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* MFT = Motor Fuel Tax…
If anyone questions the need for infrastructure spending or why it’s important to maintain a scaled MFT, this wasn’t just a pothole. It was a hole that when straight down to the rebar and caused several flat tires in arguably one of the most congested areas in the region. https://t.co/lMPW73tBZ7
— Michael J. Zalewski (@mjzalewski) March 15, 2023
* You kinda have to wade through Russ Stewart’s stuff, but often there’s a good nugget…
Cynthia Santos, the now former $127,000-a year member of the Illinois Pollution Control Board and defeated 38TH WARD aldermanic candidate (she got 10.7 percent), is not hapless. She did NOT put herself in a situation beyond her control, which makes her somewhat clueless.
After 20 years as a $70,000-a year Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) commissioner, Santos was appointed to a 6-year term at the PCB by former Governor Bruce Rauner in January of 2017. The PCB hears appeals from environmental decisions by state agencies. Like a judge, a PCB member is supposed to be non-political and abide by state ethics rules which bar overt political activity. No “appearance of impropriety” is allowed. The PCB meets twice monthly and each member is assigned an attorney who does all the legal appeal research work.
In the summer of 2022 governor J.B. Pritzker re-nominated Santos for another 6-year term, subject to IL Senate confirmation. That did not occur during the autumn session. Also in the late summer of 2022 Santos and her husband Rich Bradley, an ex-state rep and current staffer for MWRD commissioner Marcelino Garcia, began circulating nominating petitions for each to run for 38th Ward alderman, a job held by Nicholas Sposato. The incumbent had dawdled until late August before deciding to run in 2023. Ed Bannon, a member of Rob Martwick’s 38th Ward Dems, also got into the race.
Santos did not take a leave-of-absence or resign her PCB job. She, not Bradley, filed in December, as did Sposato, Bannon, Franco Reyes and Bruce Randazzo. She did not file a D-1 statement with the state Board of Elections (IBOE) to create a campaign committee to report receipts and expenditures. “I’m paying my own expenses,” she later told me. That was not true, however a group called “Citizens in Action for Better Government” (CABG) paid for her flyers, which was an in-kind contribution and reportable by Santos and CABG. Neither has. […]
And she kept collecting her PCB paycheck. “I don’t campaign on work time,” she later told me.
Meanwhile, her PCB re-nomination stalled. Firefighters Local 2 is rumored to have intervened. (Sposato is a retired firefighter.) On March 6 Pritzker withdrew her PCB re-nomination. Santos was then on holdover, so she was out-the-door. […]
Credit Santos with a two-fer: She LOST for a 140K job and then LOST her 127K job all within the span of several days.
“She has nobody to blame but herself,” said Sposato
I told subscribers about this a while ago.
* Tony Peraica lost another case, this time at the 7th US appellate court…
Anthony Peraica represented Jelena Dordevic in her Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding. Alongside filing the bank-ruptcy petition, Peraica submitted a form disclosing his fee compensation (known in bankruptcy parlance as a Rule 2016 disclosure) in which he reported that Dordevic had paid him a total of $5,000 for his services. But Peraica’s disclosure was incomplete. As the Trustee learned during discovery, Dordevic had actually paid Peraica $21,500.
The U.S. Trustee contacted Peraica to inform him that he needed to file an updated Rule 2016 fee disclosure with the bankruptcy court. Rather than heed this advice, Peraica instead sent the Trustee an informal accounting document listing $21,500 in fees. Recognizing this would not suffice, the Trustee responded: “The Rule 2016 disclosures actually need to be filed with the Court” by submitting “an official form.” But Peraica again ignored his obligation and continued to do so even after receiving a third reminder from the Trustee a few weeks later.
In time the Trustee sought the bankruptcy court’s intervention. The Trustee filed a motion under 11 U.S.C. § 329 to examine the fees. After Peraica failed to respond, the Trustee supplemented its motion with a request that all fees be forfeited. The bankruptcy court granted the motion. Beyond Peraica’s brazen disregard of the Trustee’s advice, the bankruptcy court found Peraica’s proffered explanation for not updating his fee disclosure lacking, if not downright false. Peraica claimed that he lacked bankruptcy experience and thus was not familiar with his Rule 2016 disclosure requirements. But a search of the federal judiciary’s docket management system showed that Peraica had been involved in more than 350 bankruptcy cases in the Northern District of Illinois alone. The bankruptcy court ordered Peraica to disgorge all past fees as a penalty for his blatant lack of compliance with his obligations under Section 329 of the Bankruptcy Code. […]
The bankruptcy court found Peraica’s behavior inexcusable. We do too. […]
So the bigger picture takeaway should be clear: counsel for debtors in bankruptcy proceedings should recognize that failures to disclose will not be taken lightly.
With these closing observations, we AFFIRM.
Oof.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* NPR Illinois | Pritzker touts funding during visit to Lincoln Land Community College: Pritzker’s plan, which is likely to receive legislative approval, would add money for programs and building needs. The governor said system funding for day-to-day operations at community colleges has increased by over $25 million since the start of his administration, and the proposed budget will add nearly $20 million in additional dollars.
* AP | In nursing homes, impoverished live final days on pennies: Medicaid is jointly administered between individual states and the federal government and, faced with federal inaction, states have taken it upon themselves to raise allowances. Even so, most remain low. A majority of states – 28 – have allowances of $50 or less, according to a state-by-state survey by the American Council on Aging. Just five states grant residents $100 or more each month, including Alaska, which stands alone in offering $200 monthly, the maximum under federal law. Four states – Alabama, Illinois, North Carolina and South Carolina – remain at the $30 minimum.
* Crain’s | Surging demand for affordable senior housing sparks redevelopment of old hospitals and schools: Seniors’ need for affordable housing is urgent. Nationwide, more than 10 million households headed by someone 65 or older spend more than a third of their income on housing, according to an August article by Jennifer Molinsky, director of the Housing an Aging Society Program at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.
* Tribune | ‘The defendants gave, and the defendants got’: Prosecutors raise Madigan immediately as they lay out case at ‘ComEd Four’ trial: U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber conducted selection and a panel six women and six men, plus six alternates, were picked by about 10 a.m. “So do you want to go down and deliver the good news to the winners?” Leinenweber quipped to his clerk after the selection process was complete.
* Sun-Times | Chicago a front-runner for 2024 Democratic convention; Whoopi Goldberg boosting New York’s bid in video: “Come to New York, where we will put on a seamless and spectacular convention,” Goldberg says in the video, which surfaced on Monday. It runs 7 minutes and 11 seconds. President Joe Biden, expected to run for a second term in 2024, will make the decision on the convention city. It’s not clear who exactly the long video is supposed to influence.
* SJ-R | Without debate, $58 million plan to redevelop downtown Wyndham moves to next stage: Under the proposal, Tower Capital Group out of San Antonio, Texas, would keep 250 hotel rooms while converting 200 rooms into apartments. The hotel would operate under the Delta by Marriott flag.
* Daily Herald | Des Plaines council candidates tout communication skills, experience: Residents in four wards will choose representatives for the next four years in the April 4 election. The eight candidates — two in each ward — discussed their electability and other issues in online interviews with the Daily Herald.
* Sun-Times | Former mayoral challenger Ja’Mal Green endorses Vallas in runoff; Kwame Raoul first statewide official to back Johnson: Green, a 27-year-old community activist, secured a series of promises he believes will improve the lives of African Americans. Raoul praised Johnson as “the right candidate to move Chicago forward.”
* WCIA | ‘An abomination and a disgrace;’ Humane Society calls for end to killing contests in IL: “Wildlife killing contests are an abomination and a disgrace,” said Marc Ayers, Illinois state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “Destroying coyotes for sadistic fun, games and cash does not reflect our state’s values. Illinois is among the 10 worst states when it comes to wildlife killing contests, with at least 28 competitions targeting coyotes, foxes, raccoons and crows taking place in the state in 2022. Responsible hunters denounce this horrific blood sport and 73% of Illinois voters support a ban on killing contests. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources must take a stand and make our state the first in the Midwest to ban this cruel, unnecessary treatment of coyotes who provide vital balance to our ecosystem.”
* Northwestern Now | Gov. JB Pritzker named Commencement speaker: He also will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws. The University will announce additional honorary degree recipients later this month. Northwestern’s 165th commencement ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, June 12, at Ryan Field on the Evanston campus.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 1:17 pm
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Who is the Gov and Dem Party endorsing in the Mayor’s race for the City of Chicago?
Comment by Ivanka Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 1:19 pm
===Who===
The incumbent democratic mayor lost in the initial election, a mayor neither the party or the governor endorsed.
It’s an open seat.
Vote accordingly.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 1:24 pm
===The incumbent democratic mayor lost in the initial election===
it’s a non-partisan election, officially.
Comment by Vandalia Beer Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 1:38 pm
“I have no knowledge of bankruptcy filings” yet Peraica filed 350 cases in the Northern District of Illinois.
Is Tony Peraica taking cues on fees and filings from the Eddie Vrdolyak playbook?
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 1:39 pm
Kinda funny when Russ gets sanctimonious when he had his law license disciplined repeatedly for unethical conduct.
Comment by Big Dipper Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 1:51 pm
Peraica admitting “I have no knowledge of bankruptcy filings,” despite filing 350 cases, may be the first honest thing he’s ever said.
Comment by crazy gonna crazy Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 1:55 pm
Anyone who is pro coyote has never had problems with coyotes.
Comment by Flying Elvis'-Utah Chapter Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 1:58 pm
You mean Russ the dean of Northwest Side politics for over 40 years who picked Willie Wilson to win Round One?
What I do find interesting is how local electeds are so scared of Local 2 they won’t take a public position on the 45th Ward race and instead feel fine standing pat and saddling 60,000 people with a psycho representing them in City Council.
Comment by P. Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 2:00 pm
@- Flying Elvis’-Utah Chapter - Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 1:58 pm:
===Anyone who is pro coyote has never had problems with coyotes.===
Agree 100%. Same goes for racoons, skunks, and possums. Once the chew their way into an attic or garage, it costs a small fortune to hire a pest control company to get rid of them.
Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 2:13 pm
Is the Santos funder “Citizens in Action for Better Government” a rebranding of Dominic Longo’s group, or something different?
Comment by Keyrock Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 2:24 pm
Dominick Longo and Russ Stewart in one day? That’s a good day. Are you referring to the Coalition for Better government? The ultimate oxymoron
Comment by regular democrat Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 2:34 pm
=== Anyone who is pro coyote has never had problems with coyotes. Agree 100%. Same goes for racoons, skunks, and possums. Once the chew their way into an attic or garage, it costs a small fortune to hire a pest control company to get rid of them.===
An animal in one’s attic has nothing to do with wildlife killing contests. The contestants aren’t hunting in your house or property.
Comment by Betty Draper’s cigarette Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 2:39 pm
The Medicaid setup for nursing homes is ridiculous, and is set up so that residents are literally penniless and powerless at the tail end of their lives. The private pay system is terrible; we’re avoiding it for our family members as long as we possibly can, with in-home care and eventually hiring a day nurse if needed. But at some point we’ll be unable to keep our loved one at home, and I dread that day.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 2:42 pm
Even if Peraica were a total bankruptcy newbie, he was told multiple times what he needed to do, and he didn’t do it.
Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 2:44 pm
My favorite Tony Peraica is “Pitchfork and Torch” Tony Peraica.
That was the very last time Peraica was at least interesting.
Since then, Peraica is a poor man’s DeVore, poor at grifting, poor at show business… poor at losing.
I mean, think on it, DeVore cashes checks, Periaca is being audited.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 3:06 pm
===Anyone who is pro coyote has never had problems with coyotes.===
Shooting them and other varmints isn’t a warm and fuzzy feeling. But when you need to - you need too and this legislation shouldn’t move forward.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 3:12 pm
Animal killing contests are a (savage) human perversion.
Comment by Dotnonymous Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 3:21 pm
At least Peraica isn’t throwing his administrative staff under the bus. Then again maybe he doesn’t have any.
Comment by Annon3 Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 3:58 pm
===Anyone who is pro coyote has never had problems with coyotes.===
Shooting them and other varmints isn’t a warm and fuzzy feeling. But when you need to - you need too and this legislation shouldn’t move forward.
No. One. Ever. Needs. to kill 400 coyotes. The legislation addresses coyote killing competitions. An ugly pastime perpetrated by ugly people. Killing a coyote to address a local problem is one thing. Mass killing events for pleasure and profit is a different animal (pun intended), a cancer on our collective souls. Read Coyote America, a great book about coyotes and the pointless stupidity of a century of trying to eradicate them. Full disclosure here, coyotes roam in my yard & suburban neighborhood. We deal with the troublemakers and live with the others. Google urbancoyoteresearch.com to see how coyotes live with us in cities and suburbs.
Comment by froganon Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 4:33 pm
Do coyotes prevent reading comprehension too? There’s nothing in the Humane Society proposal that says you can’t kill a coyote. There’s also no specific piece of legislation mentioned for Illinois. The Humane Society organized a petition calling for an end to killing competitions or in other terms, killing of coyotes for sport.
Comment by Google Is Your Friend Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 4:36 pm
$30 monthly allowances are last century. We can do better.
Comment by yinn Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 5:02 pm
Anytime there is a Russ Stewart and a Dominick Longo mention its a good day. The Coalition for Better Government is his group. The ultimate oxymoron. That Santos thing really an unforced error. Came out well for Sposato.
Comment by Regular democrat Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 5:12 pm
If you kill it — eat it. There is no sport in an organized killing competition. I can accept a Nuisance Kill … but for the freaking sport of it? All for the bill!
Comment by Kippax Blue Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 5:14 pm
I hesitate to ask who is still behind Cynthia Santos because I’m sure it is someone I like. People should know by now that she is a fake credible official. Hmmmm, Santos…..
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 5:29 pm
A fine tradition in Illinois is the moment it looks like we’re in a good place financially someone thinks it’s smart smart politics to start running on tax cuts.
I hope giant holes in our infrastructure reduces that tendency.
Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 7:44 pm
From the Wyndham article
=== though most would be studio apartments and marketed to medical personnel, renting for $800 to $850 monthly.===
Ignoring the 18 million dollars of TIF funding — which no matter what anyone says about that is always an expense bore by other taxpayers as those diverted funds represent money that isn’t going into supporting taxpayer funded public goods and services, I think it is fascinating that the plan was also sold by suggesting that these overpriced studio apartments would be occupied by “medical personnel” which suggests a very predatory view of the medical students, resident physicians, and others that come to Springfield for training.
They asked themselves, “what kind of demographic can we pretend these apartments are for that everyone is okay with?” and came up with an answer that makes me wonder if Springfield is deserving of the medical education and training programs that are based there.
Way to paint “medical personnel” as the suckers who would over pay for a studio apartment in a hotel downtown instead of just trying to justify that the intent is to build unaffordable housing or apartments that they intend to operate a significant portion of as an AirBnB, et al.
Springfield’s City Government: Classy as ever.
But hey — I’m glad the public is supporting this private venture to the tune of 18 million while city leaders pretend like it’s free money because it comes out of future assessments.
Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Mar 15, 23 @ 8:57 pm