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More campaign stuff: Simon won’t file today - Grogan’s possible conflicts - Vallas and the teachers

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Illinois

* Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon has not yet filed her nominating petitions and according to her campaign won’t be filing any today.

From Simon’s campaign manager…

We’re still rounding up and verifying.

Simon has no Democratic primary opponent, so filing nominating petitions today is not really necessary.

But petition filing day is more than just standing in line and handing in sheets of paper. It’s also about perception. Filing on time is seen as a sign of strength and organization. Not filing can show weakness.

* I mean, heck, even Bob Grogan filed for treasurer today.

Grogan, by the way, loves to trumpet the fact that he’s a “certified fraud examiner.” From the Association of Certified Fraud Examiner’s code of ethics…

A Certified Fraud Examiner shall not engage in any illegal or unethical conduct, or any activity which would constitute a conflict of interest. [Emphasis added.]

But if you look at Grogan’s endorsement list, you’ll see that the vast majority are officials whom Grogan audits.

Conflict perhaps?

* Meanwhile…

Since landing work outside Illinois more than a decade ago, former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas hasn’t just focused on leading troubled school systems in Philadelphia, New Orleans and Bridgeport, Conn.

Last summer, in a little-publicized $311,000 consulting deal with the Illinois State Board of Education, Gov. Pat Quinn’s newly named running mate offered a financial blueprint to turn around the nearly bankrupt North Chicago school district.

Teachers weren’t happy.

To avert insolvency in North Chicago Community Unit District 187 by 2015, Vallas recommended closing four of the district’s nine schools and laying off 130 teachers and staff — 39 percent of the district’s workforce.

Vallas, a longtime backer of charter schools, also singled out the financial drain caused by the lone charter school in District 187 but didn’t offer strategies in the report to address what he said “inequitably amounts to a heavy subsidy at the expense of the rest of the district.”

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 11:58 am

Comments

Alot harder than it looks Sheila?

Sometimes running on your own … “is hard”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:04 pm
Vallas had a big-time SBOE consulting contract, and now the North Chicago one.

Is that not “pinstripe patronage?”

Any more out there?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:10 pm
===Is that not “pinstripe patronage?===
Ehh, it sounds like it. But the reason his firm won the bid is pretty clearly laid out and inarguable… http://www.purchase.state.il.us/ipb/IllinoisBID.nsf/frmBidDocFrameset?ReadForm&RefNum=22024369&DocID=04F66C6235303763862579FE00719620&view=search

I’m guessing they’ll have to cancel the renewal periods

Comment by Jimmy CrackCorn Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:20 pm
I am really mystified at the Dem strategy for 2014. First tick-off the state employee unions, the people largely responsible for Quinn’s 2010 win, then nominate a foe of the teachers unions as Quinn’s running mate. I am scratching my head trying to figure out a path to victory for Quinn without teachers & public employee backing. Do the Dems really believe that organized labor will flock to them like sheep ? If the GOP curtails its anti public worker stance, Quinn is in big trouble. Speaking as an insider, who has already made efforts to steer AFSCME leadership to look at the GOP, there are many, many voices, including some of the socialists I know we are looking to vote GOP to send a message to Madigan. The Dems will also lose some votes to the Green Party.

“Teachers weren’t happy”

Comment by AFSCME Steward Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:24 pm
Keyboard problem

That last sentence should be

Speaking as an insider, who has already made efforts to steer AFSCME leadership to look at the GOP, there are many, many voices, including some of the socialists I know, who are looking to vote GOP to send a message to Madigan. The Dems will also lose some votes to the Green Party.

Comment by AFSCME Steward Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:26 pm
I don’t care if Bob Grogan once shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.

He’s still a lot better than Tom Cross.

Comment by too obvious Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:34 pm
Is too obvious Jeanne Ives?

Comment by Son of SuperAbe Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:47 pm
==”Is too obvious Jeanne Ives?”
I think Jeanne is up to other things than bloging today. There were petitions being circulated this weekend by Adam Johnson, former DuPage YR Pres and former candidate for County Board. Looks like this is pay back for backing Breen next door.

Comment by DuPage Rep Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:51 pm
Is SuperAbe really William Kelly?

Comment by Sister and Wife of SuperAbe Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:52 pm
Too sane to be William Kelly

Comment by Son of SuperAbe Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:55 pm
I was a bit too hard on Sheila.

I mean, when you personally have to get the 5,000 to 10,000 signatures, that is a ton a work for one person.

Sheila has to be exhausted.

Ok, maybe Sheila didn’t get every signature. Fair enough. Maybe it was ALL those who attended her “drive around” rallies. You get more than 15 people total circulating, chaos usually follows.

First, it was the “drive around’, now its the “petitions need to be rounded up and verified”, what is this Student Body Government?

The learning curve to be a statewide is pretty severe … win or don’t. You don’t get to ride on coattails when your name is the only one on the petitions.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:55 pm
===…Looks like this is pay back for backing Breen next door.===

“… and alot of other things.” lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 12:57 pm
Before we kill the messenger, how about taking a look at the quotes from the people who inevitably have to decide what to do with this failing district and not just from the teachers?…from the same story:
“On balance, it’s definitely well-written, informative, well-done and credible in the recommendations, and I think you’ll see them implemented over the years,” Koch (Illinois State School Superintendent) said of Vallas’ report.

“They had experience doing this in other places,” Koch said. “We felt at the time, they were the best to do the work, and I think they had some sound recommendations.”

North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr., who had not seen the report, acknowledged dramatic changes are necessary to repair the school district in which he was educated.

“It will be difficult, very difficult for the schools, the children, just to make sure they are getting a good education,” Rockingham said when asked how Vallas’ findings, if fully enacted, would affect the community.

“But it’s going to take that, I guess, to meet the deficits they’re facing. At this point, either those changes are going to have to be met, or the schools will be closed,” he said.

Comment by Disgusted Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 1:09 pm
Disgusted…

Looking forward to seeing the report, in particular how much of it isn’t obvious stuff…

Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 1:53 pm
@Mr. Willy, Was that an intentional or unintentional Billy Batts reference from Good Fellas.

Comment by DuPage Rep Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 2:34 pm
DR, there is never an unintentional Goodfellas reference from OW.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 2:36 pm
(Tips cap to - Rich Miller -)

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 2:42 pm
OW could have claimed his account was hacked.

Comment by Dirty Red Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 3:17 pm
No one would care if my account was hacked, and further, the hacker would probably do a better job than me, so I would probably have to thank them for making it less boring …

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 3:21 pm
Funny to see someone question Grogan’s ethics. He seems to be as squeaky clean a candidate as I’ve seen in many years. I guess Cross has really had to do some digging to come up with a meaningless nugget like this.

Comment by econ prof Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 5:02 pm
===The Vallas Group received 892 points out of 1000. The Vallas Group received the highest overall scores but did not have the lowest cost. The vendor with the lowest cost recieved a technical score of 175 out of 900 points.===

Why did the Vallas Group have a potential of 1000 points while the lowest cost vendor only had a maximum possibility of 900 points? Bonus points?

Comment by Mighty M. Mouse Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 8:27 pm
- Dirty Red -… take my response as you intended to give, the joke is indeed on me. No malice on my end.

To the Post,

Michael McAullife got a Primary challenge and not a General Candidate… yet, and even “other blogs” commented on the filing(s) of both.

Wonder who/what is behind the McAullife challenge, and I think the “other blog” was too.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 25, 13 @ 8:43 pm