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* NYT: Illinois to Privatize Lottery; Fritcheyâ€™s take

*Chicago Board of Elections hit with lawsuit over Social Security number flap

* City slates 25 large commercial properties for tax review:

The Daley administration contends the aggressive filings have helped prevent local taxing districts from paying up to $63 million in refunds — and shifting $10 million in tax burden from those large businesses to average taxpayers.

* Mark Brown: A look at former mayoral aide Reyes private files

*Sorich remains free pending appeal

* Tribune: Illinois sues over text message spam

* Two commissioners suggest tax increases to counteract Strogerâ€™s cuts

* Some towns glad they didnâ€™t ban smoking; other complaints

* Official with ties to Rezko leaves state post

* Chicago Federal Reserve President to step down

* Families urged to apply for low income tax credit

* Tax breaks questioned as health costs soar:

Meanwhile, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) is pushing for legislation that would require non-profit hospitals to list benefits they provide to their communities. A similar measure stalled last year, but Madiganâ€™s office is now negotiating with Illinois hospitals to try to craft an agreement.

* Tribune Editorial: Madigan just doing her job

* Eric Zorn: What is Lisa Madigan thinking?

* McQueary: Your Welcome, President Stroger

posted by Paul Richardson
Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 7:20 am

Comments

Paul,

In the interests of efficiency, you may wish to create a macro for the phrase “Official with ties to Rezko leaves state post”

No sense typing that again and again and again…

– SCAM

Comment by So-Called "Austin Mayor" Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 7:47 am
Well, I guess the welcome mat is no longer out
for Rezko “appointees” to state government jobs.
Blago didn’t have to fire Ms. Dibble. She more than likely got the message.

But what about the ones who don’t want to go.
The “emergecy hires” and “interns” who found their way to permanent civil service positions courtesy of Rezko. Can’t get rid of them. Only death or conviction of a serious crime can dislodge them. And they know it. Plus, aren’t all state civil service employees about to get a seven percent raise? Why would the Rezkoites leave.

A little Rezko army, right there in the Illinois state civil service, courtesy of Rezko and Blago.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 7:50 am
SCAM, thanks for the tip.

I’ve picked up on that trend myself, and I haven’t even been here a week yet. Perhaps we should add a section every morning that just lists the names connected to Tony that have ’silently’ departed over the night.

Comment by Paul Richardson Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 7:56 am
I thought Blago stepped down

Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 8:28 am
Interesting smokers story. Turns out Springfield smokers are pigs who toss their butts on the street.

Is that really news? I thought that was SOP for smokers.

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 8:58 am
Sigh.

Another run at selling the lottery. Huge fees for Blago campaign contributors. Jobs in the investment sector for Filan and staff when they leave state government. Earmarks galore for inner city Chicago. A crumb or two for the schools. Nothing for Kjellander, though. He’s already eaten enough at the bipartisan pork trough and looks a bit tacky right now.

This says to me, Blago is running for a third term, Lisa and Alexi notwithstanding, and, regardless of the impact on the long term financial health of the state, he needs to buy
budget peace for the next four years. What better way than selling our stuff.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 9:03 am
Is there a complete list out there, with all Rezko’s appointees names?
How many are there?
How deep into this administration are they?
That way we could just check them off as they scatter. Question is, why would any legitimate company pick up these bozos?

Comment by Scary Stuff Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 9:23 am
Is there anything to read into the fact that the NYT’s got this story and the Tribune/Suntimes did not?

Comment by Roger Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 9:42 am
The Sun-Times article on the budget crunch (2 board members want to consider raising taxes) had this little jewel hidden in the article:

“In going over the numbers, Glaser and Comptroller Walter Knorr also made it clear that the county is nearly broke. Revenue from patient fees at Stroger Hospital and other county health facilities, which lagged behind all year, dropped off even more at the end of the fiscal year — coming in $97 million, or 23 percent, behind budget projections.”

And then they’ve spent almost all the cash carryover from last budget year.

Prediction: You are going to have County offices being cut so much (17%, maybe more), but the e;ected departments will refuse to actually reduce their current spending trend (use last year’s budget as their guide). They will run out of money (literally) in their respective budgets around December, 2007, and then it’s off to the Courts to fight it out.

This will turn into a bloody mess.

Comment by Judgement Day Is On The Way... Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 10:44 am
Very good question Roger. Don’t know the answer, but it’s a very good question.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 10:50 am
Selling a revenue stream for a one-time payout. And we wonder why we have budget issues in this state?

Comment by Fan of the Game Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 11:05 am
Interesting smokers story. Turns out Springfield smokers are pigs who toss their butts on the street.

Is that really news? I thought that was SOP for smokers.

Skeeter, have you always come across like Joan Crawford on PMS or is it just political rhetoric?

Comment by Pat Hickey Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 11:13 am
just read fritchey’s blog. the state isn’t proposing a sale or asking for bids. they issued an rfq, which is a request for bidder qualifications. he’s under the impression that it’s a sale.

Comment by demgrrl Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 12:47 pm
One wonders how bad the budget problem can be
when looking at those eye-popping raises given to Stroger’s top administrative staff and bureau heads per Carol Marin’s column last week. 30 percent in some cases. All relatives and political supporters.

But a bloody mess is fine as long as they don’t raise my taxes.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 1:46 pm
I think that private, for-profit hosptials (especially large, private, for-profit, freestanding, psychiatric hospitals) should be required to better justify why they are being paid higher-than-average Medicaid reimbursements (disproportionate share) on an expedited basis, when they’re already extremely profitable.

Comment by Squideshi Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 1:58 pm
We would rather have President Todd Stroger raise taxes instead of cutting the services.

Either way the people are going to be affected and we would rather be affected by increase of taxes and not service cuts

Comment by One_Mcmad Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 2:15 pm
Demgrrl,

The article says that ‘the deadline for bids is February 20′. It doesn’t say anything about it being an RFQ anywhere.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 2:59 pm
It is an RFQ, but check out the “Fact Sheet” They will even consider an IPO as an option.

www.state.il.us/budget/Lottery.asp

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 3:17 pm
Mike, wasn’t there was a rumor that Da Mayor was backing candidates against Ohare Expansion foes in Bensonville and Elk Grove Village (which they flatly denined).

And his daughter is running it..talk about full circle.

Comment by anon Tuesday, Jan 23, 07 @ 10:20 pm