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Sunday, Jan 14, 2007
My deepest sympathies to Cook County Democratic Party Chairman Tom Lyons’ many friends and family members. I always found him to be a gentleman.
Visitation for Tom Lyons will be from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m Tuesday at Smith Corcoran Funeral Home, 6150 Cicero , Chicago.
The funeral mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Francis Xavier Church, 524 9th Street, Wilmette.
Mr. Lyons was 75 years-old. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, and four children Alexandra, Rachel, Frank and Thomas.
The family has requested donations to Misericordia in lieu of flowers.
* Sun-Times: Longtime leading Cook County Democrat dies
* Tribune: Cook County Democratic Party leader Thomas G. Lyons dies
* AP: Cook County Democratic Party Chair Dies - Lyons was a veteran committeeman of the 45th Ward
* Statement from Speaker Madigan:
“Today we stop to mourn the death Tom Lyons — a man to who devoted much of his life to fostering the growth of the Democratic Party in Chicago, our state and the nation.
“For more than 40 years, Tom Lyons worked as a State Senator, Constitutional Convention officer and delegate, Presidential Appointee and national party convention delegate. He worked hard, served with distinction and had his efforts recognized by prestigious groups.â€
“For instance, early in his legislative career, the respected Rutgers University named him as one of the “Outstanding Young Legislators in the U.S.â€
Tom was also proud of his service as a U.S. Army Ranger and as a Chicago Police Officer.
Tom will be remembered for his tireless work as a Democratic Party activist, his energetic efforts on behalf of candidates ranging from those who sought obscure local office to Bill Clinton’s successful quest for the presidency and his countless contributions to charities and community organizations.
Shirley and I and our children join Tom’s many friends and family in expressing our deepest sympathies to his family.
* Statement from Gov. Blagojevich:
“Tom Lyons was a hard-working and tireless public servant who dedicated his life to the people of Illinois and the principles of the Democratic Party. His distinguished career inspired many to follow him into public service, and he will be sorely missed.â€
“My wife Patti and I join Tom’s family and many friends in mourning his loss.â€
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Friday, Jan 12, 2007
Since Monday is a holiday, I’ll talk at you Tuesday.
Meanwhile, I’m sure Illinoize will be up and running. Have a good one.
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Friday, Jan 12, 2007
[Updated and bumped to the top.]
Why would Senator Obama give a political boost to embattled Harvey Mayor Eric Kellog just before the municipal elections?
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has picked an interesting spot to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Harvey.
The troubled city claimed the minor coup Thursday when the in-demand senator’s office announced he will speak to an expected audience of 2,000 at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church.
Obama, who is pondering a bid for the presidency, will be joined by Harvey Mayor Eric J. Kellogg, said St. Mark’s pastor, Bishop William Jordan.
The senator will be in Harvey for “reflection, not politics,” his spokesman Julian Green said, adding he did not know if Obama was aware of a series of scandals plaguing Kellogg’s administration.
Kellogg is accused of ordering police to return a gun taken in evidence to a murder suspect and faces allegations of police and financial corruption.
Jordan said Kellogg was slated to introduce Obama, but Green later said the pastor would do the honors.
Here’s a bit of background on Kellog.
Harvey Mayor Eric J. Kellogg ordered one of his detectives to make a gun seized from a convicted felon vanish from evidence, authorities said Friday in the latest scandal to plague Harvey police and the first to finger the mayor in potentially criminal behavior.
In an October meeting with other unnamed Harvey officials, “Public Official A” told Detective Hollis Dorrough to “help with the case and return property” to the defandant’s stepfather, whom he had known for years, prosecutors said at Dorrough’s Friday morning court appearance.
Sources close to the case named Kellogg as “Public Official A” and said Kellogg’s bodyguards are the other “unnamed officials.”
And guess who Kellogg’s attorney is? Why it’s Sam Adam, Jr., the same guy who is representing Ald. Arenda Troutman. Adam had this to say yesterday about Troutman’s case.
“(S)he never took any money to do anything illegal.”
The problem isn’t whether her official actions were legal, the problem is that she allegedly took money to make the calls and write the letters.
Anyway, Harvey is so screwed up that the Daily Southtown has a special page devoted to the town on its website. The page is called “Eye on Harvey,” and it’s an instructive read. Perhaps the Senator’s staff should go check it out.
Here are a few stories from the site.
* Harvey candidate sues mayor, officer
A Harvey mayoral candidate filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Mayor Eric Kellogg and a police officer Kellogg rehired, claiming they falsely arrested her for political gain.
* Harvey rehires felon
Son of former school board president was convicted of fraud, theft for bilking state out of $10,000 in student aid money
* Harvey wins a Worsty
The Illinois Press Association has identified the worst offenders in the state when it comes to the Illinois Open Meetings Act and the Illinois Freedom of Information Act — and the city of Harvey made the list.
Called the Worsties, each year the IPA recognized the state’s 10 worst violators of the public’s right to know. This year, Harvey came in at No. 3, right behind Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his administration.
“Harvey city officials hit on a unique way to hide its fiscal problems. Don’t do the paperwork,” the IPA said, noting Harvey’s efforts to avoid releasing public records. The stalling tactics and noncompliance with state law prompted the Daily Southtown to sue the city of Harvey.
*** UPDATE *** One of Mayor Eric Kellog’s opponents in the upcoming election has just sent out a press release. Here’s part of it.
Anthony L. McCaskill – Candidate for Mayor of the city of Harvey – is requesting that U.S. Senator Barak Obama use his time in the politically corrupt town of Harvey to confront the many ills of the community. McCaskill is appealing to the U.S Presidential hopeful to speak out against culture of corruption in Harvey as well as announce a measure that would allow more public safety funds for the citizens of Harvey.
- posted by Rich Miller 25 Comments
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Friday, Jan 12, 2007
I’ve been meaning to do this all week, but it’s been kinda busy. The press release on the news feed at the right and Fritchey’s goofy post at Illinoize reminded me.
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today accepted a friendly bet with Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire, as the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks prepare to go head-to-head Sunday at Chicago’s Soldier Field in the National Football League (NFL) Divisional Playoffs.
If the 13-3 Chicago Bears prevail, Gov. Gregoire will provide apples and smoked salmon fresh from Washington.
If the 9-7 Seattle Seahawks win the game, Gov. Blagojevich will send to Olympia, Washington 17th Street BBQ, a DuQuoin favorite, and Cozy Dogs, an Illinois tradition from Route 66.
This is a Chicago Bears divisional playoffs open thread. Have at it.
*** UPDATE *** A Spokesman-Review columnist trashes Gov. Chris Gregoire’s bet.
…Northwesterners come off sounding a bit snooty by betting salmon against barbecue on football, which is just a half step below betting a case of oak-casked chardonnay against a rack of non-micro brewskis.
Don’t we have anything else that far-off elected types want?
- posted by Rich Miller 30 Comments
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Friday, Jan 12, 2007
Buried in this San Diego Union-Tribune story about the US Attorney there being pushed out the door after prosecuting Duke Cunningham was this interesting little quote.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., criticized the Bush administration yesterday for “pushing out U.S. Attorneys from across the country under the cloak of secrecy.â€
“We don’t know how many U.S. Attorneys have been asked to resign – it could be two, it could be ten, it could be more. No one knows,†she said in a statement.
I’ve been saying for months it might be a possibility in a post-’06 environment, but could Fitzmas really ever come to an end? [Hat tip: TPM]
- posted by Rich Miller 19 Comments
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Friday, Jan 12, 2007
Do you have any Illinois political predictions for 2007? Post ‘em.
- posted by Rich Miller 59 Comments
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Friday, Jan 12, 2007
More on the proposed statewide smoking ban in today’s Sun-Times.
State Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago) said Thursday he’s going to push for a smoking ban in all Illinois workplaces — including bars and restaurants — to begin in January 2008. His bill, if passed, would supersede Chicago’s smoking ban, which currently gives bars until July 2008 to go smoke-free.
“There’s simply no reason why, in this year, hospitality workers such as waitresses, servers and bartenders shouldn’t have the same health protection that exists in office buildings where most of us work,” Cullerton said.
If lawmakers approve Cullerton’s proposal, Illinois would become the 17th state to pass a statewide smoking ban. “We need to play catch-up with the rest of the world and adopt a comprehensive law that protects everyone,” he said.
Cullerton was prompted to work for a smoke-free Illinois after learning of a June 2005 U.S. surgeon general’s report that concluded that any amount of secondhand smoke can cause health problems.
And the SJ-R has the other side of the story.
…Steve Riedl, executive director of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, said supporters of smoking bans have contended all along they would improve business, not hurt it, so there should be no reason to level the playing field.
“Obviously, they were lying,” he said.
A statewide ban “takes one wrong and multiplies it into a number of wrongs,” Riedl said, adding that banning smoking amounts to one group of people trying to force their beliefs on everyone else.
The same complaint came up during the debate over whether to Harry Kelley, a lobbyist for the Illinois Association of Tobacco and Candy Distributors, pointed to The Curve Inn, a bar in Southern View. Because it is not subject to the smoking ban, the bar is so busy it has started to impose a cover charge on Friday and Saturday nights, he said.
- posted by Rich Miller 42 Comments
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Friday, Jan 12, 2007
My Sun-Times column this week (which has an unfortunate headline that I didn’t write) eventually gets around to Ald. Troutman, but starts off with a couple of stories.
An Illinois lobbyist friend used to tell a story about a former state legislator who we all knew to be a notorious mooch.
The politico was shockingly blatant. One morning during a convention, the guy knocked on my pal’s hotel door at 7 in the morning, fully attired in his natty golfing clothes, carrying his bag and announced that he was ready to play.
Apparently, the legislator had overheard that my buddy had a tee time at a prime local resort and decided he’d come along for the ride. Uninvited, of course. Not wanting to upset a legislator, the lobbyist had no choice but to drop someone else from his foursome.
Later, at the pro shop, the legislator picked out several items and browsed around until my friend was ready to check out. He then worked his way to the front of the line and plopped his pile of goodies onto the counter, expecting the lobbyist to pay.
Anyway, go read the whole thing.
Meanwhile, the Tribune has a story on Troutman’s wacky press conference.
The news conference was opened by Rev. John Ellis of Providence House, a social service organization, who read from Psalm 18: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
“And parenthetically I might note, according to due process, you are not guilty,” he said. “You are innocent. All of you are innocent until decided otherwise by due process, not the press.”
As did the Sun-Times.
One of those candidates, attorney David Neely, tried and failed to disrupt Troutman’s raucous City Hall news conference.
He told reporters: “An alderman works for the people of the 20th Ward –not for gang-bangers, not for drug dealers, not for criminals.”
And if you haven’t seen it yet, you absolutely must go watch the unedited video from yesterday’s press conference.
- posted by Rich Miller 14 Comments
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Friday, Jan 12, 2007
* Editorial: Stroger’s wise move
* Lincoln Bicentennial coordinator picked
Gov. Rod Blagojevich created the commission nearly 11 months ago to plan statewide events celebrating Lincoln’s 200th birthday in 2009. Since then, several commission members have been appointed. But with no leader and no Web site, the commission has been virtually invisible.
* State court ponders grandparent law
* Lakin suit to stay in St. Clair County
* Editorial: To get in dance, Illinois needs better date
* Editorial: Move up the Illinois primary
* Edwards backer: Don’t give Obama advantage
* Percy Giles is praying for Arenda Troutman.
* Round Lake Mayor on Blogging: The Smartest Thing I’ve Ever Done
* ‘It really is the end of an era‘ - Workers say 114-year-old club will close May 15
* CTA chief accused of ‘gross incompetence‘ - Aldermen seek hearings over ‘3rd-world’ system
* State building will get upgrades
* Krol: Safely re-elected, Blagojevich now a liberal in public
* Airport will have hard sell to increase passenger boardings
* SMEAA might buy hotel mortgage - Davlin, Coffey send idea to state treasurer
- posted by Rich Miller 4 Comments
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Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
Yet another hot-button issue for the spring session.
Though a patchwork of cities and suburbs already have banned smoking in public places, state lawmakers today introduced legislation that would prohibit smoking in all public spots in Illinois — from taverns and restaurants to stores and bowling alleys.
State Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), who introduced the bill, said the time has come for Illinois to join more than a dozen other states with broad smoking bans. He said medical studies prove secondhand smoke is dangerous to patrons and employees, especially those working in bars and restaurants. […]
Legislative leaders and the governor reacted cautiously to the measure, one of the first bills to be introduced in the newly minted General Assembly. The offices of Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) said they wanted to see the legislation first.
“We’ll look and see what’s happening,” said Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago). “I don’t make off-the-cuff decisions on critical issues like that.”
[Comments closed. Move to the fresh thread.]
- posted by Rich Miller 16 Comments
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Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
Check out Alderman Troutman’s raucous news conference here. Unedited video. Must see. Chicago politics at its craziest.
Tribune story:
At a raucous City Hall news conference before today’s City Council meeting, Ald. Arenda Troutman asserted that she has been “an upstanding alderman for 17 years,” and will continue to seek reelection in February.
She said she “will continue to fight for my people and this city and the 20th Ward and stand strong.”
With about 50 supporters behind her, Troutman would not talk specifically about the bribery charges lodged against her, but her attorney, Sam Adam Jr., said the government’s case is baseless.
To Troutman’s challengers in February, Adam said, “Bring your ‘A’ game because Ald. Troutman is back.”
“I am bringing my ‘A’ game,” shot back David Neely, one of her challengers, who attended the news conference. “I will be the alderman of the 20th Ward,” he said as the Troutman supporters booed.
Sun-Times:
Attorney David Neely, who is on the Feb. 27 ballot trying to unseat Troutman, attended Troutman’s City Hall news conference, Neely repeated his call for a two-term limit for Chicago aldermen and, to the jeers of Troutman’s supporters, said: “If you look at the history of Chicago, every time a politician has been charged with committing a crime, they have press conferences. Their attorneys stand up and say they didn’t do it. There are tape recordings. There are videos. She will be indicted by Friday. And the people of the 20th Ward are being neglected.â€
- posted by Rich Miller 43 Comments
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Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
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Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
First it was Joe, then Jake, then Mike and now Kevin and Eddie? The old gang is breaking up. Is Dring getting nervous?
Congratulations to all.
Sorry, they made me promise not to open up comments.
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
I linked to this in Morning Shorts, but Mark Brown’s column today is about 48th Ward aldermanic candidate Chris Lawrence, who may be booted off the ballot on a technicality.
Correa will recommend that Lawrence be dropped from the ballot because he failed to file a receipt with election officials to prove that he had properly filed another document called a “Statement of Economic Interest” with the county clerk.
As a stunned Lawrence complained afterward that the scenario was “Kafkaesque” and the punishment draconian, Raucci had to remind him that “politics ain’t bean bag.”
What flabbergasted Lawrence was that he had actually met the requirement of filing the Statement of Economic Interest, sometimes referred to as an ethics disclosure because it requires candidates and officeholders to divulge information about where they make their money. But Lawrence admits he screwed up on the receipt.
Question: Should Illinois’ ballot access laws be loosened to allow more candidates to run? Or should the tight rules remain intact to discourage tons of amateurs from “cluttering” up the ballot.
- posted by Rich Miller 23 Comments
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Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
[Bumped upwards and excerpts added for discussion purposes.]
You can listen to Speaker Michael Madigan’s Wednesday afternoon media availability below.
* Sun-Times: State to flirt with date for Obama - Madigan backs moving up ‘08 presidential primary so Illinois voters can impact election
Illinois would join a slew of states eyeing Feb. 5 primaries or caucuses. But only four — Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina — would hold presidential contests sooner.
‘’These states are . . . clearly not as representative of America as Illinois would be,'’ Madigan said, adding that the Democratic presidential nomination might be unofficially clinched by Illinois’ current mid-March primary date.
* Tribune: Madigan: Earlier primary would help Obama bid
Madigan also said it was not decided whether primary contests for state offices, such as the legislature, would be held on the earlier date.
* AP: Madigan wants to aid Obama by changing primary date
Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, said he wants to discuss the idea with Obama, his political protege. ‘’This came out of the clear-blue sky. I don’t know whether that would help Obama or hurt him,'’ Jones said.
* Hotline Blog: IL To Move Primary To Help Obama?
“That’s like lowering the hoop for Shaq,” an aide to one of Obama’s potential rivals tells the Hotline.
* Daily Herald: A move to help Obama
State Sen. Terry Link of Waukegan said he doesn’t see Madigan’s point.
“I think Barack will carry Illinois without moving up the primary,†said Link, the Lake County Democratic chairman. “I’m not sure why this would be significant for Obama. His momentum will be when he carries Iowa and New Hampshire.â€
* Copley: Madigan wants to move ‘08 primary to February - Would give state more clout, might boost Obama
Andy McKenna, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, did not take a position Wednesday on Madigan’s proposal.
“I think it’s healthy to fully examine the potential to make Illinois more relevant in the presidential primary process, but it’s bad precedent to craft significant change purely around the ambitions of one individual,” McKenna said.
Listen, read then discuss.
- posted by Rich Miller 39 Comments
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Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
One way to avoid public calls for more money for public schools (and, therefore, higher taxes) is to silence public bodies designed to calculate the financial need.
A government board charged with recommending state school funding missed a Jan. 1 deadline to report to lawmakers because Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration has not reconvened the panel. […]
Still, it is the second time Blagojevich has been slow to marshal EFAB, which consists solely of his appointees. By law, the five-person panel every two years must recommend a per-pupil “foundation” level - the minimum amount of money deemed necessary to give most Illinois children an adequate education.
Under the threat of a lawsuit two years ago, the governor’s office filled vacancies on the board, and the panel - three months late - recommended a foundation level of $6,405 per student. The budget lawmakers and Blagojevich approved later that year fell short of the mark, providing for a foundation of only about $5,200.
Meanwhile, Senate President Emil Jones made it pretty clear yesterday that he wants a tax increase for education.
Jones outlined an ultimate goal of having state government provide more than half of all school funding. He called for increasing the amount of money the poorest schools in the state receive as well as a funding plan for new school construction.
Jones said all options are on the table now, except for raising the state sales tax because it is too regressive. He has long supported increasing the income tax and expanding gambling as well as various ways to exchange a higher income tax for lower property taxes.
And…
“The state has a revenue problem, not a spending problem,” Jones said. “It’s our job to come up with a solution to solve the problem.” [..]
“Governor, I want to thank you for the job you’ve done the past four years to increase (education) funding,” Jones said. “You are on the right track, but we must go further.”
And…
He said the top 20 districts spend $14,000 to $28,000 per year on each student, while more than 600 districts spend the minimum of $5,334 per student. He compared that to the $21,000-per-year average to house an inmate, and noted that 62 percent of prisoners are high school dropouts.
And House Speaker Michael Madigan all but said he would push for higher taxes.
I’m prepared to engage in unpopular choices,†said Madigan, who warned that the state is facing a huge backlog of unpaid bills. […]
For Madigan, the focal point of the upcoming session will be the state’s shaky finances. He said he’s made tough choices in the past and is ready to make them again.
“I’m not going to be feint of heart,†said Madigan.
- posted by Rich Miller 15 Comments
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Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
While Kjellander is often a too-convenient scapegoat for both the media and conservative Republicans, this controversy is not going away until he does.
When they gather this weekend near Chicago, leaders of the state GOP may end up confronting the proverbial elephant in the room: the continuing backlash against Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.
The meeting agenda of the Republican State Central Committee does not specifically mention Kjellander, the Springfield consultant who serves as the Illinois GOP’s national representative and RNC treasurer. But state party directors probably will hear about him if Fayette County Republican Chairman Randy Pollard addresses the panel, as he said he intends to do.
Pollard, who oversees the statewide organization for county GOP chairmen, said a group of 30 of his colleagues unanimously passed a resolution in November seeking Kjellander’s resignation. Specifically, he said, the measure urged Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna to ask Kjellander to step down.”It was brought up at our meeting. It was handled. It was over with, and we moved on,” Pollard said this week.
Only 30? Was the vote rigged in advance?
Kjellander also said the county chairmen’s meeting in November was called with two days’ notice, and drew only a fraction of the 102 county GOP leaders in the state.
“I was not given an opportunity to address the group,” Kjellander said, “and I have spoken to Randy Pollard subsequently and offered to meet with the county chairmen’s association at their convenience.”
Have at it.
- posted by Rich Miller 23 Comments
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Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
* Zorn: “Day in and day out, the pantomime routines in the General Assembly can fool you into thinking that the process is pretty much like what your middle-school civics teacher taught you about how a bill becomes law. But when it comes to big, controversial issues, it’s much more like what your history teacher taught you about how monarchs dominated the peasantry.”
* New group wants public review for legislation - Claims measures often approved too quickly
* Cook County Dems could pick first Hispanic party chief
* Brown: Just getting on the ballot is more than half the battle
* Editorial: Look who’s not talking about corruption
* Editorial: A chip off the old political bloc
* Troutman denies ‘ho’s’ remark - Attends meeting despite arrest
* Ethanol plant set to grow
* County leader rips Springfield - 40 layoffs in DuPage blamed on nixed tax
- posted by Rich Miller 4 Comments
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Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
House Speaker Madigan has just proposed moving the 2008 IL primary to Feb. 5 to help Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy.
More tomorrow.
[Comments closed. Go here for updated stories and discusssion.]
- posted by Rich Miller 46 Comments
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Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
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Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
First, the set-up:
In the end, the Illinois General Assembly closed out its two-year session with a day of rejection.
On the eve of the inauguration of a new legislature, lawmakers on Tuesday failed to act on rate-relief proposals for electricity customers facing huge increases […]
Senators adjourned without voting on a House-passed plan backed by Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) that would extend for three years a nearly decade-long freeze on electricity rates. Madigan, in turn, never called a vote on a Senate-passed plan to phase in the rate hikes over the next three years. Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) backed the phase-in plan.
Rate increases averaging 22 percent for Commonwealth Edison customers and increases of 55 percent for Downstate electrical customers of Ameren Corp. took effect Jan. 1.
Now, the Question: Which side do you support in this fight, Madigan or Jones? Should the rate freeze be extended, or should consumers be allowed to essentially finance the rate hikes over time, without interest (although, depending on whom you believe, possibly with extra bond charges attached)?
- posted by Rich Miller 41 Comments
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Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
Political Insider has a prediction.
There is growing speculation in Democratic political circles that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will announce his presidential intentions on Martin Luther King Day. That timing would certainly highlight the historic nature of his candidacy.
I’m not exactly sure when the State of the Union address is, since I’m more concerned with covering today’s swearing-in ceremonies, but All Headline News has this:
Reports say Senator Obama will wait until after President Bush delivers his State of the Union address in January…
And, once again, for those who can’t seem to find stories about where Obama stands on the “issues,” CQPolitics has an in-depth comparison of Obama and Hillary Clinton’s voting records, including a spreadsheet. [Hat tip: Sweet]
- posted by Rich Miller 23 Comments
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Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
There’s some confusion over some of the facts surrounding the federal case against Alderman Arenda Troutman.
Troutman, who represents the South Side’s 20th Ward, was arrested for allegedly taking money to grease the way for a real estate development at 5730 S. Halsted St.
But the site in question, as it turns out, isn’t even in Troutman’s ward.
And her mouthpiece has seized on that fact as evidence that Troutman is somehow innocent.
“It just doesn’t sound right: [the informant] bribed Arenda Troutman to develop Shirley Coleman’s ward with money she didn’t ever get?” said Troutman’s lawyer, Sam Adam Jr. “They can’t even get the area where they’re trying to set her up right?”
Maybe, but she did, apparently, take the money and she allegedly made several calls on behalf of the informant.
According to the complaint, she got $5,000, the promise of another $10,000 and had discussed being given a residence and commercial space in the project.
Alley-access ordinances are routine, said Ald. Thomas Allen (38th), chairman of the council’s Transportation Committee, which processes hundreds of such proposals every year. It would be “ridiculous” to pay a bribe to get one through the City Council, he said.
It would be “ridiculous” unless Troutman was trying to pluck what she thought was a fat, stupid pigeon. Then it would be standard operating procedure.
Meanwhile, two of the city council’s broken down old bulls reflect on Ald. Troutman’s arrest.
“There are problems with people’s behavior all over the world. Government, industry, the churches. It’s a matter of human behavior,” said Ald. Burt Natarus (42nd).
It has been almost eight years since the last alderman was convicted of corruption. Virgil Jones became the twenty-fifth alderman nailed in 26 years.
That lull in convictions leads Ald. Bernard Stone (50th) to insist Troutman’s charges shouldn’t reflect on today’s council as a whole.
“There has been no problems in this council over the last decade and contrary to the common belief, the council is really made up of a lot of good people,” Stone said.
- posted by Rich Miller 8 Comments
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Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
Yesterday, I asked you to vote for a band to play at the State Fair Grandstand this summer, hoping to possibly influence the Fair’s booking decisions.
I didn’t make an exact count, but here are the names that I saw most often mentioned which didn’t fry my eyeballs:
* Wilco or some other alt country act - perhaps Steve Earle or the Bottle Rockets (and, yes, I know that Wilco isn’t really an alt country band any longer, but I put them here anyway)
* Green Day, White Stripes or another band that the kids enjoy
* Blue Man Group
* Alison Krauss & Union Station
* Buddy Guy, and/or an evening of Chicago blues
* Cheap Trick, John Fogerty, Steely Dan, Van Halen, or another bygone era rock group
* Weird Al Yankovic
Please vote for just one, and no whining if your choice wasn’t listed. Thanks.
- posted by Rich Miller 76 Comments
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Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
* Where the poor are: “In 1999 large cities and their suburbs had nearly equal numbers of poor individuals, but by 2005 the suburban poor outnumbered their city counterparts by at least 1 million.”
* A little clarity about Doc Walls
According to Fire on the Prairie, the account of the Washington years by former Reader staff writer Gary Rivlin, Walls was a gofer: “the man who took care of the tab, for instance, when Washington and a few aides stopped off for lunch — and then handled his schedule for his first couple years in office. Washington grew frustrated with Walls’s propensity for passing himself off as more important than he was, and fired him in 1985.”
Here’s what Walls told Reader contributor Mick Dumke recently when asked about being fired by Washington: “At 25, I was considered one of the most influential people in the city. At 29, I was considered too influential. Everything flowed through me, and everyone was jealous. . . . I did my job too well.”
* Local 150 sues treasurer over land deal - Profit went to him, federal suit alleges
* Suburban businessman Gerard Kenny accused of dealing with mob, ordered to divest Casino Queen investment
* University of Ill. investigates threats against Native American student
* QT (which really ought to be made into a blog with links and comments):
Gov. Blagojevich regarding his re-election with 49.79 percent of the vote:
“I read the election as a mandate for action.”
Add mandates for action to the list of things that aren’t what they used to be.
* Editorial: State can’t afford 4 years of ‘activist government’
* SJ-R inauguration photo gallery
* Editorial: Legislature should take aim at assault weapon horrors
* Editorial: Election is over; it’s time to focus on the future
* Pain expected from county budget cuts
* Layoffs set as tax bill fails - DuPage poised to cut services, 40 workers
* Hunters are reminded of new regulations in effect for 2007 Late-Winter Season
* Mongo picked to lead newest suburban arena football team
* Flood of complaints about CTA puddles
*** UPDATE *** * The Riverside-Brookfield Landmark newspaper reports that Judy Baar Topinka plans to have another “estate sale,” this time in Springfield, once her office is formally closed. I’m told the sale will be this weekend at her old house. Details will come later, I suppose.
*** UPDATE 2 *** This has been a long time coming. Foreclosure has begun against the owners of a notorious Springfield hotel that owes the state millions of dollars.
- posted by Rich Miller 5 Comments
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Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007
These were taken with my Treo last night, so they’re not the highest quality.
A commenter here once called them “The three horsewomen of the apocalypse” and they all thought it was pretty funny, so we had to get a pic…
Deputy Governor Sheila Nix with her husband. See? She’s a human being just like you or me…
Himself. He said something to me, but I didn’t quite catch it…
Doug Scofield, the calm one of the bunch…
Alexi’s new chief of staff, Rep. Robin Kelly…
Frankie!
Should we announce their engagement here? Yeah, let’s do it. Quite a rock on that finger…
I still say he looks like Joe Birkett…
Roland was looking quite dapper…
My good pal Bob and his MUCH better half…
I hope this doesn’t get him in trouble with Rod, but if I had to pick a favorite director, Chuck would be it…
Carol Marin currently has more jobs than some people have in a lifetime…
Could be a big day today for Jimmy’s property tax bill…
Let’s see… The IFT people were there, but the IEA never got an invitation. Must’ve been lost in the mail. Yeah, that’s it…
Too much fun…
Timmeh…
- posted by Rich Miller 36 Comments
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Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007
I had a chat with State Fair Manager Amy Bliefnick last night and told her I was thinking of asking my blog readers what bands they’d like to see perform at the State Fair Grandstand this summer. She said I’d better hurry up because the decisions are being made soon.
So, let’s give Ms. Bliefnick some ideas.
[Round One voting is now closed. Go to Round Two.]
- posted by Rich Miller 118 Comments
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Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007
Technical problems and poor training led to the second awful election night in a row for Cook County Clerk David Orr.
Cook County Clerk David Orr and Sequoia Voting Systems are both to blame for vote-tabulation delays that triggered confusion and distrust following the November election, a panel of experts has concluded.
Led by retired federal Judge Abner Mikva, the Orr-appointed panel found that a combination of “technology failures in multiple areas” and a lack of testing triggered a spiraling series of glitches that left some results unclear for days. […]
“Although technology problems occurring on Election Night constituted the primary cause of the reporting delays, operational shortcomings in the process leading up to Election Day also played a role in failing to understand and thus mitigate the risks,” the report said.
A separate report, prepared by Sequia found more problems.
A report prepared by Diamond and also obtained by the Tribune shows that more than a third of the precinct-tabulation machines did not even attempt to make a connection after the polls closed.
The panel also found that Sequoia, in a more than $50 million system sold to Chicago and Cook County, had stitched together components from its own shelves and that of its parent company in a way that failed to seamlessly work together.
What a mess.
- posted by Rich Miller 21 Comments
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Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007
The Daily Herald took the corruption route in its coverage today.
With the political pal once accused of trading state jobs for campaign cash and the father-in-law who made, then retracted, those allegations sitting in the crowd, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sworn in for a second term Monday, never mentioning the ethical questions that continue to dog him.
Instead, Blagojevich used his 20-minute inaugural address to tout past successes such as expanded I-PASS use on the tollway and make the case for providing every Illinois resident with health insurance. […]
His aides maintain county, state and federal investigations into his administration have not and will not be a distraction, pointing to the governor’s re-election, making him the first Democrat to win a second term in the office since Otto Kerner in 1964.
The governor made healthcare his top priority for a second term.
Even some Republican critics gave Blagojevich points for opening debate on one of today’s most difficult policy issues. “Health care for Illinoisans is something on everybody’s mind,” said House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. “I give him credit for bringing up an issue that needs discussion.”
But Blagojevich offered no details on how the program would be funded, saying he would lay out a plan in detail in coming months. Because he also vowed to continue opposing any general tax increase, the issue of how the cash-strapped state will fund such an ambitious program is likely to be the first and hardest question from critics.
But, as noted above, he avoided talking about ethics reform.
His decision to avoid talk about ethics reform was highlighted when Giannoulias, Hynes and White all mentioned their efforts to clean up government corruption in their inaugural speeches.
“I feel he should have addressed it head on,” said Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville.
And…
Notably absent from the governor’s address was any discussion of ethics, unlike his first inaugural when he noted his election represented a desire for change following the scandal-tarnished years of his predecessor, George Ryan.
Four years ago, Blagojevich declared he would “govern as a reformer.”
The event was far from well attended.
The convention center was far from full, symbolizing how the event was at a vastly restrained level compared to the celebration that marked Blagojevich’s initial inaugural, when he became the first Democrat in decades to become governor.
“I didn’t anticipate it would be this empty,” Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock), a frequent Blagojevich critic, said as he looked over the arena.
And the Sun-Times had a classic quote from Mike Madigan.
“Remember that old saying by Will Rogers? . . . He said that ‘I’m not a member of an organized party. I’m a Democrat,’ ” House Speaker Michael J. Madigan told reporters. “Democrats like to be Democrats. And Democrats by instinct don’t like to come together.'’
The governor wasn’t taking questions yesterday.
Meanwhile, back at the Executive Mansion, Blagojevich spokesman Gerardo Cardenas said the governor would not be answering any questions from the press. To ensure that this was the case, no reporters were allowed in the room where the governor was shaking hands with well-wishers. Television cameras, however, were willingly accommodated by the governor and his staff.
Audio of inaugural speeches:
* Governor Rod Blagojevich
* Lt. Governor Pat Quinn
* Attorney General Lisa Madigan
* Secretary of State Jesse White
* Comptroller Dan Hynes
* Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias
I’ll post some photos later today.
- posted by Rich Miller 9 Comments
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Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007
You can download the criminal complaint against Alderman Troutman here [pdf file]. The Tribune starts off our coverage…
Chicago Ald. Arenda Troutman (20th) accepted a bribe from a federal informant who claimed to be working with a developer wishing to do business in her ward during an undercover investigation, according to a criminal complaint unsealed today.
The complaint, which charges Troutman, 49, with one count of bribery, was filed Friday and unsealed today following her arrest, according to Gary Shapiro, first assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago.
Shapiro described the complaint as a “civics lesson” in how Troutman conducts business in the 20th Ward.
“You want the alderman’s support, you pay your alderman. You pay Arenda Troutman,” Shapiro said at a news conference following her initial court appearance at the Dirksen Building Courthouse.
Sun-Times…
They turned up at her house early Monday, but Ald. Arenda Troutman (20th) pretended she wasn’t there, even though they spied her peeking out a window. So federal agents had to break another window to get in to arrest her on charges of public corruption. Such is the troubling saga of Troutman, who not only was questioned by the FBI more than two years ago about her relationship with a Chicago thug but also had connections to city’s scandal-ridden Hired Truck Program.
What the Feds say…
• In May 2006, a friend of the alderman began secretly recording conversations with her. The person, who was cooperating with federal agents, set up a fictitious development, and Troutman allegedly greased the way for zoning changes in exchange for $15,000, another $5,000 in campaign contributions and a residential unit within the development.
• Upon getting one $5,000 cash payment, Troutman allegedly called a city zoning administrator to push through the development.
• An ordinance involving the project was backed by the City Council’s Transportation Committee last week and is scheduled for a full Council vote Thursday.
• Troutman also is accused in a second alleged scheme. She allegedly shook down a businessman — who wanted a property re-zoned — for $12,000.
Mark Brown…
It had been so long since we’ve had a Chicago alderman indicted that I was starting to think they’d all gone straight. Nah — just kidding.
Before Monday’s arrest of Ald. Arenda Troutman, however, it had seemed as if Mayor Daley had so marginalized the City Council during his 18-year reign that its 50 members didn’t have nearly as many opportunities to get into mischief as in the old days.
But the case against Troutman, as outlined by federal investigators, is a good reminder that the long-standing policy of aldermanic prerogative, which allows each alderman to be the main arbiter of development matters in his or her own ward, continues to create criminal possibilities for those greedy enough to take advantage.
Or maybe it just reminds us what Troutman herself succinctly stated in a secretly recorded conversation: “Well, the thing is, most aldermen, most politicians are ho’s.”
- posted by Rich Miller 22 Comments
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