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Illinois

* Robert Novak: Innovator’s life marked by passion

* Novak: A lighthearted ‘Prince of Darkness’

* Novak Remembered as Generous, Hard-Working

* Political columnist, commentator Robert Novak dies at 78

* Statewide gains on ACT test

* Ill. ACT scores increase for third year in a row

The state’s composite score for the Class of 2009 was 20.8 on the test’s scale of 1 to 36. The national average was 21.1.

* Teachers and Advocates Question Chicago Schools Budget

Teachers and advocates for students are taking hits at the new Chicago Public Schools budget.

CPS is holding hearings on the $5.3 billion budget. Speakers at the first hearing blasted the city’s use of Tax Increment Financing districts—saying the TIFs are costing the public schools hundreds of millions of dollars in forgone property tax revenues. Others criticized CPS’s investment decisions.

* Downtown condo market perks up in 2nd quarter

* More Illinois homes in foreclosure during July

A new law in Illinois that aimed to help give homeowners facing foreclosure more time apparently led to a spike in problems during July, according to data released today by RealtyTrac.

The state ranked No. 5 nationwide for the number of foreclosure filings of 14,524 for the month, which includes default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions. That overall foreclosure activity was boosted by an 86 percent surge in default notices, which bounced back from low levels in May and June, said RealtyTrac spokesman Daren Blomquist.

“The law just delayed the inevitable for some people,” said Blomquist. “And we’ve seen this pattern in other states that enacted similar laws.”

An Illinois state law enacted April 5 gave delinquent borrowers an extension of up to 90 days before the start of the foreclosure process.

* Free lakefront parking to end in 4 to 6 weeks

* Advisory: IVI-IPO to Sue City of Chicago Over Parking Meter Give-Away

The Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization will file suit against the City of Chicago Wednesday alleging that the deal to lease the city’s parking meters is illegal and should be voided.

Clint Krislov, of Krislov & Associates, Ltd. and IVI-IPO’s attorney on the suit, will be available at a press conference following the filing. Copies of the suit will be available at the press conference. [10:30am today]

* State blocks $2.8 million from use by Cook County President Todd Stroger

Citing financial mismanagement in a long-troubled office that Cook County Board President Todd Stroger now controls, state officials have cut off access to $2.35 million in federal job training grants and demanded the county return another $1.8 million.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity also is requiring its approval for the county to spend the rest of a $5.7 million grant for summer youth jobs as part of the federal stimulus package.

* State smacks Cook County over federal job funds

* Orland Park hedging its bets on video gaming

Pappas estimated the village would have the potential to add more than $800,000 to its coffers. Trustee James Dodge, who opposes expanding gambling in Illinois, said he is skeptical of the revenue numbers, especially since the state estimates 45,000 video machines will pop up in Illinois, reducing the demand.

* Oswego board debates fate of video gambling within village

* Stimulus funds won’t cure Kane’s ills

* Ardis: Budget ‘only gets uglier’

Nonunion wage freezes, the elimination of 17 city positions, and cuts in temporary positions, training and overtime expenses highlighted a laundry list of proposals the city’s department heads introduced to the City Council on Tuesday.

* Union files unfair labor charge against Oak Lawn

* One union left for STC wage freeze

* Homewood official wants to hire jobless residents to cut grass

* Beggars don’t need mayor’s approval in Ill. city

Panhandlers in the southwestern Illinois city of Belleville will no longer be required to get the mayor’s written permission before asking for spare change.

* Chicago Housing Authority Set to Tear Down Historic Church

One of the oldest churches on Chicago’s South Side is slated for demolition. Vandalism, squatters and fires helped ruin the building. But some preservationists are blaming the Chicago Housing Authority.

* Olympic candor

Before Chicago organizers close their sale to the IOC, they need to close their sale to Chicagoans. The best way to do that is to shower Chicago in all of the financing details — and to create a rock-solid protocol for sharing future information with citizens as well. That isn’t too much to ask, given that there will be no Chicago Olympics unless the City Council obligates taxpayers to an open financial guarantee that the games will succeed. The city has already provided a $500 million guarantee; the state has committed to $250 million in the event the Games lose money.

* Third try to fill Boone board seat today

posted by Mike Murray
Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 8:59 am

Comments

Its good to see that some people in the city are finally waking up to the fact that mayor Daleys abuse of TIFs has diverted hundreds of millions of dollars away from the schools and other city services (police, fire, street repair) into the hands of developer friends of Daleys. TIFs are the reasons that property taxes are so high and keep going up.

Comment by fed up Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 9:25 am
Novak was a whale of a print reporter before he was a top political columnist. However you want to characterize his politics, which he was honest and upfront about, he was in his print work a shrewd and dispassionate handicapper of the Washington game, willing to give credit to those who played it well and wack the buffoons who did not, regardless of their positions on the spectrum.

Reading his columns and newsletters over the years, he invariably had praise for Reagan (for everything) and Ted Kennedy (for his mastery of the Senate, even while in the minority).

In his memoirs, you sense he regretted his role at CNN in helping to pioneer the mindless, hyper-partisan and flatulent TV yammerfests that pollute the marketplace of ideas today, but there’s a lot of blame to go around there.

Big Illini fan, too.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 9:25 am
Rich, could you post an open thread for lobbyists and others to ask questions and provide answers regarding the new lobbying requirements found in SB0054? I realize that you will be busy with fair related activities today, but there may be others, like me, who would like a forum to discuss this legislation with fellow lobbyists, state employees, legislators, and anybody else who will need to understand how to conduct business under the new law.

Thanks Rich — welcome back.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 9:32 am
===who would like a forum to discuss this legislation with fellow lobbyists, state employees, legislators, and anybody else who will need to understand how to conduct business under the new law.===

I think your best bet would be to consult an attorney, or at least wait until some top attorneys have analyzed this new law.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 9:42 am
The Tribune editorial is spot on about finance questions, taxpayer confidence and more. Supporters, including the Mayor, have been loath to characterize any of the money that has been spent (and will be spent) as taxpayer money.

I’ve been to several of the community meetings and I’ve been impressed with the committee’s passion. But their reluctance and/or refusal to acknowledging that TIF money and contingency funds are in fact tax dollars makes this Chicagoan less than enthusiastic.

The $86 million dollars used to purchase the Village Site? Those aren’t tax dollars, those are TIF dollars (as if there’s a difference). The $500 million contingency fund? That isn’t a huge looming IOU, it’s insurance.

You get the idea. It feels like messaging gone amok and for this Chicagoan it evokes a rather greasy unease and is a reminder of other recurrent realties. The city has shown itself incapable of running far more mundane activities, such as collecting garbage and managing parking meters, without corruption, graft and incompetence. There’s no reason, at least not yet, to believe the Olympics will be any different.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:12 am
== Citing financial mismanagement in a long-troubled office that Cook County Board President Todd Stroger now controls, state officials have cut off access to $2.35 million in federal job training grants and demanded the county return another $1.8 million.==

Great, unemployment at the highest levels in a generation in Illinois, and the Springfield is playing politics.

Comment by Leory Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:12 am
Ooops, didn’t mean to be stealth. Above criticism is mine.

Comment by Suzanne Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:12 am
Bob Novak used to scare me. I would see his sour expressions on television and listen to him expose the Charlatans I held my hope in. Listening to Bob Novak was listening to a Dean grade your homework. You hoped for his blessing, but he would give you honesty. So it isn’t surprising that many people stopped listening to him - they didn’t want to stop believing in the unbelievable.

But after being repeatedly duped by reality, Mr. Novak became a guy I respected, but didn’t like. In a world where we are willing to continually give other’s second chances and we still refuse to speak the truth to those who are congenital liars, thugs and criminals, we needed a Mr. Novak to do the dirty work for us.

Bob Novak worked hard before he disproved the lies. While Jon Steward and Stephen Colbert jest, Novak’s hard work entitled him to speak. While Katie Couric entertained and charmed at the fringes of social issues, Bob Novak reported on them, then told us what to do about them.

Bob Novak was a Democrat, when Eunice and Sarge Shriver, Hubert Humphrey, Henry Jackson, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Edmund Muskie, and many more represented the power core of a Party who believed in American exceptionalism and respected Americans. This dying strain of Democrats defended the US, supported private enterprise, yet believed in assisting the truly needy. They understood that governments wreck as well as build, and respected the balance among the powers that is the US. These folks are dying out and are being replace by partisan fools who simply insist of winning regardless of the costs.

Whenever I think of Bob Novak, I imagine those furrowing brows, and those upturned fleshy lips, but also the wisdom of his scowl.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 10:40 am
Is anyone else concerned that an ACT score of 20.8 is an increase? Wow.

Comment by LN Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 11:05 am
whenever I think of Bob Novak I think of a man who put the name of an undercover CIA agent in his column, endangering her and the lives of those working with her in her company.

Comment by Amy Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 1:45 pm