 10% were sexually assaulted in the year preceding the survey.
In Illinois, 13% of individuals who are out or perceived to be transgender report being sexually assaulted in their K-12 schools because of their gender identity. And, among transgender Illinoisans who saw a health care provider in the year preceding the survey, 33% report having at least one negative experience related to being transgender. For some respondents, that included being physically or sexually assaulted.
The prevalence and impact of sexual violence on transgender people are problems that must be acknowledged and addressed. We call on the task force, the Illinois General Assembly, and Governor Rauner to propose and act on robust policy proposals to ensure the dignity of women and LGBTQ people and to build a better Illinois.
Today, the JB Pritzker for Governor campaign released its second TV ad, “Incubate.”
“Incubate” highlights JB’s visionary work to grow Illinois into one of the top technology hubs in the world. Five years ago, JB brought tech leaders and entrepreneurs together to found 1871, a non-profit technology incubator.
* The deleted ad featured several entrepreneurs praising Pritzker, including Outcome Health President Shradha Agarwal, who said this…
JB Pritzker really saw the potential of being able to grow tech jobs right here… One thing I love about JB is that he’s a visionary but he gets it done.
The Pritzker campaign replaced the old ad on November 6th with a new version of the “Incubate” ad, which you can see by clicking here. Outcome Health’s Shradha Agarwal is not in that new replacement ad.
Investors in Outcome Health are not giving up on their effort to freeze $225 million set to be distributed to two founders of the Chicago startup after a New York judge denied their initial request.
The investors — including units of Goldman Sachs and Google and a fund co-founded by Illinois gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker — last week sued Outcome Health, CEO Rishi Shah and President Shradha Agarwal, alleging fraud as the company secured $487.5 million in funding and rose to a valuation of $5.5 billion. […]
Sanford Michelman, an attorney for Outcome Health, said in a statement that the investors are “continuing to create an inappropriate distraction after New York’s courts declined their baseless arguments multiple times.”
“This irresponsible abuse of the legal process is seeking to prevent the founders from using their own money to reinvest in the company,” Michelman said. [Emphasis added]
Ouch.
* The campaign had this explanation…
She was in the original 60 second version of the ad that aired earlier this year, but she is not in the 30 second version of an ad about JB’s work to build 1871 that could air later in the race.
* Coincidentally, this announcement was made today…
The Chicago Tribune will move in early 2018 to the Prudential Plaza office complex, ending a 93-year run in the newspaper’s namesake tower on North Michigan Avenue.
Parent company Tronc on Friday confirmed the newspaper will move to One Prudential Plaza in the second quarter of 2018. The Tribune first reported in August that Tronc was in advanced negotiations for a lease in the 41-story building overlooking Millennium Park.
The lease at 130 E. Randolph St. is for 137,137 square feet on the second, third, fourth, 40th and 41st floors.
Prudential Plaza is a few blocks south of Tribune Tower, the newspaper’s home since the landmark building was completed in 1925. “While moving is always difficult, and leaving our home since 1925 brings a sense of nostalgia, this is a wonderful opportunity to create the next generation newsroom and an overall energetic and inviting environment for our entire team,” Tronc CEO Justin Dearborn said in an email to employees on Friday.
* Back to the twitters…
.@Suntimes, can we borrow some boxes when you’re done with them?
Congressman Danny K. Davis will endorse Chris Kennedy in the Democratic primary race for Illinois governor, two knowledgeable sources tell WGN News. Announcement is Sunday.
The last two weeks have seen some significant movement in Democrats favor. First, there were the impressive results from last Tuesday’s elections. This week, we’ve seen two polls — one by Quinnipiac and one by Marist — that show Democrats with a congressional ballot advantage of +13 to +15. Three other recent polls — ABC/Washington Post, Fox, and NBC/Wall Street Journal — show Democrats with an advantage of anywhere from +7 to +15.
These are political wave numbers. […]
My colleague David Wasserman has been digging into the question of just how big of a wave Democrats need to get in order to surf into the majority. The short answer: they need to see a generic ballot advantage of +8 or more, which roughly translates to getting at least 54 percent or more of the national House vote in 2018.
The last time Democrats enjoyed a margin of +8 or more in a mid-term year was 2006. That year, Democrats won the House vote by 8.5 percent. The last time that Democrats got into the double digits was 2008 when they carried the House vote by D+11. This has led to a lots of talk that Democrats can only hit significant margins of victory in presidential elections when their base is more engaged and involved. It also helped to have a transformational candidate - Barack Obama - at the top of the ticket. Something they obviously don’t have in 2018. But, there is precedent for Democrats winning the House vote by double digits in mid-term years. In the post-Watergate midterm of 1974, Democrats won by a whopping 17 points. In Ronald Reagan’s first midterm of 1982, Democrats won the House vote by 12 points.
* As a result, Cook has moved Peter Roskam from “Lean Republican” to “Toss Up”…
IL-06: Peter Roskam (R) - Chicago west suburbs: Wheaton, Palatine
Toss Up. Roskam has been a party loyalist since 2006, narrowly losing a bid for GOP whip in 2014 and casting conservative votes. But his suburban Chicago district has moved away from the GOP so fast that Democrats are now wishing they hadn’t protected him in their 2012 gerrymander. In 2016, Clinton won this seat 50 percent to 43 percent. Only eight House Republicans represent a seat Trump lost by more. Defeating Roskam will be Chicago Democrats’ top priority.
The large Democratic field is led by financial adviser and former North Barrington Village Trustee Kelly Mazeski, who had $343,000 on hand at the end of September. Clean energy businessman Sean Casten, former congressional aide Carole Cheney and 2016 nominee Amanda Howland are running too. Fortunately for Democrats, Illinois’s March 20 primary should give the nominee more time to consolidate support and raise money to compete in a very expensive market.
…Adding… I’ve generally avoided covering the Dem primary because there are so many hopefuls and I wasn’t sure who would even survive the petition season. This may change things…
* Laura Washington moderated a candidates forum last night. She asked them whether they would support Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s reelection today…
Chris Kennedy: I think he’s destroying our communities, he’s destroying the economic future of our state. Everything is driven by Chicago, and you can’t have an educational system where something like 75 percent of the kids who graduate CPS are so undereducated that they need remedial education. And then he allows an institution like this that provides that remedial education to practically be destroyed. He doesn’t believe what I believe in.
Laura Washington: Mr. Pritzker?
JB Pritzker: So many challenges that Rahm Emanuel has brought to the City of Chicago, it’s important for us to recognize that the chronic underfunding of schools in neighborhoods that most need that funding is something that we need to stand up against. The chronic challenge of violence in our communities, something that I believe Rahm Emanuel has not done a good job of. We need to make sure that we’re standing up against those basic principles. Now, what Bob Daiber said is right, which is let’s see who the candidates are in 2019. Who’s going to emerge here? Because we need to make sure that we’ve got someone that will stand up for a better education system, who’s going to stand up for our communities of color all across the City of Chicago. I always believe you always have to ask the question who are the candidates and then answer it.
LW: But you’re unhappy with his leadership?
JB: I am.
OK, Pritzker did criticize Emanuel, but that “let’s see who the candidates are” kinda reminds me of when he was asked if he planned to vote for President Barack Obama in 2012: “We’ll have to wait and see. I don’t know who the nominee’s gonna be on the Republican side.”
Chris Kennedy: The leadership of this state needs to look like the state itself. There needs to be a Rooney Rule. For every executive, every appointment, everybody that gets hired by the State of Illinois, the last pool of candidates there needs to be a woman. That’s how it has to change. I’ve seen what government can do. I remember my older sisters not being able to play sports, and my younger sister required to play sports on the very fields that my older sister was not allowed to play on because she was a woman. And then Title IX is passed and we see the incredible advancement. My own kids, four of them, they played on a collective 25 sports teams in college – I mean in High School. None of that would have been possible, those girls would not have played had their middle school and grade schools not been required to teach them sports. The government can do great things, but the government that we have today looks the other way. Once again bills come close to being passed and they fail, the Democratic Party doesn’t get the job done. And they say to us, ‘we’ll just elect a few more Democrats, we’ll get it done in the next election.’ Quit falling for that trap.
Laura Washington: Mr. Kennedy could I just quickly follow up on that. Can you explain how you would implement the Rooney Rule?
CK: - So the Rooney Rule…
LW: - As governor. And what you would actually do…
CK: How that works? The Rooney Rule was a – is a rule that’s been in place in the National Football League and it’s named after the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers who’s since passed away. And they recognized that there was a lack of African-American leadership within the team organizations, outside of the players themselves. And they wrestled with that and they really didn’t do enough to change the culture. And he came up with this notion that in the final candidate pool of 3, for any job in management, in any team anywhere in the NFL – not the corporate part of the NFL, but in every team, at the Bears, at the Steelers, at the Giants, anywhere, that there had to be an African-American candidate in that pool. And that forced the teams, the recruiting professions, others to bring in and start sourcing talented African-Americans and it changed the face of the NFL as far as management goes. That notion can be applied to any targeted audience.
LW: So how would you do it? Are you suggesting that you would make sure that every candidate in your administration for every position?
CK: Yeah, every candidate in the administration… Every position would be required that there would be at least one woman in the final candidate pool.
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today urged Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to publically weigh-in on the Republican tax plans in the House and Senate and how these plans would impact Illinois families. Both the House and Senate bills would finance massive tax cuts for the largest corporations and wealthiest Americans by raising taxes on millions of middle-income families and eliminating vital tax breaks for people in Illinois.
“Given how quickly Republicans are attempting to ram their dangerous tax plans through the House of Representatives and the Senate and the serious threat these plans pose to the people of Illinois, we urge you to publicly announce your position on the Republican tax plans immediately,” Durbin and Duckworth wrote in a letter to Gov. Rauner.
Both plans take aim at the SALT deduction, with the Senate plan eliminating it completely and the House plan gutting the deduction. As the state with the fifth highest number of taxpayers who claim this deduction, Republican efforts to eliminate or gut SALT would hit Illinois especially hard. The roughly one-third of all taxpayers in Illinois who benefit from SALT would be subjected to double-taxation under the Republican plans and state and local governments would find it more difficult to fund essential local education programs, infrastructure projects, and social services.
Further, recently released changes to the Senate bill reveal that to fund tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest one percent, Senate Republicans plan to eliminate one of the three core pillars of the Affordable Care Act. As a result, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that 13 million Americans—including many in our state—will lose their health insurance and individual market premiums will increase by at least 10 percent.
Additionally, the House bill would eliminate the medical expense deduction, making it so that the more than 370,000 Illinois who depend on this deduction would no longer be able to claim an average $10,000 deduction to help offset costly out-of-pocket medical expenses. The House bill also takes aim at students in our state by eliminating the student loan interest deduction, preventing the more than 1.5 million Illinoisans who collectively hold $51 billion in federal student loan debt from deducting the interest gain on their loans.
Lastly, both Republican proposals would add $1.5 trillion to our nation’s deficit, which will undoubtedly be used in the future by Republican leaders to justify drastic cuts to federal spending on public assistance programs.
Last month, Durbin and Duckworth sent Gov. Rauner a letter outlining their concerns with one of the central components of the Republican tax plans, the elimination of the state and local tax deduction, and requested his feedback on how eliminating the deduction would impact Illinois families and Illinois’ economy. That letter has gone unanswered.
* The governor was asked about this topic yesterday…
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner continues to refuse to weigh in on matters before Congress with enormous bearing on Illinois. […]
Speaking to reporters in Chicago, Rauner climbed on a rhetorical fence.
“Federal tax reform is long overdue. We need to lower the tax burden on the federal level. We also have to lower the tax burden at the state level. And my focus is obviously here at the state level.” […]
“I’m not going to weigh into the detail that’s being debated in Congress right now at on the federal level. I have shared a few thoughts with federal officials, but I’m not going to weigh in to the media on this,” Rauner said.
Mere days after the state paid down roughly forty percent of its backlog of overdue bills, the Rauner administration finalized the largest vendor contract in state history.
The six-year, $5.26 billion deal is split between seven healthcare companies who met the state’s criteria for a massive Medicaid overhaul. BlueCross BlueShield ($1.03B), County Care ($1.05B), Harmony Health Plan of Illinois ($685M), Illini Care Health Plan ($915M), Meridian Health Plan ($960M), Molina Healthcare of Illinois ($440M) and Next Level Health Partners ($180M) enlisted as Managed Care Organizations and, as agreed to under the terms of the deal, will combine to provide at least five coverage options for Medicaid patients in all 102 Illinois counties. […]
On Wednesday, as required by a part of the new procurement code, the Rauner administration quietly published the first details of a new one-year consulting contract with McKinsey and Company worth up to $12.5 million. The sizable bid was awarded without any competition. HFS says the ‘consent decree compliance’ contract is exempt from competitive bidding rules. […]
A source close to the governor’s inner circle says McKinsey has been nurturing this deal from the beginning, often serving as a mediator between potential providers and the governor’s office. The source, who asked not to be named in this report, says a partner at McKinsey maintains a direct line of communication with Deputy Governor Trey Childress. Calls placed to McKinsey were not immediately returned. Childress, who operates largely behind the scenes and coordinates business with state agency supervisors, is one of a select few top advisors who not only survived the governor’s summer staffing purge of 2017, but also saw his responsibility and influence swell to new heights.
This first glimpse at the cost and scope of the McKinsey contract may provide insight into how this deal was crafted from the start. Any previous contract work with the state was not publicly disclosed as it was technically exempt from publishing requirements under the old procurement code. New orders filed under the Freedom of Information Act may soon yield further details about McKinsey’s role in this process.
“Now we’re seeing disclosure of contracts we didn’t know about. I wonder who was involved in designing the criteria and deciding the selection and exclusion of winners and losers,” Representative Harris wondered. “I think we have an interest in knowing these things.”
The more than $12 million handed to the firm [for the no-bid Medicaid contract] tied to Rauner’s administration has raised eyebrows. Leslie Munger, one of Rauner’s deputy governors who previously served as comptroller under the first-term Republican before losing the office in last November’s election, was a former recruitment chief at McKinsey, from 1978-82, according to the governor’s office.
Munger’s appointment following her loss to Democrat Susana Mendoza in the comptroller’s race came under scrutiny earlier this year. Rauner announced that she would be paid $135,000 per year, the same as when she was appointed comptroller following Judy Bar Topinka’s death in Dec. 2014.
In March, as the state’s two-year budget impasse was ongoing, Mendoza suspended $27 million in payments that were part of a $250 million computer modernization plan launched by Rauner. Among the $21.6 million promised to outside consultants in that move was a $12 million sum for McKinsey. […]
Earlier this year, the state’s Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT), which Rauner created in 2015, had its expenses called into question by the comptroller and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. After Munger’s loss in the Nov. 2016 election, she moved more than $70 million from the state’s general fund into administration-controlled agencies that largely benefitted DoIT.
But Mendoza held up payments for the DoIT’s secretary to multiple professional organizations, saying, “This type of waste of tax dollars is why I will always demand accountability and transparency from every state agency.” McKinsey had more than $38 million earmarked for its services as part of Rauner’s tech-overhaul.
All emphasis added because… hmm.
* As an aside, Munger’s salary is reported in the above story and others to be $135,000 a year, but a check of the comptroller’s database shows she’s been paid $169,000 this year so far out of a CMS contractual line.
* One of my favorite things on Twitter is Chicago Sun-Times reporter Tina Sfondeles’ “Men watching construction projects” tweets. I don’t quite know why, but they fascinate me and I’ve been impressed with how many “likes” and retweets they get. I’ve suggested to Sfondeles that she should think about doing one of those coffee table books.
“It began as two men staring at a large crane near the Franklin Street Bridge,” [Sfondeles] said. “Then others joined in. I would see this phenomenon nearly every day — with men peeking at the construction site from different vantage points. Some just stood near the bridge for a clear view. Others peaked through gates and mesh covers. Some peeled the covers down to view the site. Others stood on top of a water pipe to get a better view. And this happens nearly every day, rain or shine.”
What does Sfondeles think is going on here? Men “never outgrowing a childhood love of Tonka trucks,” she explained. “I find it really endearing that these men get lost in thought while staring at the site. It’s a little time out from reality.”
There is indeed an aspect of channeling your inner child, or your actual children.
“It’s just fascinating to little kids,” said Griffiths, who has two boys, 2 and 5 years old.
What do the construction workers think of being watched? Do they even notice?
“We see people looking at us a lot,” said Michael Femali, an operating engineer for James McHugh Construction in Chicago. He said he doesn’t mind, particularly when it’s a little kid in a stroller.
“Every time we see a woman pushing a stroller, we always see kids waving and pointing, all the time,” said Femali, who operates a tower crane. “Every time I see a little kid waving I always try to wave back.”
“I’ve been doing this 25 years,” he said. “I kinda like people watching. I understand what’s going through their minds, what they’re thinking.”
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) said he was worried that an unfortunate consequence of the increased awareness around sexual harassment is that offices would avoid hiring female staffers so as not to get caught up in any scandals.
“I have a female-led staff, and I asked them their opinion,” he said during the hearing. “They were concerned … that an unintended consequence may be some offices just take a shortcut and not hire women as a way to avoid these issues. Obviously that’s not the right approach.”
The reporter initially tweeted: “Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) says he’s worried congressional offices will hire fewer women to avoid issue of sexual harassment.” That left the impression with some folks that Davis somehow supported the idea of not hiring women, when it clearly was not the case. Davis never said anything like that.
Yesterday, Reps. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez and Avery Bourne as well as Erika Harold called on Betsy Londrigan and EMILY’s List to apologize to Davis for their over the top and false reactions. Londrigan had even paid for a Facebook ad to spread her false message, which is a topic we’ve discussed here before when Sen. Andy Manar was hit with a similar “fake news” smear. Londrigan had tweeted that Davis’ idea (even though it wasn’t this idea) was “Offensive and illegal.” EMILY’s List’s president called Davis a “buffoon” and tweeted “Excluding women from Congress is NOT how we should address sexual harassment.”
“Women face harassment every day,” Londrigan said in a statement. “By using the platform of a congressional hearing to even suggest that fewer women would get hired as a result of coming forward, Davis’ words have a chilling effect. This comes as no surprise, coming from a Representative who has failed to stand up for equal pay and continues to vote against women’s interests when it comes to healthcare access, affordability and coverage by actively whipping votes for the Trumpcare bill in May. Congressman Davis has continuously cast votes against women that have a direct impact in the workplace and beyond.”
And Christina Reynolds, vice president for communications at EMILY’s List, said: “Instead of using the microphone to perpetuate a backward approach toward addressing harassment in the workplace, Rodney Davis should be proposing solutions.”
* NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern aired some footage yesterday of her interview with Gov. Rauner last month. She asked him back then about “allegations of sexual misconduct by a former member of his inner circle.” His response…
Ahern: Did you do everything you should’ve done?
Rauner: I don’t, Mary Ann, I’m not even sure what you’re referring to. I don’t, that’s a, I don’t, I don’t agree with that question whatsoever. M… M… Mary Ann, you’re…
Ahern: Staffers are aware, but are you not aware of it?
Rauner: Mary Ann, you’re making some claims that I think you should be, you know, go check out. I’m not sure what you’re referring to.
That was not easy to transcribe. But while I had the video on pause during that stuttering burst (you really should click here to watch it), I made this screen capture…
She really knows how to make politicians uncomfortable.
* As we discussed yesterday, Rauner’s answer these days is more polished…
Any specific requests or questions you have about anything pending really needs to go to the inspector general. I am not authorized to comment about it.
* Last night, I hunted down an old video of Mary Ann grilling Gov. Rod Blagojevich. She obviously hasn’t lost her touch…
This state’s story, which lately has been depressing, soon will acquire a riveting new chapter. In 2018 Illinois will have the nation’s most important, expensive and strange election.
Its importance derives from this fact: Self-government has failed in the nation’s currently fifth-most populous state (Pennsylvania soon will pass it). Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner will seek re-election with a stark warning: The state is approaching a death spiral — departing people and businesses suppress growth; the legislature responds by raising taxes; the exodus accelerates. […]
Thuggishness has been normalized: Because Rauner favors allowing municipalities to pass right-to-work laws that prohibit requiring workers to join a union, Madigan’s automatons passed a law (Rauner’s veto stood) stipulating up to a year in jail for local lawmakers who enact them.
In 2018, Rauner will try to enlist voters in the constructive demolition of the “blue model.” It is based on Madigan’s docile herd of incumbent legislators, who are entrenched by campaign funds from government unions. Through them government, sitting on both sides of the table, negotiates with itself to expand itself. Term limits for legislators, which a large majority of Illinoisans favor, would dismantle the wall. A 60 percent supermajority of the legislature is required for such a constitutional reform. So, next year voters will be urged to oppose any legislature candidate who will not pledge to vote to put term limits on the ballot. And all candidates will be asked how often they have voted for Madigan for speaker — he has a 26 percent approval rating — and to pledge not to sin again.
“I love a fight,” says an ebullient Rauner, whose rhetoric cannot get much more pugnacious. He calls Madigan “the worst elected official in the country” and Madigan’s machine “evil.” The nation has a huge stake in this brawl because the “blue model” is bankrupting cities and states from Connecticut to California, so its demolition here, where it has done the most damage, would be a wondrous story enhancing the nation’s glory.
Evil? That’s some hot rhetoric.
* And we’re “approaching” a death spiral? I thought Illinois was already in a death spiral. From a 2012 Bruce Rauner op-ed…
The Fix the Formula campaign and the Funding Illinois’ Future coalition urge the Governor to sign Senate Bill 444, which clarifies a minor technical error in SB1947, Illinois’ historic school funding overhaul. In August, SB1947 ended an era of the state having the most inequitable school funding system in the nation.
With any major legislation there are technicalities that need clarification so that the language matches the intent of the law. We support SB444 because the clarification meets our core principles as a coalition and preserves the intent of SB1947, which drives dollars to the neediest districts, those that have the fewest local resources and are the least well-funded.
We urge the Governor to sign SB444 swiftly so that the Illinois State Board of Education can start to disburse funding under the new formula.
Eleven Republican Senators voted against the cleanup bill last week. Afterwards, one of those 11 — Sen. Jason Barickman, from Bloomington — said he just wanted to see how the numbers would’ve changed without tying up the loose ends.
“We always said we want to see numbers before we do things,” Barickman said. “So, I didn’t make a big deal out of it today, I don’t think it is a big deal. But it would’ve been nice to stick to the process.”
When I asked him to predict whether Rauner sign this seemingly tiny technical bill, Barickman indicated he had given up predicting the governor’s actions. “Sometimes,” he said, “you don’t even wanna predict your own.”
More cleanup bills are on the horizon. The biggest one would ensure state funding for pre-kindergarten English learners. Lawmakers will likely tackle that topic in January.
Durbin and Duckworth Should Immediately Give Away Money Received From Al Franken
Following allegations and a photograph of his sexual misconduct, Durbin and Duckworth have yet to take action on campaign cash from Franken
“Calls for an investigation are not enough. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth should put their money where their mouth is and immediately give away the dirty money they’ve received from Al Franken. Some of their Democratic peers in the Senate have already taken action and given away the campaign contributions. It’s time for Durbin and Duckworth to do the same.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Following reports on Thursday of sexual harassment levied against U.S. Senator Al Franken, Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth have not taken any definitive action to distance themselves from his alleged actions.
Early Thursday, allegations surfaced that Al Franken kissed and groped a woman without consent in 2006. Released along with Leeann Tweeden’s allegations was a photograph of Franken groping Tweeden as she slept.
Since the allegations surfaced, numerous Democrats have spoken out, denouncing Franken and giving away campaign cash received from Franken to charitable organizations.
Durbin and Duckworth, though tweeting their support for an ethics investigation, have yet to give away the money they received from Franken, unlike their counterpart in Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin. Durbin and Duckworth have received $5,000 and $21,000 in campaign contributions from Franken, respectively.
The Illinois Republican Party is calling on Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to follow the example of their peers and immediately give away the campaign cash they received from Al Franken.
* Press releases sent by the two Senators…
U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement:
There is never an excuse for this behavior—ever. What Senator Franken did was wrong, and it should be referred to the Ethics Committee for review.
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement on Senator Al Franken:
“These types of actions are simply unacceptable and should be reviewed by the Ethics Committee. Women across America should be able to feel safe in their workplace, and they deserve our support when coming forward with allegations of misconduct.”
* I’m having one of those mornings, campers. So, talk amongst yourselves for awhile and I’ll be back as soon as I can. Keep it Illinois-centric and be nice because I don’t have time this morning to police your comments. Thanks.
* I wasn’t at today’s Chicago press conference, but I did listen to the audio and that’s not the question Rauner was asked and his answer was more involved than that. The governor did dodge the question, for sure, but here’s what he actually said…
Mary Ann Ahern: Can you say today whether or not, are you aware, yes or no, of sexual harassment complaints within your office?
Gov. Bruce Rauner: So, here are the simple facts. We have a very clear, rigorous process for investigations of any potential of wrongdoing. Clear lines of authority, clear lines of reporting. We have a very independent, very confidential executive inspector general. Any specific requests or questions you have about anything pending really needs to go to the inspector general. I am not authorized to comment about it. And I specifically have taken action to put out a code of ethics, code of ethical behavior in my administration through executive order. And have pushed, made sure everybody in our state government has gone through ethics training, specifically around harassment.
Quite the pickle.
…Adding… Per a commenter, if you look at page 49 of the Office of Executive Inspector General’s latest report you’ll see one “founded report” for the governor’s office in Fiscal Year 2017. It’s unclear what that is, exactly. But here’s the procedure…
If the OEIG, upon the conclusion of an investigation, finds reasonable cause to believe that a violation of law or policy has occurred within its jurisdiction, it will write a founded report that documents:
• the allegations of wrongdoing;
• facts confirmed by the investigation;
• an analysis of the facts in comparison to the applicable law, rule, or policy; and
• findings and recommendations.
In accordance with State law, OEIG reports are provided only to the affected public entities and other appropriate authorities, such as the Governor or a board of trustees. The OEIG does not have the authority to enforce its recommendations, and therefore, it is the responsibility of the affected agencies to act upon OEIG recommendations.
So, the governor knows of at least one founded report from OEIG. I wonder what that one’s about?
* Background is here. From Tom Shaer at the Cook County Assessor’s Office…
The recent article in The Economist about property assessment in Cook County, Illinois was incomplete, not even somewhat balanced and thus very unfair.
Approximately 95% of the information the Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) provided to reporter The Economist was not used. We do not expect every media outlet (including Capitol Fax) to print everything we say, or even half, but when our side of the issues is virtually ignored, that doesn’t allow readers to make up their own minds.
Worse, The Economist failed to ask CCAO about most of the article’s points, so we had no opportunity to add information to address them. We have never had that concern with CapFax.
The Cook County Assessor’s Office has long maintained that the Chicago Tribune pieces about property assessment in Cook County are deeply flawed. Their opinions are based primarily on a sales ratio study not conducted by assessment or appraisal professionals; such private ratio studies are not admissible in Illinois courts. None of this appeared in The Economist.
The Economist printed nearly 200 words of quotes and descriptions of criticism by six different critics of Assessor Joseph Berrios, including three political opponents. It printed only 36 words representing Assessor Berrios’ response. That extreme imbalance violates standards of fairness.
The term, “reciprocal gift-giving” was used to describe assessments and appeals but The Economist did not request details on how property is assessed and how appeals are decided. We state, unequivocally, that there is no rampant over-assessment or under-assessment of property in Cook County.
CCAO was never asked about a comparison of Cook County to New York City’s lower success rate for appeals. But The Economist nevertheless made that comparison, which is grossly misleading because it is an apples-to-oranges concept.
Why? Because New York’s assessment system produces wildly incorrect low assessed values. With properties already assessed so low, why would most appeals be successful?
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s spokesman, Wiley Norvell, and George Sweeting, Deputy Director of that city’s Independent Budget Office, have publicly called for wide legislative changes to eliminate “major inequities…built into the system.”
Yet, somehow, The Economist suggests New York City is a shining example to which Cook County should aspire. Nonsense.
No one in the Cook County Assessor’s Office believes any media outlet should seek to please public officials. However, media should desire to possess all facts and information and present them fairly or at least a little more evenly. Thank you.
* Back in 2009, I asked you if Illinois State Fair manager Amy Bliefnick should resign her position if she ran for the Illinois General Assembly.
And as I told you the other day, former Rep. Darlene Senger is circulating petitions to run for comptroller. Senger is currently Gov. Rauner’s chief legislative liaison. So…
* The Question: When should Darlene Senger resign? When she files her D-1 statement of candidacy, when she files her petitions, when she’s certified for the ballot, before spring session begins in January, after the Republican primary, or never? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* Embattled state Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) has disclosed his first campaign contribution since being publicly accused of sexual harassment. He reported a $7,000 contribution from the Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC today. The group also gave $5,000 to Silverstein’s wife Debra, a Chicago alderman.
* Onward. Along with Blair Hull, a firm called 116 Windsor Drive LLC was one of the biggest contributors to Illinois United for Change, which funded a big-money campaign against House Speaker Madigan in the 2016 Democratic primary. That same firm recently contributed $11,100 to Rep. Scott Drury’s attorney general bid. Drury, of course, is not on Team Madigan.
* During the third quarter, Bob Daiber reported raising $16,199 for his gubernatorial campaign, of which $10,000 was a loan to himself. He ended the quarter with $12,021.91 in the bank.
But as with her first round of candidacy petitions that had to be tossed after a typo was found, there may be some issues with the Ives for Illinois campaign fund.
State Board of Elections officials said they were in contact with the Ives campaign over its initial reporting of $267,725 in cash available in the new fund — without disclosing the source of the money.
There also was the question about the Friends of Jeanne Ives fund, which had been used for her legislative campaigns. That fund ended September with $8,488 and has since raised an additional $15,000, including $10,000 last month from a political action committee with ties to political organizations associated with talk show host and failed 2010 Republican governor primary candidate Dan Proft.
In September, fired Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy caused a stir when his name showed up on an exploratory committee for Chicago mayor.
The chairman of that committee, Northwest side businessman Brian McCormack, told the Sun-Times there was an effort to draft McCarthy to run against Mayor Rahm Emanuel. But first McCarthy wanted: “two things: that we have the financial wherewithal … to get his message out to the people of Chicago. And that the citizens would want him to be mayor,” McCormack told the Sun-Times.
McCormack said he expected to have an answer by late October.
Well, it’s now mid-November, but a look at that committee shows lackluster fundraising. Just eight people donated for a total of $26,000. Nearly half of that total comes from chairman Brian and Kathryn McCormack.
Another $5,000 of that came from Florida donor Harvey Freundlich who once pleaded guilty to attempted delivery of a controlled substance.
Blair Hull, who once ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate, also donated $2,500.
In light of tweets and paid advertising from Betsy Dirksen Londrigan and EMILY’s List spreading false information against Congressman Rodney Davis about what was said in a House Committee hearing on Tuesday, Erika Harold, Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, and Avery Bourne issued the following statements calling on Londrigan and EMILY’s List to apologize to Davis:
“Sexual harassment is not a partisan issue, and the continued misrepresentation of Congressman Davis’ position does a disservice to the constituents who care about this issue and makes it more difficult to find the common ground needed to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace. Betsy Dirksen Londrigan and Stephanie Schriock should immediately issue a statement retracting their misrepresentations and join in the bipartisan efforts to protect women from sexual harassment.” - Republican candidate for Attorney General Erika Harold
“As someone who has experienced sexual harassment, I commend Congressman Davis for speaking out about this very serious topic. I believe Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Stephanie Schriock, and others who are politicizing this issue need to apologize to Congressman Davis and get to work on solutions that will protect women in the workplace.” - State Representative Sara Wojcicki Jimenez
“I have worked for Congressman Davis and I know that he is an advocate for women seeking public office and an advocate of having strong female leadership on staff. Just last year, during my own campaign, I dealt with opposition spreading false information and lies about me. Since then, I have pushed for campaigns to be about issues – not spreading false information to voters. It is unfortunate that Betsy Dirksen Londrigan has decided to go down this path of personal and false attacks. I urge her, as well as her ally, EMILY’s List, to issue an apology to Congressman Davis right away.” - State Representative Avery Bourne
* Gov. Rauner signed SB402 today, which, among other things, adds a prohibition of sexual harassment to the state’s ethics laws. He also signed HB137 and issued this signing statement…
Today I sign House Bill 137, which waives the one year restriction on the Legislative Inspector General conducting investigations of complaints that were raised, but neglected, between December 2014 and November 2017.
This bill represents a positive but small step toward addressing the pressing issue of sexual harassment in the Capitol. It ensures that a vacancy in the Office of the Legislative Inspector General does not allow for complaints and reports of victims to go unheard.
The General Assembly should now look to meaningful reforms of its ethical oversight structure to ensure that the new Legislative Inspector General has robust and independent investigatory and enforcement power. As currently codified, the Legislative Inspector General has a narrow mandate and limited authority. The legislature should conduct a thorough analysis of the existing statutes of limitations to ensure remedies are available. For example, after the Office of the Legislative Inspector General finds reasonable cause of a violation, there is a limitation of 18 months in which to file a complaint with the Legislative Ethics Commission. That time limitation will certainly need to be modified.
I am putting my signature to House Bill 137, but look forward to working with members of the General Assembly willing to take the next steps toward greater independence, transparency, and enforcement mechanisms for the Legislative Inspector General.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
Thoughts?
* related…
* Why is Springfield’s #MeToo movement still in the dark? The Ethics Commission, some say: State Senator and former Lee County Sheriff Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, introduced legislation last week that would remove the lawmakers from the commission and replace them with independent citizens qualified to hear complaints. It would prohibit individuals who have participated in any political activity in the past 10 years from sitting on the commission. “Legislators shouldn’t sit in judgement of other legislators,” Bivins said. “I totally get why more don’t come forward until they have more assurances that their voice will be heard and that they will get justice and fair dealing with their complaints.”
It’s a kiss on the cheek that narrowly misses my lips instead of a handshake. It’s a lingering hand on my back, too low and for too long. It’s a comment about my appearance and an invasive question about my personal life. It’s everywhere and it’s all the time—especially for black women.
I’ve been an Illinois state representative for three years, and I was a legislative staffer for the three years prior. I’ve experienced firsthand the pervasive culture of unchecked sexual harassment that disempowers and silences women, especially women of color.
During my first year in office in 2014, I remember turning to a woman colleague after a man made yet another inappropriate comment in the legislature. “How do you deal with it?” I asked her. “That’s just how he is,” she said, explaining that in her experience, it was better to ignore harassment than confront it.
I hear this reaction from so many women, and most often from women of color, who experience the destructive intersection of sexism and racism known as misogynoir. After decades of being assaulted, disrespected, and underrepresented, it’s painful and dangerous to come forward with our stories. Consequences for sexual harassment are few and far between in Springfield. But the political consequences for speaking out are almost guaranteed.
* Gov. Rauner was asked yesterday why he hasn’t spoken to Comptroller Mendoza since she was sworn in…
No need to talk with her directly, my team is talking to her all the time. I can tell you [crosstalk] this is important. We put a tax hike on the people of Illinois. I vetoed it, but it went in anyway. We’re still running a $2 billion deficit. The fiscal irresponsibility of the folks in charge, Speaker Madigan, is outrageous.
We have to fix this. Our unpaid bills are still going up. And we can’t invest to grow jobs. We can’t invest to invest enough. We got a federal grant for this [off-road vehicle trail system on reclaimed Saline County strip mine], but we could be doing more if we had balanced budgets. And we could be doing more if we grew our economy.
And, and the, the comptroller and the Speaker, who she really works for Speaker Madigan, they don’t get that. They, they just think taxes, more taxes, higher taxes are the answer. It’s not the answer. We gotta grow. Grow good paying jobs in southern Illinois. Don’t tax people and push the jobs out. [Crosstalk] Thanks, everybody.
…Adding… It should be noted that Rauner’s hand-picked comptroller, Leslie Munger, now works for the Rauner administration. And the new comptroller candidate backed by Rauner, Darlene Senger, is on Rauner’s payroll as his chief legislative liaison.
*** UPDATE *** From Comptroller Mendoza…
Governor Rauner has no accomplishments of his own to boast of, so he resorts to patronizing and condescending attacks on me.
He’s struggling with the fact that he has been outworked, outperformed, and beaten at every turn by a strong and independent 5’3” woman. Last week’s bipartisan 164-3 rebuke on the override of the Debt Transparency veto must still sting.
To be clear, I was elected by 2,676,244 voters, which is 852,617 more votes than Governor Rauner received, to work for the 12+ million people in the State of Illinois. I am accountable to them, and it is time that the Governor be as well.
Absent the pleasure of a meeting with the Governor, I’d like to ask him this: What did you spend the $2.8 billion in unauthorized deficit spending on, and how do you plan to pay for it? How much will your Rauner Tax cost the people of Illinois?
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
…Adding More… Check out the not so subtle trolling of Gov. Bruce V. Rauner on the comptroller’s website…
…Adding Even More… Aviva Bowen makes a good point on Facebook…
Why is it SO hard to believe that a tenacious, smart woman can’t be impressive in her own right, that she must be doing the bidding of a man?
Rauner really needs to rethink these attacks in the current climate.
In broad, vague terms, he also called for rolling back the “Madigan income tax hike,” lowering property taxes and restoring good government. “I’ve got, actually, dozens of companies who want to come to Illinois. They want to come to Southern Illinois,” Rauner said. But he said Illinois is losing out on that potential to neighboring states such as Indiana where “the property taxes are one-third, the workers’ comp costs are one-quarter.”
“They’d love to be in Illinois but the costs are prohibitive,” Rauner said.
An aide to Rauner cut off questions from media six minutes into a question-and-answer session following his announcement of the ATV park.
A nearly $1.6 million jackpot has made the VFW’s Queen of Hearts raffle in the small town of Morris, Ill., something of an obsession. Locals and out-of-towners are clogging streets and driveways with their cars, waiting in line for hours and spending wads of cash for a chance to draw the winning card.
Normally, in this sleepy town about 60 miles southwest of Chicago, the raffle draws a few dozen participants, and the prize money may reach hundreds of or even a few thousand dollars. But if no one wins, the pot rolls over each week; and now the stakes in the Queen of Hearts raffle have been growing for almost a year. The final drawing is at 6 p.m. Monday.
As the pot has grown, word spread and the crowd has also increased.
Now there’s an hourslong line every day to buy tickets at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6049. Police provide security, and the fire marshal regulates how many people can be inside the hall. Neighbors complain that cars are blocking their driveways, and the VFW bar manager warned online that rude ticket seekers should not “GET IN MY FACE” anymore before tickets go on sale.
Queen of Hearts is a game where 54 cards – a full deck plus two jokers – are put facedown on a board. The object is to pick the queen of hearts. Players buy raffle tickets for a chance to pick a card off the board. If both jokers are chosen, the game resets, and all the previously pulled cards return to the board.
With the Queen of Hearts drawing growing, it is very important that motorists do not park by barricades, fire hydrants or block alleys. Please dont block roadways while listening to the PODCAST. These are all very important for safety reasons. Violaters will be ticketed and/or towed. Please be respectful to the neighborhood.
* But now there’s word that some private bars are hosting the raffles and some of the not-for-profit groups aren’t getting the required permits. From the BND…
At least a dozen Queen of Hearts raffles in the metro-east may not be in accordance with state law, according to a Belleville News-Democrat investigation.
In some cases, the raffles themselves appear to violate parts of the state’s Raffles and Poker Runs Act. In other cases, the raffle ordinances in the cities don’t appear to be consistent with state law. And in yet other cases, the cities don’t appear to be enforcing their own raffle ordinances.
Gambling critics and experts say if the laws are not followed and enforced, it can lead to big problems: The prize money could be seized by the government, losing players could demand refunds, the insurance policies of the organizations might not cover accidents, and large crowds can threaten the safety of communities.
And even though some of these raffles have reached jackpots approaching $1 million, no one, either from the local or the state level, seems to regulate them. […]
The most common problems found with Queen of Hearts raffles and city raffle ordinances in the metro-east included:
▪ Not having a maximum prize amount in the city ordinance, or raffles going over the maximum prize amount in the ordinance.
▪ Conducting raffles at premises that do not appear to be allowed under state law. At least three local Queen of Hearts raffles are being conducted at privately-owned bars.
▪ Organizations being issued raffle licenses despite not applying for them, or in some cases, raffles being conducted without the city issuing any license at all.
Confusion and various interpretations of the law seem to have led to disparities in local ordinances. In some cases, the city regulations do not follow state law. In others, the city has no ordinances at all, but still hands out raffle licenses.
Republicans in the U.S. Senate have proposed a tax overhaul that would eliminate the itemized deduction known as SALT, for state and local taxes. The House version, which could be voted on Thursday, keeps some of the deduction in place but caps it at $10,000. Durbin describes the SALT deduction as crucial relief for middle-class families in Illinois and other states with heavy tax burdens, such as New York. “We’ve seen increases in our state income tax. We face regular increases in property taxes. This is the one deduction that gives these families a little bit of help and the Republicans are eliminating it,” Durbin said this week on the Senate floor. […]
Now we’re at the root of the dispute over the SALT deduction: Illinois politicians wouldn’t need to fight so hard to retain it if property taxes — and a 32-percent rise in the personal income tax rate (to 4.95 percent) that took effect in July — weren’t so high in the first place. So let’s credit the GOP tax reform push for forcing this issue: Why are Illinois taxes so high? How about addressing that problem instead of reaching for the deduction Band-Aid? […]
But rather than burrow into the actual problems that lead to higher state and local taxes, critics of removing or modifying the SALT deduction blame congressional reformers whose lower deductions would allow marginal tax rates to drop. That would help all Americans. As is, residents of states with lower taxes have to subsidize the high taxes collected by Illinois, by New York, by California …
We get it. Nobody wants to pay more in taxes. Deductions seem to soften the blow, even if they drive marginal tax rates higher. But if we’re truth-telling, a deduction that serves as mere salve for a government’s tax-and-spend addiction isn’t sound public policy. It’s not a solution. It’s like sticking the pacifier in the baby’s mouth to keep it quiet a little longer. Eventually, the pacifier has to go.
Illinoisans send more tax money to DC than they get back (as a state, we consistently rank near the top of this list), but the Tribune would apparently like us to send even more.
As Chris Kennedy campaigns for governor, he’s talked about his business successes. He’s pointed to his management of the Merchandise Mart, “one of the great economic engines of Illinois,” and to his role developing skyscrapers on Wolf Point along the Chicago River.
Kennedy, however, has not highlighted one of his biggest projects to date — a nearly half-billion dollar public-private partnership to build a convention center and Medical Mart in Cleveland.
Local politicians, led by a longtime family friend, gave Kennedy’s company a no-bid contract and pushed through a controversial sales tax hike to pay for it.
As the project got off the ground, Kennedy told Cleveland residents the one-stop medical superstore would remake the Rust Belt city’s image into a “Disney World for doctors” and draw coveted medical conventions to town.
Instead, the project was plagued by accusations of insider dealings, secrecy and failed promises. Kennedy’s company made millions of dollars, while residents are stuck paying more on items they purchase.
The concept was flawed from the start. The idea was to build a Merchandise Mart for the medical profession, but the idea hadn’t worked elsewhere. A Cleveland tax hike paid for just about everything, and by the looks of things, Kennedy’s side risked almost nothing. From October…
Part of the $465 million taxpayer-funded complex that also includes the convention center, the 235,000-square-foot Global Center has been nothing short of an abysmal failure in each of its three or so different incarnations in the short five years since it opened: The original plan for a healthcare mall showcasing high end medical wares was scrapped early on, replaced by a vision of attracting trade shows and conferences with a focus on education.
IlliniCare, a private insurer that’s part of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Medicaid managed care overhaul, is cutting reimbursement rates to medical suppliers by up to 50 percent.
The rate cut beginning on Jan. 1 impacts suppliers that provide durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, oxygen tanks and ventilators, to low-income residents on Medicaid.
The move not only will impact suppliers’ business, but could fuel their exodus from Medicaid managed care, leaving patients in the lurch. Sen. David Koehler, a downstate Democrat and a critic of how the state has further privatized Medicaid by outsourcing it to insurance companies, has proposed legislation to require that insurers pay suppliers as much as the state does.
“I think we have to watch this very carefully because, especially in smaller towns, we may just cut off the supply that may be very vital to someone’s health,” Koehler said. […]
John Hoffman, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, which runs Medicaid, said in a statement that HFS is committed to ensuring that insurers offer Medicaid members services and equipment. But “it is the responsibility of the health plans and providers to negotiate with each other to accomplish this within the framework of contracts, laws and rules overseen by the Department.”
* A letter from Illinois Board of Higher Education Chairman Tom Cross and Executive Director Al Bowman to US Sen. Dick Durbin dated November 14…
Dear Senator Durbin:
The Senate tax reform proposal released on November 9, 2017 and the House plan released two weeks ago contain a number of measures that place new tax burdens on higher education. A broad cross-section of higher-education groups have voiced significant concerns. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education noted that “the House tax-reform proposal released today would discourage participation in postsecondary education, make college more expensive for those who do enroll and undermine the financial stability of public and private two-year and four-year colleges and universities.”
The House bill would change a number of tax deductions that were intended to offset the costs of higher education for both students and corporate sponsors. The Lifetime Learning Credit, for example, allows individuals and families to claim a tax deduction of up to $2,000 for tuition, as well as credit for student-loan interest, and a $5,250 corporate deduction for education-assistance plans. In addition, donations to colleges and universities could decline if fewer individuals itemize deductions as charitable gifts.
The Senate tax reform proposal includes an excise tax on large endowments that support a wide range of college and university functions, including financial aid. Additionally, revenue from licensing of college and university logos would be treated as an unrelated business tax.
In the aggregate, a number of provisions found in both the House and Senate plans would make it more costly for colleges and universities to carry out their missions and the net result will be a significant increase in the cost of higher education.
We would be happy to meet with you or your staff to discuss these critical matters. Please contact us at …
* Meanwhile, from the DGA…
In Washington, Congressional Republicans are attempting to force through a tax overhaul skewed to benefit the wealthiest while many middle-class Illinois families could see an average tax increase of $1,267. And once again, Governor Bruce Rauner is doing nothing to protect them.
In an interview with the Pantagraph, Rauner apparently “lauded” the Republican tax reform effort and talked about cutting the federal tax rate. However, the Republican plans would actually raise taxes on many Illinois middle-class families while exploding the deficit as the wealthiest enjoy a disproportionate share of the benefits.
According to a recent study, the Senate version would mean higher taxes for about 15% of middle-class Illinois households – raising taxes by an average of $1,267.
The House version would mean higher taxes for 27% of middle-class American households – raising taxes by an average of $1,360.
Rauner last month said he has “no obligation” to comment on federal matters. Will Rauner really sit quietly as middle-class taxes go up?
“Bruce Rauner loses all credibility if he stays silent while his own party plans to raise middle-class taxes,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner refusal to stand up to his party and President in Washington shows he’s fighting for himself and not for Illinois families. Now, Republicans want to raise middle-class taxes, and Rauner is going to let it happen.”
The governor has a press conference today in Chicago, so maybe he’ll be asked about this.
The animosity between Illinois’s largest city and its smaller towns is almost as old as the state itself. I say “almost,” of course, because Chicago, incorporated in 1837, is 19 years younger than Illinois, which is set to begin a yearlong celebration of its bicentennial on December 3. Downstaters have always thought of Chicago as a black hole of street violence and political corruption, sucking up tax dollars generated by honest, hard-working farmers. Chicagoans have always thought of downstate—when they’ve thought of it at all—as an irrelevant agricultural appendage full of Baptists and gun owners who’d just love to turn Illinois into North Kentucky.
For most of Illinois’s history, the two spheres have been evenly matched in influence, with downstate contributing some of Illinois’s most important political figures, from Abraham Lincoln to Adlai Stevenson. Downstate was also the forcing ground of internationally known industries: Moline gave us John Deere, Peoria gave us Caterpillar, and Decatur gave us Staley, which in 1920 hired George Halas to coach a company football team he would move to Chicago the following year and rename the Bears.
More recently, though, the misunderstandings and alienation between Chicago and downstate have been ramped up by two particularly 21st-century phenomena: globalization and political polarization. As the big global city in the northeastern corner of the state sucks jobs and college graduates out of the rest of Illinois, downstate is becoming older, less educated, less prosperous, more reactionary, and more Republican. Politically, downstate is in complete opposition to the Chicago area, especially on such culturally charged matters as gun rights, LGBT rights, and abortion. But it lacks the votes to bend the state to its will on any of those issues. This was never more evident than in 2010, when Governor Pat Quinn defeated state senator Bill Brady, a social conservative from Bloomington, despite carrying only four of the state’s 102 counties—and could’ve won by carrying only Cook County. […]
Obviously, a lot of downstaters are mad as hell about losing political and economic influence to Chicago. But do Chicagoans even notice? And if they notice, do they even care? No, and probably not. Culturally, Chicagoans don’t identify with—or even think much about—the state they inhabit. As a friend puts it, “I’m not an Illinoisan. I’m a Chicagoan.” I once mentioned to another Chicago friend that I’d just visited a small town in southern Illinois, “down by the border with Kentucky.” She looked at me quizzically. “Illinois doesn’t have a border with Kentucky,” she said. (This is someone with a master’s degree—but not in geography.)
