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* 10:20 am - Comptroller Dan Hynes received a standing ovation at the Democratic county chairman’s event today when he said that a capital plan is going nowhere and substance abuse funding is being slashed not because of some outside force, but because of a personality clash.
Also, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Secretary of State Jesse White both received standing O’s when they were introduced.
I ran into the new chairman of the organization last night, and he said he wanted to make sure today’s event, which features New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as they keynote speaker, runs smoothly and without controversy.
House Speaker Michael Madigan was introduced earlier, and the reception was a bit tepid. But there was no booing. Same for Senate President Jones, but Gov. Blagojevich received a rousing standing ovation.
* 10:41 am - Gov. Blagojevich: “I’m glad that the Speaker is here, and I’m interested to see if we can work together to get things done for people.”
More Blagojevich: “I didn’t become a Democrat because some Chicago boss knocked on my door and offered me a job.”
Um, huh? He married his alderman’s daughter, for crying out loud.
* 10:48 am - I told you about this earlier today, and I tipped off subscribers about this possibility last week, but here’s more from the Tribbies…
House Speaker Michael Madigan drew applause at Wednesday morning’s Democratic county chairmen’s brunch when he said “good progress” had been made among his members exploring the lease of the Illinois Lottery to fund a new statewide construction program.
Madigan has blocked Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s proposed $25 billion public works program largely due to a lack of trust of the governor among House Democrats. But the powerful Madigan, who also chairs the state Democratic Party, said House Democrats have been meeting for the past two days to discuss a lottery lease—the basis for funding Blagojevich’s plan.
“Today, the prospects look very, very good,” Madigan said to applause, largely from representatives of labor organizations who back the construction bill. Madigan said “good progress” has been made in reviewing the details of a lottery lease but also said work remains in developing an agreement.
Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago), who has joined with Blagojevich in repeatedly attacking Madigan and House Democrats for stalling the public works measure, said he was heartened by the speaker’s comments.
“The good news today is we’re going to move a capital bill forward,” Jones said.
* 11:17 am - An e-mail from the Better Government Association arrived just in time for Governor’s Day…
The hearing for oral arguments in the BGA’s Freedom of Information lawsuit against the Governor to obtain copies of federal grand jury subpoenas was just scheduled by the 4th District Appellate Court. The hearing will take place on September 16th at 10:00 a.m. at the U of I law school in Urbana.
Apparently the 4th District hears a handful of cases at the law school each year and the BGA’s case is one of this year’s selections.
The BGA won at trial and the governor is appealing.
* 12:07 pm - The governor just spoke to reporters and brushed off repeated attempts by the gathered scribes to get him to say something negative about Speaker Madigan. Blagojevich instead said that since it looks like things are starting to get close on the capital bill that he would rather not go into that sort of attack.
Interesting.
I wonder if his “volunteers” at the State Fair will be following the governor’s lead. Stay tuned.
* The governor was also asked about Comptroller Hynes’ speech. Hynes said that this was “the best of times and the worst of times” for Democrats. “Best,” meaning Obama, “worst,” meaning Illinois.
The guv said he had read a lot of Charles Dickens and claimed that if the author of A Tale of Two Cities was alive today he’d love the All Kids program.
The man knows how to stay on-message when he wants to.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 10:27 am
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Rich - What about Treasurer Giannoulias?
Comment by Chicago Law Student Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 10:38 am
Lots of applause.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 10:40 am
Yeah, like the most hardcore democrats in the state are going to boo the governor. They wouldn’t even if they wanted to… but they don’t.
Comment by Heartless Libertarian Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 10:40 am
Rich, how many bus loads of “supporters” were brought in for the event?
Comment by Dan S. a Voter and Cubs Fan Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 10:42 am
Does anyone else find it interesting that the time and location of the Dem’s State fair rally cannot be had from the State fair website, cannot be had from their printed schedule, and cannot be had from the DPI website? In fact, the only “event” listed on the latter site is Speaker Madigan’s May 20 funder on Lake Springfield.
When I phoned DPI for this info., the very pleasant person answering the phone said she “thinks” it’s at 1:30p. Does anyone know for sure?
Comment by David Starrett Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 10:51 am
Interesting comments regarding the lottery. Are we going to have a House Democratic cap plan, with itemized district projects, generating a flurry of press releases in October?
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 10:59 am
==More Blagojevich: “I didn’t become a Democrat because some Chicago boss knocked on my door and offered me a job.”==
No, I guess he knocked on Mell’s door and begged him for job after job after job. Delusional, yet funny.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:02 am
Leasing the lottery? Very interesting.I wonder if anyone can bid for the project.Since,corruption is a fact of life in Chicago:one has to wonder who’s really going to wind up with the lottery contract.
Comment by Steve Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:07 am
No, I guess he knocked on Mell’s door and begged him for job after job after job. Delusional, yet funny.
AND THEN DIDN’T SHOW UP FOR ANY OF THEM.
Comment by JacksonJive Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:08 am
Dave..I noticed that too. I was looking for a schedule of events and couldn’t find one either. I would like to point out that the GOP schedule is readily available, easy to find and very clear. Guess which one I will be going to?
Comment by Miranda Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:15 am
At least now where know where the 13% are. They are all at the county chairmans event today.
Comment by Jaded Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:18 am
that was suppose to be “we know where”.
Comment by Jaded Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:20 am
Dave, Miranda, maybe Blagoof’s handlers don’t want any “boo’s” competing with the cheers from the folks they bused in. Cheers make better press.
Comment by Dan S. a Voter and Cubs Fan Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:21 am
Miranda, I next phoned the Press Room; they didn’t know, but suggested I call the Speaker’s office. The Speaker’s office wasn’t sure, but suggested I call (of all places) the Governor’s office.
LOL.
Comment by David Starrett Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:21 am
any official who backs leasing the lottery should be removed from office, and that includes Madigan. Such a lease is only viable if the State is giving up more money then the Lottery will produce. Thus, wer are selling off future State revenue at a loss and saddling our future with worse fiscal problems.
Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:22 am
It usually starts after IL Dems have their little state convention. Figure about oneish or so.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:23 am
Thanks Rich. I figured I’d be safe with 1:00p, but this is looking like the Super Double-Secret Rally.
Comment by David Starrett Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:30 am
Blagojevich describes his law school career in pretty unflattering terms. Wonder how he got his job at the Cook County State’s Attorneys office?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:34 am
I can’t believe the Dems weren’t wishing the Republicans would pull themselves together and put up some viable candidates that the Dems could then demonize.
This internal Democratic meltdown may be at least in part a result of the fact that Illinois is a one-party, Demcratic state, creating a perfect setting for intrapart squabbles and feuds.
Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:43 am
Amen, Ghost. Not sure how any iteration of a lottery lease proposal will net enough upfront cash to make up for future revenues lost. MJM’s no better than the rest of ‘em if he buckles on this item, IMHO.
Comment by The Doc Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:46 am
I believe The Doc and Ghost are right. Transforming a revenue-generator into deadweight is a slap in the face to Illinoisans. What a disappointment if true.
Comment by Captain Flume Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:55 am
When Madigan speaks of “good progress” on a lottery lease, he seems to be referring to progress within his own caucus. Any eventual bill could still be loaded with poison pills. The devil will be where he always is.
And then there’s the matter of capital funding for highly specific projects, and authority for release of funds…
Comment by David Starrett Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 12:06 pm
===he seems to be referring to progress within his own caucus===
Or the progress in his own mind.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 12:13 pm
===Not sure how any iteration of a lottery lease proposal will net enough upfront cash to make up for future revenues===
The talk is to put the cash into the pension funds, which would free up a bunch of dough.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 12:14 pm
How was Pat Quinn received? After yesterday’s pay raise vote, he should be gloating, er … glowing.
Comment by Olympic Glory Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 12:15 pm
“The talk is to put the cash into the pension funds, which would free up a bunch of dough.”
Ok…but it’s still leasing a tried and true annual revenue stream for pennies on the dollar, correct? And it still doesn’t address pension reform, meaning down the road we’ll be experiencing deja vu all over again, only this time with no asset to sell, right?
Comment by The Doc Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 12:21 pm
===leasing a tried and true annual revenue stream for pennies on the dollar, correct?[[[
Not sure how much we’re talking yet.
Also, the convention just started so the fair activities may be a bit after one, or even closer to two. we’ll see.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 12:24 pm
On second thought — was Pat Quinn allowed to speak?
Comment by Olympic Glory Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 12:29 pm
“Or the progress in his own mind.” –Same thing, isn’t it?
I just don’t see the situation as having materially changed here. It’s still not really about a capital bill, it’s still about who gets blamed for there not being a capital bill. If Madigan can pass something he knows is unacceptable to Blagojevich while still giving his members cover and deflecting the “obstructionist” label, it seems to me that’s all he really cares about right now.
Comment by David Starrett Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 12:40 pm
Phenomenal recordbreaking attendance at the Democratic County Chairman’s breakfast, which I attribute to solely to enthusiasm about Barack Obama’s candidacy. We’ll probably never see the like again!
Hynes gave an excellent speech accurately capturing the Democratic Party’s good fortune nationally and our favorite son’s candidacy and contrasting it with the acrimony and division that has typified Illinois politics - the best of times and the worst of times
Dan projected the appropriate gravitas appropriate for a future Governor.
Lisa Madigan was also well received by the crowd. She spoke primarily about Barack Obama and did not not address the crisis of leadership affecting the Illinois body politic, presumably because of the Speaker/her father must share some of the blame for the political/governmental meltdown.
Governor Bill Richardson was also personable and captivating in contrast to his bland perforamnce in debates. He’s be my first choice for Obama’s VP, but he’s sporting facial hair, which I assume means he isn’t being seriously considered.
Comment by Captain America Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 1:26 pm
“The guv said he had read a lot of Charles Dickens and claimed that if the author of A Tale of Two Cities was alive today he’d love the All Kids program”.
“The man knows how to stay on-message when he wants to”.
No doubt but yet “All Kids” was started by Repubs. I believe it was pushed in the senate by Sen Radogno.
Comment by Moderate Repub Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 2:02 pm
Moderate repub, c’mon, really? What a crock. The gov had been expanding access to health care for children in his first three years in office. Creating All Kids was merely finishing the job he had begun when elected.
I hardly remember republicans like Radogno saying in year one that we should expand Medicaid to provide more health coverage to poor people.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 2:09 pm
One way of looking at this latest lottery plan is that we are selling/leasing a valuable asset in order to pay down pension debt. The fact that it frees up money for schools now does not change this. And the purchasers/leasers of the lottery are not going to make the purchase out of charity..they are looking at substantial profits that we taxpayers will never see. Not to mention those massive transaction costs, the legal ones, that is.
If there is one time we taxpayers should be paying attention, it is now. Leasing or selling the lottery is a terrible idea and we will lose huge
amounts of money taking that route.
Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 2:23 pm
In reference to the personality clash as the reason for the devastation or slash of the DASA or substance abuse budget who is Hines referring to? Rod & Mike?
Comment by at a loss Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 2:24 pm
=The talk is to put the cash into the pension funds, which would free up a bunch of dough=
Not to spit in anyone’s Lemon Shakeup, but that plan isn’t any better than the last few.
Going back to the original assumptions, none of which have been really fully vetted, the “partial” Lottery concession was going to throw off $600 million in cash per year, or about what the Lottery earns the State now. The GOMB argument was that the concessionaire would grow that $600 million faster than the State ever could hope to, and the remaining $3 billion in Lottery proceeds would be placed in a “trust” invested with the earnings to go toward education funding.
Changing the game and putting the Lotto cash into the pension funds is a different kettle of fish. First of all, if the entire $10 billion is invested, FY10 pension contributions may safely be reduced by around a billion dollars.
However, the FY09 budget is still unbalanced, what happens in FY 11 when the one-time windfall of cash is gone (”it’s in the base” is an inoperative answer) and does anyone else but AA still have qualms about tossing down 10 billion in the current markets?
Remember, if the POB King had gotten his way a year ago, the headlines would be right now screaming, “Illinois Loses $1 Billion in Failed Arbitrage Play.”
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 2:40 pm
And one more thing-I believe Blago reads Charles Dickens about as much as I believe the Cubs are gonna win the World Series.
The only “Best of both worlds” he is well acquainted with is sung by Hannah Montana.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 2:44 pm
“The guv said he had read a lot of Charles Dickens and claimed that if the author of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ was alive today he’d love the All Kids program”
But would the author of ‘Hard Times’ and ‘Oliver Twist’ love it?
Comment by Crafty Girl Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 3:25 pm
AA lets not forget that while the concessionare is growing that 600 million per year, the State is locked inot a flat 600 million. The States annuity payment in the version I saw remained flat. Even with the State growing the 600 million in house at a slower rate, it was still growing! the new plan stops growth and ends up with the amount the State receieves being decreased over time as the cost of living increases but the amount taken in remains flat.
A vendor does not need to do any better then the State at growing the lottery, even udner a conservative 3-5% it has seen with the State, the lenght of the lease means then when the Vendor is raking in billions the State is getting 600 million. The rough numbers were the lottery would take in somthing like 50 Billion while the state recieves a toal payout of 10 bill up fron and another 23 bill over time.
The better solution for Illinois, if vendor can grow the lottery better then the State can, then hire the vendor, but pay them only a percentage of the growth they obtain over what the State could have done on its own. Then we get the benefit of increased growth, and the vendor can do well if they can truly best the States performance by a significant degree.
Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 3:29 pm
The thing I love about Captain America is that unlike most of us (myself included/Rich excluded) he actually travels to Springfield to support his party and participate in the process. He takes action. Way to go Captain America. Democratic Superhero, indeed.
Comment by 2for2 Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 3:39 pm
Wow! Democratic County Chairs picked by Democratic precint committee women and men cheering for democratic office holders. Shocked!!! Just Schocked!
Comment by Lee Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 3:49 pm
Moderate Repub and anon,
KidCare & FamilyCare were started very modestly by the Republicans (Govs.Edgar and Ryan) under the umbrella of the federal SCHIP legislation. AllKids was actually the final step in a three-year expansion of children’s health coverage under Blagojevich, with the first expansion steps also falling under the federal SCHIP authorization.
FYI, I always found it interesting that Governor Ryan invested a similar amount of funding, if not more when adjusted for inflation, towards heathcare expansion as did this current governor. He successfully expanded Medicaid coverage to the elderly and disable for three consecutive years, and oversaw the conversion of a limited low-income senior drug assistance plan (Circuit Breaker Program) to a comprehensive low-income drug coverage plan called SeniorCare. All these things, very costly expansions, happened with minimal fanfare and PR.
You could actually make a case that the previous Republican governor, by expanding healthcare coverage so significantly, hasten the structural deficit we see now.
Comment by Budget Watcher Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 3:52 pm
AA and Ghost are spot on about the lottery. I smell the meat a cookin’ and I don’t like it.
As far as Bill Richardson goes — what a resume. But the guy’s light.
He’s a former ambassador to the UN. He said the other day the UN Security Council should pass a resolution condemning Russia’s action in Georgia.
Anyone see a problem with that plan? There goes the resume.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 3:57 pm
I wasn’t there, so I don’t know who shouted down who, but I think AFSCME has some delusions if they think people are going to be outraged because they are going to have to pay a few extra dollars for their luxury healthcare plans while every other state entity is getting massive cuts.
Comment by pro Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 5:15 pm
“The guv said he had read a lot of Charles Dickens and claimed that if the author of A Tale of Two Cities was alive today he’d love the All Kids program.”
Huh? Schizophrenia LIVE at the state fair!
Comment by Disgusted Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 9:45 pm
It’s not “a few extra dollars” for “a luxury healthcare plan.” It’s more like an additional $200 or even more PER MONTH (family coverage) for HMO plans that don’t necessarily cover everything and don’t always pay on time. I know healthcare costs are going up and that private sector people pay more every year, but why not a moderate increase every year instead of a huge increase all at once?
Comment by Bookworm Wednesday, Aug 13, 08 @ 11:12 pm