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Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
* The heat may have been getting too much for Schock’s “deeply thought out” position…
State Rep. Aaron Schock today admitted he was wrong to suggest selling nuclear arms to Taiwan as a bargaining chip with China to go along with U.S. policy toward Iran.
Schock held a news conference at his campaign headquarters to retract a statement he made during an announcement speech last month. The Congressional candidate said he “overstated the remedy with regard to telling China we would sell Taiwan nuclear weapons if China continued to stall on voting for the third set of sanctions on Iran as the time for Iran producing nuclear weapons gets closer and closer.” […]
“… When I make a mistake, I’m going to be mature enough to explain it and come forward and say that … but that doesn’t mean that Iran is not a threat, that doesn’t mean that China is not the entity stopping us from a third set of sanctions, that’s not to mean that we shouldn’t find a way to encourage China to come along with those economic sanctions,” Schock said.
I loved this line from the piece…
Schock’s comments follow intense scrutiny he’s received the past few days from his opponents and the press following published reports of his plan to sell nuclear missles to Taiwan for their defense.
That “intense scrutiny” was coming from everywhere but the Peoria Journal-Star, of course.
Also, there was more coming. Schock took a trip to China that was partially paid for by the Chinese government.
Plus, you gotta figure the folks at Caterpillar (who essentially rule the Peoria political world) choked when they saw his initial comments…
According to the Wall Street Journal, Caterpillar sold more than $1 billion of goods in China in 2006, and hopes to quadruple that number by 2010.
…Adding… Here’s Bill Dennis’ take…
First, he said it. Then he defended saying it, adding that opponents who disagreed weren’t being tough enough on terrorism. Then he said the plan was being misinterpreted.
He also said that anyone who disagreed with him was running in the wrong primary and compared himself to Ronald Reagan. Schock went way, way out on a limb on this one, only to walk it all the way back today. For his sake, let’s hope he learned some lessons.
- posted by Rich Miller 27 Comments
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Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
* 12:33 pm - Expect plenty more appeals before this is over…
CHICAGO, Ill. (AP) - A judge here has thrown out Illinois’ law placing caps on some medical malpractice lawsuit awards, reigniting debate over 1 of the Legislature’s most contentious issues.
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Diane Joan Larsen today sided with plaintiffs’ argument that the caps on non-economic damages such as pain and suffering in medical malpractice cases violate victims’ rights.
The 2005 caps law limits damages victims can collect for pain and suffering to $500,000 against doctors and $1 million against hospitals. It followed complaints from doctors about soaring malpractice insurance rates.
The state Supreme Court had deemed previous caps unconstitutional. The latest caps only cover malpractice cases.
*** The judge’s opinion can be downloaded here ***
* 12:39 pm - The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules voted to suspend (block) the governor’s proposed emergency healthcare rules this morning. The governor’s rules would vastly expand eligibility for the state’s Family Care program. Background on the rules is here.
All JCAR members voted to suspend the guv’s proposed emergency rules except House Republican members Brent Hassert and Rosemary Mulligan, who both voted “No.” Sen. James Clayborne was not present.
* 1:39 pm - Statements from interest groups regarding the above med-mal decision…
* Medical Society
* Hospital Association
* Trial Lawyers
* Illinois Civil Justice League
* Citizen Action
* The Center for Justice & Democracy-Illinois
* 1:49 pm - More on the JCAR vote…
JCAR members encouraged Hoffman’s department to file an emergency rules that would cover an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 individuals who are at risk of being cut from a federal-state program known as “SCHIP.”
Hoffman said her agency had no plans to do that. The department, however, has filed identical rules for the healthcare expansion that will go through JCAR on a slower, non-emergency basis, officials said.
The governor’s only support on JCAR — a 12-member legislative panel evenly split by Democrats and Republicans — came from two Republicans: state Reps. Rosemary Mulligan of Des Plaines and Brent Hassert of Romeoville. One panel member was absent from today’s meeting.
Hassert said the discussion was clouded by animosity between lawmakers and the governor, who had a particularly contentious legislative sessions this year.
“I just felt it was appropriate,” Hassert said of the governor’s plans.
* 2:01 pm - Is Louisville’s police chief on the short list for Chicago police superintendent? Local Kentucky media sure thinks so.
Mayor Jerry Abramson said this morning that a team looking for a new police superintendent in Chicago has contacted Louisville Police Chief Robert White about the job.
* 2:19 pm - More on med-mal from Crain’s…
In her 10-page opinion, Judge Larsen ruled that the law violates the Illinois Constitution’s “separation of powers” clause — essentially finding that lawmakers interfered with the right of juries to determine fair damages.
The ruling means the case likely will go directly to the Illinois Supreme Court as early as next summer. The court has twice before struck down laws that limit payments to malpractice victims: once in the 1970s and again in 1997.
* 2:22 pm - This press release reminds me that I have to make up some t-shirts for our charity store…
On Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 11:00 a.m. at the James R. Thompson Center, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will launch a weeklong cell phone recycling campaign where all used phones and equipment will be donated to victims of domestic violence.
“This recycling drive serves the twofold purpose of making it easy to properly recycle your old cell phone while providing a safe line of communication for victims of domestic violence,” said Quinn, chairman of the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council. “We want to encourage state employees and everyone to look through their closets and drawers and bring in those old cell phones. There are people out there who need them.”
In honor of America Recycles Day on Nov. 15, the Lt. Governor’s office is joining with Verizon Wireless HopeLine to collect used cell phones, batteries and accessories at state office buildings. The recycling drive will take place from Nov. 13-Nov. 16 and boxes will be placed throughout the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago and in the Stratton and Howlett buildings in Springfield.
Verizon Wireless began its HopeLine program 11 years ago by donating voicemail boxes so that women in shelters could receive confidential messages from their families and prospective employers. Today, the HopeLine program has collected more than four million phones, donated more than $4 million in financial grants and provided more than 45,000 wireless phones to local domestic organizations nationwide.
* 2:51 pm - From the Illinois Green Party…
Today two concerned voters in the 3rd Congressional District filed objections to the candidacy of Mr. Richard Mayers of Berwyn. The Illinois Green Party fully supports these objections, and will do what it can to ensure that Mr. Mayers is removed from the primary ballot.
The Illinois Green Party wishes to make it clear that Mr. Mayers is not a member of the Illinois Green Party, and the party disavows Mr. Mayers’ candidacy. Furthermore, the Illinois Green Party calls on the Illinois Board of Elections to overrule each of the frivolous objections filed by Mr. Mayers against candidates in all three parties.
Mayers has been described as a “white supremacist connected with Matt Hale’s Creativity Movement.”
* 3:33 pm - No surprise…
The City Council today approved Mayor Daley’s $5.9 billion 2008 budget precariously balanced with $276.5 million worth of increased taxes, fines and fees. It includes a revised $83.4 million property tax increase that’s the largest in Chicago history.
Daley loves to “pitch a shut-out” on the budget, the most important City Council vote of the year. Six of his previous budgets have been approved unanimously. It didn’t happen Tuesday. The budget passed 36 to 14, but the property tax package vote was much closer: 29 to 21. It was the narrowest victory for any of Daley’s budgets.
- posted by Rich Miller 76 Comments
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Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
- posted by Rich Miller Enter your password to view comments
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Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
The setup…
Proposed rules for the state of Illinois smoking ban call for no smoking within 15 feet of the entrances and exits to enclosed buildings - including the entrances and exits to beer gardens and outdoor patios.
Some bar owners are still unsure of exactly how the rules will affect them when the ban takes effect Jan. 1. […]
Jeannie Boren, bar manager for Boone’s Uptown Grill, 301 W. Edwards St., said Boone’s believes it will have a legal smoking area, but owners aren’t sure how big it will be. […]
Barry Friedman, owner of The Alamo, 115 N. Fifth St., which also has a sizable beer garden, said “stepping a few more steps isn’t going to hurt anyone. If I have to paint a stripe and say you can’t smoke before this line, I’ll do that.”
From the proposed state rules…
A proprietor may designate smoking and non-smoking sections of an outdoor patio only if the smoking section is clearly and conspicuously separated from the non-smoking section and if the smoking area is at least 15 feet away from the entrance, exit, windows that open, and ventilation intakes.
If a proprietor designates an area where smoking is permitted, the proprietor shall not permit tobacco smoke to drift into areas where smoking is prohibited through entrances, windows, ventilation systems, or other means.
Question: Reasonable or not?
- posted by Rich Miller 11 Comments
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Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
* Pat Quinn has a notoriously brief attention span, so I’m not sure whether he’ll follow up on this or not…
A war of words and finger-pointing broke out Veterans Day, as Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn asked Gov. Rod Blagojevich to investigate the firing of 17 veterans and three others from security jobs at National Guard armories across the state. The governor blamed federal cuts and asked Washington to change its policies.
“The governor proclaimed this ‘Hire a Veteran Month,’” Quinn said at a Sunday morning news conference. “He didn’t say ‘Fire a Veteran.’”
Later, Blagojevich offered criticism of his own. […]
“It’s an outrage that at a time when we are working to support our veterans and make their lives better, the federal government would change the rules and cut funding to make it harder for veterans to work,” the governor said in a statement released after Quinn’s news conference. “We are calling on our United States senators and congressional delegation to reverse the Bush administration’s cuts.”
* I’m hearing that the Illinois Federation of Teachers, which represented those fired workers, may be planning some action, so the story may not go away soon…
Terry Reed, field service director for Illinois Federation of Public Employees Local 4408, which represents the union guards, believes the layoffs have less to do with funding and everything to do with retaliation.
The union has filed grievances regarding the department’s decision to contract with private security companies, and that still is tied up in arbitration, Reed said. He also is critical of the department laying off the guards, 17 of whom are military veterans themselves.
An attempt to lay off the state security guards several years ago was blocked at the final hour by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The union is calling on the governor to do the same this time as well, but Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said there appears to be little the governor can do since it was the federal government that decided to pull federal funding.
* There appears to be a long history of bad blood between the union and the people who run the program. The governor stressed the money aspect of the situation, but that’s not how the layoffs were first explained…
A spokeswoman for the state Department of Military Affairs said the 20 guards laid off Wednesday were not trained to carry weapons and therefore didn’t meet required standards.
* However…
Under their job classification, the state guards do not carry weapons, but Siefert, a union steward at Marseilles, said he and others have repeatedly asked for training so they could be re-classified.
Something definitely doesn’t smell right there.
* The majority of those vets have found other state jobs, but the complaints continue…
State Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, said he wondered why Blagojevich, who cut hundreds of millions from the state budget in an attempt to fund health care programs couldn’t have found more.
‘’Gov. Blagojevich certainly found $500 million pretty quickly for a healthcare program,'’ he said.
A Department of Military Affairs spokeswoman said that of the people laid off, 12 had taken other jobs within state government and three retired. Others are either on disability or still awaiting a resolution.
* Daily Herald…
No matter how the details of the fired guards play out, there’s little doubt those in charge at all levels are far more interested in pointing fingers than actually supporting troops.
We ought to be embarrassed and angry and demand that there be real truth behind the easy words. Instead, we’ll slap a yellow magnetic bow on our cars and call it “support.”
* Meanwhile…
Now, with the specter of a recession looming over the economy and talk of a troop withdrawal still swirling in Washington, D.C., many veterans’ advocates fear a repeat of the devastating aftermath of the Vietnam War, when unemployment among young veterans rose as high as 19.8%, pushing thousands of ex-soldiers to homelessness.
“There isn’t any option,” says Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who’s been a vocal advocate for veterans. “We have to make a Herculean effort” to find them jobs.
A full-on troop withdrawal would bring as many as 9,700 service members home to Illinois. Only about 1,000 of those will return to jobs protected under federal law. Many of the others, having enlisted in the military straight out of high school, will enter the civilian workforce for the first time. Upon their discharge they get, at most, a three-day course of career advice and other counseling.
While many will have military experience they believe can translate into a valuable skill in the private sector, those who have already returned from the war have found employers to be largely unimpressed by service experience.
- posted by Rich Miller 15 Comments
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Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
* How the insiders are treated in Chicago…
Six years ago, Allison S. Davis, an ally of Mayor Daley, got two city blocks of free land to build homes in the Woodlawn neighborhood. And the biggest, most expensive house went to Davis’ son.
* How everyone else is treated…
Chicago could generate $2.7 million a year — and maybe nearly twice that much — by cracking down on what has become a “widespread black market” in counterfeit city stickers, Inspector General David Hoffman has concluded.
After a yearlong investigation that identified 388 counterfeit stickers — 94 percent of them found at city auto pounds and at least one on a car that belonged to a city employee — Hoffman is recommending stiff new penalties for those who sell and manufacture bogus stickers and against motorists who purchase and display them.
I’m not condoning counterfeiting in any way, but the city conducts a year-long investigation of city stickers and finds less than 400 of them and that’s a huge problem? Priorities, people.
* The treatment of the upper echelon…
The city of Chicago is under-reporting hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes it pulls in every year. That’s according to a new study by the Civic Federation, a fiscal watchdog group. It says there needs to be more transparency.
* Everyone else…
Barring last-minute changes, the Chicago City Council is poised to hike taxes, fees and fines by more than $275 million when it votes Tuesday on Mayor Richard Daley’s proposed 2008 budget.
The chief concern for aldermen and homeowners is Daley’s plan to raise property taxes by $86 million, by far the largest hike since he took office in 1989.
* The few…
As a young lawyer, Allison S. Davis was a City Hall outsider.
He criticized Mayor Richard J. Daley over the 1968 riots. He worked to integrate Chicago neighborhoods. And he fought to elect judges based on legal ability, not political connections.
Today, Davis is a consummate City Hall insider.
He’s a loyal ally of Mayor Richard M. Daley, who appointed Davis to Chicago’s prestigious Plan Commission. Davis has gotten deal after deal from the mayor, helping to make Davis one of the city’s top developers. And Davis has forged strong ties to the Daley family, doing deals with one of the mayor’s nephews and giving legal business to Daley & George, mayoral brother Michael Daley’s law firm.
* The many…
This year, according to the Law Department, as of Sept. 30, Chicago had paid out more than $27 million in police misconduct judgments and settlements on claims ranging from sexual harassment to excessive force and illegal search.
* Meanwhile, grand plans from Mayor Daley…
Wind turbines on Sears Tower and a “green” roof on the Merchandise Mart are two high-profile concepts on the drawing board as part of a wide-ranging, environmentally friendly development plan under consideration by the city.
* But basic stuff like a decent city recycling program is still out of reach…
But the fact is, we’ll never be able to claim we’re green giants until we have an effective, citywide recycling program. And we still have a long way to go.
Recycling, after all, is the most basic of environmental programs. It’s probably the first thing someone does when they start to think green, because of the variety of benefits, from saving natural resources to saving energy to saving landfill space. “What’s good about recycling is that it’s something everyone can do and actually make an impact,” said Julie Dick, a board member at the Chicago Recycling Coalition. But people who move to Chicago from the suburbs or other big cities, nearly all of which have better recycling programs than Chicago’s, are often surprised at how hard it is here.
Thoughts?
- posted by Rich Miller 8 Comments
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Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
* OK, so far, we know that state Rep. Aaron Schocks “deeply thought-out” proposal to threaten China with nuclear holocaust if it doesn’t cooperate on halting Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons is deeply flawed on just about every level…
* The United States doesn’t even have any of the missiles that Schock wants to sell to Taiwan to pressure China because those Pershings were all destroyed after Ronald Reagan signed a treaty with the Soviet Union. Ironically, Schock’s spokesman claims that this China gambit is Reaganesque.
* Schock voted for a Sudan pension fund divestment proposal but voted against a similar proposal to divest from Iran’s energy companies, which are developing that country’s nuclear weapons.
* As expected, Monday’s political column in the Peoria Journal-Star doesn’t mention any of this stuff except to use Schock’s spin…
Schock is doing what he thinks voters want, giving details. Thus far, at least, other candidates have only scratched the surface on any issues.
* And then in today’s…
State Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, is worth somewhere up to $1,245,000, including between $500,000 and $1 million owed to Busey Bank to finance Old Orchard Land trust - an apartment complex, according to reports. […]
He mostly carries investments in real estate, securities and stocks valued between $933,000 and $1,995,000, with income from those assets producing at best $17,600 annually, according to reports.
His annual salary was reported at $132,704, including about $42,463 from the state, $25,000 from Junction Ventures, for which he no longer works, and $65,240 from Peterson Healthcare.
“I think this hopefully demonstrates that while I’m not rich, I certainly know the importance of saving and investing, and I tried to be responsible with the money that I earned and have tried to do the same as a public official,” Schock said.
To which Billy Dennis responds…
Meanwhile, here in the real world, there’s a word to describe people with $1 million: “Rich.”
* On another congressional race, the Politico had this…
Marketing executive Dan Seals holds a commanding lead over former Clinton administration aide Jay Footlik by 52 points for the Democratic nomination to challenge Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), according to a poll released by his campaign.
The poll found that 58 percent of likely primary voters would vote for Seals, while only 6 percent preferred Footlik.
Seals, by virtue of his Congressional campaign last year, tallied higher name identification: 69 percent of respondents recognized his name, while only 24 percent could identify Footlik.
The poll, conducted by Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group surveyed 404 likely Democratic primary voters between November 5-7.
* But commenters over at Team America blog question the wording of the survey.
* More congressional stuff, compiled by Paul…
* GOP candidates to replace Hastert disagree on debate timeline
* New Lenox man running to replace Weller
- posted by Rich Miller 54 Comments
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Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
* Ex-legislator’s fund owes $80,000 but gov hires him anyway
Giles, a Blagojevich ally while in the Legislature, served seven terms before losing his 2006 re-election bid. He’s now northern region manager for the Illinois Department of Employment Security, an $84,996-a-year post in which he oversees nine work force services offices and about 250 employees. The job was vacant before Giles was hired.
Giles’ defunct political fund, Citizens for Calvin L. Giles, still owes $80,250 in election fines for improperly filing disclosure documents in 2000 and 2002.
* State police probe donation to Blagojevich ; more here
A Chicago pharmacist first told state police in 2005 that he made a $25,000 contribution to Blagojevich as a form of protection from a state Medicaid probe.
The Illinois State Police told the Tribune last month they had already investigated those allegations and determined they were unfounded.
But after repeated inquiries from the Tribune about the thoroughness of that investigation, state police said last week they were taking another look.
* Election Board makes changes in ballot rules
Election law changes that call for more pay for election judges, more teenagers and college students as monitors and safeguards to ensure absentee ballots are counted were announced Monday by the Chicago Election Board.
* Statehouse Insider: Gov moving with health-care expansion
Riding the crest of his 31 percent approval rating (or less, depending on the poll), Blagojevich apparently intends once again to push his universal health plan in the General Assembly. Won’t that be fun? It got next to no support in the General Assembly this year, and there doesn’t seem to be a sudden groundswell to support it now. Not to mention that no one has figured out how to pay for it. Are we going to have Son of Gross Receipts Tax? It’s going to take some kind of tax hike to pay for Illinois Covered. How many lawmakers do you think will be lining up to support any kind of tax hike in an election year?
* Legislators balk at Blago’s health care expansion
* Editorial: Tell governor that no means no
* Blagojevich health care expansion getting hard look
* Managed Medicaid pilot program under debate in Illinois
* Lawmakers dispute health-care plan’s cost
The administration insisted Thursday evening that the plan would cost $43 million through June 30, the end of the fiscal year. But Rep. John Fritchey, D-Chicago, said his staff analysis shows it would cost $367 million annually once it’s fully implemented. Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Pontiac, concurred.
* Editorial: Governor again bypasses system to get his own way
If Blagojevich’s push for universal health care is so important, why didn’t he mention it while he was campaigning for re-election less than a year ago? We can’t believe the idea suddenly popped into his head after Nov. 7, 2006.
Pension reform, school finance reform and a capital program still need to be addressed, but this governor is bound and determined to get his way, even if it bankrupts the state.
* Tribune Editorial: A message from Oregon
Eleven months ago, the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago warned that Illinois faces “a financial implosion.” The highly respected business group reported that the state owed $106 billion, much of it for pensions and health-care costs.
The state made no progress in the last year on those dire financial problems. Yet Blagojevich is doing an end-run on the legislature to impose more spending on health care.
Given the chance, Oregon voters said, “not so fast.” But Illinois voters, and their elected representatives, have been left as bystanders.
* State to hire auditor to look at all-time low test scores
“Any time you see a drop like this, it’s a concern,” said Illinois State Board of Education spokesman Matt Vanover. “We want to take a close look at the whole testing process and see if we can determine if there was a problem with the test, or if this is a real decline in scores.”
* State to look into whether test was compromised
* Illinois Report Card Projects director seeks new way to measure school performance
* Rep. John Fritchey: Time is right to hold a Con-Con
* Change of Subject: Ryan’s special treatment, moment of silence
* George Ryan fighting for his legacy
* Key events in George Ryan’s life
* TIF programs need reform says Civic Federation
* Illinoize: Lawyers, lawyers, and more lawyers in Illinois
* Opposition to pending legislation
The Edgar County Board was warned Wednesday morning a potentially budget busting bill is moving through the Illinois General Assembly. Tim Shumaker, Edgar County Chief Probation Officer, advised county board members the proposed law would change the the age limit for charging youths as adults from the current 17-years-old to 18.
* Tribune Editorial: Let CeaseFire fight
It’s impossible to prove what relatives and friends of some of the victims have been asserting to Chicago reporters: that a fully funded CeaseFire could have prevented one or more of the five high-profile killings of young Chicagoans in the past four weeks.
What’s easy to prove, though, is that CeaseFire is a politically neutral organization with no business being caught in the political crossfire that now passes for governance in Springfield. The unending struggle over who writes the state budget of Illinois — the legislature or the governor — isn’t CeaseFire’s fight.
* Carol Marin: State GOP may need strange alliances
If Pat Robertson, the televangelist who believes God made heaven for righteous right-wingers and hell for everyone else, can bless the thrice-married, pro-choice, pro-gay, anti-gun Rudy Giuliani for president, what other water can the GOP turn into wine this election season?
Could this kind of radical rapprochement between an ideological conservative and a social liberal catch on? Could it possibly spread to schizoid Illinois, where conservatives consider centrists Communists? Where wacko Alan Keyes was imported from out of state to run for U.S. Senate in 2004 against Barack Obama? Where moderate Republican Judy Baar Topinka was eaten alive by the right wing of her party, bludgeoned worse by them than by her 2006 Democratic opponent, Gov. Rod Blagojevich?
Just asking.
* McQueary: Journalism ’shield’ laws a want or a need?
- posted by Paul Richardson 11 Comments
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Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Friday, Nov 9, 2007
Go check this post for some new Schock updates, then head over to Illinoize…
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Friday, Nov 9, 2007
*** Post updated on Sunday. Scroll down for more. ***
* 2:10 pm - Bill Dennis has a very interesting scoop today…
On May 31, 2007, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 90-20 to approve its version of SB 1621, a law that requires state pension funds to divest their holdings in foreign companies that are doing business with Iran’s energy industry, which is financing Iran’s efford to develop nuclear weapons.
Schock was among the 20 who voted against this measure.
So, Schock would threaten nuclear holocaust with China over Iran but wouldn’t vote for economic pressure? Oof.
* 2:38 pm - The governor has sent a letter to the legislative leaders and Mayor Daley…
…While I have postponed a mass transit ‘Doomsday’ twice, inaction by the General Assembly has also meant two missed opportunities for a final solution that works for people. We all agree that we cannot wait until another ‘Doomsday’ is upon us. Last Friday, Speaker Madigan and Leader Cross set a 7 to 10-day deadline to deliver a funding solution. This coming Monday will be the 10 th day.
It is important that we respect this deadline and avoid more ‘Doomsday’ situations. This past Tuesday, Speaker Madigan, Leader Cross and Leader Watson indicated that they believe they are making progress. This is a good sign. However, we must learn the obvious lessons from this fall, and not substitute progress for action.
I note with great interest the Mayor’s comments in today’s Sun-Times demanding that we all come to an agreement on a long-term funding plan for mass transit by December 1 st. I believe we all share his frustration with the lack of action. We need to work more quickly to provide certainty for the people who use the buses and trains every day.
With your participation, we can move this process along, and reach a solution in short order. Accordingly, I invite each of you, along with the Mayor, to a meeting in my Chicago office at 10:00 a.m. this Wednesday, November 14 th to work through any differences. We have promised the people a capital bill and a long-term funding source for mass transit.
*** Sunday *** So, apparently, this Pershing missile proposal from Schock wasn’t such a “deeply thought-out policy” after all. Larry fills us in…
Ronald Reagan signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 1987 and it was ratified in the US Senate in 1988. The INF Treaty banned Intermediate Range Nuclear Missiles and the last one was destroyed (outside of museum pieces) in 1991. [In other words], we haven’t had any Pershing Missiles since Aaron Schock was 10 years old.
Oops.
* Also, Schock told Bernie Schoenburg this about his vote against the Iranian divestment proposal…
“With each additional restriction that’s placed on a pension fund in Illinois, it further prohibits those pension managers’ ability to make wise decisions, to keep those pension systems solvent,” Schock said.
The final version of the Iran bill applies only to the five state pension systems, not local police and fire pension systems.
Though he said the General Assembly shouldn’t delve in foreign policy, Schock said that doesn’t mean he would vote against all resolutions in that field.
“Ultimately, you have to make a decision based on what you’re presented with,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s wise for us to get involved with foreign policy, as a rule of thumb.”
Bernie didn’t mention it, but a check of the Sudan divestment vote showed Schock voted for that proposal.
- posted by Rich Miller 44 Comments
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Friday, Nov 9, 2007
The Peoria Journal-Star’s fawning coverage of state Rep. Aaron Schock has long been a running joke in Springfield. I don’t blame Schock in the least. If he’s able to get that sort of “homer” coverage, then more power to him. It’s entirely the paper’s fault.
The Journal-Star’s own political reporter was apparently incapable of writing a follow-up to Bernie Schoenburg’s column yesterday which exploded a gaping hole in the paper’s original coverage of Schock’s official congressional campaign announcement. The task was instead given to a Statehouse scribe.
That was probably a good idea. As the Peoria Pundit notes about the author of the original story, who failed to include the stunning revelation that Schock would sell nuclear missiles to Taiwan if China didn’t help the US deal with Iran…
PJS reporter Karen McDonald… also attended the [GOP congressional candidate] McConoughey press conference where her single question was to ask McConoughey, essentially, “Oh yeah? Well what’s YOUR position?”
The reporter in question was assigned to do another story on Schock for today - the sort of piece that the Peoria Journal-Star has excelled at over the years…
Instead of discussing laws with his peers in Springfield or discussing platforms for his congressional run, state Rep. Aaron Schock had to answer to students Thursday at Roosevelt Magnet School, where he served as “principal for a day.”
A group of about 100 students asked Schock about his grades in school, future goals, the city’s jaywalking ordinance and, perhaps most important to them, whether he gets national holidays off as a state representative.
Yep. She had him right there and didn’t ask him (or at least didn’t report) about his Strangelovian idea to destabilize the world. That pretty much sums up everything that’s wrong with the Peoria Journal-Star.
Now, to the question: Does your local paper skew its coverage in favor of any particular politician? Explain.
- posted by Rich Miller 59 Comments
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Friday, Nov 9, 2007
* My Sun-Times column this week starts out with a no-brainer proposition…
Barring a miracle, it’s difficult to see how Illinois Republicans can turn around their misfortunes anytime soon.
President Bush remade the national GOP in his own image. Republicans in this state, except in hard-core pockets, are now buried with him in a deep, dark hole.
Not long after the 2006 primary, Gov. Blagojevich’s campaign ran a TV ad linking his Republican opponent Judy Baar Topinka to President Bush. Topinka had emerged from a nasty Republican primary in surprisingly good shape, with one poll showing her competitive with Blagojevich. But her numbers dropped through the floor after that TV spot aired, and she never recovered.
* It goes on with some more examples and then makes this point…
All but the most loyal GOP voters appear to be so completely turned off by the Republican “brand” that even if they disagree completely with Democrats on major issues they won’t consider voting for the other party.
* And then…
There will be an opportunity for Illinoisans to vent their rage next year without voting for a Republican, however.
* What would that be?
Every 20 years, Illinois voters are asked if they want to convene a state Constitutional Convention. The last time this question was on the ballot, in 1988, more than half of all voters didn’t even bother to pick a side.
But Gov. Blagojevich is so incredibly unpopular with voters right now, as well as Cook County Board President Todd Stroger and the whole system in general, that if something doesn’t change soon I think we could see the voters using next year’s “Con-Con” vote as a referendum on our seemingly broken government
* I take the readers through the recent polling which showed 65 percent of Illinoisans want to add recall to the Constitution and a majority would recall Gov. Blagojevich if given the chance and toss in a bit of Con-Con history. Conclusion…
To many voters, changing from a Republican majority in 1994 to a complete Democratic majority in 2006 hasn’t worked at all. They may just decide that real change will only come if the rules are changed.
Thoughts?
- posted by Rich Miller 34 Comments
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Friday, Nov 9, 2007
* The governor proposed doubling state-subsidized health care without any formal announcement or actual legislation…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration intends to grant state-subsidized health care to another 147,000 adults, saying poor access to insurance “has reached a crisis level requiring immediate action.”
The administration’s new policy more than doubles eligibility for a health care program known as FamilyCare.
A family of four with a combined income of up to $82,600 — or up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level — can now join. Previously, income for a family of four had to be $38,203 or less, or up to 185 percent of the poverty level. The plan is part of Blagojevich’s campaign to make government health care available for anybody without private insurance.
On Wednesday, the administration filed an emergency rule, which surfaced Thursday as Blagojevich visited Washington to promote his health-care efforts.
Local Republicans were not impressed.
“It’s clearly an abuse of the emergency rule process because this is clearly not an emergency — expanding a government program and doing it around the legislative process,” said Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford.
* This is from an e-mail that a member of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules sent me last night. JCAR will have to approve the emergency rules…
HFS filed an emergency rule to expand family care to cover people up to 400% of the federal poverty level. This would pick up an additionjal 147k people. Oh yeah, at a cost of $367.5M. With no federal match. And potentially further increase the payment backlog to providers, which ironically could lead many of them to not take new patients, or even cut existing ones. Unreal.
Interesting that he makes this major policy decision with NO press release but piggybacks it onto his DC trip.
This sets up the JCAR battle that people have been waiting for. (JCAR is meeting on Tues.) I don’t even think he wants to do it, but just wants to be able to demagogue on the issue that he cares more about health care than anybody else does. If only the legislative process wasn’t so inconvenient
[Some emphasis added]
Demagoguery over substance? Never. Not our governor.
* Meanwhile, Gov. Blagojevich was asked yesterday why he didn’t support single-payer health insurance…
“So much of what you do in government is done through political realities,” Blagojevich said. “The art of politics in government is the recognition of what is possible.”
He knows the tune. He just can’t dance to it.
*** UPDATE *** Chambers follows up on his intial story…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s latest plan to expand health-care coverage will cost $367 million annually, far more than his administration acknowledged, key lawmakers said today. […]
The Blagojevich administration insisted Thursday evening that the plan would cost $43 million through June 30, the end of the fiscal year.
But Rep. John Fritchey, D-Chicago, said his staff analysis shows the expansion would cost $367 million annually once it’s fully implemented. Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Pontiac, concurred.
Fritchey said the $43 million figure is misleading even as it pertains to this fiscal year.
He said the state stands to lose $21.5 million in federal reimbursement dollars when the administration moves the $43 million from the existing Medicaid program to cover the expansion startup.
Go read the whole thing.
- posted by Rich Miller 53 Comments
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Friday, Nov 9, 2007
* New Team America Blog: Kirk defies party and votes in favor on ENDA
* Illinois Policy Institute: Revenue declines show budget reforms are desperately needed
State government continues to face both short-term and long-term challenges. Taking steps to ensure that Illinois has a transparent government and moving to make Illinois a government innovator through smart spending reforms is one way of reducing the overall burden of state government without negatively affecting popular and effective programs.
Stopping tax increases, and in fact, lower the tax burden on Illinoisans would be one way of making Illinois more economically competitive while forcing policymakers to make the necessary reforms to the state’s overspending. Both greater transparency and aggressive efforts to innovate through smart spending initiatives promise to deliver high quality government services in a cost efficient manner.
* Daley demands answer on CTA funding by Dec. 1
“The General Assembly and the governor have to solve this issue. It isn’t about casinos. It’s isn’t about infrastructure. It’s about public transportation,” the mayor said.
“You have to tell us Dec. 1 whether you’re going to do it or not. Give us a deadline at least 30 days before because it’s unfair to every passenger in the CTA and also the work force. . . . They didn’t get a pay raise. They changed their health benefits and pensions to make it work. They did their part. When is state government going to do their part?”
* CTA’s other crisis: Rehab needs billions
The result is that more than 500 CTA buses, one-fourth of its fleet, have been on the road for 16 years, logging an average 580,000 miles apiece.
It’s not just traffic that can make the wait for a CTA bus so long. The oldest CTA buses miss thousands of scheduled runs each month because of equipment breakdowns that keep them idle in the garage.
* IL Transportation Issues: What’s got into IDOT?
The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced a series of public hearings on its Illinois State Transportation Plan. You can get a draft of the Plan here.
* Change of Subject: Students should mock the silence law, not ignore it
* Parents to get online peak at teen driving record
* WurfWhile: DuPage democrats double the number of precinct committeemen
* Jeffrey Ward: The return of the chairman
Kane County Republican Party Chairman Denny Wiggins is now a paid consultant for State Senator Chris Lauzen’s congressional campaign. Hmmm! The party chairman working for one candidate in an open primary? Sounds kind of like one of my kids offering me 50 bucks to love them more than the other.
* WurfWhile: Rudy Clai and campaign finance reform
Rudy Clai and it looks like Republican Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns are likely disqualified from serious contention in the 14th congressional primary because of money, as are Democrats John Laesch and Jotham Stein. It isn’t right - and it isn’t good for us or our democratic political system.
* Allen gets tops ballot spot in state’s attorney’s race
* Clout City: Give us our Daley bread
So Daley and his political team came up with a new strategy: Bypass the aldermen and work through the clergy. Instead of getting support and granting favors to members of City Council or Democratic committeemen, Daley’s City Hall courted black ministers, seeking their approval for administration policies or at least their appearance at press conferences. At the same time, the city funneled millions of dollars in federal money to the churches for day care and other social service programs, and helped them acquire land for church expansions and parking lots. The pastors, according to a top Daley aide, were viewed as “surrogate aldermen.”
* John Kass: The memory gets fuzzy in the heat
Fedzheimer’s—the terrible malady that saps the memories of politicians when the feds begin snooping around—claimed another victim on Thursday: Mayor Richard Daley[…]
“I’ve never heard of that,” the mayor said when asked by reporters about a front page Tribune exclusive that the FBI was investigating allegations that city inspectors were used to pressure property owners in Daley’s 11th Ward to sell their land to politically connected developers.
* Controversial city business tax not dead yet
* Former alderman Troutman drained budget and office before leaving
* DuPage makes Olympic pitch for suitable equestrian sites
* Signs, signs, everywhere there are sports signs
We’re talking about the green signs. You know the ones that sit on the edge of a town that tout the accomplishments of a particular high school athlete or team.
More classes equal more signs. Right?
The “high school champions” sign program has been around for about 30 years. The initial motivation was to honor IHSA state winners in the communities they hailed from.
“Sometime in the ’70s, we started to develop policy on it,” said Mike Glaffey, media liaison for IDOT.
* Friday Beer Blogging: Erdinger Edition
- posted by Paul Richardson 14 Comments
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Thursday, Nov 8, 2007
* 11:04 am - As you may know, Mayor Daley has been hoping to convince Gov. Rod Blagojevich to sign SB 837…
…another revenue hole in Daley’s budget would develop if Blagojevich does not sign legislation empowering the city to double the telephone tax used to fund the city’s 911 center to $2.50 a phone line a month. The mayor is counting on $48 million from that source.
The governor has said about a kabillion times that he will veto all tax hikes on “people,” and that one surely qualifies. The bill doesn’t directly impose the tax increase. It just allows Chicago to increase the tax on its own. But the governor has vetoed similar bills before…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich vetoed Senate Bill 831, legislation that would have allowed Will County to hold a referendum on a proposed countywide tax on gasoline.
If the bill had been approved, the county board then would have voted on the idea of staging a referendum. If the board members approved it, the issue would have been placed on a ballot. And if voters backed the proposal, a tax of no more than 4 cents per gallon would be levied on gas sold in Will County.
Still, promises and past history are one thing. Mayor Daley’s ire is quite another. So, yesterday the governor allowed the bill to become law without his signature.
No response yet from the governor’s office about why.
* 12:28 pm - Illinois is joining California in a suit against the federal government…
California sued the federal government on Thursday to force a decision about whether the state can impose the nation’s first greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks.
More than a dozen other states are poised to follow California’s lead if it is granted the waiver from federal law, presenting a challenge to automakers who would have to adapt to a patchwork of regulations.
“Our position is that it’s time for EPA to either act or get out of the way,” said Lee Moore, a spokesman for New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram.
* 12:34 pm - Aaron Chambers take us on a long walk down memory lane. A must-read.
…Adding… If you see anything missing in Aaron’s timeline, put it in the comments below. I’m pretty sure he’ll check.
* 2:39 pm - I’m not sure the Southtown can take too many more cuts…
More than 30 Daily Southtown editorial employees will be laid off by the end of the year in the wake of a merger announced last month, the newspaper’s parent company announced Thursday.
* 3:04 pm - The governor was in DC today to talk about health insurance, but he couldn’t get away from Illinois issues…
During a question and answer session, Blagojevich was less inclined to talk about his home state – or more specifically, the most recent ethical questions to dog his administration there.
Asked whether he was aware of a condominium deal involving his wife, a lobbyist and a state contractor – and whether questions around it could hurt his health care agenda – the governor gave a short reply.
“Boy, I thought I was out of Illinois,” he said. “It’s got nothing to do with anything. Next question.”
- posted by Rich Miller 107 Comments
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Thursday, Nov 8, 2007
* The setup…
Just days after the CTA postponed steep service cuts and fare hikes, the transit agency decided Wednesday to impose even more severe hardships on commuters effective Jan. 20 if the state government fails to work out a funding deal.
The CTA board voted 7-0 to eliminate 81 bus routes, raise fares to as high as $3.25 a ride and lay off more than 2,400 employees in the latest threatened transit “doomsday.”
The proposal would result in the elimination of 39 bus routes that had been slated for Nov. 4, as well as an additional 43 bus routes scheduled to be axed on Jan. 6. […]
“I think it is going to be horrible,” said CTA Chairwoman Carole Brown. “I am really just so upset that we are going to have to do that all in one fell swoop.
The question: Do you think “doomsday” will ever come? Explain.
- posted by Rich Miller 36 Comments
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Thursday, Nov 8, 2007
* I’m not sure what planet the Daily Herald editorial board lives on, but it doesn’t include Illinois. The DH ran an editorial today about George Ryan’s imprisonment and asked…
Where’s our outrage over this? Yes, we might be understandably cynical to the point of submission. But we can’t capitulate to the culture of corruption. At some point, there has to be the kind of backlash to this entrenched thievery of public trust and tax dollars that will evoke change.
There is definitely “outrage” out there, as numerous polls have shown lately. Rather than blindly foaming at the mouth over what it wrongly sees as nonexistent voter rage, perhaps the DH could offer up some helpful suggestions.
* Meanwhile, the Tribune editorial board took note today of the poll first published in the Capitol Fax earlier this week…
In the two-plus weeks that reporters have been asking Rod Blagojevich and his staff about a proposal to remove him from office, the governor and his mouthpieces have maintained stiff upper lips. All this discontent with Blagojevich will be forgotten, they suggest, when Illinois voters comprehend all that he has done for “the people.”
Problem already. “The people” — including many who helped re-elect Blagojevich a year ago — apparently want to fire him. The idea of amending the Illinois Constitution to permit a voter recall of Blagojevich is an ascendant theme in the discourse of this politically gridlocked state.
I’ll have more on this topic in tomorrow’s Sun-Times.
* The AP compares the former governor to the current governor, and not favorably…
It might seem incredible that as a former Illinois governor reports to federal prison, the current chief faces similar misconduct allegations, from handing out state contracts as political rewards to accepting money under suspicious circumstances. But this is Illinois.
Democrat Rod Blagojevich, who won the chief executive’s office five years ago on a promise to clean up former Gov. George Ryan’s mess, has wound up besieged by accusations.
Two people already have pleaded guilty to federal charges in a shakedown scheme that also ensnared one of the governor’s closest fundraisers.
And federal prosecutors have acknowledged they are also investigating “serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud” under Blagojevich.
Jay Stewart, executive director of the Better Government Association, blames an arrogant political culture in Illinois where the philosophy is “take what you can get.”
* Check out the photo that the AP included with this story. Ouch.
* More Ryan stuff, compiled by Paul…
* John Kass: Delusion lingers longer than freedom for Ryan
* Eric Zorn: Ryan comedown takes Thompson too
* Editorial: End of an era, or another chapter of a sorry saga?
* Where are they now? Key players in the Ryan scandal
* Ryan’s new identity for the next six years will be 16627-424
* Ryan reaches end of road: prison
* Former gov Ryan slips into Wisconsin prison
* Prison seen as a ’sad end’ for ex-governor
* Ryan’s new life, quiet, regimented
* Ryan arrives at prison, maintains innocence
* In Oxford, George is just another visitor
* Editorial: As Ryan goes to prison, ethic measure stills stalled
- posted by Rich Miller 14 Comments
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Thursday, Nov 8, 2007
* When state Rep. Aaron Schock officially announced his congressional campaign, this is how the Peoria Journal-Star led its report…
Government needs a clean break from corruption and bitter partisanship and needs to be refreshed with new leaders championing fundamental conservative principles in Congress, said state Rep. Aaron Schock.
Schock, R-Peoria, outlined his positions on the Iraq war, foreign relations, immigration, education, the economy and energy Saturday during his official announcement that he’s seeking the Republican nomination for the 18th Congressional District seat. He also outlined a few bills he would propose on those issues.
* Not a single mention was made of Schock’s most incendiary proposal within the PJ-Star’s glowing article. Bernie fill us in…
State Rep. Aaron Schock, who is running for Congress, has some audacious — well, maybe “shocking” is a better word — ideas about foreign policy. […]
In particular, Schock’s plan to offer nuclear arms to Taiwan if China doesn’t go along with U.S. policy toward Iran seemed odd to me.
An international relations expert I checked with agreed, saying that idea not only shows “incredible naivete,” but, if carried out, probably would lead to war between China and Taiwan. […]
“The statement about selling nuclear weapons to Taiwan reflects an incredible naivete about international relations,” he said of Schock’s idea. “Transferring nuclear weapons technology to any state is a violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It would also encourage other states to do the same, specifically to enemies of the United States.”
Oy.
* The Galesburg paper ran this recent profile of Schock…
One of the shooting stars of the Republican party made a stop in Knox County Tuesday. […]
Despite being the youngest of three Republican candidates for the seat - Jim McConoughey and John Morris, both from Peoria are the others -Schock is considered the front-runner, both in terms of the polls and fundraising. He has been tapped for big things by national Republican operatives, according to columnist Robert Novak.
Americans love a winner, so candidates (like commercial products) will always try to burn in the message that he or she is “number one.” But there’s more to a campaign than who is winning, and thankfully we have people like Bernie Schoenburg around to point that out.
* More congressional stuff…
* McQueary: Lipinski’s opponents line up on ballot
* Illinoize: The Lauzen letter to my family
* Would-be Hastert successors start mudslinging
*** UPDATE *** From a press release…
Jim McConoughey, a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 18th Congressional District, will be holding News Conferences this afternoon in Peoria and Springfield. McConoughey will make a statement regarding news released in this morning’s edition of the State Journal-Register. An availability session will follow.
The schedule is as follows:
1:00 p.m. McConoughey for Congress Headquarters
1200 West Main Street, Suite 9
Peoria, Illinois
3:00 p.m. Blue Room
State Capitol, Mezzanine
Springfield, Illinois
If McConoughey’s smart, he’ll use this as an opportunity to make the case that Schock just isn’t seasoned enough to be a Congressman. That seems to me like the best line of attack against the 26-year-old candidate.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Billy Dennis was at the presser and filed this report…
Jim McConoughey must have said “naive” and ‘inexperienced” a dozen times during his brief news conference today. Which is pretty must his biggest weapon against Aaron Schock, who was courteous enough to give McConoughey and other opponents John Morris an opening by suggesting that the United States arm Taiwan with nuclear weapons and arm freedom fighters in Iran. […]
Jonathan Ahl of WCBU was sorta playing word games by suggesting that Schock was being irresponsible by making the statement, because the public needs to know what opinion candidates have on foreign policy. The word Ahl suggested that McConoughey meant was “stupid.”
And Karen McDonald, the PJS reporter who’s article didn’t mention Aaron’s desire to ship nukes to Taiwan? She asked McConoughey why he didn’t say what HE wanted to do about China and Taiwan. My two cents: Why bother asking? The Journal Star won’t print it.
…Adding… Since some of you aren’t bothering to click on the link to Bernie’s column, here are some Schock quotes…
“If China continues to be irresponsible about nuclear proliferation in Iran, we should tell them that if they do not care about proliferation — and since they are enablers of it in Iran — that if they don’t change their position, we will sell Pershing nuclear missiles to Taiwan for their defense.”
“Non-proliferation will either be enforced universally or not at all — it is their choice,” Schock continued. “The Chinese will come around, I have no doubt.”
And Schock’s mouthpiece backed it up…
Schock’s campaign manager, Steven Shearer, responded that “academia routinely looked down on President Reagan and ridiculed him when he said that the Soviet Union was going to fall into the ash heap of history.” Reagan’s controversial positioning of Pershing missiles in Europe in the early 1980s “led to the first arms reduction in history,” Shearer claimed.
Here’s the difference: Reagan deployed American missiles to Western Europe, and America controlled those missiles. Selling Pershings to Taiwan means they would control those missiles, not us.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Schock responds…
The first step in the diplomatic dance that is necessary to prevent Iran getting nuclear weapons is to strengthen our President’s hand in negotiations. My comprehensive proposal on the Iranian threat will undermine the Iranian regime by their own people and get China’s attention to become a partner in stopping this threat from Iran.”
“While I have offered innovative ideas based completely on President Reagan’s successful strategy to end the Cold War, my opponents are operating cynical campaigns of being quick to attack while offering no substance on the issues what-so-ever themselves,” said Schock. “The people are tired of cynical candidates who run for office while avoiding dealing with our nation’s challenges while problems get worse. Our country needs leaders who are willing to address problems instead of waiting until they become a crisis.” […]
McConoughey is now on record as being soft on Iraq, Iran and China. He is running in the wrong primary.
Again, the US owned and controlled those Pershings that Reagan sent to Western Europe. Schock would turn control of those nukes over to the Taiwanese.
It really is amazing that this was totally ignored by the Peoria paper.
*** UPDATE 4 *** From the SJ-R…
McConoughey said at a State Capitol news conference today that the 26-year-old Schock, a state representative, made a “serious and reckless statement” with regard to nuclear weapons.
Serving in Congress requires maturity and steadiness, McConoughey said.
I’m curious how the Journal-Star will play this tomorrow. Guesses?
*** UPDATE 5 *** Democratic candidate Dick Versace…
“I’ve traveled across this great district on the Common Sense Express and I’ve heard what’s important to people in this community. Dishing out nuclear weapons to foreign places like Taiwan wasn’t mentioned. After eight years of reckless foreign policies coming from Washington, the last thing we need is another career politician who is willing to make dangerous proposals like this one without first considering the consequences.”
* Republican John Morris…
“Being in Congress is a very important responsibility and one has to be very thoughtful in their statements. I support policies that promote freedoms abroad. Congress and our next congressman need to work to make the world safer. My number one priority in Congress will be keeping America and its military strong,” Morris said. “Giving away nuclear weapons is completely irresponsible.”
*** UPDATE 6 *** From Lee News…
‘’This isn’t a Ronald Reagan idea. It’s a Dr. Strangelove idea,'’ McConoughey said.
- posted by Rich Miller 51 Comments
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Thursday, Nov 8, 2007
* No retreat for gov’s fighting donors
It was a weekend retreat. Gov. Blagojevich had gotten together with his top fund-raisers at a Lake Geneva resort in the fall of 2003.
The governor gave a speech. There was a cocktail party and a boat cruise. Then, at 2 in the morning, a fight broke out.
The public never heard about it. But documents obtained by the Sun-Times show that one Blagojevich campaign backer went to a hospital and another ended up the subject of a monthlong police investigation.
* School board to ignore state’s moment-of-silence law
The loophole means educators must comply with a law that is poorly defined, leaving teachers open to lawsuits and students vulnerable to teachers who might use the moment to promote prayer, said state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston).
On Oct. 18, Schoenberg sent letters to 17 school systems in his legislative district, which stretches from northern Chicago to Glencoe, calling on school districts to apply for a waiver on grounds that the law represents “undue interference in the ability of teachers to manage their own classrooms.”
“Right now school districts across the state lack formal guidelines for how to follow this new law,” Schoenberg said. “[Legislators] deliberately wrote the bill so that it was not directly part of the school code so there’s no [possibility to seek a waiver].”
* Daley rips Loop business tax
Calling it “dangerous” and a “disaster” for Chicago’s thriving downtown, Mayor Daley on Wednesday shot down an aldermanic plan to tax downtown businesses for police and fire protection to lop another $16.4 million off the mayor’s record property tax increase.
Twenty-two aldermen have signed on to a plan to impose a 40-cent-per-square foot “public safety assessment” on “each commercial owner or tenant occupying more than 5,000 square feet” of space in an area bounded by Congress, Halsted, Michigan and the Chicago River.
* Daley cool to proposed downtown business tax
* Chicago Public Radio: Aldermen take final stab at changing the budget
* Alderman plays hardball with Children’s Memorial Hospital
Reilly is the rookie alderman at odds with Mayor Daley over the mayor’s plan to build a Children’s Museum in Grant Park.
Now he’s naming his price for signing off on the 275-bed hospital that Children’s Memorial wants to build at 215-233 East Chestnut: Add parking, provide relief for traffic-choked intersections and guarantee that a heliport won’t endanger public safety in a congested area with 25,000 residents and 8,000 more units being built.
* Tasering grandma displeases Daley
Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th), chairman of the City Council’s Police Committee, said the incident exposed by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell could have been worse.
“It’s very unfortunate that it had to result to that, but I certainly understand. I’m pleased that they decided not to shoot her and they decided not to tackle her and that they didn’t use the night stick, which may have been options if someone is swinging a hammer at you,” he said.
* Orlando Jones death still under investigation
* Judith Miller: Secrecy should concern all
Charles Lewis, president and CEO of the Fund for Independence in Journalism, said there seems to be a “war on journalists” with the cutback in government information being made available.
And Charlie Wheeler, director of the Public Affairs Reporting program at UIS, said he’s seen a move by government at several levels seeking more than ever to “control the message,” with one way being to avoid questions from “pesky reporters.”
The administration of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, he said that Statehouse reporters tell him, is “the most closed (state) government we’ve ever had.”
- posted by Paul Richardson 8 Comments
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Thursday, Nov 8, 2007
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Wednesday, Nov 7, 2007
From a reader…
Why not ask everyone to explain the meaning of their blog names? It
might be interesting for some of those who are kind of new to the blog to find out where names like Vanilla Man, Yellow Dog Democrat, One of the 35, Squideshi, etc. came from.
Do you have a reason behind your blog name?
- posted by Rich Miller 243 Comments
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Wednesday, Nov 7, 2007
* Lee News summed it up pretty well…
Top state leaders left town last week saying they would wrap up this year’s record-setting overtime session within seven to 10 days.
It came as no surprise Tuesday that they are now revising — and extending — their time frame to craft a construction plan financed by an expansion of gambling.
When asked if a deal could be hammered out within the seven- to 10-day window, Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville, said, “I think we’re talking more time than that.”
Asked whether a deal could be worked out before the end of the year, Watson said, “It’s hard to say.”
Despite the slower-than-predicted pace of talks, the leaders emerged Tuesday from a two-hour, closed-door meeting sounding optimistic that a plan could be pieced together that would bring road, bridge and school construction projects to every corner of the state.
It’s slow progress. Very, very slow.
* SJ-R…
Talks are centering on a land-based casino for Chicago, a new riverboat casino at a location to be determined, allowing existing riverboats to add gaming positions and permitting horse racing tracks to install slot machines. Some lawmakers, though, are pushing for two more riverboat casino licenses in addition to Chicago’s. Others oppose slot machines at horse racing tracks.
“I could vote for slots at the tracks,” Watson said. “I’m not sure I’ve got members who can.”
The negotiators are trying to figure out just how large a gambling-expansion bill can get through the General Assembly. The larger the expansion, the more money generated for public works projects.
Madigan’s call for a completely revamped Illinois Gaming Board is also apparently causing some problems. Madigan has proposed a series of changes to the board that he said will free it from political influences. He is insisting that his changes be part of any gaming expansion.
* Bethany Jaeger: “Tings are OK”
That’s House Speaker Michael Madigan using his best Chicago accent to jokingly gauge the progress of leaders’ meeting with Gov. Rod Blagojevich Tuesday in Springfield to discuss the expansion of gaming for new revenue. Turning on the serious tone, Madigan said, “We had a good meeting, and it appears that we’re making progress. Not everything is resolved. There are differences, which I’m not going to get into.”
* Carol Marin: Capitol mess lies in dome’s shadow
Frankly, even the most talented among them — and there are a number of good legislators — are forced to be just furniture sitting around waiting to be sat on by the leaders they lack the gumption or the ability to fight.
And so the state of Illinois is functionally in the hands of five guys. A governor who hates his own House speaker, Michael Madigan. A House speaker who despises and is despised by his fellow Democrat, Senate President Emil Jones. And two Republicans flailing in the minority, House leader Tom Cross and Senate leader Frank Watson.
Cross’ earnest shuttle diplomacy notwithstanding, what has the paralysis, posturing and outright animosity of this brawling band of brothers already cost us in money thrown down a sinkhole?
- posted by Rich Miller 14 Comments
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Wednesday, Nov 7, 2007
* Michael Sneed: Goodbye George
“I was innocent then and I’m innocent now … and we are still pressing ahead in our legal battle.
“But it certainly has been a 10-year nightmare.”
So the man who once wept when he met South African President Nelson Mandela — but has maintained a dry-eyed stoicism since his conviction on corruption charges — spent his final night at home, with his wife, Lura Lynn, his extended family . . . and a piece of banana cream pie.
* Mark Brown: You’re guilty Ryan an we know it
Ryan should have just kept his mouth shut if he didn’t have the sense or decency to acknowledge the error of his ways.
He should have waved at the cameras and climbed into his car and drove to Oxford, Wis., and waved once more from inside the car when he got up there.
Then, in 2012 — when the now 73-year-old former governor will get out of prison, if he lasts that long — he could have waved twice more on the way home. Fine by me.
* John Kass: Shame on Ryan–and us– for corruption
Ryan was our governor, whether you voted for him or not, and most who voted for him will have conveniently forgotten by now. I didn’t vote for him, and many of you didn’t either, but even so, shame washes over all. It stains us, collectively, because he was our governor.
The stain deepens if we pretend George Ryan’s corruption is some isolated case. He’s not the exception, but the rule among the boss hogs in Illinois politics. Ask yourself whether you think they’re in public life to give honest service to overburdened taxpayers, or to amass fortunes for their families and friends.
* Ryan’s decades of service tainted by scandalous end
There is no doubt that Ryan, 73, accomplished some big things after becoming governor in 1999.
He was the first U.S. governor to visit Cuba since Fidel Castro seized power there. He passed a major construction program to rebuild Illinois roads and bridges.
The Republican drew national attention to problems with capital punishment, even being mentioned for the Nobel Peace Prize, after he suspended executions in Illinois and emptied out death row by
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