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* 4:30 pm - The House just passed the mass transit bailout bill that diverts $400 million from the state budget with no backfill.
There’s trouble in the Senate for both versions, however the version without the backfill might be closer to fruition. Don’t get your hopes up because the SGOPs may be completely against anything..
* 5:10 pm - Sen. Terry Link prevailed today in Cook County court. His former Dem opponent had appealed a State Board of Elections ruling that kept Link on the ballot.
* 5:20 pm - Uh-oh. From a press release….
“In a victory for the public and its right to access information, Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Kelley ruled that the Better Government Association (”BGA”) and Dan Sprehe, the BGA’s Chief Investigator, have a right to copies of federal subpoenas served upon the Blagojevich administration”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 4:32 pm
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What’s that you say Rich?
The SGOPs hate babies and kick dogs?
Don’t slander them that way!
Comment by j Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 4:34 pm
In all seriousness…
I wonder what the odds are of both bills making it to the Governor’s desk.
More likely the Senate is going to pick their horse, right?
Comment by j Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 4:35 pm
How do Cronin and Radogno, Murphy vote no?
Comment by downhereforyears Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 4:35 pm
The push the red button and blame the big bad city for stealing from the burbs…
Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 4:38 pm
AP Newsbreak: Judge rules Blagojevich must release subpoenas
http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2008/01/09/ap-state-il/d8u2k1800.txt
Comment by blahh go Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 4:47 pm
$400 million is a small price to pay for what will eventually be a blame game on the ballooning state deficit. The Comptroller’s Office reported roughly $1.7 billion (Billion!) in bills waiting for the cash to pay them. Add $400M and, soon it will be a $2.1 billion backlog. Does anyone think the public will remember that the GA didn’t come up with the backfill? Of course not, the $2B backlog becomes the Governor’s problem, despite any rationalization that the GA was also to blame. Mike Madigan gives the appearance of compromise and concern, the Senate has to take a tough vote to appease the Governor, and then the Governor will “improve” the bill through another AV.
The name of the circus should change to Barnum and Blagojevich…
Comment by DC Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 5:01 pm
Why would they be against everything? Shouldn’t Senate Republicans be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
Comment by Levois Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 5:07 pm
Oh I get it now…Emil doesn’t have the votes so it’s the SGOPS who are blocking transitbailout…The Repubs are to blame for Emil not controlling his caucus…Give me a break…
Comment by dupage boy Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 5:07 pm
Also just in: a judge has ordered that the Governor’s office must release the federal subpoenas it has been served.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 5:10 pm
Will the RTA (or whatever they call it) have to wait in line to get their money like everyone else? If so, they might have to shut down for a while anyway.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 5:15 pm
It’s January. Why does the Senate Leader need ANY GOP votes? He has some to spare…..
Comment by Pat collins Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 5:17 pm
No back fill…I guess they figure, if you don’t have any money, you might as well spend it.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 5:19 pm
Why does the Senate Leader need ANY GOP votes? He has some to spare
To make up for any D south of I-80. The gas tax shell game, even though it supposedly affects only the 6 counties, is a drain from the state budget, and the downstate legislators are already aware of money going from their highway programs to fund big projects like the Kingery and Ryan projects.
Likewise, the more fiscally sound sales tax increase, if passed, removes any downstate leverage for capital, which affects D districts as well as R.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 5:42 pm
“Don’t get your hopes up because the SGOPs may be completely against anything”
I don’t get it…. Is Emil a Republican now? Did the Republicans take over the Senate?
What’s the deadline for releasing the subpoenae? Looks like we’ll have some fun reading soon
Comment by North of I-80 Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 6:36 pm
Rich you cant blame the GOP for this disaster emil doesnt need them but why let the facts get in the way. I bet Crook Co. budget problems are the GOPS fault to. Your true colors are showing rich DEMS control both chambers and the Gov but the problem is the GOP. During that bus ride you took with Blago in the summer you must of picked up his manual on blaming others.
Comment by FED UP Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 7:10 pm
Did anyone FOI all the emails
Comment by DumberThanYouThink Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 7:21 pm
AP Newsbreak: Judge rules Blagojevich must release subpoenas
Oh my!
What will Rod Blagojevich do?
What will it COST the Illinois taxpayers?
Comment by Northside Bunker Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 7:31 pm
Where’s Pat Quinn these days? What does he do? Pat has always touted himself as the champion of the people, Pat should be all over Blagojevich’s federal subpoenas.
Guess we’ve all found out what Patrick Quinn is made of, Silly Putty!
Comment by Rod's Federal Subpoenas alert! Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 7:58 pm
Christopher Kelly indictment charges tax fraud and does not touch on politics.
At least not yet!
Comment by D-Day Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 8:51 pm
$400 Million shotfall? Simple. Don’t build the I57-I80 interchange. That will save $480 million.
Problem solved.
Comment by Johnny USA Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:27 pm
Six Degrees of Separation is precisely correct.
Comment by Cal Skinner Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:36 pm
The Judge’s ruling is interesting: anybody know how long he gave Rod to make the appeal, and by extension, how long until we the public get to read the papers?
I have to assume Rod’s Legal Eagles gave it their best shot the first time up at bat, so I can’t imagine what else they have left to stall with or get a reversal with on the appeal. So my guess is they are just going to wear the judge down as long as they can with some technical minutiae and pray for rain? (i.e. some other distraction)
Short-term, the best result is Rod will stay in his dugout hiding from Andy and Mike and the rest’s “tangential” questions for at least the rest of the week. If he comes out to talk about tonight’s legislative action, he’s just going to get beaned with variations of the subpoena questions over and over until he gives an acceptable answer. If he rejects talking about that, that becomes the story anyway. It’s a shutout for the inning, and the batgirls can’t spin that any other way.
What if there’s nothing much there, when it all finally comes out? Was this all just Rod being stubborn about giving up a teensy embarrassing detail the public will largely ignore, and we’ll all slap our foreheads and say “all this time just for THAT?” Or, did he dig in so hard because he knows the publication of the info is going to cripple his reputation and “bully pulpit” of moral authority for the rest of his term, as it did to Ryan. Because Rod is such a psycho, the bet is even money at this point. Crazy people are unpredictable.
Comment by Beanbag ain't Politics Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:50 pm
Rich, any chance that you have a copy of the opinion regarding the subpoenas? I have also been telling myself that I will make it up to Cook County to get a copy of the filings in the Blagojevich JCAR lawsuit.
Comment by Squideshi Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 10:28 pm
you mean the Illinois House passed the RTA bailout bill with no accompanying capital bill … shame on the House
Comment by there you go again Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 10:31 pm
So the gov got sued, fought with Lisa madigan saying she could not represent him in the case because she might not fight the lawsuit; he psen who knows howmany thousands on a special; only to have the judge find he had no claim and has to turn it over.
More tax dollars to his law firm benefactors to fight unwinable battles. good thing he didnt use those free lawyers at madigans office. The State having way yto much cash on hand we should look for ways to waste money.
Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 11:07 pm
If there is not really anything of substance in the subpoenas, I don’t think Rod will win any good favor with the public for all the legal bills he has run up defending NOTHING.
Comment by Little Egypt Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 11:42 pm
- Little Egypt
Substance in those federal subpoenas, is what Rod truly fears.
Otherwise, why would Rod of spend so much time, energy and taxpayer dollars to hush it up or make it go away?
Should make for some disturbing / entertaining reading, much like the Watergate tapes.
Comment by Poolside @ Hotel Ibiza Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 6:34 am
Perhaps you have covered this already but the State of Illinois website has an appeal from the Governor for people to email the Legislature in support of a transit funding plan.
“Send a message to your legislators: Pass a bill to save mass transit!” and
“Join the governor’s fight to protect mass transit service.”
Is this a new approach or more of Blago’s tired old “new politics” movement?
Comment by Anon Sequitor Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 7:56 am
Squid, you don’t have to do that. You can find everything at Richard Caro’s website, http://www.rpcjd.com/
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 8:40 am
Anon Sequitor, all of the above and a waste of taxpayer $$$$.
Comment by Dan S. a Voter Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 8:48 am
Johnny, don’t you mean I-57/I-294? We’ve already got an I-57/I-80 interchange, and it’s why we really don’t need the new one.
Comment by Angry Chicagoan Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 9:15 am
From PeeWee’s Playhouse: The word of the day is “divert”. As in taking from one place and giving to another. Usage: “Sorry John, but we had to divert your paycheck to cover our electric bill. Oh, by the way, there are no dollars to cover what we diverted. Hope you understand.”
Comment by zatoichi Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 9:17 am