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* Most breathless lede of the day…
Lawmakers are moving to essentially restrict the power of regulators to keep those linked to the mobbed-up illegal video gambling market out of Illinois’ new legal video gambling industry.
This story is actually about tavern owners and fraternal society managers who get busted for paying out on the video gambling machines. Does some of the money gambled right now end up with the Outfit? Likely. But should all tavern owners, VFWs and Knights of Columbus halls who currently have video gaming machines be described like they were in that lede? Sheesh. Here’s the rest of the story…
At issue is a clause in the legislation that says the gaming board can deny a license for video gambling only if the applicant has been convicted on an illegal gambling charge.
The problem for regulators is that in most cases the owners of bars and even some of those rounded up in video gambling raids are never convicted. Many could plead guilty to lesser crimes that don’t fall under the gambling statutes. And bar owners, in particular, often face only a fine from the state’s liquor control commission.
Under the current gaming board rules, those bars could be denied licenses to operate new, legal video gambling machines. Under the proposed legislation, it appears they would have to be allowed licenses, assuming no other strikes against them.
Granted, this is not a good idea. The Gaming Board should have wide latitude to determine who should and should not get a license for the new legalized machines. But that’s no reason to go all “yellow” on us.
* Half-true…
Illinois quarry operators and Mayor Richard Daley’s administration are mounting a last-minute push to persuade state lawmakers to make it easier for trucks to dump construction site dirt in quarries, an effort that went nowhere a year ago due to concerns that unsafe materials could end up in groundwater.
Actually, the bill has been changed, so it’s not the same “effort that went nowhere” last year, and the attorney general is now neutral.
* This goofy genre really needs to be retired…
A legislative push to raise the state tax on cigarettes was as unwelcome to smokers in Streeterville — and even some nonsmokers — as Thursday’s chilly lake breeze.
Reliable polling data shows that over 70 percent of Illinoisans support a cigarette tax hike, but that’s not mentioned. Instead, we get this man in the street (just around the corner from Mother Tribune’s International HQ) stuff that doesn’t really mean anything.
A $1 billion, 53-mile expressway linking Illinois and Indiana is still a long way away, but a bid to at least get the ball rolling advanced in the Legislature.
If Rod Blagojevich had cooperated with Indiana when he had the chance, workers would be busily constructing this project right now. Moron.
* Least-noticed aspect of the McCormick Place reform bill…
Deep in its 154 pages is a tax increase, albeit one to be paid heavily by out-of-towners. It would double the tax rates that taxi and bus operators pay for serving Chicago’s airports (to $4 for taxis), with 75 percent of the money supporting marketing campaigns for McCormick Place and 25 percent for the convention center in Rosemont. […]
Gerald Roper, president of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said the tax increase would raise $5 million to $8 million for convention marketing, and he backs the reform. “I think this is a game-changer,” he said.
* It’s a bit hard to understand why Barack Obama is supposed to, or would want to “control” Chicago and Illinois politics. He never did before he went to DC. He has no real need to do so now, other than maybe getting some of our stranger congresscritters in line. I don’t think this has been an issue with any other president since maybe Johnson. Maybe we’re so screwed up he’s supposed to solve our problems. Trust me, he can’t…
That the president from Chicago, and his Chicago-based White House circle, can’t control the elementary workings of Illinois politics is, from afar, puzzling.
It shouldn’t be puzzling. We’re a basket case.
* I’m no fan of Sen. Noland at all, but this seems a bit of a stretch…
At issue is a letter state Sen. Michael Noland, a Democrat from Elgin, recently sent to 15 Republican lawmakers pleading for the passage of a proposal that would increase the state income tax to 5 percent from 3 percent and expand the sales tax to services in an effort to help balance state spending. It passed the Senate last year with Noland’s support, but has stalled in the Illinois House.
In his letter, Noland argued the GOP lawmakers were in “safe” legislative districts, meaning they likely would get re-elected even if they voted for a tax increase.
Noland said he also mailed copies of the letter, which was written on official state stationery, to select special interest groups such as the Responsible Budget Coalition - a collection of unions, social service agencies and others supporting the tax increase.
Even Cindi Canary didn’t see the point…
“It was weird, it was probably a tactic failed from the beginning, but we don’t necessarily see the ethical brouhaha,” Canary said. “We make this very messy distinction between governing and running for elections, and you’d like to think it’s very clean, but it’s not. A lot of what goes on in what we call governing is, well, the fodder people use to run for election.”
* I’ve never been a fan of school vouchers, but I thought the Chicago vouchers bill that failed in the House this week deserved a chance. The city schools in question are so bad that I was perfectly willing to give something else a chance. Kadner totally disagrees...
I find myself breathing a sigh of relief.
I say that because the debate over vouchers in the Legislature ended all discussion about the need to make public schools better and to fund them fairly.
It was a cop-out that let everyone off the hook: Elected leaders, parents, teachers and newspaper editorial writers.
It wasn’t a cop-out, it was a stab at trying something new. It was a limited program, so there was no way anyone could say “OK, we fixed it, move along, cut schools even more.” And the debate didn’t “end” the debate about school funding. If anything, it intensified that debate, at least in the House.
Too many people are just so totally invested in this school funding fight that they’re not willing to allow anything else to intervene which might - in their minds - distract or detract from their decades-long war. There ain’t no money, campers. Even if we doubled the tax rate, there wouldn’t be enough money to do what they wanted because this state is so deeply in hock. We gotta start looking for other solutions as well, both small and large.
* I have to hand it to the Tribune editorial board. I pound them relentlessly here for their all-too-goofy fact-less opinions, but they still gave me a plug in today’s edit. I’m not sure how to react.
* Related and a roundup…
* NEW: Illinois Senate OKs McCormick Place legislation
* Nursing home reform bill passes Illinois House
* Illinois lawmakers looking into 220-mph high speed rail
* Lawmakers still working on police/fire pension bill
* University borrowing bill heads to Quinn
* Illinois telecom reform bill headed to Gov. Quinn
* McCormick overhaul bill details trustee pay, work rules, naming rights: report
* Back-to-school sales-tax holiday passes Illinois House
* House OKs sales tax break for back to school shopping
* House supports extending Cook tax break
* Ill. lawmakers approve Quinn’s property tax relief
* ‘Clean fill’ disposal concerns tossed, construction waste bill clears House
* Bill to study ‘Illiana’ expressway connecting I-55, 65 advances to gov
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, May 7, 10 @ 12:08 pm
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Wait, money couldn’t solve problems in Chicago and Illinois?
What will the Democratic Party do now?
Comment by Brennan Friday, May 7, 10 @ 12:11 pm
I’m really disappointed with several GOP House members who opposed the voucher program. Rich, here is a story idea: ask some of those GOPers who voted “no” why they did so. You can start with Chapin Rose of Charleston.
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Friday, May 7, 10 @ 12:15 pm
It seems like the telecom bill came out of nowhere. Any time big business says they are going to do some good for the average consumer, watch your wallet.
I don’t recall seeing anything about this bill until yesterday. Did I miss something or was it a last-minute bill??
Comment by DuPage Dave Friday, May 7, 10 @ 12:29 pm
The telecom bill has been around for months, DuPage Dave. But like everything else, most of the mainstream media just picked up on it in the last few days. The same thing happened with ComEd’s $500M offer. ComEd proposed it back on April 8, but most of the big guy media first started reporting on it this week.
Comment by GA Watcher Friday, May 7, 10 @ 12:33 pm
School vouchers represent change, and unfrotuently people tend to fear change (like revamping a web site
) WHat many in opposition to vouchers seem to miss is that staying stagnant is not viable. Implement vouchers as a new approach. Worse case scenerio, even if it does not work, the infromation about why it did not work may help to better identify new solutions. Failures are not always backwards steps, sometimes they help move us forward.
One this is clear, in-action and just tossing money around is the decades old recipe failing the school systems nationwide. One of th ebest funded school system is one of the worst, Washington D.C.
Comment by Ghost Friday, May 7, 10 @ 12:41 pm
I wouldn’t put much stock in to the 70% figure on cigarette taxes. Voters were given a list of which taxes to raise if they had to raise them. I would hardly call that wide spread support.
20% of the population smokes. That’s a decent sized minority that if motivated to vote it could have an impact. Experienced legislators recognize this. Especially on the border where there is more at stake.
Polling always shows support for gun control. But we all know the results once gun owners are activated. There are limits to what polling tells us and it isn’t a simple matter of just looking at the numbers and saying oh yeah, I can get away with it.
Gauging intensity is a real art.
Comment by Greg B. Friday, May 7, 10 @ 12:41 pm
P.S.
I miss Paul Harvey….
Comment by Ghost Friday, May 7, 10 @ 12:41 pm
I must say I thoroughly enjoy Rich’s commentary when he’s lacking sleep. Pull no punches and say it like it is (more than usual).
Comment by Merit Comp Slave Friday, May 7, 10 @ 12:45 pm
On the voucher story idea, ask Jill Tracey next.
Comment by Bobby Hill Friday, May 7, 10 @ 12:51 pm
“It’s a bit hard to understand why Barack Obama is supposed to or would want to ‘control’ Chicago and Illinois politics.”
Well, according to one of the commenters on the Politico story, the answer to that is simple: all Illinois residents are evil. Not just all Illinois politicians, mind you, but all 13 million RESIDENTS are evil people on destroying the nation, in this person’s mind. Sheesh.
Comment by Secret Square Friday, May 7, 10 @ 1:02 pm
That should read “evil people bent on destroying the nation”
Comment by Secret Square Friday, May 7, 10 @ 1:03 pm
Someone removed the bowel obstruction that was clogging up the pony slots bill and DD is feeling quite a relief; even if it the result turns out to be just gas.
Comment by Quinn T. Sential Friday, May 7, 10 @ 1:24 pm
Nice to see our Attorney General voting “present” on a bill that will result in millions of tons of tainted dirt dumped into quarries and eventually seeping into drinking water all over the suburbs. She’s a real environmental crusader.
Comment by Tom Parking Friday, May 7, 10 @ 3:17 pm
What time does the legislative session end today?
Comment by Nick Friday, May 7, 10 @ 3:23 pm
What a BS story from Politico on Obama. He’s supposed to control the politics in this state? Pack a lunch, dude, because it will be an all day job. I’ll buy box seats to see it happen.
He must be reading Kass.
LBJ one of the master politicians of his time, along with Nixon, had a lot more control over Texas than Obama ever did over Illinois, which was nada.
Despite his considerable power, LBJ couldn’t control what was going on in Texas. He and JFK went down to Dallas to try and get a handle on the Democratic Civil War down there, John Connally on one side, Ralph Yarborough on the other.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, May 7, 10 @ 3:39 pm
The Daily Herod and IGB Chairman Jaffe would prefer to eliminate due process. What’s next, should the state mail out speeding tickets to everyone that owns a sports car?
Comment by TheTruthWillSetUFree Friday, May 7, 10 @ 7:48 pm