Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Morning shorts

Posted in:

Illinois

* U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to get married [corrected hed]

Fitzgerald’s pairing with investment-banker-turned-Head-Start-teacher Jennifer Letzkus was a surprise to many who think of the hard-charging prosecutor as having little time for a personal life.

* Chicago Public Radio: Students call on Blago to restore CeaseFire funds

* Illinois takes over hotel it once bankrolled

But the state elected to hold on to the property and set an opening price of $25 million to keep anyone from bidding. With no willing buyers, the state took the title by default.

“We have effectively extinguished the rights of these deadbeat owners and taken a significant step toward ending this costly debacle,” said Scott Burnham, spokesman for Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.

Rather than let the property go now, state officials want to rehab it.

* Editorial: Required silence serves no purpose

* SIUE Faculty group urges Poshard to step down

* O’Hare screeners flunk fake bomb test

It found that screeners at O’Hare’s passenger security checkpoints failed to detect 60 percent of simulated explosives that were hidden in carry-on bags or in the clothing of agents working for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.

The poor performance prompted a Chicago-area congressman, Mark Kirk, to seek a high-level meeting with U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials to see what can be done immediately to shore up checkpoint security at the airport.

* Kadner: Health care faces crisis in Cook Co.

Cook County’s health care system, which serves about 1 million people, is facing a financial crisis, but elected leaders seem unable and unwilling to deal with the problem.

According to a new group organized to save the county system, which includes an organization represented by Young, there is a simple first step necessary to solve the problems, and it wouldn’t cost a dime.

Cook County needs to form a board of trustees to oversee the system to assure taxpayers that it is being managed “competently, transparently and without political interference,” Young said.

* Opinion: Firefighters, FOP to work under old contracts

It is a little surprising that a reporter with the experience and stature of Andy Shaw would be so apparently careless with checking his facts. In his Sunday Southtown article (Oct. 14, Insight, “We’re stuck with ‘em”), he states that Chicago Mayor Richard Daley gave “lovely long-term contracts with generous pay hikes to ensure labor peace until after the Olympics” to all unions, including police and firefighters.

A simple phone call to the Chicago Fire Fighters Union or Fraternal Order of Police would have confirmed that no such contract agreements have occurred with either union.

* Aldermen look to shrink tax bill

The billboard proposal calls for significantly raising the annual $75 permit fee and forcing sign companies to pay a lease transaction tax that is not being paid on the city’s 4,100 billboards. Daley already wants to raise the tax from 6 percent to 7.5 percent.

“Anything we can do to stop people from getting hit over the head with property taxes,” said Ald. Pat Levar (45th).

Zoning Committee Chairman William Banks (36th) said giant billboards in prime locations rake in “well over $1 million a year.”

* Despite tax hikes, Stroger plans to spend more

But Stroger failed to mention he’s recommending spending 27 percent more on commissioners and their staffs, a move that would cost nearly $1.8 million a year.

* Cook Co. may stop buying bottled water to save money

* Sun-Times Editorial: Stop hiding names in Chicago cop complaints

* Friday Beer Blogging: Paintings Edition

posted by Paul Richardson
Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 8:50 am

Comments

If Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn is serious, you can contact Patrick Fitzgerald at the offices listed below.

United States Attorney’s Office
Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division
219 S. Dearborn St., 5th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: (312) 353-5300

United States Attorney’s Office
Northern District of Illinos, Western Division
308 W. States St., Ste 300
Rockford, IL 61101
Phone: (815) 987-4444

And don’t forget Mr. Quinn to tell Mr. Fiztgerald ALL YOU KNOW.

Comment by Put Up or Shut Up Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 9:00 am
One wonders how many of those million people served by Cook County’s medical system 1) actually live in Cook County and/or 2) don’t have some type of insurance, either public or private (Medicare, Medicaid, etc). Then we’d have a better idea of the real problem.

In addition to providing low-stress jobs for thousands of Democratic patronage workers who can’t compete in the private job market, Cook County’s uber-free health system is notorious for not billing anybody, even the wealthy. Are you a stockbroker in need of free open heart surgery plus free meds delivered to your house free. Stroger Hospital is the place to go.

Regardless of who ends up running it, this hospital/clinic system needs to clean up its act big time before we give it more billions. And despite all the hype, Stroger and Simon haven’t done it.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 9:07 am
The first headline is a bit inaccurate: Fitz is engaged, not married yet. I’m betting we won’t hear about the wedding until after the fact. Maybe “Put Up or Shut Up” would advise including some congratulatory notes in his suggested communications

Comment by Lainer Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 9:14 am
Lainer, I suspect that should US Attorney Fitzgerald and his fiancee file for a Marraige License here in Cook County, that fact will be blasted on the news within an hour.

Comment by fedup dem Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 9:18 am
Wow, another investment banker turned teacher…will sex clubs and an aborted senatorial run be far behind?

Comment by Wumpus Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 9:29 am
CASSANDRA

You are forever posting wild and untrue comments!
Example…todays comment implying stockbrokers can get free open heart surgery at Stroger Hospital. Such comments negate any opinions you offer. If your statements are fact then provide the specifics.

Comment by MOON Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 9:39 am
Cassandra, while I agree that the Cook County health system could stand some cleaning up of its administrative capacities (hell, Cook County in general), I think you are way off base in assuming that people who have other options show up looking for free health care.

Let me ask you one thing…

Have you been to Stroger Hospital recently? Or any other Cook County facility? Stroger Hospital in particular is vastly understaffed and filled to the brim with people from some of the most poverty-stricken areas of the city. At times, it feels as if it operates like a third world health facility.

There are no men in three piece suits hanging around waiting for free care.

There are no soccer moms rolling up in Lexuses ready to hand their kids over to a system that simply does not have the capacity to give extra attention to their babies.

People are simply not heading off to Cook County when they can afford private health care.

Your argument smacks of Reagan’s fallacious “Welfare Queen” statements, which assumed that there was an epidemic of single mothers living the high life on government assistance.

There are a lot of poor people in Cook County. It’s a damn shame, but that’s the truth. We need to preserve Cook County health care lest we contribute to a massive public health issue based upon class in the city of Chicago.

Comment by Undercover Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 9:45 am
UNDERCOVER

You are right on the money. Now, if only Cassandra would speak intelligently we could have a serious discussion on the issues at hand !

Comment by MOON Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 9:48 am
Rich,

It’s Patrick, not Peter, Fitzgerald.

Comment by DeepFriedOnAStick Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 9:53 am
It seems as if Cassandra is simply uninformed of the issues Cook County faces. I suspect that she spends next to no time at Stroger Hospital and therefore does not fully realize the landscape.

I hesitate to say that she speaks unintelligently, just that she doesn’t know what she’s talking about in this regard.

Comment by Undercover Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 9:56 am
Actually, I’ve been to Stroger Hospital quite a few times, although not as a patient. And I do have personal knowlege of more than one affluent middle class person who had chosen not to purchase private health insurance, needed surgery, went to Stroger and got it, at little or no cost.

Actually, the quality of care at Stroger is quite good, including surgical care. The problem is that its non-medical offices are staffed with hacks and they don’t have an adequate billing system, meaning that even patients with insurance who want to pay can’t get the hacks to process the insurance. It’s too much work. Also, the hospital serves many thousands of out-of-county patients who make the trek to Stroger because their own counties, many of them affluent,are too cheap to provide a public health system. Cook County can’t even be bothered to bill these other counties for their care.

Meanwhile, the many other “nonprofit” hospitals in the Chicago area, such as Rush-Pres, Cook County, Northwestern, Resurrection, get to slough off their required charity care onto Cook County while paying their executives $400,000 and up salaries and otherwise leeching off the taxpayer.

And let me remind everybody again. The poor HAVE
medical insurance in Illinois, including Cook County. They have Medicaid and Medicare. And most hospitals take both. So do many clinics.

You have to work really hard to see Cook County’s medical system as impoverished and in need of more taxpayer dollars.

And listen to what I’m saying.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 10:39 am
Sorry, I meant, Rush-Pres, University of Chicago (not Cook County).

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 10:41 am
Wumpus got it right.

Also, the most judgmental, sanctimonious busybodies are the first people to go down.

Hard.

Comment by Seven of Nine Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 10:47 am
Cassandra,

I also know 1 person who steals medical care from Cook County, though he is a DuPage resident and has the option to carry insurance. I would like better attention paid to detail by the Cook County system to ensure that doesn’t happen.

The non-profits are a joke when it comes to providing for the poor and even worse when it comes to paying for the not-quite-poor-enough-but-will-be-after-paying-the-bill type people. That’s why we need the Cook County healthcare system. Unfortunately it’s run by eejits more concerned about politics and patronage than healthcare. That’s where the reforms need to be made. Yes, it would be nice if the County could interface with insurance companies and Medicare/Medicaid. Those types of systems do cost money though (and staff).

As far as the clinics, I would like to see more done with mobile clinics. If these things can work in 3rd world nations, they should be doable in Cook County.

Comment by cermak_rd Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 11:38 am
I was wonder how long it would take you guys to report on the impending wedding of the man who convicted George Ryan. This statement would have included sent to jail but Ryan isn’t in jail yet.

Comment by Levois Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 11:56 am
William McNary and Quentin Young have it right. The public/taxpayer is not willing to infuse additional much-needed funds into the Cook County health system before/unless/until the Cook County Board acts to reform the system by changing its governance by turning over the system to a nonpartisan trustees. Reform should be a prerequisite for additional funding.

Competent, transparent, and non-political management and governance is exactly what’s needed to cure the ills of the Stroger Hospital and the County health system.

I’m 100% behind the Emergency Network to Save Cook County Health Services. No reform, no money, period!

Comment by Captain America Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 1:21 pm
Cassandra

Again I ask you for specifics…….. names , dates, etc. Don,t try and hide behind the old phrase ” I don,t want to get involved “. You have a moral obligation to aprise the proper authorities of theft. Your failure to do so makes you as bad as those you allege have stolen. Where is your backbone? Quit with the allegations if you are not ready to right the alleged wrong.

Comment by MOON Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 1:52 pm
Congratulations to Patrick Fitzgerald. I suggest you follow Jim Thompson’s formula: Get a wife and a dog, have a baby, and then get elected Governor. An anti-corruption platform, coupled with the impending tax revolt, could make you the next Governor of Illinois.

Comment by Captain America Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 2:01 pm
“Atheist and inveterate complainer Rob Sherman is itching to sue.”

Inveterate complainer? Well, that’s certainly objective. Kudos to Rob Sherman for defending reason and the rule of law.

“All of which leads to one more unflattering conclusion: That a legislature sure to be remembered for its inability to solve problems will also be remembered for its inability to leave well enough alone.”

Perhaps, but will the Daily Herald editorial board remember well enough to avoid endorsing these very same candidates, and others like them in the same political parties, when it comes election time? If you’re part of the problem, stop complaining.

“A Cook County Board committee on Thursday passed a proposal which could ban the purchase of bottled water.”

KU-DOSE! This is an unnecessary, and un-environmentally friendly expense. If there is anyone that should put faith in the public water supply, it is the government.

Comment by Squideshi Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 2:14 pm
Moon–

How do you know I didn’t.

This is a blog, Loosen up.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 2:27 pm
CASSANDRA

Specifics…….names , dates,etc. I don’t see them posted here. Only thing I see is a lot of empty words.

Comment by MOON Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 2:31 pm
I believe Cassandra’s point is that there
are no checks in place to ensure that
healthcare at Cook County hospitals is
for Cook County residents, minus, of course,
true emergencies. She’s right. Checks should
be in place, both on who gets the care and
whether the person who gets the care has
insurance. It’s not open the door y’all come in.
It’s a hospital for Cook County and should
be managed properly. Cassandra’s point is
that it is not managed properly right now.

Comment by amy Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 2:43 pm
AMY

I AGREE Cook County hospital is poorly managed. However, that does not give anyone the right to make false accusations. Again , I want to know the specifics with regards to Cassandra’s allegations. On this blog to many people make these wild statements knowing they will never be call upon to back up their allegations. These mudslingers hide behind some phony or adopted name. This type of behavior is slanderous and does nothing to further reasonable discussion of the issues.

Comment by MOON Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 2:58 pm
Cassandra, I am with you on the B.S. current concept of “charity care” for nonprofit hospitals. And $400,000/year for these top execs is actually very low. Try three times that amount for several Chicago area CEO’s of so-called “nonprofit” hospitals.

These places are granted humongous tax breaks in exchange for providing an unspecified amount of charity car to the community. Unspecified amount = lots of room for abuse with no repercussions.

Provena in Champaign had their nonprofit status stripped because of abuse. They were providing hardly any charity care to the community. They apparently got it back, but Lisa Madigan is fighting to uphold the ruling.

I expect that this trend in accountability for large, nonprofit, corporate healthcare will continue.

Comment by Undercover Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 4:17 pm