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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
*** 3:24 pm *** The governor said today that the last time he talked to Mayor Daley was during Chicago police officer Richard Francis’ funeral, which was July 7th. That was nine days before the governor suggested he might call out the National Guard to stem the “out of control” violence in the city.
The governor said he called Daley to discuss his National Guard proposal, but as I told subscribers this morning, that call has not yet been returned.
*** 2:33 pm *** A spokesperson for the governor just said that the governor wants to take a couple of days to decide whether to call a special session. More in tomorrow’s Capitol Fax unless something breaks publicly before then.
*** 2:03 pm *** Read the governor’s press release on the “compromise” capital plan by clicking here.
*** 1:57 pm *** From the SJ-R…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Illinois Senate President Emil Jones are the targets of separate lawsuits filed today in Sangamon County court by a group that claims the two officials are keeping secret information about pork-barrel spending.
The Washington, D.C.,-based Judicial Watch wants Blagojevich and Jones to release information about how lump-sum member-initiative funds are being spent. […]
No lawsuit has been filed against the Illinois House of Representatives because that chamber has provided information about member-initiative spending, Calomino said.
Read the lawsuit against Blagojevich here, and the suit against Jones here.
*** 1:49 pm *** The governor has finished speaking. No mention of a special session. I figure we’ll get a press release about it eventually. They have a “compromise” plan, now they have to make Madigan look bad for rejecting it. How could they do that without a special? The only thing that would stop him from calling a special session would be Senate President Jones.
*** 1:35 pm *** Gov. Blagojevich: “Speaker Madigan is not here again. Instead he has sent his minions.”
Helpful.
*** 1:24 pm *** Senate President Emil Jones: “Let the bridges fall and the schools crumble. All they will do is sit and criticize.”
“They,” of course, are the House Democrats.
*** 1:17 pm *** The proposed “compromise” capital plan will now total $25 billion, according to a legislative spokesperson.
*** The Lottery lease, Road Fund money and “excess” revenues from the gasoline sales tax will be used to fund the proposal, as I outlined to subscribers this morning.
*** That gasoline sales tax raid is gonna cause some problems. This is a $200 $100 million skim out of the General Revenue Fund (gas sales tax goes to GRF, gas tax, which is based on gallonage, goes to Road Fund). The governor just whacked $1.4 billion out of the GRF and now he wants to deprive it of an additional $100 million. Plus, what happens if gas prices continue to decline and he has to find the rest of that $100 million elsewhere in GRF?
*** 1:11 pm *** House Majority Leader Barb Currie just told reporters that the governor merely suggested that he would put the pay to play bill into the mix if the General Assembly approves the capital bill. She said the guv should sign it before any action is taken on capital.
*** Rep. Currie also said the Lottery lease was never a good idea, putting this proposed “compromise” in serious doubt. The Lottery and a couple of other smallish things will fund the capital projects package, now that gaming is off the table.
*** 1:02 pm *** Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson just told reporters that Gov. Blagojevich has agreed to put the pay to play ethics bill into the mix with the capital bill. Not sure yet whether he is actually threatening to veto it if he doesn’t get the capital bill or what. More in a bit.
*** Sen. Watson also told reporters that all gaming expansion is off the table as a funding mechanism for the capital plan. Not a huge surprise.
*** Leader Watson also claimed that a special session was not discussed during the leaders meeting.
* 12:52 pm -Subscribers know I had a brief piece this morning about the current lack of communication between Gov. Blagojevich and Mayor Daley. I’m hearing that CBS 2 has done some more snooping around and will run a story about it this evening.
* 12:24 pm - From the AP…
House Republican leader Tom Cross says Governor Rod Blagojevich and House speaker Michael Madigan need a “super timeout” to mend their fractured relationship.
Madigan skipped another meeting Thursday with Blagojevich and top legislative leaders who are talking about a compromise to get a statewide construction program passed to repair Illinois’ infrastructure.
* 11:10 am - Kevin is at the Thompson Center awaiting word on the leaders meeting. While you wait, perhaps you can chew on this…
Comptroller Dan Hynes is hitting the road…
GALESBURG - State Comptroller Dan Hynes said Wednesday that although he hopes his two-week, 18-city trip will persuade Gov. Rod Blagojevich to sign House Bill 824, ending so-called “pay-to-play” politics in Illinois, he’s not confident the governor plans to sign the bill as is. […]
“It’s been nine straight years of corruption in state government,” Hynes said. “That, I think, has fed this strong desire for reform. I think if there is one issue most problematic, it is this pay-to-play issue.”
* But then Hynes appeared to contradict himself. All that corruption should be brushed aside and the problems with the governor’s lack of truthfulness should somehow be magically overcome…
Of the Legislature, he said, “They just do not trust this governor. I think they have reason not to trust him. I don’t trust him, but you have to get past that.” […]
“Distrust can’t be used as an excuse,” he said.
- posted by Rich Miller 39 Comments
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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
* The setup…
…some state officials, including Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, have spoken out in support of a new bill that would ban using a wireless device while crossing streets. […]
The Illinois General Assembly bill, also known as HB 4520, was introduced in January by Rep. Ken Dunkin (D- Chicago), who then insisted: “This legislation is not laughable. On the surface it’s like, ‘Oh wow, what is this?’ But it’s becoming more and more of a common problem with people haplessly crossing an intersection and almost killing themselves.”
Under the proposed law, Illinois residents would get slapped with a misdemeanor and a $25 fine if caught using a cell phone or other wireless device while traversing streets.
* The question: Do you support or oppose this proposed texting while walking ban? Explain.
- posted by Rich Miller 53 Comments
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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
* Two events have helped create a minor buzz about Republican Congresscritter Judy Biggert’s reelection chances. First, Biggert’s Democratic opponent Scott Harper raised almost as much as she did in the recent reporting quarter. Then, CQ Politics made a minor adjustment to her ranking…
• Illinois’ 13th (New Rating: Republican Favored. Previous Rating: Safe Republican). Republican Rep. Judy Biggert , who has centrist GOP leanings, has been very politically secure in a mostly Republican-leaning district that includes Naperville, Bolingbrook and other suburbs southwest of Chicago.
But she may need to keep an eye on Democratic businessman Scott Harper, who already has raised more money than 2006 Democratic nominee Joseph Shannon, who won 42 percent of the vote in what was the best showing by a Democrat against Biggert in her five terms. Harper’s campaign is serious enough that he’s attracted contributions from Illinois Sen. Richard J. Durbin and Rep. Jan Schakowsky.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the political arm of House Democrats, hasn’t included Illinois’ 13th on its lists of highly competitive Republican-held districts, and Biggert still is strongly favored. But this a race to keep an eye on for signs of increased competitiveness.
That last graf is the most important. CQ is just saying that the race might be tighter than first thought.
* And now, Biggert has released a poll to try to tamp down the buzz…
Republicans are seeking to downplay any talk that Rep. Judy Biggert (R) could be in a competitive race after her opponent outraised her in the second quarter, and they passed around an internal poll Wednesday that showed Biggert way ahead.
The Biggert poll, conducted by American Viewpoint Inc., was done in mid-June and showed the incumbent holding a 55-30 lead, with a job approval rating of 67 percent.
Democrat Scott Harper’s campaign disputed those numbers, citing its own polling data, which it says shows the incumbent’s job approval below 50 percent.
Three things: That Biggert survey is a pretty old poll. However, note that Harper’s campaign didn’t relase the head-to-heads or even “deserves to be reelected” numbers. And, Rod Blagojevich’s job approval was way below 50 in 2006, meaning that this number, in and of itself, is not a great guage.
* LCV has the Biggert poll…
An American Viewpoint (R) poll; conducted 6/16-17 for Rep. Judy Biggert (R); surveyed 400 LVs; margin of error +/- 4.9% (release, 7/30). Tested: Biggert and businessman Scott Harper (D).
General Election Matchup
J. Biggert 55%
S. Harper 30
Undec 13
Re-Elect Biggert
Re-elect 55%
Someone else 28
Fav/Unfav
J. Biggert 67%/18%
Biggert As Rep.
Approve 67%
Disapprove 19
* Meanwhile, the Sun-Times is playing catch-up to a story that’s been bubbling around the blogs for a while now…
Concrete mogul Marty Ozinga’s companies racked up $59,000 in unpaid taxes over the last 20 years, according to documents provided to the Sun-Times by political operatives.
The tax liens have been filed against the Republican congressional candidate’s companies in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. Some are fines on his trucks that pour concrete in Chicago.
The response is a bit weak…
Ozinga’s campaign notes his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Debbie Halvorson was fined $44 after being late on a $910 real estate tax payment for her Springfield condominium. She also was fined $25 for letting a corporation she founded lapse after not using it.
* Related…
* Ozinga backs return of renewable energy credit
* Candidate touts benefits of wind energy
* ELECTION ‘08: Halvorson brings campaign to Washington
* Roskam slams illegal immigration practices
* Roskam Fighting Local Hero
* Hastert now ‘senior adviser‘ to DC lobbying firm
* Candidate dumped from ballot
* Durbin on the Leading Edge
- posted by Rich Miller 13 Comments
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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
*** UPDATE *** I forgot to post the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform’s latest demand….
“The governor claims he wants billions in new infrastructure spending to create jobs and to guard against a bridge collapse as happened in Minneapolis last year,” Canary said. “But after years of headlines about contracts that look more like pay-to-play than legitimate state business, taxpayers have to wonder whether his top concern is bridge safety or building up his campaign treasury.
“If he would sign the bill to discourage pay-to-play and stop soliciting money from people doing business with the state, he would give the public reason to believe those new construction dollars would be spent fairly,” she said. “Legislative leaders should insist HB 824 is signed into law before giving the governor the ability to award billions in new spending for bridges, roads, and other projects.”
Seems reasonable.
*****************
* Eric Zorn makes the fatal mistake of assuming that just because there’s a “way” to find money to restore cuts to alcoholism and substance abuse programs, the “will” to do so will automatically follow.
But he does have this at the end of his post…
[Speaker Madigan] wants the Senate to reconvene and pass a different, highly specific and highly targeted “funds sweep” bill that would allow for restoration of many of the social-service cuts.
Senate President Emil Jones has shown no inclination to reconvene his chamber, but Brown and many others close to the situation say they have heard rumblings that Gov. Rod Blagojevich plans to call both chambers into special session during the Illinois State Fair, Aug. 8 -17.
Gubernatorial spokesman Lucio Guerrero responded to these grumblings with a a note that said, “The issue (of a special session) may come up at the leaders’ meeting, but nothing has been decided. The first priority is getting all the leaders - at least the three that show up - to agree on a compromise and then the decision would be made about the next step.”
* The leaders will meet this morning at 11 o’clock. We’ll live-blog it here. The Sun-Times has more…
Gov. Blagojevich is prepared to revise or outright eliminate plans for a Chicago casino in a bid to jump-start his stalled statewide construction program, a top aide said Tuesday.
The governor also is open to reducing the size of the $34 billion capital plan and rethinking how to pay for it in an effort to gain the support of Mayor Daley and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago). […]
Now, the governor is considering lowering the buy-in figure, giving the mayor broader control over how school construction money is spent and even eliminating the city casino entirely if that’s what the mayor wants, Blagojevich’s spokesman said.
“There are a whole host of things that are being looked at on gaming to make it more palatable,” Blagojevich press secretary Lucio Guerrero said.
“The governor thinks [a capital deal] is too important to let die. He’s looking for ways to compromise,” Guerrero said.
There’s more to this, but non-subscribers will have to wait and see what’s announced after the meeting. We’ll know more about 12:30 or so.
* But relying on gaming expansion outside Chicago is an iffy proposition at best…
A drop in the number of customers at Harrahs Metropolis Casino riverboat is translating into not only in a decline in casino revenues but also a decline in the amount of money going into the coffers of the city of Metropolis.
According to the Illinois Gaming Board, adjusted gross receipts at the casino were about $10.3 million in June, down from the $14.7 million the casino pulled in during the same month a year ago. […]
Officials say the downturn in casino attendance can be traced back to January, when the state of Illinois instituted restrictions on smoking in public buildings.
That’s not the only casino experiencing trouble.
* The Sun-Times thinks that Speaker Madigan ought to show up to today’s leaders meeting…
What are we paying him for? Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, arguably the most powerful Democrat in the state, takes home $95,000 a year but refuses to sit down with the governor.
We say that’s what we’re paying Madigan for.
* But in a Sunday editorial entitled “The tale of ‘Governor Goofy’”, the Tribune offered up some reasons why nobody should take the governor seriously …
Blagojevich remains the governor who cannot govern, the thespian who tries to rule via press-conference theatrics: State troopers to the right of me, National Guardsmen to the left of me, I will triumph.
Blagojevich’s behavior is what it is. He cannot, though, control how he’s judged. He cannot escape from the nicknames people give him or from their anger about his ineptitude when it comes to bridging rivalries and fashioning solutions to his state’s crying needs.
* Related…
* Blagojevich, top lawmakers to meet again in Chicago
* Blago urges lawmakers to OK capital bill
* Sincere or Sensationalizing: A year after a Minnesota bridge collapse sent people tumbling to their deaths, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich reflects on the situation and uses it to try to prod approval of his $34 billion gambling-expansion-for-road-construction plan.
* Bridge repairs hinge on capital funding compromise
* The DCEO bone is connected to the EPA bone…
* SJ-R Opinion: Governor’s cuts decimate DNR
* Some lawmakers showing resistance to IDOT jobs move before hearing
* Commission to gather testimony on IDOT move today
* Traffic safety employees speak their minds — big
* Officials: No plans to use results of prison study
* State Capitol Notebook: Pleading for cuts to be reversed
* Prosecutors, Defense Object To Governor’s Budget Cuts
* Davis Mansion shakes off budget woes, gears up for car show
- posted by Rich Miller 11 Comments
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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
* The governor’s legal team is using a somewhat unusual tactic to convince a court that it doesn’t have to release federal subpoenas requested under the state’s Freedom of Information Act…
In an argument to the Illinois Appellate Court, Blagojevich’s legal team cites a 27-year-old federal court ruling that says “potential” criminal defendants don’t have to turn over grand jury subpoenas in civil litigation. That’s one of the arguments the governor is making in an effort to overturn a Downstate judge’s ruling that the Better Government Association, a Chicago watchdog group, is entitled to the subpoenas under Illinois’ open-records law. [Emphasis added]
* More from the BGA’s attorney…
“In the Admiral Heating case, the court extended the rule that prohibits prosecutors or grand jury members from disclosing information,” says Donald Craven, the Springfield lawyer and open-records law expert who’s representing the BGA. “The court extended the rule to prohibit defendants or potential defendants from disclosing that information, as well. It seems to me that the governor is now characterizing himself as a defendant or potential defendant, rather than just as a witness before the grand jury, in an effort to bring himself within the confines of this rule.” [Emphasis added]
* The governor’s press secretary responds…
“This is just a deplorable manipulation of the facts,” he says, “in an effort to make headlines and advance an illusory theory in the press that would overwhelmingly be thrown out in any court of law.”
The governor is planning an unrelated press conference this afternoon. Maybe the reporters can ask him to clear things up.
* Somewhat related…
* Blagojevich raises cash while reform bill sits
* Governor steps up fundraising
* State contractor: Stop me before I give money to the governor again
* SJ-R Opinion: Governor, do the right thing
* City Club of Chicago Welcomes Governor Blagojevich
* Jim Ryan: ‘Something is not quite right’
* Former head of Ill. prisons sentenced to 2 years
- posted by Rich Miller 12 Comments
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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
* Moody’s Downgrades GateHouse On ‘Likelihood’ Of Default
GateHouse Media is likely to default under its credit agreement unless it can negotiate an amendment to its covenants or get a cash injection from its largest stakeholder, Moody’s Investor Service says in a report downgrading the community newspaper publisher’s credit and probability of default ratings.
Moody’s downgraded GateHouse’s Corporate Family rating to Caa1 from B2. Under Moody’s definition, the new rating signifies a “substantial risk” of default.
Moody’s also downgraded its Probability of Default rating to Caa2 from B3.
* GateHouse Media cut to Caa1: Outlook negative - Moody’s
* News business is news-worthy
* Chicagoans happier with their city than Parisians, New Yorkers
* Chicago Lay-Offs a Possibility in Bleak 2009 Budget Picture
* Daley mum on budget shortfall specifics
Daley cited the national economic downturn as the reason he won’t release the city’s preliminary budget numbers to the city clerk by the deadline.
* Trash talk
Under Daley’s plan, the city would be divided into 10 to 20 “franchise areas,” each with a single hauler. Instead of choosing private companies to pick up their waste as they do now, businesses and institutions would be stuck with whatever company the Daley administration picks for them. For seven years.
Let’s see if we have this right: The mayor wants to usurp business owners’ choice, bestow monopolies on 10 to 20 lucky contractors and invite the usual abuses that inevitably occur when lucrative city contracts are in play. What part of this is good for the citizens of Chicago?
* Barking up the wrong tree
This year’s anti-pit-bull measure is a benevolent-sounding proposal to require that dogs (and cats) older than 6 months be spayed or neutered. The City Council got a lot of attention on Tuesday when former TV game show host Bob Barker showed up to talk in favor of the idea.
* Report: Illinois beaches 1st in bacteria levels
* GOP ‘Agenda for Action’ more wish list than blueprint
The Illinois House Republican “Agenda for Action” is a lot like a child’s Christmas list: There are a lot of good things on it, but the likelihood of getting them all is small.
* Lake County Radio Personalities Debate Pros and Cons of a Constitutional Convention
* Meth Coffee fails to amuse Madigan
* Decision to charge piano owners in Birkett’s hands
* Peraica donors include felons
* Alvarez, Peraica still trading barbs on questionable donors
* Peraica giving back donations
* Misspellings, grammar errors put county mag on ice
But county officials have the final say on what’s published. And Tracy accepted $24,999 from Stroger’s administration last November to launch the magazine — $1 under the amount that would have required the approval of the full Cook County Board.
* Pat Cassidy leaves WBBM-AM 780
* Politics Is National in Local Web Campaign
* Billing snafus led to some CTA overcharges
* Metra looking out for the Southland
- posted by Kevin Fanning 12 Comments
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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008
[Comments are now open]
* A little late in posting it, but I’m still on break. Here’s my weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Women and children literally are being thrown into the street while the three-headed monster that runs Illinois government continues to do battle with itself.
More than a thousand protesters gathered at Chicago’s Thompson Center last week to demand an end to the ugly political war that has engulfed Springfield. The protesters wanted the restoration of millions of dollars vetoed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich from alcohol and substance abuse recovery services. The programs keep drug and alcohol users out of jail by giving them an opportunity to clean up and get their lives back in order.
 The governor vetoed the money - and a whole lot more - after the House and Senate failed to pass a balanced budget. Actually, the House did pass a balanced budget, but it’s still sitting in the Senate. The proposal that made it to the governor’s desk was favored by the Senate Democrats but required additional revenue, which the House didn’t approve during the spring session.
The House came back to Springfield to override some of the governor’s vetoes, including the alcohol and substance abuse cuts. But the House Democrats, who run the chamber, never took up any funding proposals, claiming the House Republicans had refused to negotiate with them at the request of the Democratic governor. The Senate refused to come back to town as long as the House failed to pass revenue bills, and then the never-ending finger-pointing ritual, which passes for leadership here, fully engaged.
The governor blamed the House, the Senate blamed the House, the House blamed everybody but itself, the Republicans blamed the Democrats, and the Democrats blamed the Republicans.
Meanwhile, A Safe Haven, a facility for homeless families that houses 80 women and 40 children in Alsip and relies solely on state funding through the alcohol and drug program, is preparing to close its doors and evict its residents.
“It’s like our lives (aren’t) important,” said Demetria Woods, who works for the facility. The SouthtownStar reported that Woods once was a resident of the facility who had changed her life to the point where she was hired to help others. Except now there will be no one to help.
Back to the blame game. 
The governor’s people had predicted the Illinois House would bear the brunt of the blame in this budget fight, but that hasn’t happened so far. He made the vetoes, the House overrode some of them, and the Senate won’t return. Politically, the governor and the Senate are taking most of the heat at the moment. And the more the governor cuts (he has said much more is on the way as he manages his way through hundreds of millions in additional red ink), the more blame he will get.
But this no longer is a merely political story. We’re talking real people with real problems blithely tossed to the four winds while the “leaders” seek to use the crisis to their own advantage. Blagojevich and Jones want to destroy Madigan, and Madigan is trying to do the same to them.
Illinois always was known as a rough and tumble state that still got the job done. No longer. The rough and tumble has increased exponentially to the point where “the job” now is a distant second to “the fight.”
 I’m reminded of those old Godzilla movies. You may remember Ghidorah, also known as the “King of Terror.” Ghidorah was a three-headed monster who made even Godzilla tremble. Well, in the Illinois version, Ghidorah’s three heads (Blagojevich, Jones and Madigan) are now fighting among each other without taking even the slightest notice of the devastation they are causing to the people and infrastructure below. It may be thrilling to watch, unless, of course, you are those Thompson Center protesters or Demetria Woods, and then your cries of anguish go unheard while the monster tramples you to a bloody pulp.
Apparently, the rest of us are doomed to letting this three-headed monster fight itself until a “win” is declared or until Ghidorah is too exhausted to continue. And there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot we can do about it until the war is over, whenever that may be.
I’ve never been so disheartened by this state’s government as I am right now.
- posted by Rich Miller 19 Comments
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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
* As I told you earlier, we’re shutting down until the middle of next week or so. The news feeds will still be up and running, of course, and InsiderzExchange will still be active, as will Illinoize. So keep on coming back.
I’ve told people before that this site has become a living, breathing thing. Every time you come back, something’s different and new. A new post, new items in the news feed, new coments, a new ad at InsiderzExchange, or whatever. But every now and then I have to get away from it.
Have a pleasant break. I hope to as well.
* I dig the bagpipes…
Look out, it’s rough and mean
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
We ban, by law, a whole lot of things and activities in this state. So what one thing would you like to “unban”? Explain.
- posted by Rich Miller 90 Comments
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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
* Many thanks to Chicago Magazine for including me in their “Best of Chicago” editition, which is on newsstands now. Read the blurb by clicking here. I’m also quoted in their article about Jim Oberweis.
* AOL e-mail problems continue. I was able to send out the Capitol Fax this morning, but I haven’t been able to send e-mail since then. I can’t even log into the online version.
* “Out of office” bounceback e-mail’s have increased exponentially in the past few days, and comments here are dropping like a rock. Since the readership is taking a break, I will too. Today is it for a while. So get your comments in while you can because Kevin and I are shutting down the shop until next Wednesday or Thursday - or until the governor makes another big, goofy splash.
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
* I told you Monday that GOP gubernatorial hopeful Sen. Bill Brady had raised a pathetic $55,730 during the first six months of this year. Brady now has an excuse…
Brady said that with fellow Republicans involved in active campaigns in November, he didn’t want to raise money that might compete with them. He said he’ll wait until the 2010 election is closer to begin collecting campaign cash.
‘’We weren’t going to do anything out of the ordinary,'’ Brady said.
That’s an unfortunate remark. One of the biggest knocks on Brady’s 2006 bid was his lack of fundraising abilities.
And Mike Lawrence makes an excellent point in the article…
‘’It’s a lot easier to build on a big fund than be scrambling for money during the campaign season itself,'’ Lawrence said.
In other words: Get cracking.
* But not like this…
It is still business as usual for Gov. Blagojevich, the only statewide officeholder taking campaign contributions from companies with state-paid contracts awarded by his office or agencies under his control.
Yesterday, the Blagojevich campaign committee filed campaign disclosure reports for the first half of 2008, and we have found dozens of contributions from people and businesses connected to state contracts. In a preliminary look through his report, we found 70 that appear, on their face, to be from businesses or employees of businesses that have FY09 contracts from agencies under his control worth more than $50,000. Those donations total $238,500. That’s about 22% of his itemized individual donations, or 12.6% of all the contributions to his campaign.
* Quite the lede from the AP…
While Illinois legislators took action against the state’s “pay to play” reputation, Gov. Rod Blagojevich took donation after donation from people who stood to gain financially from his administration.
* The Sun-Times editorializes…
We’ve just discovered another 220,000 reasons why Gov. Blagojevich should sign an ethics bill sitting on his desk that takes aim at pay-to-play politics in Illinois.
That’s 220,000 dollars, to be precise.
That’s how much Blagojevich raised in the first half of 2008 from companies that were granted major state contracts for this fiscal year, according to a rough analysis of new campaign finance reports by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. This estimate, which doesn’t capture all donors, represents about 20 percent of the $1.1 million Blagojevich raised from individual donors.
* Anyway, let’s end on a lighter note…
Some legislators also are interested in the position, including state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock and senators Christine Rodogno, R-Lemont, Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, and Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline.
“I’m mulling it over,” said Jacobs, who believes voters are tired of Chicago politicians, but admitted he’d have to raise some serious money to run. “What I’m willing to do is work hard, roll up my sleeves and move Illinois forward. I don’t want to see Illinois roll backward.”
* Related…
* DuPage Dems blast GOP for taking cash from local businesses
* Candidates renounce some campaign cash
- posted by Rich Miller 26 Comments
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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
* Cokie and Steve Roberts praise governors…
In a welcome relief from the politics of blaming the other party for the inaction that infests Washington, the men and women who occupy the nation’s statehouses are noticeably more interested in finding solutions, many of them wonderfully wonky, to the problems facing their citizens.
* As is typical for DC types, they visited a meeting of the National Governors Association and declared governors to be superior. Well, they really need to visit Illinois…
After eight years of helping homeless and drug-addicted mothers, A Safe Haven sits on the brink of oblivion. Eighty women and 40 children may be kicked out of their apartments beginning Thursday if lawmakers don’t restore money taken away by Gov. Rod Blagojevich. […]
“This is the first time I’ve ever experienced anything like this. The cuts have been so drastic,” said Sterling Gildersleeve, executive director of the Alsip facility, which may begin separating families as soon as Thursday. […]
Repeated calls to the governor’s office for comment weren’t returned.
The story concludes with a quote from a former addicted mother who was hired by the center…
“We’re citizens, and we need help. It’s like our lives (aren’t) important.”
Those lives aren’t important. Not to the people who run Illinois, anyway.
* A rally yesterday attempted to draw attention to this particular issue…
More than a thousand demonstrators gathered at the James R. Thompson Center on Tuesday, calling for state lawmakers to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s veto of $43 million in funding for alcohol and substance abuse recovery services. […]
Protesters hoped to get the attention of Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago), who is ultimately responsible for re-convening the Senate in Springfield and following the House’s suit in casting an overriding vote.
Jones was not immediately available for comment.
* Seeing a pattern?…
The Blagojevich administration Tuesday continued to say little publicly about how it plans to deal with cuts to the state budget.
* Nobody wants to talk to the press, but they’re still ginning up the hatred. Check out a couple of photos from yesterday’s protest rally. Gee, I wonder who might’ve sponsored these guys?…
So helpful. Seriously. Way to go, guv.
* More about the cuts were in a letter from TASC Inc. Belleville….
The Senate can sit idle as 42,000 people are kicked out of care, as current waiting list of 7,500 is doubled and as public safety decreases. Or, the Senate can restore the state’s budget for treatment, and avert the costly consequences to families, communities, and taxpayers.
Methinks they’ll sit idle.
* Meanwhile, Gov. Blagojevich has never been to a state park in his entire life, and it shows…
A coalition of conservation and environmental groups called Tuesday for Gov. Rod Blagojevich to put off implementing $14 million in budget cuts for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. […]
“We’re calling on the governor not to make any cuts until after (the Nov. 4 election) and to keep the budget where it is right now,” said John Gaudette of the Illinois Environmental Council. […]
“The Department of Natural Resources is already at a skeleton level,” he said.
It’s a hollow shell. We have a DNR in name only…
The cuts will bring the department’s budget to $52 million, down from $108 million in 2004, Osmond said.
* Mothers and children are about to be kicked out of treatment centers, DNR is in meltdown mode, and this is all we have to show for the past month and a half…
Construction will start back up today on several local projects after state officials fixed a mix-up in the current budget.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday signed into law Senate Bill 1130, which lawmakers approved two weeks ago. It clarifies state budget language that his administration said had stalled 39 construction projects statewide.
Hooray for progress!!!
* Related…
* Our (state) house divided against itself cannot stand
* The real victims of the Illinois budget crisis
* Nature groups urge governor to hold off on budget cuts
* Park advocates want state money restored
*** UPDATE *** Senate President Emil Jones talked to some reporters today. Of course, nobody apparently asked him about the no-growth budget bills still sitting idly in his chamber…
“We have to have a balanced budget,” Jones said. “I’m not going to get involved in playing silly games and giving false hopes to people when the money isn’t there. I support many of the programs that cut. But we in the Senate also supported the revenue to support the budget. That’s why we passed the revenue to support the budget in May. Now, if the House was genuinely sincere about passing those programs, then they in turn would pass the revenue to support it.”
Jones compared the House’s approval of the budget without enough revenue to support it to “check kiting.”
“The House is good at check kiting. Send them a big check, knowing dog-gone well the check is going to bounce. And that’s where we stand right now.”
Jones also insisted the Senate’s absence from Springfield to deal with the budget had nothing to do with having to confront the pay raise issue head-on if he returned. The Senate has two legislative session days left to reject a raise that would boost the salaries of lawmakers and many other state officials salaries by about 7.5 percent by next summer.
- posted by Rich Miller 81 Comments
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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
* Media Advisory: New Survey of the American Jewish Community
* Bob Bartell New IVI-IPO Chief
* House Democratic Campaign Arm Broadens TV Buy
* Oberweis’ energy solution: Produce more, use less
* Myth bustin’ or What I did on my summer vacation
There was easily enough gas to make a round trip, but, hey, I’m in Missouri, I might as well take advantage of this cheap gas I’m always hearing about. Looky here, gas for $3.98 a gallon. I’ll top off the tank and save a couple bucks.
Imagine my surprise when, later that night, we get back to Springfield and gas is selling for — $3.98 a gallon.
* Politics: Dick Durbin wants to know if Colleen Callahan needs his support
* Questions about money, effectiveness of city gun buy-back program
* Challenges to DuPage economy not readily apparent, group says
* State legislators back off from NIU cancer center criticisms
State Sen. John Millner, a Republican from Carol Stream, acknowledged Tuesday that the characterization of the NIU proton treatment center “could’ve been done differently.”
“I want both centers to be built,” Millner said. “I want to make sure both become very successful. And I’ll do what I can to promote both centers.”
* High Time for Political Consultant Thacker
* Authorities recall 1978 Illinois prison riot
* Daley Defends City’s Evacuation Plan
* SJ-R Opinion: Take long view in assessing flood control
* Richardson to address Democrats here
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is coming to Springfield to be the keynote speaker at a brunch Aug. 13 hosted by the Democratic County Chairmen’s Association.
* Free publicity for Peraica ends with tax re-vote
* Stroger pays state nearly $27,000 in campaign fines
- posted by Kevin Fanning 14 Comments
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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
AOL has just informed me that their e-mail server is down. So I can’t reply to your messages this morning. The tech support guy said it might even be a “day or two” before it’s working again. Amazing.
Anyway, I am now hobbled. Not sure how long it will be. Sorry for not responding.
But, whatever. My brother is here and I need to get away from the computer. Kevin is in charge.
…Adding… Has a Capitol Fax Blog reader been “outed”? Check the 1:30 mark of this WGN TV video. (Thanks to WW for the tip. Quite the observant person.)
UPDATE: The e-mail problem appears to be fixed, but Kevin is still in charge. It’s about time for a blog break.
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
* One of my all-time favorite teachers was David Heminway. David was a literature professor at the University of Maryland in Munich. I had read some Dostoyevsky in high school, and he was teaching a Russian Lit class and convinced me during orientation to give it a go. I did and was blown away, not just with the books, but with the way he taught them.
The man was brilliant, gentle and decent. He would have students over occasionally to his apartment and we’d marvel at how it was literally filled with books, good wine and hearty conversation.
I took his Shakespeare class the next semester and became a lifelong devotee of the bard. Heminway was one of those few teachers who had the power to change my life and I will always be grateful.
David died recently, and here is his obituary…
DAMARISCOTTA (July 9): David Mason Heminway died peacefully at Cove’s Edge in Damariscotta on July 4, 2008, after a long, courageous struggle with pulmonary fibrosis.
David was born April 19, 1927, the son of Edwin Harwood Heminway and Josephine Hawkes Pott of New York City, N.Y. He grew up in Tarrytown and Hastings-on-Hudson.
After his graduation from South Kent School in 1944, he joined the Army, training as a radio and Morse code operator. He was stationed in Munich, Germany in 1945-46. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Hobart College in 1952, he studied for his master’s degree at Colombia. For the next several years, David alternated teaching at Harmon Hall in Maine and at the Peddie School in New Jersey with extended bicycle trips through Europe.
While writing poetry and short stories outside Florence, Italy, he met Elizabeth Lincoln Hilgenberg from Baltimore, Md.; they married in 1958. The couple lived in and around Florence where their two children, Olivia and Benjamin, were born.
David became part owner of the American Language Center in Florence as well as a teacher in the Gonzaga University program. His first three books of poetry were published during this period.
In 1966 David took an English post at the University of Maryland, Munich, a program for American students whose parents were stationed in Europe. He was an inspiring teacher who developed lasting friendships with many of his students.
In Munich he also produced and directed theater both at university and downtown venues and at JFK Centers, where he was invited to give a number of his own poetry readings.
Most holidays the family returned to the farmhouse they had bought in the Appenine foothills. Tragically, his son Ben died in an accident in 1979 while on a bike trip together from Munich to the Italian house. Eight years later, David and Betsy moved to Italy to live year round. There, David worked on a novel and wrote numerous poems. His fourth book, “It isn’t Every Day,” was published in 2001.
In 2003, David and Betsy moved to Damariscotta, a region they both had fallen in love with; they were not disappointed. David became an involved member of the Pemaquid Poets.
David’s tall, lean frame, intense blue gaze, and beard made him a memorable figure. With his creative, questioning mind, his humor, and his talent with words, he was a friend, mentor and inspiration to many people. The young especially gravitated toward David’s ebullient participation in life and living and responded to his original and insightful ideas and caring advice.
His involvements were far-ranging: poetry, theater, music, art, people and foremost, family. His enthusiasm for life never waned.
David is survived by his wife, Betsy; daughter, Olivia; son-in-law, Jethro Pettit; and grandchildren, Benjamin, Sophia Rose and Noah.
Now, that’s a life.
* The question: Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
- posted by Rich Miller 44 Comments
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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
* I’m not saying that this won’t happen, it’s just that we’ve heard this pledge so many times before I kinda doubt anything will come of it…
State education officials launched an investigation Monday into dubious after-school programs following a Tribune story that exposed questionable spending and political patronage.
The chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education vowed to reclaim misspent money and ratchet up oversight of the grant program.
The board already has begun looking into the $20,000 grants awarded to three groups that employed ex-cons, a violation of the state contract.
“The Tribune story raised the bar for us, and we plan to make these grant awards a much more rigorous process,” said Jesse Ruiz, chairman of the state Board of Education. “We have to go and try to retrieve funds if people are not doing what they promised us they’d do.” […]
In the Sunday Tribune story, Hendon said the state board is responsible for policing the programs that got money. Ruiz took him up on that offer Monday.
“If the lawmakers are going to throw this into our lap,” he said. “They will have to, hopefully, understand that some of these groups might not get the money.”
Many, many kudos to the Tribune for this story.
* The big worry, however, is that Sam Zell’s management will mean far fewer stories like this. The paper’s top investigative reporter just quit in protest…
Maurice Possley, an investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune whose reporting helped bring about the state’s death penalty moratorium, is resigning from the newspaper.
Mr. Possley, who joined the Tribune in 1984, on Monday volunteered to be one of the staffers laid off in upcoming newsroom cuts the paper is making to balance falling advertising revenue with expenses. […]
The Tribune is trimming roughly 60 newsroom staffers in the first cuts to follow two rounds of voluntary buyouts in the past year.
Mr. Possley’s decision was based on what he referred to as the “stunning . . . dismantling of our newspaper in such a short time,” according to his note.
* Meanwhile, GateHouse continues to crumble. Its stock price is in the dumpster and some of its newspapers are being forced to share editorials. The Patriot Ledger just ran an editorial from the Rockford Register Star…
Beginning today, we will occasionally offer editorials from our other GateHouse publications on a variety of subjects that may or may not reflect our editorial view.
They sound so enthused.
* If you want another reason to be troubled by the slash and burn at the Trib and the tanking media in general, check out this lede…
One of the finalists to lead the office charged with ferreting out political corruption under Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is an attorney who led the county’s defense in a landmark illegal patronage case.
Only in Illinois.
And only Illinoisans can cover and analyze it. Not some far-away editorial board in Massachusetts.
- posted by Rich Miller 35 Comments
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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
* I told you yesterday that the governor had managed to shave a bunch of money off the debt he owes to Winston & Strawn…
The debt to Winston & Strawn has dropped from $965,352.04 in the last filing period to $750K in this filing period. But no money was reported as being paid to the firm this year. A campaign spokesperson said that the reduced amount was the result of negotiations with the firm. The guv’s people have said for some time now that they’ve disputed some of the charges, and subscribers know another story about the law firm that I told them a couple of months ago.
The spokesman added that no separate legal fund has been set up by the governor.
* Joe Ryan at the Daily Herald asked a good follow-up question…
The last reported bill from Winston & Strawn is from October 2007, but campaign spokesman Doug Scofield said the firm continues to work for the campaign.
“They have been,” he said. “There has just been no charges from them during this six-month reporting period.”
Scofield said the amount of firm’s work has been “similar” to that of the past.
If the work load has been “similar” to what the firm has done in the past, then the governor’s campaign has apparently just not received a bill yet.
No report of new bills doesn’t mean there won’t be a bill soon.
* Meanwhile, the Tribune has a very good fundraising roundup today…
Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan had $2.6 million after pulling in nearly $570,000 in donations during the first half of the year, while Comptroller Dan Hynes quietly raised nearly $740,000 and had almost $2.4 million in the bank. Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias raised nearly $660,000 and had about $1.3 million available along with nearly $2.3 million in previous family loans listed as debts.
Among possible Republican candidates for governor, Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, an unsuccessful contender in 2006, had $67,413 in cash on hand and debts, largely personal, of $685,750 after raising $55,730. DuPage County State’s Atty. Joe Birkett, who lost for lieutenant governor two years ago, raised nearly $64,000 and spent $57,000, leaving $96,713 in his campaign fund.
In the legislature, House Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago reported a combined total of more than $1.85 million in cash between his personal campaign fund and the state Democratic Party’s committee he chairs. Rep. Tom Cross of Oswego, the Republican leader of the House, was expected to show $1.1 million in his own campaign fund, aides said. Another House GOP campaign fund held $111,779.
Democratic Senate President Emil Jones of Chicago listed more than $2 million in his personal and caucus campaign funds. Senate Republican leader Frank Watson of Greenville had more than $2.3 million in cash on hand in the campaign accounts he controls along with another $230,000 in investment funds.
* And expect more stories about this…
A preliminary review of the donors reveals several state contractors. The governor has yet to sign an ethics measure on his desk that would make it illegal for state contractors to donate to such campaigns.
* The Sun-Times looks at a local race…
In the hotly contested race for Cook County state’s attorney, Democratic prosecutor Anita Alvarez brought in $1.1 million in cash and in-kind contributions, along with a $600,000 loan from her husband. She spent nearly $1 million of it on her hard-fought primary election, leaving her $127,000 cash on hand.
Her Republican opponent, Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica, brought in about $73,000 and reported $44,000 cash on hand.
* The Reader claims that Anita Alvarez’s bigtime fundraising is a bad thing, and that Tony Peraica’s paltry take shows what a fine outstanding person he is…
Their success at fund-raising the last few months is similarly dissimilar, according to reports just filed with the state board of elections: she’s raised gobs of money from a long list of insiders; he hasn’t. She looks like she’s going to have a party apparatus working for her; he couldn’t find a party apparatus if he wanted to. She’s taking money from some of the very people she criticized in the primary; he can only dream of such lucrative, uh, flexibility. She’s—well, you get the point.
Warning: The comments over there are just ridiculously goofy. The Reader has the worst, nastiest most libelous and boorish commenters in all of Illinois. The paper ought to be ashamed of itself, but it refuses to do anything about the problem. Good luck with that.
* Related…
* Southern Illinois candidates report fundraising figures
* Rep. Wait, challenger about even in cash on hand
* Race on for political funds
* GOP light on funding for coming races
* Rep. Sommer reports $9,000 for November election
* Lawmakers disclose fundraising status
* Lawmakers report fundraising numbers
- posted by Rich Miller 10 Comments
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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
* Want a Better Life in Illinois? - Drive 33 miles.
* Week begins with more gun violence in Chicago
* Report: Overcrowding Correlates with Violence at Cook County Jail
* Atheist aims new weapon in his crusade
Sometimes it just took one phone call,” Sherman said. “But now [my threats to take legal action] aren’t just a bluff. I can back them up.”
Why? Because last year, Sherman said, he inherited from his mother a sum that he characterizes as “a multimillion-dollar amount . . . more money than I can ever spend.”
* City seeks ideas for new O’Hare terminal
* City may spend $2 million on O’Hare art exhibit
“Every penny that comes out of the airport’s discretionary funds is less money available for necessary projects that keep the terminals, runways and facilities in [good] operating condition.”
* AT&T refunds $1.5 million in Illinois settlement
* Illinois: AT&T agrees to refunds
Madigan’s office said the phone company quietly made the refunds last October and November. The refunds amounted to about $40 for each AT&T customer across the state, a Madigan spokeswoman said.
* Department of Natural Resources launches Web site
* State pension plans adjust strategies
* Oberweis stresses diversification necessary to reduce oil costs
“It’s really clear to me that we can bring the cost of energy down by encouraging more American-made energy,” Oberweis said.
* Foster finds border security needs enhancement while on fact-finding mission
* Rep. Foster Travels To U.S.-Mexico Border
* Feds want to slap $10,000 fine on Aviation Dept.
- posted by Kevin Fanning 7 Comments
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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
- posted by Rich Miller Comments Off
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Monday, Jul 21, 2008
[Updated and bumped to the top because we’re going to use this thread for newly filed campaign disclosure reports.]
*** UPDATE 25 @ 9:22 pm *** The governor’s report is in and they told the truth about not having any new Winston & Strawn charges. They did this once before, however, and added them back in later, so one never knows what to believe.
The governor reported raising $1,891,238, spent $387,165 (including about $46K to Hinshaw & Culbertson law firm) and had $3.6 million in the bank.
He’s still carrying $750,000 in old debt on the books. Every dime of that is owed to his criminal defense attorneys at Winston & Strawn. So 39 cents of every dollar he raised this period is committed to the pinstripes.
…Adding… The debt to Winston & Strawn has dropped from $965,352.04 in the last filing period to $750K in this filing period. But no money was reported as being paid to the firm this year. A campaign spokesperson said that the reduced amount was the result of negotiations with the firm. The guv’s people have said for some time now that they’ve disputed some of the charges, and subscribers know another story about the law firm that I told them a couple of months ago.
The spokesman added that no separate legal fund has been set up by the governor.
*** UPDATE 24 @ 8:25 pm *** State Sen. Christine Radogno has been talking up a possible GOP gubernatorial bid. Her numbers are in. Radogno raised $111,692, spent $91,002 and had $94,089 cash on hand.
I’m not sure how any of these Republicans think they’re going to be competitive with those kinds of numbers.
Here are the amounts raised for the Repubs who have been floating their names…
* Rutherford: $219,699
* Radogno: $111,692
* Birkett: $63,782
* Dillard: $60,187
* Brady: $55,730
Not exactly stellar.
*** UPDATE 23 @ 8:18 pm *** Trib bloggers Rick Pearson and John Chase have more on the governor’s fundraising numbers…
That’s far less than the embattled Blagojevich raised during a comparable reporting period—the first six months of 2004, two years before the next round of statewide elections. Back then, Blagojevich raised $4.9 million and spent only $877,000, which left him with more than $10.2 million in the bank heading up to his successful for a second term in 2006.
But Scofield said the governor is pleased with his fundraising results. He said over the last 12 months he’s raised about $4 million, which is “right in the ballpark” for previous 12 month periods. Still, Scofield acknowledged that the governor has not spent time fundraising because he’s been dealing with budget battles with the legislature and his plan last year to rearrange the state’s tax structure.
“The governor has spent as little time fundraising in the last 18 months than any time since he’s run for governor,” Scofield said.
* 5:33 pm - I’m gonna take a bit of a break. I’ll be back when the governor’s report is filed.
*** UPDATE 22 @ 5:29 pm *** Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ report has been filed. He raised $659,865, which is more than Lisa Madigan, who (to be fair) was busy having a baby, but a bit less than Dan Hynes. The campaign points out, however, that Giannoulias’ individual contributions (as opposed to PAC money) was far higher than both Madigan and Hynes. Giannoulias ended with $1,273,741 cash on hand.
*** UPDATE 21 @ 5:09 pm *** The governor’s campaign just said their report will be released at about 7 tonight. According to the campaign, no new Winston & Strawn expenditures will be reported. That could mean a lot of things, however.
The guv’s campaign will report raising a bit under $2 million, with just under $3.6 mil cash on hand, although that’s a ballpark at the moment. Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE 20 @ 5:00 pm *** The report is in for Citizens for Emil Jones. The committee raised $290,255, which compares to the $230,600 that Jones raised during the same period in 2006. Jones finished the period with cash on hand of $1.6 million - way down from the $2.5 million he had on-hand two years ago at this time and equal to Frank Watson’s on-hand total.
* The Illinois Senate Democratic Fund report has also just been filed. The committe raised $621,812, which is down from the $719,311 it raised in the same 2006 period. The ISDF had $452,463, compared to $809K in ‘06, and far lower than the Senate GOP total.
*** UPDATE 19 @ 4:49 pm *** The Illinois Green Party raised $20,879 in the first half of the year. IGP had $9,611 cash on hand.
*** UPDATE 18 @ 4:42 pm *** Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s D-2 is in. AG Madigan raised $569,399 during the reporting period. That’s about $170,000 less than what Comptroller Dan Hynes pulled in. Ouch.
Madigan has $2.6 million in cash on hand - which is a few hundo more than Hynes.
*** UPDATE 17 @ 4:38 pm *** Sen. Bill Brady, who ran for governor in 2006, is talking up another run in 2010. But he reported just $55,730 in contributions during the first half of 2008. Brady had $67,413 on hand. Money was his biggest problem last time, you will recall.
*** UPDATE 16 @ 4:32 pm *** Rev. Sen. James Meeks has been touted by some as a possible 2010 gubernatorial candidate. Well, Meeks reported raising just $7,300 in the first six months of the year.
*** UPDATE 15 @ 4:14 pm *** Nothing has been filed yet, but I’m told that House GOP Leader Tom Cross’ D-2 will show he raised about $640,000 and has $1.1 million cash on hand. That compares to $576,205 raised during the same period two years ago, with $1,372,742 cash on hand.
*** UPDATE 14 @ 4:05 pm *** Secretary of State Jesse White’s disclosure report has been filed. White reported raising $359,807, spent $234,720, and had $668,712 on hand.
*** UPDATE 13 @ 3:59 pm *** The Democratic Party of Illinois, which Speaker Madigan uses to fund his House campaigns, reported raising $177,939 during the first six months of the year. That doesn’t sound like much, but it’s more than the $109,434 which DPI raised in the same period back in 2006.
And this is the bigger story: DPI ended the period with $743,190, way up from the $166,044 it had on hand at the end of June, 2006.
*** UPDATE 12 @ 3:52 pm *** House Speaker Michael Madigan’s personal campaign committee report is in. Friends of Michael J Madigan raised $1,159,368 during the reporting period. That compares to $780,875 from the same period in 2006, so it’s a big jump. But the end result is about the same, as far as bank balances go, at least. FOMJM ended the reporting period with $1,117,394 cash on hand, compared to $1,009,329 during the same period in 2006. Still, he’s up while the GOP leaders are down.
*** UPDATE 11 @ 3:46 pm *** The governor’s House floor leader, Rep. Jay Hoffman, has put together a giant campaign fund, partly in anticipation of an eventual run for secretary of state, and partly to help his allies against Speaker Madigan, and the rest to defend himself.
Hoffman reported raising $106,780 during the first half of the year, bringing his total cash on hand to over $1.24 million, even after spending $98,808 on campaigns, staff, infrastructure, etc. Not bad for a little ol’ rep, eh?
*** UPDATE 10 @ 3:34 pm *** The Tribbies have some interesting campaign finance tidbits…
The Service Employees International Union’s Illinois political action committee gave $50,000 to Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The PAC also gave $5,000 to each of the state’s other Democratic statewide elected officeholders—an exception being Lt Gov. Pat Quinn, who got nothing—and gave $25,000 apiece to House Speaker Michael Madigan’s campaign fund and to the Senate Democrat’s campaign treasury.
*** UPDATE 9 @ 3:08 pm *** Senate GOP Leader Frank Watson’s personal committee report is in. Watson raised $601,718 during the first half of the year, compared to $752,210 during the same period two years ago. Watson spent $249,601 and had a bit over $1.6 million on-hand. He had about $1.9 million on-hand two years ago.
*** UPDATE 8 @ 2:15 pm *** The Democratic nominee for Cook County State’s Attorney, Anita Alvarez has raised $463,275 since the primary (compared to $71K for the filing period by her GOP opponent). Her total for the first six months of the year was $1,054,093. She has $167,957 on-hand.
*** UPDATE 7 @ 2:04 pm *** The House Republican Organization reported raising $407,791 in the first half of the year. That compares to $478,358 during the first half of 2006. But the HGOPs are going to have to defend a ton of seats this time around, unlike 2006, when they only lost one seat. HRO spent $389,411 and had just $111,779 in the bank.
These state legislative caucus committees are usually outpaced by the personal committees of the various leaders. So, we’ll see what those numbers bring.
*** UPDATE 6 @ 1:56 pm *** The Cook County Republican Party raised $28,370 during the first half of the year. During the first six months of 2007. which was an “off” year, the party raised $27,262. Not much of an improvement. The latest reports show that the party has $14,460 in the bank.
*** UPDATE 5 @ 1:50 pm *** Two years ago, the Republican State Senate Campaign Committee raised $653,334 during the first half of the year and had about $1.1 million cash on hand. This time around, the RSSCC pulled in $611,252 and had $922,051 in the bank.
*** UPDATE 4 @ 1:38 pm *** GOP state Sen. Kirk Dillard has been mentioned as a possible statewide candidate. His latest report shows he raised $60,187, spent $90,199, and had $103,467 on hand.
* Also, Democratic state Rep. Jack Franks has been hinting around about a statewide bid. Franks reported raising $123,327 during the first six months of the year, he spent $112,545 and had $133,430 left over.
*** UPDATE 3 @ 1:36 pm *** The late John Stroger’s campaign fund didn’t raise any money this year, nor did it spend any, but it still has $559,556 in the bank.
The late county board president’s son, Todd, also reported no money raised this year in one of his funds, but the Friends of Todd H Stroger for President funds hasn’t yet reported anything today.
*** UPDATE 2 @ 1:22 pm *** GOP Sen. Dan Rutherford lost to Secretary of State Jesse White in 2006, but he’s obviously been gearing up for another statewide bid. Rutherford reported raising $219,699 during the first six months of this year. He spent $135,840 and had $273,964 in the bank. Rutherford filed his report last week, but I hadn’t seen any coverage on it, so there you go.
*** UPDATE 1 @ 11:35 am *** Dan Hynes is the first statewide officeholder to file his D-2 report today. Hynes raised $739,377, spent $108,498 and had $2,358,420 in the bank on June 30th.
* Republican Joe Birkett, who is talking about a race for governor, already filed with $63,782 raised, $57,221 spent and $96,713 in the bank.
* GOP state’s attorney nominee Tony Peraica filed earlier with $71,215 raised, $120,874 spent and $43,522 in the bank.
***************************
OK, so today is campaign finance report deadline day and the State Board of Elections’ website is proving to be a huge pain.
Yes, they fixed some of the more egregious problems that we complained about a few months ago. But check out the steps it takes to keep things in order for several campaign finance stories that will run in tomorrow’s Capitol Fax (and which ran in today’s CF - the one with the goofy error about Grumman)…
First, you go to the Latest Reports Filed page and start scrolling down.
OK, I found one that sparks my curiosity: Citizens for Jim Watson. He doesn’t have any opposition, but he’s in Iraq and I’m kinda interested to see if he’s raised any money. So, I click on the D-2 link and up pops the report.
If I have a bunch of other reports open, often times when I click on one of the “itemized” lists I get somebody else’s report details. That means hitting the “back” button, refreshing Watson’s latest D-2 report page and then clicking on the details link once again. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t, necessitating another back button, another refresh and another link.
Now, if I want to save the latest D-2 report for later, I have to go back to the Latest Reports Filed page, find Watson’s name again, and click on the committee name, rather than the D-2 link. Of course, by now I’ve realized that I have to do this right off the bat, but it’s just goofy that I have to do it at all.
But after I do that, I have to go into the D-2 report again or I won’t get a unique address. Then and only then do I get a link that I can save for later, but the link is for the “all documents filed” page, not the latest D-2 in question. Argghhh!!!
Of course, they still haven’t allowed users to open a link in a new tab or a new window, so once I get a link I can finally save, I have to copy and paste it into a new tab on my own.
Also, if I try to save the D-2 page as an html document so I can get around the Board’s craziness by keeping a copy on my hard drive, I get this unreadable mess.
It’s inexcusably retro, buggy and ridiculous, but that may not be the worst of it. As Curt Mercadante notes…
As many of you know, I’m a candidate for Grundy County Board, and the BOE’s circa-1996 software makes it as confusing as possible even to file the most simple disclosure report.
Document the atrocities.
- posted by Rich Miller 58 Comments
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Monday, Jul 21, 2008
* Let’s do a caption contest instead…
- posted by Rich Miller 67 Comments
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