Amid threats from management, the recently-merged editorial staffs of Gothamist and DNAinfo have chosen to unionize with the Writers Guild of America East.
The two news sites became one recently when Gothamist was acquired by billionaire conservative donor Joe Ricketts. […]
In an email leaked this week, Dan Swartz, DNAinfo’s chief operating officer, made a thinly veiled threat to his staff: “Would a union be the final straw that caused the business to be closed? I don’t know.”
Reporters and editors at the commonly owned New York news sites DNAinfo and Gothamist are now represented by a union.
The newsroom workers initially agreed to join the union, the Writers Guild of America East, in April, shortly after DNAinfo bought Gothamist. But DNAinfo’s owner, Joe Ricketts, refused to recognize the union, so the National Labor Relations Board conducted a formal vote on Thursday. The result — 25 out of 27 workers voted to join the Writers Guild — means that management is required to bargain with the union.
A week ago, reporters and editors in the combined newsroom of DNAinfo and Gothamist, two of New York City’s leading digital purveyors of local news, celebrated victory in their vote to join a union.
On Thursday, they lost their jobs, as Joe Ricketts, the billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade who owned the sites, shut them down. […]
A spokesperson for DNAinfo said in a statement, “The decision by the editorial team to unionize is simply another competitive obstacle making it harder for the business to be financially successful.”
The decision puts 115 journalists out of work, both at the New York operations that unionized, and at those in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington that did not. They are getting three months of paid “administrative leave” at their full salaries, plus four weeks of severance, DNAinfo said.
In order to properly address this issue, it is critical that an independent special counsel who has no actual or perceived conflicts of interest be appointed to fully investigate existing allegations and the issue as a whole. At a minimum, the special counsel should be empowered to: 1) empanel a grand jury, if deemed appropriate; and 2) determine whether civil rights violations have occurred and take the necessary legal action to address the violations and prevent them from occurring in the future.
*** UPDATE *** Attorney General Madigan has responded (click here). She says she has recommended that the new Inspector General be an attorney with extensive experience as a prosecutor or with experience investigating allegations of sexual harassment. Also…
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
…Adding… I received a press release from another attorney general candidate yesterday, Jesse Ruiz, so I’ll post it here…
“I am disturbed by today’s reports that there have been 27 separate complaints filed with the Legislative Ethics Commission against members of the General Assembly – and that these complaints have been kept hidden and not investigated because of the failure to appoint a legislative inspector general for years.
“When misdeeds are ignored, our trust in government is destroyed. This is all too common in Illinois and it needs to stop now.
“We have the right to know when our public officials betray the public trust. I call upon the leaders of the General Assembly to take immediate action by naming an interim Legislative Inspector General who will swiftly and vigorously investigate these complaints.
“The people of Illinois deserve to know what’s going on underneath the Capitol dome. Sunshine is the best disinfectant – and it is clear from these latest allegations that Springfield needs an emergency dose.”
Democratic Attorney General candidate Sharon Fairley on Thursday called for sweeping change to address sexual harassment and sexism in the Illinois General Assembly. Fairley, who would be the first African American woman Attorney General in Illinois history, demanded swift action by legislative leaders, and called for an independent investigation to identify which legislators or other actors may have been complicit in burying allegations of assault and harassment.
“As a woman in public service, the alleged conduct that has come to light in recent weeks comes as no surprise to me,” said Fairley. “What does disturb me, however, is that it certainly appears that the Illinois Legislature and leadership have not fulfilled their legal obligation to maintain a fully functional and independent Legislator Inspector General’s office. This has clearly allowed improper behavior to go unchecked.”
Fairley urged legislative leaders to move quickly to appoint a new Legislative Inspector General–a position that legislators have inexplicably left vacant for years. She also called on the legislature to increase staffing of that office, and to make changes to the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act that govern the Legislative Ethics Commission and Legislative Inspector General’s office to strengthen the office’s mission and independence.
Fairley called for an independent investigation into the Legislative Ethics Committee to determine why they have failed to comply with state law and appoint an acting Legislative Inspector General.
“Those who are brave enough to report harassment concerns to legislative leaders were told their complaints were referred to an office that does not currently exist, for all intents and purposes,” said Fairley. “Victims who filed complaints were led into an impenetrable bureaucratic maze. We must determine who knew what, and when, so that those actors can be held to account, and so that we can begin to eradicate the systemic sexism that led to this moment.”
Fairley noted that according to state law, the employment of staff in the LIG’s office is “subject to the approval of at least 3 of the 4 legislative leaders.”
“How can you expect a Legislative Inspector General to investigate ‘fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, misconduct, nonfeasance, misfeasance, and malfeasance’ if its staff has to be approved by party leaders? We must amend the law to create real independence for the Legislative Inspector General.” Fairley pointed to her own experience as the First Deputy and General Counsel to the City of Chicago Office of the Inspector General, which had a staff of over 60.
“The legislative leaders and members of the commission failed to take this issue seriously until they got called out about it publicly,” Fairley said. She also noted that the Legislative Ethics Committee, which is required to appoint the acting Legislative Inspector General, lacks diversity–it includes only two women–both of whom are white–and six men.
…Adding… Another one…
In light of recent reports of rampant sexual harassment reported by people of every age and socioeconomic strata from the private sector to the halls of power in Springfield, Mayor Nancy Rotering released the following statement:
“Sexual harassment is more than a violation; it is a crime. Serial offenders should be prosecuted and classified as predators. As the top law enforcement official in the State of Illinois, I will be a fierce advocate calling for necessary changes to protect survivors and end a cycle of abuse.”
The State of Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits sexual harassment, but the law sets stipulations which exclude some places of employment and void coverage for some claimants.
“As Attorney General, I will take a stand against intimidation and injustice as it is past time to punish those who subject people to fear and intimidation or sit idle as it happens. I will prioritize and fight for tougher laws with more severe penalties in an effort to end sexual harassment as well as retaliation against those reporting harassment. These actions will include a push for Springfield to amend the Human Rights Act to apply to all employers, regardless of size. On behalf of the people of our State, I will sue to enforce the laws to stop repeated discrimination and harassment, and seek the maximum penalties possible.”
Today, JB Pritkzer and Juliana Stratton outlined their plan for criminal justice reform at a speech and panel discussion at the DuSable Museum of African-American History. They were joined by Roseland Ceasefire Project Executive Director Bob Jackson, Director of NEIU’s Master of Social Work Program Dr. Troy Harden, Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church, and Enlace Chicago Executive Director Katya Nuques. Read the full plan here.
The proposal lays out what JB will do as governor to end mass incarceration, give communities the support they need to thrive, address gun violence and build a true system of justice through four key policies:
1. Legalize marijuana and modernize sentencing practices, especially for low level drug offenses.
2. Reduce recidivism by removing economic barriers to employment, affordable housing, human services, and family reunification.
3. Reform our juvenile justice system and end the criminalization of children.
4. Treat gun violence like a public health epidemic and make police more accountable to the communities they serve.
“With vision and compassion, we can make real progress and put Illinois on course to become a model for criminal justice reform,” said JB Pritzker. “I intend to reverse the damage Bruce Rauner has done to community organizations and social service agencies that work to strengthen the communities they serve. I’ll fight every day to bring economic opportunity to every corner of our state.
“But most importantly, I think we need a governor who listens. There are organizations and advocates in this room who have devoted their lives to these problems. There are communities, especially communities of color, impacted every day by the deficiencies in our criminal justice system. There are families whose lives have been forever altered by gun violence. There are no solutions without their input. There is no path forward until those affected voices in our communities are brought to the table. Only then can we move forward together.”
“So many of our communities are not heard. Many have been ignored and suffered decades of disinvestment,” said State Representative Juliana Stratton. “We don’t need more band aids – we need real solutions. I’m proud to be on this ticket with someone ready to provide real solutions. I’m proud to be running with someone who recognizes the strengths in our communities and wants to be a partner in the path forward.”
Connect people in prison early with evidence-based rehabilitative services including job training, education, mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Encourage and facilitate positive relationships between people in prison, their families, and their communities to reduce the likelihood of recidivism after release.
Gov. Rauner’s campaign website contains a section called an “action center” that contains pre-written petitions which also can be used to provide the campaign with a list of potential volunteers.
But the two predominant issues seeking a call to action appear dated. The site’s “top priority” is a petition against imposing a sweetened beverage tax in Kane County similar to one that is being repealed in Cook County.
The petition drive says “tax-and-spend politicians have already imposed an illegal tax on soda purchases in Cook County, taking residents’ hard-earned money so the politicians can tax their way out of the mess they’ve created.”
Regardless of the statement, the tax was found to be legal. But it was also highly unpopular, and the Cook County Board to voted to end it.
A similar petition exists for DuPage County even though there’s no evidence that anyone there is floating a beverage tax.
That may come as a surprise to the people who run Kane and DuPage counties, but I suppose it can’t hurt.
…Adding… The governor was also advertising this crusade on Facebook in September. So, he’s a purveyor of fake news now?…
A Facebook post by a Gov. Bruce Rauner political organization is asking citizens to sign a petition to stop the Cook County soda tax from “spilling over to Kane County.”
The only problem is, Kane County isn’t considering a soda tax, County Board member Kurt Kojzarek said today (Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017).
“Needless to say, I was more than a little shocked to see this petition from the governor pop up on my Facebook news feed,” he said. “The claim is completely false. Kane County has zero interest in adding to the tax burden. We support our local retailers, and prefer not to place burdens or obstacles on them or the consumers.”
As children across Illinois prepare to return to school in the fall, lawmakers are putting politics before students by holding up the school funding reform bill.
Instead of holding up school funding, legislators should pass a simple and fair amendment that the current bill needs: put funding towards students in the classrooms, not towards paying off Chicago’s pension debt.
Let’s put the politics aside and do the right thing to ensure equitable education funding regardless of zip-code. Support education to set our students up for success.
A little outdated, perhaps? Also, CPS wound up getting pretty much everything it wanted on pensions.
* Meanwhile, from the governor’s campaign…
ICYMI: Gov. Rauner touts Security Cooperation on Official Trip to Israel
While on an official visit, Governor Rauner met with top Israeli officials to discuss mutual security interests
Governor Rauner is on his first official visit to Israel this week, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials. The governor is leading a delegation of administrators from the University of Illinois, promoting interconnectedness between U of I and Israel’s top engineering universities, with an ultimate goal of making the Illinois Innovation Network a global endeavor.
A day after a terrorist attack hit New York, visiting Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner hinted at intelligence cooperation between his state’s law enforcement officials and Israel during an interview on Wednesday with The Jerusalem Post. The Republican governor, who arrived on Monday and will be leaving Friday, said that he had a “detailed discussion” with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan during his visit.
“We will be exchanging information, will have mutual visits from some of our security people, and leaders from Israel who will come to Illinois,” he said. “We have a very strong, effective anti-terrorist center and task force commission within the Illinois state police based in Springfield. We are constantly monitoring and sharing information both with the federal government, leaders of other states, and we look forward to have a close working relationship with leaders in Israel.”
…Rauner met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week, and said that 80-90% of that conversation dealt with economic issues, though security issues were also discussed, especially cybersecurity.
“We talked about the software and the mathematics and the engineering behind cybersecurity,” Rauner said. “The prime minister is very focused and knowledgeable about that.”
…“I have always been very clear about my strong support for Israel, the Jewish community in Illinois and around America,” he said. “And frankly I believe very strongly in a very powerful, positive relationship between the people of Israel and the people of Illinois, to our mutual benefit.”
…Rauner speaks proudly of the fact that as governor he “sponsored and signed the first anti- BDS legislation that was signed by any state in America.”
…Rauner said Illinois took the measures one stop further, not only barring investing the state’s pension funds in any company that participates in BDS, but also “not contracting or allowing the state government to do any business whatsoever with a company that participates in BDS activities and discrimination – and other states are now following suit.”
“I’ve been talking about issues — all voting machines have been penetrated by the Russians in Illinois and no one really seems to be talking about it.”
Russian hacking into the Illinois voter registration system in the summer of 2016 shouldn’t shake voters’ confidence in the integrity of the electoral process, a panel of election experts said during a Monday forum in Highland Park.
Lake County Clerk Carla Wyckoff said there is a common misconception that voting is done on the Internet and it’s very easy to hack into the voting results.
“That is simply not true,” Wyckoff said during the forum, sponsored by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. […]
“I think the frustration of these people is they can’t hack into our actual tabulation, so then they go after the next biggest thing, which is the statewide voter registration,” Wyckoff said. “Even that was not successful, so their next strategy is just to erode the public’s confidence.” […]
“Ultimately, the easiest way for some nefarious outsider, I feel, to cause harm to the process isn’t going to be breaking into some technical aspect of the elections, though there are some vulnerabilities that we want to take care of,” [Colin Williams, policy data director for ICPR] said.
“It is making people feel that they don’t want to go out to vote, because they don’t think it will end up counting,” he added.
I’ve asked Mariotti’s campaign for comment because he really needs to stop saying this stuff. He is playing right into their hands.
*** UPDATE *** From the candidate…
What we know is that the Department of Homeland Security reported that Russia tried to penetrate the voting systems of 21 states, and Illinois was one of them. I previously misspoke and said that all voting machines have been penetrated by the Russians when what I meant to say is that all voting records have been penetrated by the Russians. We don’t know enough about what the Russians did here in Illinois, so I’m glad this panel and the election authorities were able to provide more clarity on this issue and share their concerns about the state of the security measures in place going forward. As Attorney General, I will conduct an investigation to determine what other election systems hackers may have accessed to protect the integrity of our election system. The people of Illinois deserve a complete and transparent accounting of the manner and extent that our electoral system was compromised so that we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“All voting records have been penetrated by the Russians”? Nope…
Wyckoff said that of millions of state voter registration records, about 75,000 were “likely viewed by the hackers”
JB Pritzker to Give Major Policy Address, Hold Panel on Criminal Justice Reform and Gun Violence
WHAT
JB Pritzker to give a major policy address and release his criminal justice reform plan followed by a panel discussion with State Representative Juliana Stratton, Roseland Ceasefire Project Executive Director Bob Jackson, Director of NEIU’s Master of Social Work Program Dr. Troy Harden, Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church, and Enlace Chicago Executive Director Katya Nuques.
WHEN
Thursday, November 2 at 1:00 PM
* ILGOP…
Blagojevich Asks to Get Out of Federal Prison Early as Pritzker Talks Criminal Justice
Does Pritzker support his imprisoned friend’s petition before the U.S. Supreme Court?
“J.B. Pritzker’s favorite governor is back in the news. As Pritzker is scheduled to talk criminal justice this afternoon, lawyers representing his imprisoned friend Rod Blagojevich plan to file a petition to the US Supreme Court, asking them to review his conviction on corruption charges. Blagojevich’s petition begs the question - does J.B. Pritzker, Blagojevich’s fifth-largest campaign contributor, support Blagojevich’s request to get out of prison early?” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Today, lawyers representing imprisoned former governor Rod Blagojevich plan to file a petition for a writ of certiorari before the United States Supreme Court, asking them to review his conviction on corruption charges.
Currently, Blagojevich is five and a half years into his fourteen-year sentence in a Colorado federal prison for orchestrating a “political corruption crime spree” ranging from attempts to sell a U.S. Senate seat appointment to shaking down state vendors for campaign contributions.
Blagojevich’s petition to the U.S. Supreme Court is his latest attempt to get out of prison early.
Blagojevich’s most recent request begs the question - does J.B. Pritzker, Blagojevich’s fifth-largest campaign contributor and now Democratic candidate for governor, support Blagojevich’s request to get out of prison early?
In a bombshell investigative report from the Chicago Tribune, it was revealed that Pritzker was recorded on FBI wiretaps conversing with Blagojevich about being appointed State Treasurer, among other offices. Pritzker and Blagojevich also discussed campaign contributions on the same call.
Upon the release of the wiretaps, news outlets called it a “campaign crisis” for Pritzker. Pritzker was later scrutinized for a $100,000 campaign contribution to Blagojevich that one reporter said “sounds like pay-to-play to me.”
Given Pritzker’s well-documented close ties to imprisoned former governor Rod Blagojevich, surely he has an opinion on Blagojevich’s latest attempt to get out of prison early.
So, as Pritzker plans to discuss criminal justice this afternoon, does he support his imprisoned friend Rod Blagojevich’s petition before the U.S. Supreme Court?
The absence of a Legislative Inspector General has sparked some partisan accusations of their own. Representative Chad Hays (R-Catlin) says he and his GOP colleague Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) have recommended several names to the current and past chair of the committee, but none have been appointed.
“It is outrageous that the position remains open despite our sincere and repeated efforts to move this process forward,” Hays said, pointing an accusatory finger at Speaker Madigan, who does not sit on the Legislative Ethics Commission.
“My read on the matter is that the Speaker has thwarted efforts to finalize this dynamic,” Hays said. “No rationale for foot dragging on this matter is acceptable. The length of time that the position has remained unoccupied is absurd.”
A spokesman for Speaker Madigan responded, saying, “Mr. Hays’ claim has no basis in fact.”
The speaker’s office was aware of only one name briefly under consideration, a former state representative, but says the candidate’s poor reputation made them a poor fit for the job. Cullerton’s office says three candidates were offered a job within the last year, but each turned it down.
Somebody either isn’t telling the truth or doesn’t know the whole story.
[Sen. Karen McConnaughay] says that she was active in helping to submit the name of one candidate […]
[Sen. Terry Link] says he has been actively trying to fill the legislative inspector general role in the year that he’s been at the helm of the commission.
But he says it’s been difficult: According to Link, the position is technically part-time, but “it can consume a lot of hours” as it’s up to the inspector general to actually do, or at least lead, the investigative legwork.
Link says an inspector general is paid an hourly rate for that work, so there’s no guaranteed salary. Few attorneys are apt to want to leave a full-time position for that.
Not to mention that although according to state law it “shall be a fully independent office,” an inspector general has to be willing to potentially burn bridges with powerful elected officials.
But legislative leaders have failed to hire a permanent legislative inspector general since Tom Homer left at the end of June 2014. The following week, the Chicago Tribune published details of a secret report put together by Homer in the wake of a 2013 Metra scandal that offered new insight into how Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan navigated the intersection of public business and ward-style patronage through his Southwest Side office and Illinois Capitol suite.
The report contained an account of Metra’s chairwoman entering Madigan’s Capitol office to talk about state issues and leaving with a yellow Post-it note bearing the names of two workers the speaker wanted to see promoted. In another meeting, a Metra lobbyist who was a longtime Madigan aide was spotted leaving the speaker’s office with two resumes. Another time, Madigan simply called the cellphone of one of his “better” precinct captains to tell him about a state job, according to the report.
A copy of the unreleased report also gave a rare glimpse into Madigan’s thoughts on getting people government jobs and raises. In an interview with Homer, Madigan is quoted as speaking highly of both the work-related credentials and the political experience of one 13th Ward operative the speaker backed for a raise.
“You can understand that there are many people that are involved with me and campaigns and community service,” Madigan said, according to the report. “Among these many people, some are better than others. (He) happens to be one of those who is better than others.”
At the time, Madigan’s spokesman issued a statement saying the speaker asked for the investigation and cooperated fully with it and noted that the legislative inspector general had “found no violation of any law.”
The current uproar reflects badly on Cullerton, whose reliance on protocol is no excuse: He referred Rotheimer’s complaint to an office that he knows full well is rudderless and ineffectual. “It is our understanding that there is an open investigation” — spoken Tuesday by a Cullerton spokesman — is a pretty hollow assurance.
This reflects badly, too, on Madigan, who sprang into action only after a groundswell of protest about a culture of creepiness in the Capitol. Madigan desperately wants to avoid looking like he hasn’t taken sexual harassment seriously. Too late.
Governor Bruce Rauner today expressed his desire for Illinois to serve as a host state for disaster victims from Puerto Rico who were displaced by Hurricane Maria. Rauner contacted the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Region V office in Chicago to let them know the state of Illinois would like to be considered for FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which FEMA and announced on Monday.
“Illinois continues to stand ready to help our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico as they recover from the unbelievable destruction caused by Hurricane Maria,” said Rauner. “At the very least, it will be many months before some survivors will once again have a home on the island. We want to do everything possible to help them through this very difficult time.”
Under the TSA program, FEMA is seeking host states in the Continental U.S. to coordinate support for Puerto Ricans displaced by the hurricane. FEMA will reimburse host states for 100 percent of eligible sheltering costs.
Rauner has directed the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to work with FEMA Region V staff on a host state agreement. Puerto Rican Governor Rosello will determine what states serve as host states.
On Oct. 1, Governor Rauner contacted Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rosello to express Illinois’ willingness and ability to send state personnel and assets to assist him and the citizens of Puerto Rico as they work to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria.
Former Chicago Ald. Bob Fioretti has filed the state paperwork required to start raising money for a potential Democratic primary challenge to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
Fioretti, a onetime mayoral candidate, said he has yet to decide whether to run. Setting up the “Bob for Cook County” campaign fund is “part of the process of making the decision,” he said.
Now, he’s waiting to see how many signatures he can get on petitions he would need to get on the ballot and what kind of financial commitments he can line up to take on the two-term incumbent, he added.
As recently as a few months ago, Preckwinkle was expected to skate into a third term without opposition, but she’s viewed in some quarters as vulnerable because of the public outcry over the county’s controversial soda pop tax.
Fioretti told Mary Ann Ahern on October 23rd that he was already circulating petitions and would decide whether to run in 10 days. That was 10 days ago.
Minnesota has a much different and much healthier economy than we do. As the ad points out, the state’s unemployment rate was 6.8 percent before Gov. Dayton took office. At the same time, Illinois’ rate was 9.3 percent.
Illinois’ economy continues to lag the nation as well as surrounding states even as the current economic recovery, while comparatively long in historical terms, remains the weakest in the post WWII period. From 2010, following the start of the recovery in mid-2009 through 2016, inflation adjusted GDP in the United States averaged 2%. The pace of growth was below that of 2.4% on average in the years from 2001 to 2007, which included 3.8% growth in 2004 and 3.3% in 2005. This in turn was well below the average growth rate of 3.87% from 1992 to 2000, with growth in a rage of 4.1% to 4.7% each year from 1997 to 2000.
The latest Illinois forecast by IHS Markit was done in early October and is located at the top of the next page. The table shows Real Gross State Product remaining in the 1.0% area each year from 2015 through 2017, before rising at an average growth rate of 1.7% in the years 2018 – 2020.
One of the more notable aspects of Illinois’ economy in recent years has been the recurrent outflow of people from the state. Illinois’ population continues to decline and at best is forecast to hold steady by 2019 and 2020. Total employment in Illinois thus indicates little in the form of growth, rising 1% or less during the forecast years. As a result of such weakness, Illinois’ unemployment rate is anticipated to continue higher than in most states as its ace of improvement is projected to lag that of the nation as a whole as well as that of the Midwest.
In September the national unemployment rate was 4.2% with the 12 states comprising the Midwest at the same 4.2% rate. However, unemployment rates differed greatly among the 12 Midwest states. The highest rates in the Midwest in September were Ohio, which had an unemployment rate of 5.3%, followed by Illinois, which had the second highest rate at 5.0%, and Michigan at 4.3%.
Dear Mr. Berko: What do you think of buying $50,000 worth of the recently issued 3.75 percent Illinois general obligation bonds due in 2028? And please tell me about Instructure. If you approve, then I’ll buy 1,000 shares. — RS, Akron, Ohio
Dear RS: If you understand and can afford the risks, then buy the general obligation bonds. These GO bonds are backed by the full credit and taxing power of the state of Illinois rather than revenues from a specific project, such as a bridge, a sewer system or a toll road. These tax-free bonds were issued with the dark hope that Illinois can repay its obligation via taxation and other revenues. Knowledgeable investors believe that’s unlikely.
The state issued $6 billion worth of GO bonds to shrink its unpaid $17 billion backlog of accumulated merchant and vendor debt. These bonds are rated BBB- by Standard & Poor’s and Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service. Those ratings are investment-grade (though just barely; they’re a hair’s breadth above junk). However, a longtime acquaintance of mine at Moody’s isn’t so ebullient. Privately, he believes those bonds should be rated Ba1, which is non-investment-grade and speculative. He says the underlying foundation for Illinois’ financial system has been destroyed by the Legislature. Among the state’s most daunting financial problems is its pension plan, which is underfunded by $251 billion. It won’t be a picnic when 815,000 employees learn that their benefits may be reduced. I believe there’s an 80 percent chance these bonds will pay interest till maturity and then redeem at par value. And I think there’s a 20 percent chance these bonds will pay interest till maturity and then have their debt restructured so that you can get back 70 cents on the dollar. It’s a fair dinkum gamble!
McConnaughay, a member of the Legislative Ethics Commission, said she was told last week on a commission conference call that there were no “open” cases. On Wednesday she said she learned there are “up to 27 separate complaints against members of the Illinois General Assembly” — while outlining that she didn’t know whether that meant legislators or their staffers, and it’s unclear what kind of ethical violations were alleged in those complaints.
Not only is sexual harassment not even listed as a violation of the state ethics act, but the job of legislative inspector general has been vacant since 2015.
“I’ve been on the commission since late 2014,” said state Sen. Karen McConnaughay, R-St. Charles. “I literally have never seen a single case come forward.”
Sexual harassment is not currently included as a specific violation of the state’s ethics act, so the Legislative Ethics Commission has no power to hold a hearing on a sexual harassment complaint or punish someone who’s been accused of sexual harassment, according to Heather Wier Vaught, Madigan’s top lawyer and a former ethics officer for the House Democratic Caucus.
The inspector general (that’s the job that’s vacant), however, does have the ability to investigate a sexual harassment complaint. Once an investigation is complete, though, the Ethics Commission can’t do much with it other than release it to the public. And accusers are typically uncomfortable with going public with their accusations out of fear of retribution.
The legislation proposed by Madigan would add a prohibition against sexual harassment to the state’s ethics act, making it possible for the ethics commission to punish those who’ve been found in violation, Wier Vaught said.
Illinois currently has an office known as the Legislative Inspector General (IG). This office is responsible for investigating claims of discrimination in the state legislature. However, the seat has been vacant since 2014. According to recent reports, this vacancy means complaints are now sent directly to the Legislative Ethics Commission in the General Assembly, which is responsible for appointing a Legislative Inspector General.
An apparent problem with the Legislative Ethics Commission is that it lacks a working, transparent process to evaluate claims. Individual commissioners are state legislators selected by General Assembly leaders. Those commissioners have appointed an executive director for the Commission, Randy Erford. However, the Illinois Comptroller lists Erford, the former director of College Illinois!, as a contractor for the state (Erford is paid $37,746 annually for part-time work).
Erford is presently the only staff member for the Commission. According to a compliance report for July 2014 - June 2016, there were “procedural deficiencies” and an “inadequate segregation of duties” regarding the Commission’s financial practices. Erford’s responses to the findings ascribed the issues to “oversight or confusion over filing deadlines,” as well as the observation that he is the only staff member of the office.
However, Erford also said adding an additional staff member was not a prudent option because of the lack of work in his office. Despite this, the General Assembly has appropriated $312,500 to the Legislative Ethics Commission, which also funds the (currently vacant) Legislative Inspector General’s office. Erford’s office only spent $40,000 in 2016, allowing $272,000 in funding for the Ethics Commission to be returned to the state.
The role of Illinois Legislative Inspector General, an agency responsible for uncovering wrongdoing at the highest levels of Illinois government, has been vacant since December 2014. Yesterday it was reported that legislative staff in Springfield is holding up to 27 separate sexual harassment complaints against members of the Illinois General Assembly. A complaint must be filed with the Legislative Inspector General to be considered a “case.” Through that loophole, the political establishment in Springfield has been able to claim that there are no pending cases of sexual harassment. State Representative Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) issued the following statement calling on Governor Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) to fill the position immediately:
“Illinois has a reputation for political corruption. Government transparency and accountability should be top priorities for any leader who is serious about reform,” said Ives. “The charges of sexual harassment recently brought to light by Denise Rotheimer went unheard for a year. She was forced to suffer Senator Silverstein’s unwanted advances for a year. It was only out of political necessity that she was given a hearing at all. Twenty-seven other complaints of sexual harassment are being held by staff members and do not count as cases. Through its inaction, the ILGA has reaffirmed to women across the state that speaking up about the harassment of someone who is politically powerful will get you a one-way ticket to nowhere. They have reminded women and girls that they will just have to deal with it, because that’s the way it is. It is an inexcusable injustice.”
“Sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination have a detrimental impact on institutions. This is a very serious charge. While the problem is rampant in Springfield, it has not been taken seriously by this state’s political leadership over the past two years. I understand the importance of protecting the women working in state government. And I take it seriously regardless of who is implicated. In order to properly prosecute offenders, legislative leaders must appoint a Legislative Inspector General.”
“The fact that we have gone three years without a Legislative IG in place is a failure of both parties. starting with those in the majority party in both chambers. We should know if other members were being protected as Cullerton protected the complaint against Sen. Silverstein from a proper and timely investigation.”
“We should have an expeditious appointment of a Legislative IG to exercise oversight and provide a channel for any persons who believed they were wronged to lodge a complaint. This is more important than the virtue-signaling legislation being advanced at present by people who were unserious about predatory behavior for too long to now pretend they are serious.”
“Illinoisans have seen too many instances in which those in power look the other way to protect those who keep them in power. I am running for Governor to restore accountability and respectability to state government.”
…Adding… This should go without saying, but the governor has nothing whatsoever to do with appointing a legislative inspector general. So, calling on Rauner to appoint an IG with Speaker Madigan is pretty darned goofy.
* Meanwhile, remember how Rep. Steve Reick (R-Harvard) vowed yesterday not to take the sexual harassment training? Well…
We asked House GOP Leader Jim Durkin’s office about Reick’s response. A spokeswoman released a “clarifying statement” from Reick: “There’s a problem with the culture in Springfield. How has harassment been allowed to thrive for so long without any real attempts to address it? My fear is, and what I failed to clearly articulate, is that training won’t be enough to truly shock the system. I feel very strongly that those who have committed these acts through the years should be called out by name and forced to deal with their actions. Until then, I remain concerned that efforts to end harassment will fall short. I will support the proposed legislation, participate in any training it prescribes and will do my part to end the culture of harassment that’s existed for far too long in and around the Capitol.”
This morning, Illinois State Senator and Democratic candidate for Governor Daniel Biss released a new digital ad, “BSBS.” Modeled after a pharmaceutical commercial, the video speaks to voters frustrated with billionaires buying elections by highlighting the epidemic of “Big Spending Billionaire Syndrome,” and presents middle-class progressive Daniel Biss as the cure.
With unprecedented spending, brand name candidates in this race have proven they would rather hold an auction than an election. But trust can’t be bought—and in what is expected to be the most expensive statewide race in United States history, the Biss campaign gives voters an opportunity to choose a middle-class progressive who will fight for working families rather than another billionaire who will only work for the wealthy and well-connected.
“Are you suffering from BSBS? Big Spending Billionaire Syndrome? It’s an epidemic of rich guys trying to buy elections, bombarding you with their money, to take over our government. Symptoms include nausea, disbelief, and the uncontrollable urge to destroy your TV when the same people who profit from our rigged system now promise they’ll change it,” the ad begins.
“But now, there’s a cure: Democrat Daniel Biss for governor. 100% progressive, fast-acting, all grassroots, a middle-class father, former teacher, and state senator, who will make Illinois work for the people again.”
Biss for Illinois shared the ad on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton announced Wednesday that Senator Ira Silverstein will no longer serve on the Senate Democratic leadership team. Senator Silverstein resigned from the Majority Caucus Chair post effective immediately.
The post carries a $20,649 annual stipend. It will remain vacant for the immediate future.
Cullerton also announced that a professionally led sexual harassment awareness training seminar for senators will be scheduled for next week. The Senate is in session next week.
In addition, Cullerton anticipates an interim legislative inspector general will be named as soon as next week to fill a vacant investigative post. Cullerton said the expected hiring comes after three candidates had turned down the job in the past year. All four legislative leaders must approve the hiring of a legislative inspector general.
“It’s our duty to fill that post. I take responsibility for my role in that lapse, and I apologize for it,” Cullerton said. “These corrective actions are a first step in changing an unacceptable culture that has existed for too long.”
As a member of the Legislative Ethics Commission, I’ve been frustrated with the fact that no Inspector General has been appointed despite candidates’ names to take that role having been submitted. Nonetheless, the recent public exposure of accusations about disturbing behavior by a State Senator has led to even more concerns about the methods and means under which this important Commission operates.
Today, my worst fears became reality when I found out that committee members have had important information withheld about allegations that go far beyond one individual.
As late as this week, and after repeated inquiries by myself and others, members were assured that there were “no pending cases” before the Ethics Commission. Today, I discovered that staff is, in reality, holding up to 27 separate complaints against members of the Illinois General Assembly, and have used the fact that no Inspector General has been named as the reason there are—technically—no pending cases since it only becomes a “case” when it is reviewed by the Inspector General.
Upon discovering the fact that files containing serious accusations have been withheld from the Commission, I placed a call to Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office to inform them of the situation and ask for guidance on how we can pursue a remedy. I have also formally asked Commission Chair State Senator Terry Link to convene an emergency meeting as soon as plausible to put this situation on the table to be resolved.
Since joining the General Assembly in 2013, I have never witnessed a more serious abuse of the public’s trust, and firmly believe that the only way to fix this is by exposing what really goes on in these matters to the public. Please note that many of my colleagues were kept in the dark as well, and this information about possible ethics violations is controlled by a small handful of people who must now explain to taxpayers why the information was withheld, who directed them to do so, and all other pertinent details.
We will not get past these problems until full public disclosure takes place, and it must start NOW.
Whoa.
* And, once again, keep in mind this claim from just last week…
(T)he office of the state’s legislative inspector general sits empty. The Legislative Ethics Commission’s executive director, Randy Erferd, attends only to the group’s administrative needs and did not return calls for comment by publication.
Despite this, $312,500 were appropriated for the Office of the Legislative Inspector General in this year’s budget. The same amount was appropriated in 2013, 2014, 2015, and for the 2016-2017 year. A total of $1,875,000 million has been appropriated for an office which has not been occupied and to pay for a staff which doesn’t exist. […]
“We haven’t found an appropriate person but I want to hasten to add that there have been no reports of ethics violations during that period of time so it’s not like there’s something that hasn’t been done,” [Rep. Lou Lang] said.
*** UPDATE *** I missed this yesterday, but Speaker Madigan read out the number of complaints filed in the past few years during the committee’s question and answer period…
2015: 15 complaints
2016: 8
2017: 3
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Meanwhile…
Rep. Chad Hays sits on the Legislative Ethics Commission which appoints the Inspector General. He blames Speaker Madigan for the vacancy. pic.twitter.com/VmVWMaDbmv
Madigan spox: "Mr. Hays claim has no basis in fact. Work of the commission is done on confidential basis to prevent partisan attacks." https://t.co/mdvyFDDXGS
Carrying signs that read “Babies Before Bezos,” about two dozen union workers called on Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Bruce Rauner to spend more on child care subsidies, citing $2 billion in incentives dangled to lure Amazon to Chicago.
The Service Employees International Healthcare union on Wednesday used the high-profile Amazon HQ2 bid to draw a distinction between what they said is elected officials’ willingness to empty the bank to court company CEO Jeff Bezos while many Chicago families can’t afford care for their young children.
“This decision by our elected officials to give $2 billion in city, state and county tax incentives to Amazon shows this is not a matter of money,” said Brynn Seibert, director of the union’s child care division, said the money is there. “It’s a matter of choice.” […]
Chicago’s bid for Amazon to build its second headquarters in the city included what sources said was $1.32 billion in EDGE tax credits and $172.5 million in sales tax and utility tax exemptions from the state; $61.4 million in property tax discounts from Cook County and Chicago; and $450 million in to-be-determined infrastructure spending from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago Transit Authority and other agencies.
Except for the infrastructure stuff, which would likely be bonded over time, they’re not talking about dedicating $2 billion out of existing revenues each and every year to HQ2. It’s reducing what Amazon would pay the government if they moved here over a period of years.
“$2 billion would provide affordable child care for every single child, every single working family in the Chicago metro area,” Seibert said. “We want to see our leaders express the same willingness to invest in children and invest in families that they’re showing in investing in corporations like Amazon. … This is not a matter of money. It’s a matter of choice.” […]
Rauner’s spokesperson Patty Schuh made no apologies for the $2.25 billion Amazon incentive package; the high-stakes competition has produced more than 220 offers.
“We are competing with other regions and other states to land a major economic development project that puts people to work,” Schuh said Wednesday. “The more people who go to work, the more people who are available to pay [taxes] to fund our core priorities.”
* Chris Kennedy went on WVON this week to talk to Maze Jackson and Charles Thomas. From their off-air chatter..
CHARLES THOMAS: So when you going to put some TV on man? When you going to have some TV ads? They beat you to the punch.
CHRIS KENNEDY: C’mon
THOMAS: They’ve got – JB is all over man. JB’s got that saturation bombing going on.
KENNEDY: I know. Didn’t you ever see Ali?
THOMAS: Yeah I saw him rope-a-dope, I saw him rope-a-dope
KENNEDY: There you go. Who do you think’s watching this race? Do you think anybody’s looking at it Charles? Outside of about 10,000 of us?
THOMAS: Well, I mean he’s got a name thing he’s got to deal with ‘cause nobody knows who he is. I mean, people know who you are, or they have an idea. So he’s got to do it.
KENNEDY: I just don’t know that anyone’s paying attention. Ra and I went down to Peoria, the guy says to me, ‘Hey you announced your lieutenant governor? The race isn’t until 2018, don’t you think it’s a little early to be making decisions like that?’ That’s a reporter. It gives you a sense – I mean we’re all in the mix, this is our day-to-day lives.
* Speaking of which, Sen. Daniel Biss was asked about this very topic the other day…
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I haven’t had a chance to see you in person and I don’t know how to expose you more. It’s like, I feel like you’ve already lost, I’m like ‘oh my God he is still running.’ Because – I don’t mean the election I thought, like, you were dropping out already because it’s like I don’t see your name anymore. It’s like all I’m seeing is Pritzker, Pritzker, Pritzker and Rauner, Rauner and I – the other guy dropped out ‘Aywar?’ And, you know, I kind of wanted to give him an opportunity and it worries me that you’re just going to get lost in the shuffle, not get your message out.
BISS: Alright, so that’s a fair question. Depressing, but fair.
* But Pritzker’s money can also be used as an issue against the candidate. Pritzker and his spouse gave a combined $20,000 a few years ago to a group which backed people like former Rep. Dwight Kay. Oppo…
This Monday was the Personal PAC luncheon, where people applauded when speakers said you know where people stand based on the checks they write and where people booed when there was an image of Dwight Kay that popped up during one of the videos projected at the event.
JB contributed to the “We Mean Business PAC” and media reported about the [anti] union angle of this PAC but no one has mentioned yet that this PAC supported 15 anti-choice candidates - most of whom even oppose rape and incest objections.
Personal PAC President Terry Cosgrove sent an email to supporters on May 8, 2017 titled Meet the Real Diana Rauner, where he blasted Diana Rauner for supporting anti-choice legislator Dwight Kay. The PAC JB helped fund, contributed to Dwight Kay.
* OK, let’s go back to the WVON show…
MAZE JACKSON: Tell me, who are the black elected officials in your estimation that you feel like you can work with that are doing a good job?
CHRIS KENNEDY: I think there’s a huge number of state reps and state senators that
JACKSON: Give me some names
KENNEDY: I put people in jeopardy Maze when I compliment them because—
JACKSON: You’re going to be the governor of the state of Illinois and you can’t say, you can’t name black positive legislators who are doing—how do we expect you to govern for us if you can’t—c’mon man give me some names, who ya know?
KENNEDY: That’s not what I’m saying, let’s not throw me under the bus like that. Let’s say that those state reps and state senators are under incredible pressure from the Democratic Party of Cook County, the Democratic Party of the state of Illinois and their own leadership in the House and sometimes in the Senate and if I say they’re my friends those are the people I admire they get pressure the next day from other campaigns.
JACKSON: So what happens when you’re governor and you’re asking them to do these things that you’re talking about?
KENNEDY: I speak to them all the time, I have a great relationship with a large number of elected officials and I have that relationship
JACKSON: So they’re supporting you behind the scenes?
KENNEDY: They’re supporting me behind the scenes, they’ll take the other fella’s money and they’ll give me their vote.
* Looks like she’ll have a clear lane through March. From a press release…
Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon released the following statement on his decision to endorse Erika Harold and not to seek the Republican nomination for Illinois Attorney General:
“For the past several months, I have explored the idea of running for Attorney General of Illinois. I have decided that now is not the time for me to seek other public office and have decided to throw my full support behind Erika Harold because she is best equipped to change business as usual in Springfield and take on the career politicians who have run Illinois into the ditch.
As Kane County State’s Attorney, I have seen first hand the problems we face as a state and look forward to continuing my role serving the people of Kane County while also working with the Harold Campaign on the many issues facing suburban families.
Erika represents the best of Illinois and I look forward to helping her over the next year as she fights to take our state and the office of Attorney General in a new direction.
Thank you for the freedom to explore a possible run for attorney general and the support that so many across the state of Illinois have expressed. I have an incredible job; one that I am thankful for and I intend to fulfill my commitment to the people of Kane County and the People of the State of Illinois as state’s attorney for Kane County.”
Republican Attorney General candidate Erika Harold offered the following statement following Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon’s announcement:
“I would like to thank Joe for his support and everything he does for the citizens of Kane County as their state’s attorney. I look forward to working with him to address the challenges state’s attorneys face as they protect families across the state.”
* Mayor Emanuel’s City College revamp promised an intense focus on helping students pursue careers and much less emphasis on generalized degrees. So, what happened? As this new BGA investigation shows, tuition went up, enrollment plummeted and sketchy Associates degrees in General Studies skyrocketed…
Since 2010, City Colleges has watered down its curriculum, violated its own rules on what constitutes a degree, changed the way it counts statistics and bestowed thousands of degrees — sometimes in multiples to the same person — to current and former students who in many cases neither requested nor wanted them, the investigation found. […]
Critics of the system under Emanuel say much of this was done to create an appearance of success at a college system where enrollment this year hit a 25-year low. […]
There is no debate over whether graduation rates and completion numbers are up — they are. But the investigation found that largely the result of a systematic campaign to boost metrics that has given Emanuel ammunition to proclaim in frequent appearances across the nation that the City Colleges’ overhaul is a trend-bucking, higher-education success story.
What Emanuel doesn’t talk about is an enrollment freefall at the colleges. The 2017 count of students stood at about 83,000, down 35 percent since he took office in 2011. […]
Records show hundreds of degrees were awarded to students who hadn’t taken classes in years. Some said they were unaware of those degrees — even though the school is required to get recipient consent. […]
A second degree also came as a shock to Marquetta Martin, 26, a sales associate at an athletic apparel store. Martin said she earned an Associate in Arts degree in 2014, but was surprised to learn that college records reflect that in 2015 she was awarded an Associate in General Studies, or AGS.
“What?” Martin said in a September telephone interview. “I never got that degree. All I got was an AA…nobody ever called me. Nobody ever said anything to me. All I have is an AA framed on my wall, I swear.” […]
Of the 97 different degree programs listed as part of Emanuel’s College to Careers, only one offers an AGS, according to City Colleges’ website.
Still, the AGS degree is experiencing a boom under Reinvention, according to City Colleges records. In 2010, the college system reported handing out just 150 AGS degrees. At its height in 2014, the official count had soared to 1,417. […]
While City Colleges argues its campaign to promote the AGS falls within the best practices nationally among community colleges, records show the 41 other community colleges in Illinois did not share in the enthusiasm. In 2014, nearly one-third of all degrees awarded by City Colleges were AGS. By contrast, the AGS accounted for just 7.5 percent of degrees awarded by all other community colleges in Illinois, records show. […]
City Colleges reports it issued a total of 2,828 “retroactive” degrees to former students from 2010 through 2016 as part of what it calls an automated conferral program. It marks a massive increase from previous years. Almost half, 1,379, were AGS degrees, records show.
*** UPDATE *** From a representative of the City Colleges of Chicago..
Hi Rich: I noticed you posted about the BGA story on City Colleges. It is important that you include CCC’s side of the story because it is a completely distorted piece.
To begin with, on the numbers, if you were to remove all the degrees that BGA questions, the grad rate and the number of degrees awarded still doubled from before the launch of City Colleges reforms in 2010. The success is undeniable due to the multitude of reforms put in place - from more advisors to clear academic pathways to more relevant programs.
Also, importantly, City Colleges curricula is more relevant, not less, as CCC worked to bring its standards into alignment with state and regional accreditors and national best practices.
Attached is a response. Please let me know if you have any questions or expect to use this.
We asked the Rauner campaign if it wanted to respond to Ives’ charge that the governor lied to supporters and taxpayers on public funding for abortions, the Trust Act, and school funding reform.
Spokesman Justin Giorgio emailed the following statement: “Gov. Rauner is focused on fighting for Illinois’ future and defeating Mike Madigan’s machine so Illinois can have property tax relief and term limits, and we can roll back the Madigan income tax hike.”
* And here’s some new non-Madigan-focused oppo to chew on…
Ives Promised Voters That She Would Be In Springfield “Every Step Of The Way” During The Budget Impasse
In A Facebook Post Dated June 15, 2017, Ives Promised Voters That They Could Count On Her To Be In Springfield “Every Step Of The Way.” “The Governor has called a 10-day special session starting on June 21 to work toward actually passing a balanced budget. What the eventual outcome will be is anyone’s guess, but you can count on me to be there fighting for taxpayers every step of the way. Stay tuned.” (Jeanne Ives Facebook Post, 6/15/17)
Ives Skipped Two Session Days In A Row While Illinois Was On The Brink Of Being Downgraded To Junk Status
Ives Skipped Two Session Days In A Row In July Of 2017 While Illinois Did Not Have A Budget. “What’s worse — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie caught lounging with his family on a public beach he had closed or Illinois House members lounging anywhere but Springfield when a crucial budget vote looms? New Jersey has BeachGate. Illinois has HookyGate. Twice this week, the House canceled session days because not enough members bothered to show up. Spare us the excuses: Family vacation? Lake house getaway? Catching up on Netflix? Lawmakers knew months ago they likely would be in session into the summer. They should have stayed in Springfield this week…Based on the official attendance lists, the following lawmakers were listed as missing both Tuesday and Wednesday:..Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton.” (Editorial, “’HookyGate’ at Illinois House,” Chicago Tribune, 7/6/17)
The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board Said That Ives And Other State Representatives Who Failed To Show Up For Session Were “Slackers.” “That’s an embarrassingly long list of slackers. Bad optics — almost as bad as Gov. Christie photographed July 3 on that beach. The behavior of these Illinois House members is similarly arrogant. It’s insulting to taxpayers. And it’s wrong.” (Editorial, “’HookyGate’ at Illinois House,” Chicago Tribune, 7/6/17)
She didn’t really miss anything because the House couldn’t assemble a quorum, but still.
She made her first real news splash shortly after taking office when she said in a radio interview that a homosexual partnership is “a completely disordered relationship.”
Gays who seek to marry are “trying to weasel their way into acceptability so that they can then start to push their agenda down into the schools, because this gives them some sort of legitimacy,” she said, adding that a child being raised by a gay couple is “an object of desire.”
That kind of talk is highly discordant not just to progressives but to many mainstream and moderate voters in a state that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won by 16 percentage points in 2016. But it’s music to the ears of base conservative voters, the sort who now feel energized and betrayed and who will knock on doors and turn out to vote in the primary.
So no matter what smart money is saying, I’m saying that we’re living in such abnormal political times that, if she gets the backing to run, Ives will be even money to topple Rauner next spring.
Don’t expect a lot of her Republican colleagues to support state Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, in her challenge to Gov. Bruce Rauner, says Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth.
“I doubt she’ll get many. She has an acerbic personality,” Mitchell said. “Jeannie is a very intelligent person, and she has a lot going for her, but at the same time she represents the worst, in terms of ideologues, of both right and left. It’s like if you have a contrary point of view, you’re not only wrong, but you’re a bad person.
“On some points I agree with her, of course. But she’s just an acerbic personality.” […]
Mitchell said he told Rauner that he will support him for re-election.
“I have stopped circulating (petitions) for state representative,” [Rep. Ives] told “Chicago Tonight” on Tuesday. “We are focused on the governor’s race and when we get on that ballot it will be full speed ahead.” […]
“I don’t know that anybody can say that they’re running for governor until they have the qualified signatures to get on the ballot. Which is why I’ve qualified my response,” Ives said. “I’m confident we’re going to get to the number we need to file with.”
* Meanwhile, this is only accurate if Ives doesn’t run for reelection, but here you go…
With Rep. Ives announcing a run for governor, here’s the updated list of legislators leaving the General Assembly #twillpic.twitter.com/1JEFS8×6Tt
Question: why is the Rauner Campaign running Google ads on the name of the general counsel who left under mysterious circumstances? #ilgovpic.twitter.com/RWiAf77eRS
Silverstein, who is married, told The Associated Press that he could not remember whether he did the things Rotheimer alleged, but also suggested that she might have been unhappy because the legislation has not yet passed.
“There were no mind games, no power struggle,” Silverstein said. “I was working the bill. That was my job, to work the bill. She might not like how bill was proceeding. Maybe that’s the issue here.”
“I apologize if I made her uncomfortable,” he said.
* From Sen. Silverstein’s exchange with Denise Rotheimer on November 21, 2016 at 10:49pm CST…
The legislative inspector general’s office is charged with looking into such complaints but has been operating for several years without an inspector general because lawmakers have been unable to agree on an appointee. The office answers to the Legislative Ethics Commission, a group of lawmakers appointed by legislative leaders. That commission is headed by Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan.
Link said the vacancy in the office’s leadership has not prevented it from operating. He said staff members receive complaints and investigate those deemed worthwhile. Once an investigation is complete, the office must seek permission from the panel of legislators to take its findings to law enforcement such as the state’s attorney or attorney general.
Link said he could not comment on any matters that have been referred to the inspector general or the ethics commission, nor could he say how many cases the inspector general receives or how many cases have been referred to law enforcement. “Nobody can talk about what goes on in that room,” Link said.
Asked if it was unusual for a person to wait for a year or longer to hear back about a complaint, Link said “not necessarily.”
“Some things take a long time,” he said.
Of the eight members on the Legislative Ethics Commission, just two are women. Because the inspector general’s office is vacant, no quarterly reports have been filed since 2014, which would at least give us an idea if there were any pending or recently closed investigations.
(T)he office of the state’s legislative inspector general sits empty. The Legislative Ethics Commission’s executive director, Randy Erferd, attends only to the group’s administrative needs and did not return calls for comment by publication.
Despite this, $312,500 were appropriated for the Office of the Legislative Inspector General in this year’s budget. The same amount was appropriated in 2013, 2014, 2015, and for the 2016-2017 year. A total of $1,875,000 million has been appropriated for an office which has not been occupied and to pay for a staff which doesn’t exist. […]
“We haven’t found an appropriate person but I want to hasten to add that there have been no reports of ethics violations during that period of time so it’s not like there’s something that hasn’t been done,” [Rep. Lou Lang] said.
State Rep. Litesa Wallace, D-Rockford, along with her running mate, state Sen. Daniel Biss, announced a measure calling for expanding sexual harassment training last Tuesday.
But it wasn’t Wallace taking center stage at that hearing. Instead, it was powerful House Speaker Mike Madigan, who announced last week he was putting forward his own amendment, promptly scheduled a committee hearing, which he attended, and took the rare move of testifying before.
“I’ll say this, I think that once we see this as an example of the culture of power, and sexism and oppression that leads to the ability for men to maintain dominance - because that’s what this is about - maybe we’ll finally see change,” Wallace told POLITICO. “Here’s a rank and file female legislator who files legislation, here’s a male leader, a house speaker, filing the same legislation. There are very important inferences from what that means.”
OK, first of all, her bill was unveiled along with Sen. Biss’ companion bill via a Biss campaign press release. The campaign has tried since then to make some political hay off the issue by initiating a MoveOn petition to end sexual harassment. But it took down a tweet advertising the petition after receiving criticism for attempting to build a campaign mailing list off the issue and then the campaign killed off its online petition.
And it’s not the “same legislation” as Madigan’s. Wallace’s bill just isn’t as fleshed out as the Madigan bill, which was amended yesterday and will likely be amended again before next week’s floor vote.
But, yes, she certainly has a point about a man taking charge while a woman’s sexual harassment bill languishes in Rules Committee. It’s kind of odd that Madigan wants to be so out in front on this one.
* Amidst all the uproar over the allegations against Sen. Ira Silverstein yesterday, this testimony got lost in the shuffle. Take some time to read it…
My name is Katelynd Duncan. I’m a political fundraiser who’s worked in Illinois politics for nearly a decade.
More than a week ago several friends and I, some of whom are with me here today, decided to speak out on an issue that has impacted each one of us over the course of our career: sexual harassment. We published an open letter to share our experiences with this issue; experiences that are shared with thousands more women who’ve worked in Illinois politics over the decades. Approximately 300 people have signed this letter to date in a show of solidarity and support of ending the pervasive culture of sexual harassment in Illinois politics.
Since that time, we have been absolutely floored by the outpouring of #metoo stories from other women who have also worked in government and on campaigns. We are grateful for every single person who shared their story with us both publicly and in private. It is their bravery that has brought us together here today as we discuss ways to ensure that women can work in a safe and secure environment, free from every form of unwanted advances.
Many of the stories shared in our letter, on our Facebook group and in private are horrifying. Many women are still too scared to come forward, even years after the fact, out of fear of retribution. Their stories are heart breaking and difficult to hear.
One woman described a terrifying encounter when a legislator followed her to her hotel room, pinned her against the wall and forced himself on her after she said no.
A former lobbyist described meeting up with her colleagues and other elected officials when another lobbyist drunkenly walked up to her and asked “I’ve always wondered if you spit or swallow.”
And when a legislator was harassing me on a campaign, I tried to report it to management. I was fired immediately for describing his behavior as “inappropriate” and asking him to stop.
These are extreme examples of the type of environment we have been forced to work in, smile through and negotiate in, simply to do our jobs. And on top of it, many others watched this abuse happen and said or did nothing.
I have to wonder how many of us in this room have daughters, sisters or mothers in the workplace. Can you imagine someone treating them like this, just once? How about multiple times? Would we accept this as the status quo? My hope is no. We have to do better for the next generation of women in this industry because this is not a new topic. Women have been giving each other “the talk” for years about which legislators and lobbyists to avoid. No longer can anyone be shocked by these stories or say they didn’t know it was happening.
We are encouraged by the swift action our leaders have taken on this issue and although this bill does not solve the problem, it’s a step in the right direction. We look forward to working with you on making sure that women in this industry feel safe, secure and respected in the workplace. This bill puts elected officials and lobbyists on notice that sexual advances and harassment are no longer an accepted norm and there will be consequences for their actions.
The negative consequences of these assaults are real. It distracts women policy makers, causing them to spend time worrying about how to manage their harassers instead of managing their issues. It diminishes women’s power, by reducing them to sexual objects and turning them into pawns for political gain. It reduces women’s economic opportunities, because women will avoid taking work that may involve harassers in positions of power and politics. It discourages women from public service, causing them to walk away from careers they otherwise love. And in our business, our success is contingent upon our ability to be at the table with power brokers, NOT running away from them in the halls of the capitol.
We recognize that we cannot undo generations worth of sexism, power dynamics, norms and attitudes about sex and women in one week or in one letter or in one piece of legislation. These are institutional barriers that have oppressed women in the workplace for longer than most of us have been alive. We can say however, that before last week, the silence regarding this issue was deafening. Now, we can’t stop talking about it. This is only the beginning. There are no best practices in other states for how governments handle sexual harassment within their own backyards. Illinois has the opportunity to be at the forefront of change in culture and setting the precedent for the rest of the country. We take this challenge very seriously, and we hope our elected leaders do too.
Many people have asked us “what’s your end game?” Our goal is to do everything we can to make sure that the next generation of women in our industry never has to participate in a #metoo campaign. How quickly and effectively we achieve that future is up to all of us. Every single person in this room, in this city, or in this state, has a mother, a sister, or a daughter who deserves a fulfilling, positive life, free from fear and the shame of this antiquated worldview. We look forward to working with you to change behaviors and culture in our political system that make us less than human.
Obamacare health insurance enrollment kicks off on Wednesday, and in the wake of President Donald Trump draining almost all funding to promote sign-ups, Democratic governor candidate JB Pritzker is paying about $1 million to run radio and digital ads to run all across Illinois.
The ads start on Wednesday and will run through the enrollment period, which ends Dec. 15. The site to enroll is www.healthcare.gov.
Pritzker, locked in a Democratic primary, is making the ad buy as Democrats at the local and national levels are trying to fill in the gaps caused by Trump’s attempts to dismantle former President Barack Obama’s signature Affordable Health Care Act. […]
In one spot, Pritzker says,”There are hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans currently benefiting from Obamacare, but one of Donald Trump’s strategies to kill the program is to make it harder to sign up. This year, he’s cut the period to enroll in Obamacare by half and cut advertising to tell people about it by 90 percent. We can’t let Donald Trump win.
PRITZKER: That’s what Donald Trump said, and now that he’s in office, that’s exactly what he’s trying to do. This is JB Pritzker. There are hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans currently benefiting from Obamacare, but one of Donald Trump’s strategies to kill the program is to make it harder to sign up. This year, he’s cut the period to enroll in Obamacare by half and cut advertising to tell people about it by 90 percent. We can’t let Donald Trump win.
If you’re interested in signing up, the enrollment period is from November 1 to December 15. For more information, go to www.healthcare.gov. That’s www.healthcare.gov. Again, this is JB Pritzker. The truth is, there’s a lot that can be done in Illinois to fight against what’s going on in Washington, but Bruce Rauner’s doing nothing. As your governor, I’ll stand up to Donald Trump and always fight for Illinois.
Nothing has rocked Springfield in the past months more than an open letter describing an environment of sexual harassment “ranging from daily microaggressions to acts of pure viciousness”.
Before I go any further, let me say that I have no doubt that sexual harassment goes on in Springfield (though I wouldn’t know a “microagression” from a microwave. It sounds to me like a subjectively insignificant action that would be better handled with a puppy or a juice box). I have no sympathy for it, and if guys want to walk around acting like cave men with a club, count me out.
Last night on Chicago Tonight, four legislators were interviewed and talked about the letter and the need for legislation to address the problem. Carol Marin did her best to get them to describe their experiences and name the person who was the source of the harassment. When it came to naming names, she failed.
Representative Sarah Feigenholtz said that she herself hadn’t been harassed and didn’t know who the perpetrators are. If that’s true, then Representative Feigenholtz doesn’t get around much, because one thing that’s certainly more widespread in Springfield than sexual harassment is gossip. She then went on to put some of the blame on Donald Trump for the recent spike in harassment claims. That’s sure to advance the conversation.
Senator Heather Steans eschewed naming her harasser because it happened in the past. When asked if that let the guy off the hook, she dodged the question and said that witnesses need to be “trained” so they can jump in and object to the activity. She went on to say that training wouldn’t be enough, but we need training nonetheless.
Representative Robin Gabel said that “everyone can make their play, doesn’t go anywhere”, sounding as if everyone is entitled to one freebie. So what is it: harassment from the get-go or establishing flexible guidelines? You can’t have it both ways.
Representative Chris Welch said he heard from a male former staffer who said he’d been propositioned by a female legislator, which at least gives us the perception of gender-neutrality.
I said above that I have no sympathy for those who think that they’re entitled to act like boorish clods. The reason I have no use for it is that I was brought up that way, I had parents who taught me that human nature is imperfectible and it was my job to resist the baser instincts to which we’re all subject. In that regard, Senator Steans is right, training won’t be enough. Nothing will be enough until human nature bends toward androgyny.
But if my colleagues want me to sign on to this, they’re certainly not doing it the right way. I’m not saying I’m blameless, but I’m damned sure not going to allow myself to be painted with their broad brush, nor will I subject myself to whatever “training” is imposed. By implying that I’m part of the problem simply by occupying a seat on the House floor or through the accident of birth of having been born male, they’re giving me every reason to say “no”. I assume the culture extends beyond Ira Silvertein. If they want my support, then name names.
…Adding… This is important to remember when certain blowhards demand that victims go public with names…
…Madigan’s counsel and former ethics officer Heather Weir Vaught testified that in her [ten] years on the job, “I’ve never had a complainant who would allow me to take their complaint public. We’ve had to work behind the scenes.”
