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Unsolicited advice

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* Dear Chicago Tribune editorial board,

I was looking up something else and came across this passage in a recent Trib editorial where y’all laid out your own pension reform plan…

We can think of multiple reasons, Governor, for legislators to reject this template. But they were elected — all of you were elected — to deliver solutions. To be leaders. If the four caucus heads embraced the deal we’re proposing and told their members that it has to pass or they’ll face campaign funding and other harsh consequences, it would pass.

Threatening to withhold campaign contributions in explicit exchange for a vote in the General Assembly would be a hugely illegal quid pro quo that could land everybody involved in federal or state prison. Demanding such a course of action is about the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in any editorial page anywhere at any time.

Please, take a breath. You’re scaring me.

* Dear Southern Illinoisan editorial board,

You ended your editorial today about the possible closure of Tamms with this paragraph…

There is no shame in embracing a compromise, Gov. Quinn. If that happens, some of the disappointed voters in Southern Illinois might be willing to forgive — if not forget — this damaging misstep before casting gubernatorial votes in 2014.

So, all of southern Illinois’ voters ought to base their votes on the closure of one state prison? This is the issue you want them to think about when they go to the polls? In another editorial, you write…

It’s established: Tamms’ closure would be disastrous to Southern Illinois’ economy.

You mean to tell me that the loss of 250 jobs (that aren’t really being “lost” because pretty much everybody will be offered other jobs at other facilities) will be “devastating” to a region that’s thousands of square miles? How many people has your own newspaper laid off in the last decade? Have you ever editorialized about those job losses and the impact they’ve had on your community?

* Dear Champaign News Gazette editorial board,

Pretty much everybody has fallen for this line, so I probably shouldn’t be singling out your editorial today, but I’m going to do it anyway…

Each side accuses the other of stalling, and now it looks like no action will be taken on pensions until after the election when it will be easier for lame-duck lawmakers who are not accountable to vote on a proposal. If so, it will be the second time in less than two years that a lame-duck Legislature acted on major legislation that legislators were afraid to tackle before an election — the massive state income tax increase passed early in 2011.

In the meantime, each day without pension reform costs the state about $12.5 million by Quinn’s calculation. If he’s right, the cost of a summer of inaction could reach close to $2 billion.

As I’ve pointed out before, that $12.6 million figure Quinn cites is a great little number guaranteed to be latched onto by the media.

Trouble is, even if all the pension bills passed today, the state would still be piling up that unfunded liability. The bill the Senate passed doesn’t start the reforms until January 1st, so if it becomes law the state would continue accruing that additional unfunded liability until then. The pension systems have asked that any new bills be written so that they don’t take effect until July 1st of next year, meaning that $12.6 million per day would continue accruing until that point.

* Your turn…

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 2:33 pm

Comments

Thank you for the smile today, Rich.

Comment by lol Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 2:37 pm
Given Trib’s no-holds-barred campaign against public employees, the open quid pro quo fits their pattern. Not once has the Tirb mentioned repaying the borrowed money form the funds. Instead they blame their creditors (Imagine that!) and always call for skipping out on the tab. Now - “Let’s make this public policy - or else…”

Comment by Crime Fighter Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 2:46 pm
It’s not surprising the Trib would resort to illegalities, given their constant yammering about pensions and the relative lack of action by the GA. Trib staffers lost their pensions to Zell, so therefore everyone else should also lose theirs. yeesh!

Comment by The Mad Hatter Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 3:08 pm
==Threatening to withhold campaign contributions in explicit exchange for a vote in the General Assembly would be a hugely illegal quid pro quo that could land everybody in federal or state prison.==

But what about the “other harsh consequences,” like committee chairmanships or assignments or leadership roles, and so forth? And what about implicit exchanges? Coercion has many masks. How do they structure a roll call without it?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 3:08 pm
Dear Sun-Times editorial page editors,

Yes, I know my deadline is fast approaching. I’m working on it.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 3:35 pm
==Threatening to withhold campaign contributions in explicit exchange for a vote in the General Assembly would be a hugely illegal quid pro quo that could land everybody in federal or state prison.==

Are you implying that each legislator has a “right” to some level of campaign contributions (regardless of whether he/she votes in the fashion the potential contributor wishes)?

No one contributes to a campaign simply because they have too much money sitting around. No, they contribute so as to help someone get elected….someone who will vote the way the contributor wants

Comment by titan Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 3:35 pm
===Are you implying that each legislator has a “right” to some level of campaign contributions===

Are you daft?

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 3:37 pm
Dear ILGOP,

Here we are again. The ILGOP’s response to Rep. Howard’s resignation does not lead to the “Default Madigan Conspiracy”. The ILGOP is sounding like a parrot who can only say “(squawk) Madigan! (squawk)”. It’s tired and lazy. If the ILGOP spent as much time trying to be the alternative to the Dems by actions and moves as it spends trying to tie every single sneeze and sniffle of the ILDems to Madigan, our party would be back AS the alternative here in Illinois.

Pretty soon, the press will look at these dopey releases that are sent as unintentioned snark. “We got that response from the ILGOP … yep, it’s Madigan again!” That is where you are, ILGOP, unintentioned snark, at your own expense.

Please take the 10 minutes to read what you send out. Look at the spin others can make your statement seem to be in a different light or angle. When you do send a statement out, have something to SAY! Don’t respond just to have something out there. That is the policy now, it seems, and how is that working out? A new rule should be; Unless we can move the discussion and be the intelligent voice in the discussion, let’s just let this pass us by UNTIL we can do those two things, and do them well, on the issue.

Finally, try to be the grown-ups. The ILGOP has tried the “we are the adults” tact and it has not gone as planned. Why? Because statements that look like pure venom rarely look “adult-like”. Attack hard, attack with purpose, but attack like someone who sounds like an adult making a logical case. When mocking, or trying ironic humor, make sure they make absolute sense to all who read them. No one likes the “smug guy in the room”. Everyone loves the guy who can articulate a point, add humor, and be inclusive. Right now, the ILGOP is that guest at the party everyone asks, “How did they get invited?” Be the guy that others say, “Next time we get together, bring the ILGOP, they add alot.”

I know this will fall on deaf ears. I know that Pat Brady has his vision and the rudder of the ship he is captaining has its course on Madigan, and by hook or crook, its Madigan that will bring us back. I hope as a party, when this cycle is done, that rudder doesn’t steer us closer to the reefs and shipwreck. There are enough challenges with the map and organizations against the ILGOP as of today. Let’s just hope message doesn’t leave us all shipwrecked.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 3:38 pm
Dear Southern Illinoisan editorial board,

Sorry to dump on you even more, but this is your fifth editorial about Tamms in which you try to rally the people of Southern Illinois to attack Governor Quinn for something that looks a lot like fiscal conservatism.

You rail against him for his plan to send men from Tamms to Pontiac, then you rail against him for a plan to send them out of state.

You say that without a supermax, the IDOC will return to the ways of the 1980s, back when the state let gangs run the prisons, before we had systemic reform. Then you suddenly forget that argument, and demand that Tamms be expanded into a medium-security prison. Once that is rejected, you again say that every incident in the entire system is attributable to Tamms closing.

You suddenly express concern about overcrowding as a reason to keep Tamms open, even though the prison population peaked a year ago, and has declined by 1000 in the past year. You ignore the fact that none of the Southern Illinois House members voted on the bill that would decrease overcrowding.

You cry out Tamms closure should never be forgotten, like “Remember the Maine!” It is telling that this slogan was propaganda from yellow journalists to force the US into a war with Spain. No one even knows who sunk the USS Maine because the facts were not important.

Please accept the idea that we can no longer afford to keep Tamms open as a jobs program. Work with legislators to propose some real economic development. You are the media. Make yourself relevant.

Comment by Dan Bureaucrat Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 3:39 pm
@Rich Miller - no, I’m not daft…I wondered whether you were having an off moment there though.

I suppose a very plainly stated “quid pro quo” type threat might cross the line into actively illegal, but it doesn’t have to be subtle at all to stay within the bounds of legal (e.g. “Joe, you know this is an important vote for the Leadership and the Party. It is the sort of thing that determines the level of Party support you’re going to get going forward - you know, contributions from the Party warchest, loans of staffers to work the campaign, the Party’s lawyers to deal with petition challenges…Make sure you vote the right way.”)

Comment by titan Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 3:52 pm
titan, that would be illegal.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 3:53 pm
“* Dear Chicago Tribune editorial board,…” “Please, take a breath. You’re scaring me.”

The Trib ‘editorial board’, as it’s called, scares me most every day.

Comment by sal-says Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 4:02 pm
Dear beautiful black women. Even though your hair is dark, I can still see it when you don’t shave your legs. Please do. It would make you even hotter.

Comment by dang Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 4:13 pm
Does the Trib editorial board know anything about what actually occurs in Springfield?

Even talking about campaign support in the context of legislative choices, is strictly forbidden. It’s never even indirectly hinted at, as far as I’ve seen.

Structured roll calls happen all the time without coercion. It depends on who’s for what. Often there are more than enough individuals willing to support a bill if their vote is absolutely required for it to pass, before political image considerations intervene.

“Implicit exchanges” are stronger in the minds of individuals, than based on any real experience. It is sad that so many think that way.

Comment by walkinfool Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 4:16 pm
@Rich Miller - Oh piffle! That is pretty much the quintessence of all campaign contributions.

Contributions go to the people who vote (and can be relied upon to vote in the future) the way the contributors wants. If that isn’t in the forefront of the contributor’s mind, then what pray tell do you think contributors are thinking?

Granted it isn’t often explicitly stated as such…but that is what is going on (and always has been).

Comment by titan Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 4:18 pm
A plea…

Dear Twitter: They almost had to haul me away this afternoon. Please don’t don’t go offline like that, again. Cheswick.

Comment by Cheswick Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 4:49 pm
Dear Tribune Editorial Board (and Publisher),

Can you do something about both your relationship with Journatic and your editor, Gerould Kern?

Signed,
Your staff.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/14013284-420/story.html

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 4:52 pm
Dear cubs,

Trade Dempster already …

Your pal,

Oswego Willy

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 5:46 pm
===If that isn’t in the forefront of the contributor’s mind===

You can think it. The person getting the money can think it. But you definitely can’t say it.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 5:48 pm
Dear State Grounds Keepers,

We are in the middle of a drought. You should really be trying to conserve water. So stop watering the grass in the middle of the freaking afternoon when it is just going to evaporate anyway.

Hint: The sprinlers are on timers. Set them for 3:00 a.m. instead of 3:00 p.m.

Comment by One Ocean Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 5:50 pm
The Tribune’s editorial seems to contradict their opinion that legislative leaders wield too much influence.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 5:51 pm
Dear Cubs,

Although I find myself agreeing with Oswego Willy more than I care to admit, don’t listen to him when it comes to Dempster.

Sure, Ryan is 5-5, but he also has the best ERA on the squad.

Your problem is hitting. Strike that. Your problem is your on-base-percentage, which is second-worst in the league. In part because you have the fewest walks in MLB.

So, take some advice from a novice baseball fan who knows a few things about chess and politics. All three are games of mistakes, and you win by creating opportunities for your opponent to make mistakes and then taking advantage of them.

So, stop expanding the strike zone by swinging at bad pitches, start taking pitches, and work deep into the count.

Sincerely,

YDD

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 6:02 pm
Dear Southern Illinoisan Editorial Board:

According to the latest Southern Illinois poll by the Paul Simon Institute, the vast majority of Southern Illinois voters believe that the state budget can and should be balanced by “cutting waste and inefficiencies” and yet:

By almost 50 percentage points, [Southern Illinois] voters oppose closing state facilities, even ones described as “under-used or too expensive to maintain.”

Instead of lecturing Governor Quinn, I suggest you educate your own readers as to the insanity of their position…one your paper has helped foster.

Sincerely,

YDD

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 6:35 pm
Rich, I have to differ with you regarding the loss of 250 jobs at the Tamms prison. There absolutely will be a loss of 250 jobs in the Tamms area. Perhaps all will be offered an opportunity to transfer to another prison in Illinois but Illinois politics being what it is, I‘m sure there are plenty of people on a political clout list who are licking their lips at the thought of getting one of those transferred prison jobs in their town. There may be “union“ rules but my bet is on the politicians winning this battle for jobs over the union (can you say “screw the union?”).

So the 250 jobs are definitely leaving the Tamms area, which is now going to have a domino effect on area businesses. Almost all of the small town businesses are “mom & pop“ enterprises. There will now be a definite decline in income, some may draw unemployment for a while. But the fact is that businesses will sell less goods, cater to less people, less sales taxes will come into the local governments, less money paid for real estate taxes (there will be property sales for back taxes), and last but not least, less money to already cash strapped school districts (already terribly underfunded due to a very low real estate tax base).

No, the closure of Tamms will be devastating to that area of Southern Illinois. And why shouldn‘t the voters express their opinions at the ballot box? Isn‘t that what we all do when our esteemed legislators and governor screw us in some form or another with a crappy piece of legislation (don‘t ask me to mention any. I really try not to keep up with that circus).

I have to say it, “Governor Quinn, what were you thinking?

I invite all of you writing on and/or reading this blog to take a weekend to drive to the Tamms area and see for yourself how impoverished the area is. Get out of your car, go into stores, spend some of your money in a great part of this State, and ask the owners how the closure of Tamms is going to affect them. Don’t assume that everything will be OK in our most beautiful part of the State, don’t assume they will rebound from this closure.

I know, I’m unashamedly partial to Southern Illinois and I make no apologies for loving it, supporting it, and speaking for it.

Let the contradictions begin.

Comment by Little Egypt Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 7:38 pm
The Tribune Editorials have been living out of control on some other planet for some time now. Nothing surprises me, ever–with them nowdays. Sensationalism is the name of the game. Along with threats.

Comment by geronimo Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 7:51 pm
titan, my wife and I make campaign contributions, perhaps not as much as you do, mostly at the state and local level. I can’t think of a person we’ve contributed to who hasn’t at least sometimes voted other than the way we prefer.

In fact, it is pretty unusual for us to even inform an elected official of our position on a specific issue and/or ask them to support or oppose some specific legislation.

Our contributions primarily reflect a decision that, on the whole, Candidate A is a better choice for an office than Candidate B, not an in-explicit contract that they will vote a certain way. There have been and will be votes, especially this last session and next, that have harmed us and have harmed things we care about. We don’t foresee punishing elected officials for those votes by withholding contributions or votes. Tough things have had to be done and we understand that.

Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, Jul 26, 12 @ 8:10 pm
Little Egypt - You know, decreasing LINK funding would hurt businesses too, are you saying you’re opposed to any decreases in that?

What about Tinley Park mental health center, do those jobs matter?

When are these so called fiscal conservatives going to wake up and realize that government spending in their community is still government spending?

Comment by Small Town Liberal Friday, Jul 27, 12 @ 12:17 am
Great bits there Rich. Their lunacy underscores the fact that editorial pages are quickly becoming totally irrelevant and their wrath / endorsements are meaningless. Trib’s case more than most.

Dear Chicago Bulls:

You have a plan right? Please share. This doesn’t look promising to your fans.

Siriusly

Comment by Siriusly Friday, Jul 27, 12 @ 7:54 am
Dear Illinois Democrats,

You hold all the reins of power in Springfield and Cook County, and have done so for several years. Stop using the Republicans as excuses for your lack of action. It is not enough to tell Republicans. “this is how we are going to do something,” and expect them to get on board. Don’t expect the party you squeezed in redistricting to just forget everything and jump on your bandwagon. Try to remember what it is like to bargain. All the cards are yours. Do something.

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Jul 27, 12 @ 8:39 am
@steve schnorf - I don’t make any political contributions at all, not a penny to anyone.

I don’t think you’re contradicting what I’ve been saying. You don’t have any actual conversations with the pols, but your contributions are based upon past and expected future (and presumably would change if the future votes don’t come as expected…and all votes are not equally significant, such that one major one might outweigh a lot of minor ones). Same thing, just unspoken/assumed rather than explicit.

Comment by titan Friday, Jul 27, 12 @ 10:16 am
Small town liberal - How did the LINK card make it into your response to my post? Same for your Tinley Park comment? I don’t even know where Tinley Park is located other than it’s in Chicago. How’s that for small town thinking? I don’t know enough about how the LINK card system works to have an opinion about it. The 250 jobs will still exist but those who do not get one of those jobs may end up on welfare, thus creating another government-depended family (job if you will). How does that make sense? So much for Quinn saving money for Illinois. This prison thing will be proven to be a huge failure in saving money.

Comment by Little Egypt Friday, Jul 27, 12 @ 10:36 am