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Things that make you go “Hmm…”

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* OK, this is quite odd…

Seven of the state’s 32 workers’ comp arbitrators have filed claims themselves. Having more than 20 percent of workers with the same job file claims should be a cause for alarm. But in state government, workers’ comp gets treated as an entitlement.

“They are entitled to file claims. They are entitled to go through the process,” said Mitch Weisz, chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Commission.

“We’re not second-class citizens. We can file,” said Ruth White, an arbitrator who got $19,084 after she fell and fractured her leg.

Who knew that being an arbitrator was such a dangerous job?

* Wow…

Thanks to the eight-month span between Gov. Pat Quinn’s approval of a pension reform bill last spring and its implementation, any public worker hired in Illinois as late as Friday has been enrolled in a far more lucrative pension plan than those hired on or after Saturday.

A Rockford Register Star analysis of pension data has identified nearly 19,000 public workers at all levels of Illinois government hired in that span, from bus drivers to university presidents. More than 300 now work for Rock River Valley public bodies.

The phrase “all levels of Illinois government” is somewhat misleading, since the vast majority of those new hires are at the local level. Still, if that number is accurate, that’s a whole lot of hiring. I do wonder how many of those hirees might be in temporary jobs, but still.

* Yet another group attempts to de-legitimize the lame duck session…

A spokesman for the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Association says many state’s attorneys are upset at how the [death penalty abolition] bill has been introduced in a lame-duck session. The ISAA is planning a press conference Tuesday in Springfield and will let family members of murder victims express their opinions about keeping the death penalty.

The session is in the state Consitution. And, the last time I checked, members are elected for full two- or four-year terms. Having a time period when members aren’t completely obsessed about the next election is not necessarily a bad thing. But, hey, they’re darned if they do what they really think is right, and darned if they don’t.

* Gery Chico has released his fundraising totals…

Chicago mayoral candidate Gery Chico announced today that he’s raised more than $2.5 million for his campaign.

Chico’s campaign released his fundraising total weeks before he’s required to do so in a move to portray himself as a top challenger to former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who leads in early polling.

A campaign aide said that on top of the money he’s already raised, Chico has lined up 47 more fundraising events for this month. But the campaign isn’t saying how much Chico has left to start the year.

But check out this tidbit from Greg Hinz…

Contender Rahm Emanuel is believed to have pulled in far more, perhaps $10 million, but isn’t releasing any numbers yet.

* Also from Greg…

Using census estimates through 2009, ProximityOne, a Washington-based analysis firm, has put together some figures that suggest the city of Chicago will be particularly short of people come reapportionment time — even more so than Downstate.

For instance, each of the state’s 18 new congressional districts will have to have a bit more than 710,000 residents. But according to the firm’s analysis, seven current districts miss that total by at least 50,000.

The population laggards are concentrated in Chicago, with Congressman Luis Gutierrez, D-4th, now representing just 607,000 residents; Bobby Rush, D-1st, 616,000 residents, and Jesse Jackson Jr., D-2nd, 618,000. Narrowly following them are Downstater Bobby Schilling, R-17th, at 621,000, and Chicago’s Danny Davis D-7th, 631,000.

Districts with an overabundance of residents are concentrated in the Chicago suburbs, with Randy Hultgren, R-14th, representing an estimated 831,000; Adam Kinzinger, R-10th, 776,000; Judy Biggert, R-13th, 769,000, and Joe Walsh, R-8th, 734,000.

If accurate, those numbers suggest that projected growth in Hispanic residents over the past 10 years has been more scattered than in the past — potentially making it difficult to draw a second majority Hispanic district, as some Latino leaders want.

They’ll move those Chicago Democratic districts further out into the suburbs.

* This will just spark more curiosity…

Consensus black mayoral candidate Carol Moseley Braun said Monday she will not release her income tax returns until after the election, passing on the chance to exploit a potential weakness of two of her major rivals.

“I don’t want to,” she said.

Rahm Emanuel, Gery Chico and Miguel del Valle have already released their tax returns to give Chicago voters a greater understanding of how they made their money. […]

With that, Braun ended the news conference called to repeat her promise to take Chicago parking meters back from private investors.

As she was walking out the door of her campaign headquarters, Braun was asked why she would refuse if she has nothing to hide.

“Oh, get out of here,” she said.

Oof.

My first reaction to this story was, “Oh, Carol…” which got me to thinking about Chuck Berry falling ill in Chicago on New Year’s Eve, which eventually led me to this video…

You can’t dance, I know you wish you could

* Other stuff…

* Joe Berrios Cool On Ald. Schulter’s Bid For Board Of Review Seat

* Decatur voters to face blank ballot

* Tea Party advocates head to capitol

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 1:20 pm

Comments

It would be curious to see what that rate is compared to other jobs in the state.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 1:24 pm
–Seven of the state’s 32 workers’ comp arbitrators have filed claims themselves.–

I’ve heard howling about Illinois’ workmen’s comp since I was in short pants. I never paid much attention, since it didn’t seem to hurt in good times when all those skyscrapers were going up (and all those Ironworkers were pounding beers at lunch with no repercussions from their bosses), and I doubted that you could blame it for the bad times.

For those who want reform of Illinois’ rules, this is the greatest p.r. gift ever. This is like Brady gassing cats and dogs together after refusing them abortions.

If you can’t knock this story out of the park, you need some serious marketing help.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 1:30 pm
For the life of me I don’t understand why we make a big deal over the release of income tax returns. It is not a requirement - it is a choice. If the candidate decides not to release their returns that should be the end of it. If you want to make it a requirement then advocate for a change in the laws but I just don’t see where it is anyone’s business. Voters can take the fact that a candidate has or has not released copies of their returns (along with anything else they may think relevant) into consideration when they go to the voting booth.

Comment by Fed-Up Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 2:00 pm
Boy, state workers are entitled to a lot.

Comment by Ahoy Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 2:00 pm
yes, yes, CMB, the slogan, “Because I don’t want to.”

Comment by amalia Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 2:05 pm
I was at Chuck’s concert. It was, to say the least, disturbing. Despite what some of the reports said, it started bad and just got worst. Chuck is an icon for me. But, based on what a lot of Rolling Stones fans have reported, this has been a regular occurrence for the past few years. It has just gotten much worst. It was not just a collapse, Chuck did not seem to be able to do more than deliver a few major chords and the catch phrase from the song, then he’d get lost. It was very sad. Unlike BB King who may not be able to walk anymore but who can still perform. For whatever reason, Chuck cannot do it anymore. For the old Chuck, try here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BH1seEMLXE

Comment by JimF Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 2:14 pm
Re CMB, as Rich Miller likes to say: Oy… or maybe: Oof. It’s just going to get worse for her.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/3138037-418/braun-stroud-election-loan-million.html

Comment by Wondering... Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 2:37 pm
Well it would appear that it has something that would not be a political advantage for her. Perhaps she ended up paying no income taxes?

Comment by OneMan Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 2:43 pm
I doubt Berrios gets it, but he just did Schulter a huge favor by coming out against his candidacy. Now if Evans taps Schulter, it appears he is appointing an independent to the spot.

Comment by s.t. Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 2:44 pm
Blago wants to know: “What’s she (CMB) thinking?”

Comment by S Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 2:47 pm
Tax returns are very interesting, that’s why everyone likes to see politician’s returns. But not releasing your tax return has no effect on voters unless there is some hint of something being hidden.
Chuck Percy was always hounded by the press to release his returns. He responded that he would be glad to do it, but he thought it would hurt the chances of passing legislation to make everyone reveal their returns. So, he never released his returns, but said it was a good idea.

Comment by Tom Joad Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 3:21 pm
What about Menard? I was wondering if other prisons that are old.. Stateville… Pontiac are having the same issues?

Comment by Hmmm Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 3:22 pm
So Early and Often and ChuffPo (unsigned of course) find out Berrios isn’t happy with Schulter? Why is this news? We had it on our Facebook page December 1: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Welles-Park-Bulldog/126012097432868

Someone tell me again why E&O thinks this sort of late reporting is worth a subscription?

Comment by Patrick Boylan Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 3:36 pm
TABOR AMNEDMENT on Supplemental Calendar?

What are the chances

Comment by Quinn T. Sential Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 3:58 pm
Wordslinger, I took this story to mean that there is a huge scandal stemming from Menard correctional officers and staff. Are you saying that workers comp is just as corrupt everywhere else?

The BND articles describe a very suspicious “cluster” of repetitive stress compensations at Menard. At first, they thought it was 1 in 10 correctional officers (and later they realized it was 1 in 2 of the entire staff!!!). The warden, assistant warden, nurse, social worker and food supervisor also got awards. Then, they found out that 1 in 4 of the comp hearing officers also received or applied for compensation, and I think almost all of it was for repetitive stress injury. But, this gravy train from Menard cost nearly 10 million dollars since 2008….this has to be somewhat exceptional, doesn’t it?

Regardless, bravo for investigative reporters who actually try to investigate something. This is perfect timing to find out how Illnois taxpayers are being defrauded millions of dollars.

Comment by tired of press Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 4:19 pm
I don’t trust the numbers of anyone who doesn’t put forth the effort to make sure they put the correct Rep with their district.

Districts with an overabundance of residents are concentrated in the Chicago suburbs, with Randy Hultgren, R-14th, representing an estimated 831,000; Adam Kinzinger, R-10th, 776,000; Judy Biggert, R-13th, 769,000, and Joe Walsh, R-8th, 734,000.

If accurate, those numbers suggest that projected growth in Hispanic residents over the past 10 years has been more scattered than in the past — potentially making it difficult to draw a second majority Hispanic district, as some Latino leaders want.

Comment by yeah Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 4:23 pm
Is the House actually going to gavel in tonight or not? I am falling asleep and am in desperate need of a nap

Comment by Quinn T. Sential Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 4:43 pm
Hmmm:
No the other prisons don’t have these claims which is why this is a suspicious cluster. Even chicken processing plants have this high a rate of claims, and they actually do repetitive actions!

The articles say that those prisons have some of the same locks, but they also have electric locks. Here are some of the previous editorials and articles:
http://www.bnd.com/2010/12/20/1523077/repetitive-all-right.html
http://www.bnd.com/2010/12/12/1510624/menard-guards-get-15-million-in.html
http://www.bnd.com/2010/12/26/1528910/arbitrators-for-workers-comp-also.html

Comment by tired of press Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 4:49 pm
S.T.

Berrios may have done Schulter a favor in the short term, but he is still the head of the Cook County democrats, who will be able to name his opponent in 2012.

Comment by Frank Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 4:49 pm
Things that make you go “Hmm…”

SB2525 being hustled through on the fast track of the Midnight Express.

[Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Requires every retirement system, pension fund, or other system or fund established under the Code, other than a State-funded retirement system or the State or the Illinois State Board of Investment, to indemnify and protect the trustees against all damage claims and suits, and makes indemnification discretionary for trustees of the State-funded retirement systems, for members of the Illinois State Board of Investment, and for staff and consultants of every retirement system, pension fund, or other system or fund established under the Code. Effective immediately.]

Looks like the award winner for CYA legislation of the session. The equivalent of calling to buy homeowners insurance from your cell phone after you have been asked to take the conversation outside by the Fire Chief and his staff who have moved into what is now left of your house.

Comment by Quinn T. Sential Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 5:59 pm
The IVI-IPO’s endorsement of Miguel del Valle isn’t newsworthy Rich? Rahm Emanuel may have his Hollywood millions but the people of Chicago will be coming out to knock on doors for del Valle!

Comment by TrueChicagoan Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 7:51 pm
–The IVI-IPO’s endorsement of Miguel del Valle isn’t newsworthy Rich?–

Sinister conspiracy, obviously. Otherwise, the IVI-IPO would have taken over the state a long time ago. How was the phone booth this year?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 7:56 pm
Quinn - I’m not sure that a bill moving 12 months after it was originally introduced in the Senate and 9 1/2 months after it made it over to the House is being “hustled through” (although I guess when you look at the regular speed of the GA, that could be considered fast!!).

Comment by Katiedid Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 8:36 pm
Rahm Emmanuel was my legislator and yes, I’ll be voting for him for mayor. CMB is old news. She didn’t offer much other than a beautiful smile.

Comment by Emily Booth Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 8:56 pm
Patrick Boylan -

What exactly should that website attribute you for? All you have were your own comments. You didn’t talk to Berrios. Which of these posts from Dec. 1 on your Facebook page should the Early and Often website have to credit you for?

Welles Park Bulldog Do we need to put two and two together for you? This sounds like Schulter, expecting a run-off, is setting up the public with a strawman: O’Donnell, who will fold his tent during the run-off. Who knows something they want to share about this? Call us: 773.828.9240
December 1, 2010 at 5:52pm

Welles Park Bulldog People in the know at Cook County say that Schulter, who backed Forrest Claypool in the Assessor race, will NEVER get a sign-off from Joe Berrios on a move to the County Board of Review. So, that Michael Sneed column, the unattributed story in Inside-Booster and ramblings in CenterSquare sounds like deliberate leaks with no basis in fact.

Comment by MrMDM Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 9:58 pm
Katiedid,

I am talking about the subject matter, where plan participants will be stuck indemnifying the Trustees; our of plan assets, for mis-managing the plan assets.

Comment by Quinn T. Sential Monday, Jan 3, 11 @ 10:12 pm
MrMDM,

Early & Often is under no obligation to attribute anything to me or the website. There was no foul there.

Let’s review the tale: This story started as a rumor in Michael Sneed’s column. Sneed heard Ald. Schulter was interested in Berrios’ job and as usual she did not say who she heard that from (Dan Luna maybe?).

From there, the story was picked up by a local newspaper, the Inside-Booster. It ran a largely unattributed story about Schulter wanting Berrios’ job. That in turn was picked up by another website, the Center Square Journal, without further analysis.

You are correct, I didn’t talk to Berrios. I talked to several people in Cook County government and they scoffed at this rumor in November. One of those people was close to Berrios.

What is a rumor worth once it has been exposed like this? Sneed prints this stuff and, it seems, doesn’t follow through. Inside-Booster wrote a story but didn’t use attributions. Then the story gained more legs as a local blog used aggregation to run an entry based on Sneed.

The former editor of that blog comes out, a month later, in Early & Often, to report what we said in our Facebook feed: Berrios won’t sign-off on Schulter. You are free to pay E&O for that sort of timely coverage.

Discount our Facebook entry and you still need to ask why this rumor has any interest to E&O readers more than a month after it was first printed.

The local story is no longer about Berrios spiking Schulter’s interest in leaving his office. It is about whether or not Schulter in fact did apply for the job with Judge Evans. (Evans office hasn’t yet released the list of applicants).

E&O has excellent resources in the County government. It can beat us on that story. And that would be worthwhile reading.

Comment by Patrick Boylan Tuesday, Jan 4, 11 @ 5:45 am
Mr. MDM,

I read my FB post yesterday again. We are not complaining about E&O, but about ChuffPo. Thank you for allowing that to be cleared.

Comment by Patrick Boylan Tuesday, Jan 4, 11 @ 11:46 am