Juvenile justice reform

Steven Guerra, the governor’s deputy chief of staff for social services, helped kick off the first conference of its kind in Illinois Wednesday morning in Springfield. He spoke at the 1st Annual Collaborative Juvenile Justice Conference, where he said juvenile justice is a “life and death” situation for him, that he was one of the “street kids” once shot at three times but, luckily, unharmed.

“I am one of the kids that actually, you guys caught,” he told hundreds of juvenile justice officials at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center. “Were it not for you, certainly like a lot of my friends, I would have been caught up in what we now know is a cradle prison pipeline.”

His comments mirror the results of a report also released Wednesday that says Illinois falls below national standards in helping kids stay out of the juvenile justice system. That’s partially because the kids often lack adequate legal representation and, in 70 percent of the cases, agree to plea bargains (or plead guilty) rather than take the time to fully consider how the case should proceed. The study was released by the Children and Family Justice Center of the Northwestern Law School and the National Juvenile Defender Center. (Here’s the executive summary.)

The three-day conference where Guerra spoke focuses on the condition of Illinois’s system, including the status of the relatively new state Department of Juvenile Justice and such other alternative youth programs as Redeploy Illinois.

The conference did not paint a rosy picture, but did offer a road map for collaboration. A harsh analysis of state and national systems was spelled out by featured speaker Bart Lubow, a director with the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation. It’s an advocacy group started by the founder of UPS shipping services that studies policies and funds programs to help disadvantaged families and kids.

Lubow called the existing national juvenile justice system “the country’s most underachieving and disappointing reform agenda to date.” He said what went wrong was that “we have created a segregated system of justice that primarily serves kids of color or kids who are too poor to buy their way out of it.”

He cited research to demonstrate that states can get kids out of detention centers and into the court system where they are more likely to have successful outcomes, and states can reform their justice systems by shifting the focus away from detention and towards intervention at a much lower cost than it’s doing now. But the trick, he said, is to stop throwing money at new programs in an attempt to improve the effectiveness of the system. He said change has to start with the adults running those systems, and that includes refocusing how officials view the children they’re supposed to help.

“We unfortunately have viewed them for far too long through a lens that is distorted by race, class and place bias. That is, by being biased towards the places where kids come from,” Lubow said. “We talk all the time in juvenile justice about a dysfunctional neighborhoods and dysfunctional families. Dysfunctional is a code word. What we refuse to do, what we have been unable to do because of the distortions in our lenses is to, in fact, recognize the strengths and … redirect our resources to building upon the assets that exist in those communities and within those families.”

The conference touched on a wider array of topics and trends, available from the Juvenile Justice Initiative.

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George Ryan going to jail

I wrote about his conviction here at Illinoize last year. I discussed that he was on a public access program in Chicago on a show whose intended audience was black. The reason for it was simple.

A lot of people may have looked up to George Ryan because he got a lot of bruthas off death row. I explained that in my post because this program was a live call in show and a lot of people expressed their support and admiration for the ex-governor. On the other hand I also explained that I was suspicious of the "why". Why did then Governor Ryan commuted all death row sentences before he left office in 2003?

In that post I leapfrogged off of a Sun-Times Column by one Rich Miller. And I explained at that point that it indicated what I would have always suspected. He did that to say he had a positive legacy or as Miller stated...

The other question I hear a lot is, "What was Ryan's motivation for veering so far to the political left by emptying Death Row and changing his mind on gay rights and women's rights?" Some believe he was cynically playing to the liberal
Democratic jury pool in Cook County. The thinking goes that he knew he would end up on trial and he wanted to create as much sympathy as possible. Others think he changed because he was somehow trying to atone for all the laws he broke -- as if becoming a social liberal would get him in good graces with God.

Obviously since whenever we pick up a paper we complain about how Illinois is a corrupt state or that Illinois is full of inept or incompetent politicians it's bound to be obvious that not too many people sympathize with the ex-governor right now. So I want to go in another direction here.

I was looking at the Wikipedia article on Ryan. Trying to find some quick facts on what sent him to prison and I found this post by a blog called Urbangora.

This post gives a list of some of politician's in Illinois who might have righted high on the integrity scale. And I'll open up the floor to those of you who might want to talk about who else that either was in politics or currently serve in politics who might rank high on the integrity scale.

BTW, I write about it because it appears he's going to have to report to prison in Duluth, Minnesota on November 7th. That is provided that the US Supreme Court comes to his rescue before he reaches prison.

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No, The Christian Right does not Drive Up the Abortion Rate - But Thanks for Asking

Last Friday a piece written by Terry Cosgrove, head of Personal PAC, was extensively quoted in the Capitol Fax Blog. It asked if the Christian Right drives up the abortion rate, and then cited some statistics suggesting the answer is yes. It noted that the highest abortion rates all uniformly occur in countries that ban abortion and outlaw birth control. It further noted that the lowest abortion rates come in the countries with the fewest restrictions on abortion and no restrictions on birth control. It claimed, rather astoundingly, that half the hospital beds in every big city in South and Central America are occupied by victims of botched abortions. It argued that for those of us who want to save children’s lives, the best thing we could do is become pro-abortion. What it did not do is reveal where any of these statistics were coming from.
I remembered, of course, that the pro-choice movement has long had a dicey relationship with standards of evidence when advocating their cause. In trying to keep partial-birth abortion legal they claimed it caused the child no pain because the anesthesia killed the fetus. They had to back off that whopper when the medical profession couldn’t stomach the lie and women who needed anesthesia were afraid to get it for fear it would kill their child. They claimed that over 90% of such abortions were medically necessary to save the mother’s life. (Cosgrove repeated that one when we appeared together recently on WLS. When I noted that the American Medical Assn. said partial birth abortion is never necessary to save the mother’s life, he muttered that it was all politics). But even by the loose standards usually used by the pro-abortion movement, this piece seemed pretty far out there. So I decided not to just refute Cosgrove with any old statistics, but with statistics derived solely from the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute and Center for Reproductive Rights. I am not content to demonstrate that he is wrong, but that even working from his own side’s playbook he is wrong. If you wish to check any of my assertions, simply go to the website of either of these organizations.
First, his assertion that the highest abortion rates are always in the countries that have the tightest restrictions on abortion. According to Guttmacher, the four countries with the highest abortion rates; Vietnam, Romania, Russia and Ukraine have NO restrictions on abortion or laws against birth control. Of the top nine only one, Chile, outlaws abortion outright. Brazil only allows it to save the mother’s life, but every other entry either has no restrictions or offers the standard medical loopholes. On this factual assertion, he is just dead wrong.
Next the assertion that the lowest abortion rates come in the countries that have the fewest restrictions. If he had not asserted that this is an invariable rule, he would be close to right, here. Of the nine countries with the lowest abortion rates only three; Japan, Israel and England have any restrictions on it. It is true that western countries with few restrictions usually do have among the lowest rates in the world. In South and Southeast Asia, the rates are high even with the most permissive laws. In Russia and Eastern Europe, rates are at the highest in the world even with absolutely no restrictions. Since the countries with both the highest and the lowest rates all have little or no restriction on abortion, permissiveness cannot be the key to low rates. One significant difference between the west and the two regions just mentioned is that all the western countries have vigorous pro-life movements while the latter two regions do not. That may not be the fundamental cause for the low western rates in permissive countries and the high rates in eastern and Asian countries with permissive laws, but at least it is an argument that fits the facts, unlike the argument Cosgrove makes.
Finally we have the assertion that half the hospital beds in South and Central America are taken by victims of botched abortions. I will confess I did not undertake a study of morphology in these regions. I called a friend in Guatemala who laughed and said; no they are not tossing out heart patients to make way for victims of botched abortions. Then I called a friend in Peru who, at first, laughed at the assertion. Then she got angry and said that is one of the “Yankee’s” favorite racist stereotypes; South American woman as the impoverished, ignorant slattern. I had to assure her that I was not the racist here – I was writing a piece refuting the assertion. We’ll leave it at that.
Cosgrove’s pro-choice Personal PAC is very effective: I shudder every time I hear a friend in the legislature has been targeted by them. Cosgrove, himself, can be very eloquent – as long as you don’t check the facts he spouts. Like the prophet in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, he just makes it up as he goes along.

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Politicians protest tax-hike proposals

From Crain's this afternoon...

A group of Illinois congressmen and Cook County commissioners poured bottled water into the Chicago River on Monday in protest of recent tax hikes proposed by Mayor Richard M. Daley and Cook County Board President Todd Stroger.

“We deserve a Chicago-style tea party,” said Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Chicago, as he stood near the Michigan Avenue bridge. “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”

He was joined by Cook County Commissioners Forrest Claypool and Larry Suffredin and by Kenny Johnson Jr., who is running for state representative in the 26th District. Supporters held signs with messages such as “Cut the corruption” and “Stop Daley & Stroger tax dynasties.”

At issue are Mr. Daley and Mr. Stroger’s proposals for balancing each of their respective 2008 budgets. Their suggestions, which include a bevy of increased taxes and fees for Cook County and Chicago residents, have drawn sharp criticism from even their own supporters.

Mr. Daley has proposed $260 million in tax and fee hikes, including a 10-cent levy on bottled water, while Mr. Stroger has proposed more than tripling Cook County’s sales tax rate to 2.75%.

I'm happy to hear that Jesse Jackson Jr. is on the warpath about this, but to be honest there are those who wished that he had been saying these things as a mayoral candidate.

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Crash

I'm sorry to say blogging will be light until later this week. My hard drive crashed again. I hope to catch up soon.

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Bridget's G I Jill Roundup

Well, I wish Bridget would have posted it here too. I'm curious what the Colonel will say too.

Bridget does a round up of blogger's posts and I think it's fair to say the netrooters are left perplexed. There hasn't been much coverage and Bridget gets just about all of it linked.

I'm not too surprized. It think it's going to be General Clark for VP too.

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51 Weeks After 2006 Election, 2008 Launches Monday

Nine days less than a full year after the 2006 election, Illinois candidates today begin filing nominating petitions for the 2008 contests -- more than a full year before Election Day ballots are cast.

Yes, there will be some important contests on the ballot. We'll elect a new president, new members of Congress, new state legislators -- and in Illinois, at least 59 judges whose names probably will not be much better known on November 4, 2008 than they are today.

But why worry about judges? Governors and legislators control the state purse strings (including taxes -- and highways); presidents can send us to war (or peace). What can judges do?

Ask George Ryan. True, the former Illinois governor was tried in a federal court before an appointed judge but the fact remains that judges -- mostly unknown -- have more power than the other branches of government.

And in Illinois, we have far more judges -- unknown or not -- than we do State Senators or State Representatives or Governors.

As of today -- and the number could change as some judges decide they might opt for retirement -- this is the judicial election battlefield for 2008:

One Supreme Court contest (First District, in Cook County);
Three Appellate Court contests (Two in Cook County, one in Southern Illinois);
Fifty-five Circuit Court contests (25 in Cook County, 30 in the other counties).
Eleven of the circuit court contests are for newly-created judgeships.

Judicial elections are frequently overlooked by the news media, or remain in the shadow of more popular elections, such as this year's presidential primary contest between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. As an example of that media dis-interest, today's Chicago Tribune reports on the opening of candidate filing and ignores the judicial races:

Monday also marks the start of candidate filing for candidates for the Senate, Congress, the state legislature and various county offices.

But judicial elections in Illinois have generated increased interest in recent years, due largely to the increased attention paid to the elections by non-lawyer groups.

While the various bar associations and special interest lawyer groups, such as the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, have weighed heavily in judicial candidate selection and funding of judicial campaigns, it has only been within the past decade that other state interests, including the business community, doctors and hospitals, and other interests have taken significant roles. The Illinois Civil Justice League is one of the relative newcomers to the judicial election arena.

But the ICJL, in addition to taking an activist role by endorsing and in some cases aggressively supporting candidates, has provided more information to the public about sitting judges and judicial candidates than most other organizations, including the various bar groups.

The ICJL invites every candidate for judicial office -- including sitting judges seeking retention -- to respond to a detailed questionnaire that has been reviewed and approved by sitting judges of both parties, including presidents of the Illinois Judges Association.

The candidates' responses to the ICJL questionnaire are posted on the ICJL's judicial website, which also includes maps of judicial districts, biographies of judicial candidates, newspaper endorsements, bar association ratings and links to candidates' campaign financial reports.

No other organization in Illinois -- or nationally -- provides as much information.

With the beginning of the candidate filing season for 2008 today, the ICJL's judicial site -- www.IllinoisJudges.net -- will be back in action. While many of the links on the site today refer to 2006 elections, the site will begin reporting on judicial candidate filings Tuesday, October 30, and will refresh and update candidate and campaign information daily, if necessary, through November 5, 2008, when judicial election results are posted.

*

Apart from the actual judicial campaign activity involving actual judicial races, the next 12 months are likely to produce considerable attention to the process of judicial selection in Illinois, and the manner in which information about judicial candidates is disseminated.

The Illinois election ballot in November will include a referendum asking votes if Illinois should call a Constitutional Convention. The question of electing or appointing judges is certain to be one of the major issues of a Constitutional Convention, as it was in 1970, and that potential debate could lead some activists to support the convention call.

On another front, the Illinois League of Women Voters convened a meeting last week to discuss improving the dissemination of information about judicial candidates to Illinois voters. Several organizations and interests, including the Illinois Civil Justice League, Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, Chicago Council of Lawyers, Protestants for the Common Good and the American Bar Association, participated in the discussion. The LWV expects to reconvene the group early next year.

And the ICJL expects to announce a judicial selection reform proposal early next year.

-- Ed Murnane
Illinois Civil Justice League
October 29, 2007

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An invitation to Peoria Blogger Bash

Chef Kevin confirmed today he has make arrangements with the fine folks at Donnelly’s Shamrock Pub for use of their back room, so Blogger Bash is officially on for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the pub located at 4908 N. Renwood Ave, near the corner Glen and War Memorial Drive. It will last until we're damn well read for it to end. Or, whenever the kick us out. Here’s a map.

I'm extending an invitation to all Illinois bloggers and regular commenters to attend.

There's the slight possibility of live entertainment. No wi-fi, though.

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Removing a governor

If you haven't read this Chicago Tribune editorial yet, don't wait now. The Tribune believes that voters should be allowed to recall a Governor...

Should Rod Blagojevich remain as governor of Illinois?

He shows no inclination to resign from office. And while the state constitution does allow for his impeachment by the Illinois House and trial by the Senate, it's doubtful legislators could bring themselves to such drastic action. So the realistic question becomes this: Given the multiple ineptitudes of Rod Blagojevich -- his reckless financial stewardship, his dictatorial antics, his penchant for creating political enemies -- should citizens create a new way to terminate a chief executive who won't, or can't, do his job?

That is, should Illinois join the 18 states that give voters -- as opposed to lawmakers -- the ballot power to remove state officials from office?

The Blagojevich experience suggests that the answer is yes, Illinois should write a recall mechanism into its constitution. Having endured the Blagojevich era, we believe voters never should have to endure another one like it. They instead should have the power to recall an inept governor.

The National Conference of State Legislatures offers a succinct summary of how a recall provision would be useful in a predicament such as Illinois': "Proponents of the recall maintain that it provides a way for citizens to retain control over elected officials who are not representing the best interests of their constituents, or who are unresponsive or incompetent. This view holds that an elected representative is an agent, a servant and not a master." (The NCSL takes no position on whether states should have recall provisions.)

This serious mechanism is rarely used. Only two U.S. governors have been recalled. North Dakotans ousted Lynn Frazier in 1921. In 2003, Californians voted to remove Gray Davis and, in a separate ballot measure, selected Arnold Schwarzenegger to replace him.

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Hear That Giant Sucking Sound?

Today's Tribune has an article that explains why Sierra Club made having Illinois ratify the Great Lakes Compact one of our top legislative priorities of 2007. Indeed, we are emerging as a target for a thirsty country envisioning some very large straws pointing our way.

Good work by two lakefront legislators, State Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago) and State Rep. Harry Osterman (D-Chicago) to get this done this year. Now we need our Great Lakes neighbor states to do the same. (Minnesota already has).

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Chief Illiniwek comes back for Homecoming

Despite bravely skirting the Open Meetings Act for the sake of retiring Chief Illiniwek, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign can't seem to shake itself free of the controversy several months later.

Once again, the honored symbol and/or racist stereotype has fancy danced its way back into the media spotlight just long enough to remind everyone what's different about this year's half-time show at Memorial Stadium.

At issue was the university's mandate that no Chief imagery could be used during the homecoming parade:

Kachel said groups cannot use the Chief symbol on their floats, signs, costumes, or T-shirts. She still expects the best of the parade's 35 floats to employ some creative design ideas.

Uh oh. EVERYONE PANIC!

To give you an idea of how weird it got over this flap, the very people who spent years protesting against the Chief came to the aid of pro-Chiefers:

"While I don't want to see people wearing those shirts because I think they are offensive, at the same time I know they have the right to wear them. I think the University needs to learn they cannot sensor people's speech," says Jen Tayabji, Progressive Resource Action Cooperative.

And then there's this quotation:

"We decided this was a blatant trampling of First Amendment rights," said UI student Paul Schmitt, president of the student organization Students for Chief Illiniwek.

Before this ended up being too much of a circus, free-speech champion Chancellor Herman lifted the ban:

"The floats and the people on them are representations of personal points of view," said Robin Kaler, University spokesperson.

"Just as we don't prohibit people from wearing their Chief apparel to work, we won't prohibit those in the parade from expressing their points of view," Kaler added.

Whew! Crisis adverted. And according to The New York Times -- wait, they're covering this, too? -- nothing much happened at the parade:

There were no protesters.

The amusing part of all of this, however, is that the student paper might have unintentionally started this ruckus:

There wasn't any uproar over the ban until an article about the parade was printed in The Daily Illini, Kachel said.

I'd give my college paper props, except the NYT noted this tidbit:

The chief is still such a hot point of contention that the university’s student newspaper, The Daily Illini, would not discuss the homecoming issue and does not plan to publish an editorial position on the rule reversal.

Why is the Daily Illini not weighing in on its editorial page on what's an intense local issue dealing with the First Amendment? This is the kind of thing that gets people to pick up the paper for more than the crossword and sudoku!

So, it looks like the Chief will still be a part of the university's tradition on homecoming and also not go away completely any time soon. It's obvious that the university is going to have to deal with the fallout from their decision for quite some time, whether they want to or not.

Another way to look at this flap is that the university didn't actually want to completely scrub the Chief from the institution. After all, you could make the argument that parades and athletic events where students are allowed to keep honoring the Chief adds to a hostile and abusive environment that they supposedly got rid of once they put an end to the fancy dance.

But maybe this is just the latest example of the university trying to pander to both sides of the aisle. They made the grandest of gestures in retiring the Chief, but have now placed themselves defensively behind the First Amendment in letting 81 years of the Chief's spirit continue forward. This is hardly a show of a firm commitment to purge the Chief from memory, or a show of remorse.

So, what is the university's stance on the Chief? Does it have one? And can we ever expect the issue to be laid to rest? I doubt we'll know the answers to any of these questions anytime soon.

(Thanks to Rich Miller for giving me the invite to Illinoize. I started out unsure of what to write about here, so I think I'll try to contribute posts dealing with higher education in Illinois in a semi-snarky, yet hopefully entertaining manner. Some disclosures for the unfamiliar: I'm a former editor of the Daily Illini and alumnus of UIUC and UIS. I blog here and here, and contribute here.)

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Dan Ryan construction video

Our friend ArtistMac provides us with a time lapse video of the Dan Ryan reconstruction project over 7 months. He compressed it down to about 3 minutes. I really wish I knew what music he used for this vid.

BTW, he has a question for those of you who reside around the Eden's Expressway...

I've got a question for you folks living by the Edens during its current September-November 2007 repairs. Are IDOT workers parking dump trucks, cement mixers and their personal cars and storing supplies on your residential streets? Are they taking lunchtime siestas on your parkway grass? Just curious.

This is perhaps one sign that the 2 year Dan Ryan Expressway project is coming to a close, finally.

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Hear the news? Illinois has a wonderfully honest state government

It must have been more than a decade ago. I was watching the "Tonight Show," and Johnny Carson's guest was a nice old lady whose hobby was to collect hardened bird droppings and polish them into jewelry. The finished products did, I must admit, look pretty in a sort of cheap trinket sort of way. But I thought to myself at the time: 'It doesn't matter how hard she polishes this stuff, it's still bird sh*t.'

In today's Journal Star, reporter Karen McDonald turns in this less-than-stellar article about a survey that gave Illinois high marks for campaign finance disclosure and other laws that supposedly keep the public informed about their candidates.

A survey that evaluates campaign disclosure laws, electronic filing programs, public access to campaign finance information and Web site usability ranked Illinois among the top 10 states in the nation in disclosure with an overall score of "B." Thirty-six states earned passing grades for disclosure programs (the state of Washington ranked first), while 14 failed.

"People are either proud - as Illinois should be - in most categories,or say 'we need to do better.' It gives everybody a benchmark and lets them know how they compare to other states," said Bob Stern, president of the Los Angeles-based Center for Governmental Studies, which collaborated on the project with the California Voter Foundation and UCLA School of Law.

McDonald might not have been given much time to report and write this article. If so forgive me, but topic screams out for additional reporting. There are too many questions left unanswered.

Right off the bat, I've gotta know if this survey even bothered to address the issue of whether or not existence of campaign disclosure laws, electronic filing programs and the available of information on the Web has has done any good at all.

Illinois gets a high "B" in the survey, but I don't think anyone who lives and pays attention would give this state a passing grade for honest and open government. We have a ton of laws on the books here, but we somehow keep electing politicians who use the public dime to enrich themselves, their pals, their campaign contributors and their relatives. Our previous governor is headed to the federal pen for doing exactly that, and our current governor is under investigation as well.

The trouble with Illinois is not that we don't know how corrupt our government is. We know. These sorts of laws let us now exactly who puts money into our politicians hands. The problem is that We. Do. Not. Care. All we want to know is "Where's mine?" All we care about is whether the politicians are going to continue the gravy train and keep sending pork to our communities, keep those tax breaks for our businesses, keep sending "free money" to local governments, keep hiking pensions for teachers (at least in Chicago) and police and firefighters, and on and on.

Even when we complain about the leadership of the state House and Senate, we keep re-electing the state senators and representatives who put those leaders in place, because we know that's how it's done in Illinois if you want the gravy train to stop in your community.

So spare me the praise from out-of-state brainiacs who think our laws are wonderful examples of good government. Our actions demonstrate otherwise.

Feh.

Crossposted to Peoria Pundit

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Get ready, early birds

The Illinois State Board of Elections expects to receive double the number of petition paper filings Monday than it would normally receive in an election year. It’s happening about six weeks earlier than normal, too.

For the first time in Illinois, Democratic candidates for president, delegates and alternate delegates to the Democratic National Nominating Convention will file their petitions the same day as candidates for federal, state and county offices. The Illinois General Assembly also moved the primary election from March 18 to February 5 to aid a presidential bid of Illinois’ “favorite son,” U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

Petition filings start at 8 a.m. Monday, but candidates are expected to line up early in an attempt to be the first candidate listed on the ’08 ballot. The filing period ends November 5. We’ll have more Monday.

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Laesh, Lauzen and debates in IL-14th

Anything but those TV ads with the family photos. Watching one was enough.

Laesh below using YouTube to make his points, and the St Charles Republican on GOP plans for debates.

“I’m in favor of as many debates as it takes to assure all of our constituents are fully informed on what our positions are on the issues,” Lauzen said. “If we had eight to 10 debates that would be just fine.”

Lauzen said he would like to see a change in the traditional debate structure, where candidates are given a short time period, usually one to three minutes, to respond to questions.

“I’d like to see the format be more flexible,” Lauzen said. “Right now you’re given about three minutes to present your background and agenda, then they give you a minute to answer a complex question.”

The “Oxford format” debate, which is less organized than traditional debate formats, would give candidates a chance to mix things up, Lauzen said.

Yes, Mix it up please, put it all on YouTube for us, and leave the family photo albums at home.

Update: A lot of back-and-forth over at Prairie State Blue on the debate among Democrats. It was held at the County Building but closed to all but Democratic Precinct Captains.

Update: On the GOP side, this on Wiggins in today's Herald,

The leader of Kane County's Republican party has offered to resign from his post after becoming a paid consultant for state Sen. Chris Lauzen's congressional campaign.

But Denny Wiggins told members of the Kane County Republican Central Committee at the group's monthly meeting Thursday he hopes a majority of party leaders agree to let him fulfill the remainder of his term as central committee chairman. The term ends Feb. 5, the day of the primary election.

We'll need a lot of lawyers to sort out all the issues in IL-14. Seems sort of needlessly complicated.

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Unlucky sevens

Former Gov. George Ryan could go to federal prison within seven days — correction: by November 7 — pursuant to a decision by the federal 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

On Thursday, the full court affirmed that Ryan would not receive a retrial for his federal corruption conviction last April. Ryan requested the full panel of judges review an August ruling by a three-judge panel that determined he should not receive another trial. According to Thursday’s court order, even the three dissenting judges wrote that they agreed “the evidence of the defendants’ guilt was overwhelming.” But they disagreed over whether the management of the jury during the six-month trial harmed the case.

Ryan and his friend, Chicago businessman Larry Warner, were found guilty of using public office for private gain during Ryan’s years as secretary of state (1991 to 1999) and as governor (1999 to 2003). The Kankakee Republican has remained free during the appeals process and could ask to remain free if he takes his case to the last resort: the U.S. Supreme Court.

Back to the Capitol in 7
The Illinois House could vote on controversial mass transit funding just two days before threatened service cuts and fare increases.

Members will return to Springfield to conduct business one week from today. This comes after House Minority Leader Tom Cross met with House Speaker Michael Madigan in Chicago Wednesday to discuss ways to save mass transit from financial turmoil. But the leaders aren’t necessarily on the same page about whether a mass transit plan should rely on revenue from increased taxes, expanded gaming, other sources or all of the above.

The minority leader still prefers alternatives to tax increases. “Tom Cross and a majority of our caucus does not feel that now is the time to be increasing taxes on people, especially in light of what is being proposed by the Cook County board president and the mayor of Chicago,” said David Dring, Cross’ spokesman.

Alternatives include allowing a Chicago casino and the expansion of positions at existing casinos to help mass transit and to pay for a major capital construction plan. Dring said Cross also proposed diverting $300 million of the revenue from the state sales tax on gasoline to aid mass transit, and he’s proposing a menu of items to replace that money, such as increasing fees on auto titles and raising transit fares by 10 percent to 15 percent. “That is something we just thought about because that would be less money you would have to take from the sales tax on gas,” Dring said, adding a 15 percent fare increase would be “much more modest” than the fare increases planned by the Regional Transportation Authority if the agency doesn’t receive long-term state help by November 4.

Madigan, on the other hand, “did not seem to warm up to our idea of the sales tax on gas,” Dring said.

The speaker is open to a Chicago casino to pay for a road and school construction projects but only under certain circumstances, such as whether the revenue would stay in Chicago or be divvyed up all over the state, said Madigan spokesman, Steve Brown. However, the speaker still doesn’t want to rely on gaming legislation to save mass transit. “He has said that he doesn’t plan to hold transit riders hostage to the casino interests or the gambling interests,” Brown said.

In fact, Madigan still plans to push for a plan that would include a small sales tax increase in Chicago for the sake of mass transit. Lawmakers could vote for a second time on that measure next week. It previously fell short of the necessary votes in September.

Lawmakers were told to be prepared to work at the Capitol Thursday, November 1, Friday, November 2 and potentially Monday, November 5. And the governor repeated his statement Wednesday that he would call the General Assembly into another special session in mid-December to address the so-called 7 percent solution to Chicago-area property taxes. See the background here.

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Ryan Appeal Denied

Cross posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

The US Court of Appeals has denied Gov. George Ryan's effort to gain a new trial on corruption charges, finding that "In the end, the evidence supporting the jury's verdict was overwhelming." And what was that overwhelming evidence?

• That Ryan personally participated in schemes to rig contracts for vehicle stickers and computer equipment, and leases for state offices in Joliet, Chicago, and South Holland;
• That Ryan lied to investigators about bribes paid in the form of vacations to Jamaica, and his role in quashing the original investigation into the sale of drivers licenses that contributed to the deaths of the Willis kids
• That Ryan evaded paying income taxes on his and his children's illegal payments in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998

Ryan's indictment in December, 2003 and his conviction in 2006 laid bare a broad scope of problems that continue to fester in Illinois politics. At the time of his conviction, ICPR issued a statement about "look[ing] beyond the Ryan verdict." We still think these areas deserve attention. Rather than focus on what went wrong in the past, let's figure out what to do in the future so that it doesn't happen again.

* Tackle Pay-to-Play: Illinois still has no rules limiting how much state contractors can give to the campaign funds of the public officials who negotiate and sign their contracts.

* Adopt contribution limits: Illinois should join with nearly all other states and the federal government in adopting campaign contribution limits and banning direct contributions from unions and corporations.

* Revise lobbyist regulations: Criminal shakedowns were cloaked with legitimacy by pretending the payoffs were lobbying fees. The public has a right to know more about what lobbyists are doing.

* Improve the 2003 Ethics Act: The Act, adopted before the indictment and trial, was a terrific starting point, but time has shown its weaknesses, particularly in regard to oversight of Inspectors General and the Ethics Commissions.

George Ryan has been held responsible for his actions and, it appears, will soon head to jail. Perhaps the sight of a governor behind bars will motivate Illinois' current crop of elected officials to take action before it happens again.

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No fat in Cook County budget?

Last year Sen. Barack Obama called Cook County Board President Todd Stroger "a good progressive Democrat" and someone who will "lead us into a new era of Cook County government."

Stroger is a hack, but unfortunately he's someone who really is leading me and 5.3 million residents of Cook County into that new era.

The new era could end up with a doubling of the gasoline tax, a 2.8 percent property tax increase, and worst of all, the nation's highest sales tax.

Stroger says there is no fat left to cut in his proposed budget. But I found some from this year's budget, right here in Morton Grove in the Linne Woods Forest Preserve. What on earth is that in the picture? Is it a canoe landing? Maybe. If so, are the brains of Cook County government aware that the body of water in the picture, the North Branch of the Chicago River, is too shallow--with rare exceptions such as after heavy rains--for canoeing? Or is this a walkway to get a close look at the river? However, about 100 yards away, where grass is mowed, there is access, without steps, to the river.

How many projects like this well, whatever it is, are in Stroger's next budget?

To comment on this post, please visit Marathon Pundit.

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Video competition: Phone vs. Cable

The phone giant AT&T officially can compete with cable companies on a statewide level to offer high-tech video services to customers. But that doesn’t guarantee the company will build out those services in all areas of the state any time soon. See Crain’s Chicago Business story here.

This comes after the Illinois General Assembly approved changes to state law in May. The new state law allows such phone companies as AT&T and Verizon to offer video services anywhere in the state without having to go through each individual municipality as cable companies previously had to do.

Three of four members on the Illinois Commerce Commission, a state panel, voted Wednesday to approve AT&T’s application to provide the video services (the fourth commissioner was absent). But the law stops short of giving the commission the ability to regulate what happens after the application is approved, says Beth Bosch, commission spokeswoman.

The measure originally sparked controversy but was rewritten with consumer protections that allowed the bill to win near-unanimous support in the Illinois House and Senate. Among the biggest changes is the requirement for video service providers to extend a certain percentage of their services to low-income neighborhoods within three years of earning the so-called statewide video franchise.

The new law expires in six years, meaning the General Assembly will have five years to evaluate whether it actually creates competition as touted. The law does bring Illinois in line with Indiana, which approved a statewide video franchise in March 2006.

For more background, check out my previous telecom blogs, and for a lot more context and potential outlook, see my May 2006 article, “A playbook for competition.”

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Chicago Marathon: Ambulance driver got lost, took dead runner to wrong hospital

Because of the heavy demand for ambulances created by the unseasonably hot weather in this month's Chicago Marathon, suburban crews were called in to assist Chicago officials.

An ambulance team from Niles, which is the town just west of where I live, was flagged down and began treating Chad Schreiber, who was in full cardiac arrest. But NBC 5 Chicago is reporting this morning that not only did the Niles crew get lost, but they took Schreiber, who had a pre-existing heart condition, to the wrong hospital.

Neither the Niles group or the hospital emergency room where Schreiber was taken were able to revive him.

Schreiber, a 35 year-old Midland, Michigan police officer, was married with three children.

Related post:

A participant's view of the cancelled Chicago Marathon: UPDATED

To comment on this post, please visit Marathon Pundit

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More Poison Toys for All the Girls and Boys

Buried in last week's back pages was an announcement by Wal-Mart that it has once again flooded the American market with lead-poisoning toys from China. This time, it was lead dinosaurs.

Earlier this year, Wal-Mart announced that it was recalling over 60,000 baby bibs tainted with lead. That's right, those little things wrapped around babies necks that you always see them sucking on.

Wal-Mart alone has had to recall over 60 products recently, including cough medicine for kids, teether books for tots, cribs that resulted in infant deaths, defective car seats, and atleast a half-dozen lead-poisoned toys.

Of course, Wal-Mart isn't the only corporate culprit, just the biggest. Major recalls have been issued in 2007 for poisoned dog food, toothpaste made with anti-freeze, and more lead-painted toys from China than I can count.

All of these announcements have created severe recall fatigue for the press and the public.

They also create a big hurdle for the Illinois Civil Justice League, which is calling for restoring immunity to big corporations under the Wrongful Death Act for grief, sorrow and mental suffering in wrongful death cases.

The flood of recalls also creates a great issue for Congressional candidates running in the hotly-contested open seat races in Illinois and across the state.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, charged with protecting us all, has come under fire from many sides. So much fire in fact, that this week the director of this "toothless tiger" asked Congress to expand the scope of her agency, making it illegal to sell recalled products and giving customs the authority to seize products that don't meet voluntary industry standards.

The second is a big one, because industry often argues that it can "police itself," and sets up industry standards in lieu of mandatory federal standards. Then of course, they ignore them.

This makes a great issue for Congressional challengers in Democratic primaries and against Republican incumbents, because Congress is under fire for slashing funding for the CPSC over the last three decades. Also, attacking cheap foreign imports capitalizes on people's economic worries about job losses overseas.

This week, USA TODAY'S Editorial page wrote:

Our view on consumer protection: Unsafe products overwhelm emaciated safety agency

Stripped of staff and authority, CPSC struggles to keep up.

What links the cases is not just dangerous products and companies that did not move to quickly recall them, but the tragically ineffective response of the government agency responsible for acting when companies do not: the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Begun in 1973 in a wave of consumer protectionism, the commission is overwhelmed and understaffed. It investigates barely 10%-15% of the reports it gets of product-related deaths and injuries. Its staff has shrunk to about 400, from a peak of 978 in 1980. The huge recalls of lead-tainted toys from China this year revealed that the agency's primary full-time, small-parts toy tester is a guy named Bob.

There's plenty of blame to go around for CPSC's deterioration. A succession of presidents and Congresses, hostile to the burden the commission can place on business, have limited its power and budget. The results can be tragic.

Emphasis added.

What, if anything, do you think Illinois can be doing?

Here's some of my ideas:

- Set up an e-mail alert system for parents through the Attorney General's Office to share information of product recalls.

- Require retailers to post notices on their entrances for all product recalls of anything that was on their shelves in the last six months.

- Expand Illinois definition of joint liability to hold retailers more accountable for deadly products imported from overseas.

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Executive Decision - UPDATED

Every time that I think that I might be being overly critical of the Administration, something like yesterday happens.

No, I'm not talking about the Governor's press conference to bring us in for (another) special session in December to do nothing that couldn't be done in January.

I'm talking about yesterday's rendition of the Springfield Shuffle. As I have previously explained in a post about the games being played to prevent the passage of HB1, legislation aimed at ending pay-to-play politics in our state:

Those who pay attention to Springfield politics are well-versed in what should be known as the 'Springfield Shuffle', the art of trying to bottle up ethics legislation by saying something along the lines of 'it doesn't go far enough' or 'we don't have time to deal with it' or 'we have a better idea'.

Yesterday, Comptroller Dan Hynes unveiled Open Book, a website database that will allow the public (and press) to cross-check state contract holders with campaign contributors. It's an excellent idea that is being understandably well received and for which Dan gets mad props, um I mean, deserves a lot of credit.

BUT then, in keeping with Shuffle tradition, comes the following:

In response to Hynes’ statement that House Bill 1 could be the first step with more legislation following, (Blagojevich spokesperson Rebecca) Rausch said, “Why not do it right the first time? Why set the bar low? It’s taken many, many, many years to pass the first round of ethics reform in 2003. We shouldn’t squander the opportunity to do something sweeping and across the board now.”

For the life of me, I just don't get how somebody can make that statement with a straight face. Why set the bar low?! Are you kidding me? The bill could be a centerpiece of good p.r. for the Governor at a critically needed time, and more importantly, would be the most substantive item passed by the Administration this session. Why set the bar low?! Wow. (And I'm not even going to go into the whole 'rock the system' thing and all of the other reasons why HB1 should be JOB1.)

But at the same event, Kent Redfield, director of the Sunshine Project at the University of Illinois at Springfield, hit on something that I had been mulling over for some time now.

“The governor could do what the comptroller has done through executive order this afternoon. It should not be sufficient for the governor’s spokesman to say, ‘Well, we’re in favor of broad reform.’ These are the sorts of things that should be in law, that can be done by executive order.”

Redfield's statement provides a solution that can quickly satisfy a couple of issues at once - and quickly. Taking the Administration at its word - that HB1 is too narrow, that they want to end pay-to-play politics, but want to do more - it can put its (proverbial and literal) money where its mouth is.

Follow the lead of the every other Constitutional officer and issue an executive order banning campaign contributions from people holding state contracts that are worth more than some minimal threshold.

That way the Governor can demonstrate his commitment to campaign finance reform by leading by personal example and we won't have to let the pesky pay-to-play issue get in the way of even bigger reforms.

And it doesn't get much easier to do. He could borrow a copy of the Executive Order issued by any of the other office holders on the second floor of the Capitol. Plus, he doesn't even need the Legislature to do it.

All he has to do is sign it.

UPDATE - The Tribune editorial board comes out swinging (again) in support of HB1, and against the nonsense preventing its passage. Read the whole thing, but here's the punch line:

So what's going on in the Senate now? Jones argues it's all about noble intentions. So does Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

They say they don't want to settle for the House bill because they are cooking up a much better ethics bill.

Just wait and see.

We're waiting. The House voted in April. And what have we seen from the Senate? Nothing but the same excuses the Senate leaders were mouthing in August, the last time this page wrote about their failure to call a vote on the House ethics bill.

That's what they said in August. Wait! We have a better idea!

Many Democratic senators at this moment are doubtless printing up campaign fliers that boast they have sponsored ethics legislation. And those campaign fliers will be a crock.

Every Democratic senator should be asked two questions:

Why haven't you screamed for your leaders to call a vote on the ethics bills that passed the House 116-0?

Why are you protecting the Illinois culture of corruption?

Yep. But in the meantime - sign an Executive Order.

To read or post comments, visit Open House

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Appetite for state and local tax increases due to outmoded taxes

Why is it that the State, the transit agencies, the City of Chicago and the County of Cook are all looking for tax increases?

According to the Tribune story Behind the Great Tax Push, it's because they can get away with it. Typical anti-government line: they must not represent the people (who only want lower taxes) because they just got elected, so therefore, 'they' will try to shove an unwarranted tax increase down 'our' throats because they can't manage a government.

The real reason why our state and local governments are broke is because we're taxing the wrong things. We have a great tax for the 1950s economy, but in 2007, our taxes need to be modernized.

We use the sales tax to fund a big chunk of state and local government. In Illinois, we only tax goods, not services. That means if you buy a bowling ball you pay a sales tax but if you go bowling you don't. More and more of our economy is about selling services instead of goods, so the relatively few people still selling or buying goods end up with the bill while the increasing group of people selling or buying services gets a free ride.

The sales tax rate on goods has to keep rising to try to generate the same amount of money, since less and less economic activity flows through the sale of goods and we don't tax services.

There are 168 possible services that states tax. We tax 17 of them. Iowa taxes 94. Every other state in the Midwest taxes more services than we do. The Federation of Tax Administrators in DC put out that data recently, and you can check it out yourself here.

You'd think the Trib would have included some of our local experts, like the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (that put out a great report on Cook County's structural deficit, due partially to a sales tax that only covers goods), but I guess there wasn't room with the anti-government quotes like:

"There seems to be a general attitude to tax everything that you can," said Msall of the Civic Federation, a non-partisan government watchdog. "That's what these government officials think their role is, to oversee the expansion of government rather than the management of government."

Well, gee! I guess our 1950s tax system doesn't have anything to do with revenues shrinking every year. It's all about those Big Government Democrats instead who don't believe in management!

I hope the Trib and the rest of the media tell a more accurate story about our governments and our 1950s-era tax systems in the coming weeks to explain why more of our governments are not balancing their budgets.

And more importantly, I hope we can modernize our tax system with a sales tax on services as well as goods and a progressive income tax instead of a flat tax.

[Cross-posted at djwinfo -- comments welcome over there. I finally learned how Representative John Fritchey can turn off comments on Illinoize!]

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Comptroller: "Follow the money"

The public, the media and anyone with Internet access has a new tool to search for connections between people who donate money to political campaigns and people who win state contracts. Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes’ office designed a new Web site, called Open Book, which combines records from his office with records from the State Board of Elections’ office. That allows people to search state contractors side by side with campaign contributors.

Hynes said at a Statehouse news conference Tuesday that he also hopes the new search engine will apply more pressure on lawmakers, particularly Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Senate President Emil Jones Jr., to advance ethics legislation drafted by Hynes. Known as House Bill 1, the measure would ban and criminalize so-called pay-to-play politics (a.k.a. granting state contracts in exchange for political campaign contributions). It gained unanimous support in the House and lined up 46 sponsors in the Senate, but it’s never been called for a vote.

“In the absence of a statutory ban on contributions from those who have state contracts, what we can do is create more transparency, more awareness, better information for watchdog groups, the media, citizens, so that people know who’s doing what,” Hynes said. “And perhaps that information will create pressure to enact the right legislation that will prohibit it, or, as one of my colleagues said, shame people out of not awarding contracts to contributors or getting contributions from contractors.”

A search takes a few seconds and starts with entering a person’s name or business in the blank. The database comes up two columns, one for state contracts and one for political contributions. It also lists the person’s or company’s address and how much was donated to any political campaign in each fiscal year back to 1999. It does this by tapping into the comptroller’s accounting records of contract information and into campaign disclosure reports filed twice a year with the State Board of Elections. Previously, matching contractors with campaign donors required multiple searches on the separate Web sites of each state agency.

“Open Book creates a one-stop shop where you plug in one name, one field and get all of those answers at once,” said David Morrison, deputy director of the Chicago-based Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, which started one of the first searchable, online databases for campaign contributions with Kent Redfield, director of the Sunshine Project for campaign finance research based at the University of Illinois at Springfield. “It’s a really terrific system that I think has the potential of unleashing thousands of ants all over the state to crawl over the problem with pay-to-play contracting,” Morrison said. The Chicago-based watchdog group the Better Government Association also came to support the unveiling of the site.

Redfield added that more disclosure is important to prevent conflicts of interest, whether actual or perceived, from eating away at public confidence in the system. He says the costs of corruption include turning people away from participating in government and wasting tax dollars to curry political favors.

Then Redfield pointed directly to the governor, who has said in the past that he favors more sweeping ethics reform than the measure urged by Hynes. The governor’s spokeswoman, Rebecca Rausch, said Blagojevich supports anything that increases transparency to state government, in terms of the comptroller’s new Web site. But as far as supporting the ethics reform measure backed by Hynes, Blagojevich is holding out for a measure that he deems more comprehensive.

In response to Hynes’ statement that House Bill 1 could be the first step with more legislation following, Rausch said, “Why not do it right the first time? Why set the bar low? It’s taken many, many, many years to pass the first round of ethics reform in 2003. We shouldn’t squander the opportunity to do something sweeping and across the board now.”

Redfield says the governor still could do more. “The governor could do what the comptroller has done through executive order this afternoon. It should not be sufficient for the governor’s spokesman to say, ‘Well, we’re in favor of broad reform.’ These are the sorts of things that should be in law, that can be done by executive order.”

Hynes and the other constitutional officers issued executive orders to ban campaign contributions from people holding state contracts that are worth more than $10,000, as in Hynes' case. Secretary of State Jesse White said his office also prohibits campaign contributions from his own employees and the employees’ families.

For more background on previous attempts to reform state ethics laws, check out an April 2005 column by Pat Guinane, former Statehouse bureau chief for Illinois Issues.

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One Fish, Two Fish, Rod Fish, Kingfish

While working on my last post, I started thinking back on former Louisiana Governor and U.S. Senator Huey Long. And the more I thought about it, the more something struck me.

People have compared our present Governor to various past leaders, both local and national, but I think that the most apt comparison may well be to the Kingfish.

While there were some invocations of Long brought up by people following Gov. Blagojevich's class-dividing budget address last year, I'm not sure that anybody has really thought about the extent of the similarities. Or if they have, I may have missed it.

I'll let you judge to what extent the following items seem eerily similar. They are not all negative, by the way. In fact, some may well find the comparisons to be a reaffirmation, not a repudiation, of the current administration. I'll let you be the judge, I'm just throwing this out there for thought.

So here you go, from the background of Huey Long (all emphasis added):

Even during his days as a traveling salesman, Long confided to his wife that his planned career trajectory would begin with election to a minor state office, then governor, then senator, and ultimately election as President of the United States.

As governor, Long inherited a dysfunctional system of government tainted by influence peddling. Corporations often wrote the laws governing their practices and rewarded part-time legislators and other officials with jobs and bribes.

Long moved quickly to consolidate his power, firing hundreds of opponents in the state bureaucracy. Like previous governors, he filled the vacancies with patronage appointments from his own network of political supporters.

In 1929, Long called a special session of both houses of the legislature to enact a new corporate tax, in order to help fund his social programs. The bill met with a storm of opposition. (can you say GRT?)

Denying that his program was socialistic, Long stated that his ideological inspiration for the plan came from the Bible. (where have we heard this recently?)

Long became ruthless when dealing with his enemies, firing their relatives from state jobs and supporting candidates to defeat them in elections.

After impeachment, Long surrounded himself with armed bodyguards at all times. (Although I don't think they had SUV's back then.)

Long’s radical rhetoric and his aggressive tactics did little to endear him to his fellow senators. Not one of his proposed bills, resolutions or motions was passed during his three years in the Senate. During one debate, another senator told Long that “I do not believe you could get the Lord’s Prayer endorsed in this body.”

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not sure that there is any real point or relevance to the above, some of the aspects can readily be attributed to administrations around the country at various points in time, but I still found it to be somewhat interesting and thought-provoking.

To read or post comments, visit Open House

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And Now For Something Completely Different

This is the beginning of an Associated Press story that appeared late Friday (and is linked to below):

LOS ANGELES — A man who prosecutors say was paid about $2.6 million to be a professional plaintiff — and who helped a prestigious New York law firm get lucrative class-action lawsuits — pleaded guilty Thursday to obstruction of justice and two other charges.

After reaching a plea deal, Seymour Lazar, 80, of Palm Springs, appeared before U.S. District Judge John Walter. Lazar also pleaded guilty to one count each of subscribing to a false tax return and making a false declaration to the court.

I'm not sure how common this practice is, but I suspect it is too common. We're going to dig into it, at least as it relates to Illinois. There are some repeat plaintiffs who have been named in some Illinois newspapers, most notably the Madison County Record.

It seems a series of questions like this should be asked of plaintiffs and of the plaintiffs' attorneys:

Have you ever been a plaintiff in another class action suit?

What was the outcome? And if you recovered anything, how much?

Have you ever been represented by this law firm? If so, in what kind of litigation?

Have you ever been paid to be a plaintiff? If so, by whom?When and how did you become aware of the potential wrong-doing against you?

How were you notified?

A similar list of questions should be asked of plaintiffs' attorneys, with one addition:

Have you ever paid a plaintiff?

Maybe these questions are already being asked; maybe it varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. We'll try to learn the answer.

Full Associated Press Article here.

-- Ed Murnane
Illinois Civil Justice League
October 22, 2007

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Homeschooling Facts

I'm still searching for an independent study of the efficacy of homeschooling, but George Bush's U.S. Department of Education did conduct a survey of WHO homeschool's their kids in 2003. Here's one of the more alarming statistics regarding the more than 1 million homeschooled children in the U.S.:

Parents’ highest educational attainment

Twenty-five percent of homeschooled students had parents whose highest educational attainment was a high school diploma or less; this figure is lower than that for public schooled students (34 percent) but higher than that for private schooled students (13 percent). Homeschooled students were also less likely than private schooled students to have parents whose highest educational attainment was graduate or professional coursework beyond a bachelor’s degree (20 percent compared to 31 percent).

Other Homeschooling facts:

Compared to the general student population, homeschooled children are more likely to:

- Be white;
- Be from the South;
- Live in a rural area;
- Have two parents in the household;
- Have only one parent working;
- Have a household income of less than $75K;
- Have three or more children in the family.

The survey also asked parents what their primary reason was for homeschooling their kids:

31% - Concern over school environment (negative peer pressure, drugs, safety)
30% - To provide religious or moral instruction
16% - Dissatisfaction with academic instruction

You can find the study here.

The closest thing I can find to an independent study of the efficacy of a homeschool education is this news release, touting a report from ACT, Inc. that homeschool students scored an average of 1.7 points higher on the ACT than public school students in 2003. Good for them. What the news release failed to mention is that less than 5% of the nation's homeschooled highschool juniors, or about 3,000 kids, takes the ACT each year.

Earlier commenters are correct, a slight majority of Americans do not believe in evolution, despite the fact that we rely on the forces of evolution - natural selection - everyday, from the food on our tables to the medicine we take, to capitalism and democracy.

This could help explain why the 2007 report from ACT found that only 28% of students met basic standards for college-readiness in the sciences. African American and Hispanic scores were abysmal, but only 33% of white students and 37% of Asian students were ready for college sciences.

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The Problem With Finding Problems With Homeschooling.

I'm sure everyone noted YDD's exploration into why homeschooling isn't such a good idea, but perhaps as interesting is the somewhat deserved comment shredding he received. Strangely enough, I've got fairly mixed opinions on homeschooling.

On one hand, most people that I've known whom were homeschooled tend to be the least socially adjusted folks I've ever met. Especially in college, I noticed quickly that kids who saw their parents for hours a day being 'educated' were unable to socialize with kids whom didn't. Universally, the parents who decide to home school their kids tend to be the least connected with reality anyhow (see YDD's post for an explanation) and I think we can say without any uncertainty that when a homeschooling parent says that he's trying to "prevent his kid from being indoctrinated by the homosexual liberal evolution people, what they're really afraid of is their kid accepting reality more so than the parents, which would really ruin Christmas for some of these parents who think that accepting a little science and being forward thinking will grant you a one way ticket to the hellz. The natural danger to the child is pretty obvious. We're talking about a group of people that believe:

-The Earth is only 4000 years old.
-Evolution is racist.
-That Dan Proft is a hot, hot college coed
-The pill causes cancer.
-There is no such thing as economic poverty, there is only moral poverty.
-Jews are merely "unperfected Christians"

We can all be honest about it: A ton of homeschool environments are little more than the American Taliban's version of a madrassa, which is to say it's going to breed yet another 'tiny vocal minority' of people living the religious extremist life style. Keeping your kid out of regular schools, seems pretty extreme to me, amirite?




On the other hand, as these poor kids will have to go home at some point, I would imagine being dumb is probably in their best interest. I don't have a stat on me, but the cop gene says that the type of parents whom home school their children are probably more....shall we say....'Biblical' in their use of corporal punishment which translates nicely into abuse. That being said, if the parents are drunk from the Jeebus juice, the kids probably aren't going to come out into the real world all that well adjusted anyhow.

So it's a quandary: Either way the kids come whacked out of their noggins at no harm to society. I guess it's just a matter of whether it's better for the kid to be exposed to some modicum of reality while they're in their younger days.

There are, of course, completely good reasons to homeschool your kids as well. These tend to not be issues of 'values', but rather academic proficiency considerations. There are some kids whom are just way too slow for schools and there are some kids who are way too fast for regular schools. In those narrow circumstances, who really beefs with the idea of a parent recognizing their kid's handicap and/or doogiehowserdom and takes the initiative if other options aren't available.

Note: I know what you're doing. You're about hit "post comment" and tell me about all the medical doctors who choose to homeschool their kids, and how many well adjusted homeschooled brain surgeons you heard about on lifesitefamilyfaghatingnews.com. Save it. I'm not talking about the majority of homeschooling parents. You know. The crazy ones.

So call me distinctly on the side with the homeschoolers. Sure, my kids will still make fun of your kids. But I'm hard pressed to come up with a good reason to be against letting people teach their own kids. The statistics on where these kids stand academically are, understandably, murky. Public and private schools regularly produced screwed up and socially maladjusted kids, and ultimately - who are we to make any commentary on the legality of how you raise your kids, so long as it's not abusive.

And then there's this.

The Center on Education Policy (an advocacy group with an agenda to promote public schools over private schools) has released a study in which they conclude that private schools are really no better than public schools.

In all honesty, the folks at SayAnything were really digging into why such a study does not serve as an argument against school choice, but I think the core idea here is that we can test for basic reading/writing/math/etc. proficiency and that if there's limited statistical difference between public and private schools, thus as long as the parent doing the teaching isn't woefully stupid, home schooled kids will probably perform within the same range as kids from traditional schools. Naturally, that's because the ultimate point of standardized testing is to determine what you know and not whether or not how you learned it actually contributes to your ability to think critically - which is the most important thing, imo, about education to begin with.

That, if anything, might provide for the best argument on why in the correct set of circumstance homeschooling can potentially be at least as good as regular education. Which is mainly because...well...most schools aren't doing so good, anyhow.

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They've Come a (Huey) Long Way

Some interesting news came out of my birth state of Louisiana on Saturday where U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal is poised to become the nation's youngest governor and the first nonwhite to hold the post in Louisiana since Reconstruction.

The 36-year-old Republican took 53% of the vote in a twelve way race. (More than any candidate took in our state in a 3 way race btw.)

But while the rest of the country might focus on Jindal's age or ethnicity, Illinoisans may be drawn to this aspect of his candidacy:

He pledged to fight corruption and rid the state of those "feeding at the public trough," revisiting a campaign theme.

"They can either go quietly or they can go loudly, but either way, they will go," he said, adding that he would call the Legislature into special session to address ethics reform. (emphasis added)

Now that's why you call a special session - to actually get something substantive accomplished. I'm going to predict that he'll even have legislation ready for the legislators to debate when they get called into session. (Maybe I'll send his transition team a copy of HB1 to review.)

So let's see, for quite some time now, we've had the dubious honor of trailing the entire country when it comes to the gap in per-pupil education spending.

Now Louisiana is going to give us a lesson in ethics and campaign reform.

Does anybody else see a problem here?

To read or post comments, visit Open House

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Hastert back and forth....

Yesterday's Herald,

....Republican aides, speaking on background, said Thursday he now intends to leave later this year or early next. An exact date for departure or an announcement was not known.

In Washington, however, Hastert told an NBC reporter the stories are mere "rumor" and that he still has a lot of work to do for Illinois.

Asked if he plans to resign before his term ends, he said, "not at this time."

We elected him for the full term. Unless it's health, he should stay and say so. That will quiet all the folks speaking on background.

Update: CQ on the money story.

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As pols raise taxes, trial lawyers continue to push their costly agenda

Water bottle taxes. Transportation "doomsday." Gross receipts. Family secrets.

A relatively small number of "sexy" issues in Cook County and Springfield has largely dominated the headlines during the past year. And while each of these issues is worthy of attention, it is worth noting that one clout-heavy special interest group is breathing easy, enjoying their year-long hiatus from the public spotlight.

I am writing, of course, about the personal injury trial lawyers.

Possibly the most politically influential group in Illinois (and nationally), the trial lawyers were able to fly under the radar this year.

But that doesn't mean they weren't as active as ever.

While the governor, speaker of the house, and Cook County board president have been grabbing headlines - and distracting the larger business community - the trial lawyers have done their best to wreak havoc in Springfield.

In fact, the trial lawyer agenda in Springfield this year has been the most aggressive in years.

Among the bills they introduced was House Bill 1798, sponsored by Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago), which would allow compensation to be paid to beneficiaries of decedents in wrongful death cases for "grief and sorrow." Not just for actual loss, which can be calculated, but for grief and sorrow, which cannot be calculated. Of course, regardless of whether it can be calculated or not, the personal injury trial lawyers will get their cut of the grief and sorrow.

Realizing this misguided legislation would be a dagger through the heart of popular medical liability reform legislation passed two years ago, the Illinois State Medical Society noted that this bill would "expand the damages allowed in wrongful death lawsuits and medical liability litigation."

Successfully passed and signed into law by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, this bill has created a new source of profits for the Illinois trial lawyer industry, now allowing these lawyers to cash in on grief and sorrow.

Can you feel their grief and sorrow?

Another disastrous bill pushed by the trial bar, Senate Bill 1296, would make any Illinois employer -or any Illinois institution, city, county, hospital with deep pockets the prime targets of Illinois trial lawyers. This bill would change the way compensation is determined in damage suits. It changes the rules of fairness in the Illinois tort system.

SB 1296 would establish that if multiple parties are responsible for causing an injury or loss, it makes no difference which of the multiple parties is most responsible. The plaintiff's attorneys, i.e. the trial lawyers, would be able to manipulate which defendant would be left at trial to pick up the tab. It would be the party with the deepest pockets or most money who pays. It wouldn't matter who was mostly at fault, it matters who has the most money.

Fortunately, a broadly-based collection of interests and organizations - including the Illinois Civil Justice League, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, City of Chicago and Illinois Municipal League, among others - was able to stall this bill from passage. It seems certain the trial lawyers will attempt to resurrect it in some form during the next legislative session.

Perhaps the lawsuit lobbyists have kicked it up a notch because they are losing their foothold at the local level. In 2004, they suffered a major blow when Justice Lloyd Karmeier defied millions in trial lawyer campaign cash to win election to the state Supreme Court.

Recent headlines have hailed the unprecedented reforms initiated by Chief Judge Ann Callis in Madison County - long known as the nation's capital of lawsuit abuse. Now even local government organizations, such as the Peoria City Council, have joined the fight, passing pro-lawsuit reform resolutions. Although non-binding, these resolutions do reflect grassroots pressure and voter sentiment that have made it more difficult for the trial lawyers to operate as freely as they once did.

Despite these positive steps forward, Illinois' lawsuit crisis remains. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce annually ranks Illinois among the worst in the country for lawsuit abuse. The American Tort Reform Association continues to label several Illinois counties as "judicial hellholes."

Employers and investors from around the country still look upon the Prairie State with disdain, due in large part to our lawsuit lottery. Doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals continue to suffer under the uncertainty surrounding the trial lawyer's court challenge of the 2004 medical liability reforms.

As the trial lawyers get stymied at the local level, they circle the wagons and retreat to their safe refuge, Springfield, where clout and campaign cash speak louder than public opinion.

In sunlight or the dark of night, in the headlines or on the back page, the issue of lawsuit abuse will continue to be front and center for employers, nonprofit organizations, health care workers, local governments and hospitals. And as trial lawyer cash continues to flow to judicial and legislative candidates alike, the personal injury trial lawyers will descend upon Springfield in the spring to block any meaningful lawsuit reform legislation and to push a dangerous agenda of their own.

The problems that plague our state's sputtering economic engine are vast, but reforming our broken legal system should be at the top of our elected officials' priority list. For the good of the Illinois economy and our employers, consumers and working families, our state legislators should resist the selfish urging of the clout-heavy trial bar.

The only ones who benefit from lawsuit abuse are the trial lawyers. And when they win, the rest of us lose.

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ST: Aldermen: Daley needs to give up names of cops

This issue won't go away. It will develop into a confrontation between the Mayor and City Council. And Sauerberg ought to be telling Illinois if he were Senator he would have called Fitzgerald in much earlier. From the ST,

If Mayor Daley continues to keep secret the names of Chicago Police officers most often accused of excessive force, he may be compelled to reveal them by a rare City Council order, four aldermen said Friday.

Aldermen Toni Preckwinkle (4th), Ricardo Munoz (22nd), Ed Smith (28th) and Joe Moore (49th) said they have lined up 28 votes, two more than they need to force Daley’s hand.

But, the aldermen have decided to take a softer approach before setting up a confrontation between the legislative and executive branches not seen since the Council Wars power struggle that raged during the 1980s.

On Monday, they plan to file a so-called “petition to intervene,” asking U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow to order that the names be released.

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What Pat Quinn Really Thinks of Pay-to-Play

Cross posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On

As if his statement to the press yesterday wasn’t enough, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn is leaving no doubt about his concerns with pay-to-play state contracting. Check out the animation and soundtrack added to his homepage:

http://www.standingupforillinois.org/

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Tax news and something fun

The Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois' board of trustees voted to provide “qualified support” to SB 572, Rep. Julie Hamos’s measure to give a much-needed boost to Chicago-area transit and to give some more money for operating costs of downstate public transit systems. I’ll try to post the association’s position statement as soon as it’s available.

Here's the federation's statement supporting Hamos' legislation:
• "TFI supports the pension, healthcare, and governance reforms in the bill. TFI has taken the position that reforms to spending, such as spending on pensions and healthcare, should be prerequisites to any increases in revenue. TFI believes that the reforms agreed to between the Chicago Transit Authority (“CTA”) and the relevant unions to, among other things, increase contribution rates and increase the retirement age to 65 are positive steps to reining in costs. TFI believes these reforms are an example of the types of reforms the State should undertake in the future to reduce its own cost structure."

• "TFI supports the sales tax increases in the bill as reasonable, targeted increases to fund transit needs. Given that transit use is regional to a particular area, TFI believes an increase in the sales taxes in Chicagoland is a reasonable revenue source since it will be targeted primarily on the taxpayers of the area that is serviced by the Regional Transportation Authority (“RTA”)."

• "TFI previously worked with the Illinois Association of Realtors (“IAR”) to obtain the referendum requirement for home rule municipalities. The provision in SB 572 grants an exception to the requirement for the limited instance of this particular tax imposition in Chicago. While TFI is concerned about this exception, we acknowledge and support the fact that the bill does not rescind the overall requirement for home rule municipalities to seek voter approval of the imposition or increase of real estate transfer taxes."

• "TFI also believes that reasonable fare increases designed to reflect the growth in operational costs should be part of any future fiscal considerations of the RTA and its service boards."

Tax climate
The national Tax Federation also released its 2008 State Business Tax Climate Index, which is supposed to rank states based on how “business friendly” they are. The news release says the index “measures how well a state's tax system encourages investment by maintaining a broad tax base and low rates.” It considers the corporate tax, individual income tax, sales tax, unemployment tax and property tax.

Illinois places 28th overall. Here’s Illinois’ rankings in the sub-groups:
Corporate income tax: 29th
Individual income tax: 12th
Sales tax: 32nd
Unemployment insurance tax: 42
And property tax: 40

The report says Illinois, along with Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan and Colorado, are in the top 12 for the individual property tax because each state uses a single, low rate. Watch for my November column about Chicago's property tax system.

Illinois placed 27th overall last year and 29th in 2006. That’s down from placing 19th in 2003, the first year the group published the report.

“Good state tax systems levy low, flat rates on the broadest bases possible, and they treat all taxpayers the same,” the federation says. “Variation in the tax treatment of different industries favors on economic activity or decision over another. The more riddled a tax system is with these politically motivated preferences the less likely it is that business decisions will be made in response to market forces.”

Here’s the executive summary of the background paper, and here’s the full background paper. You can access the full report here.

By the way, this is the same group that said Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s failed gross receipts tax idea was the “largest single-year state tax increase this decade.” I mention that in my May feature about the state’s business climate. Watch for more analysis by Charlie Wheeler, director of the Public Affairs Reporting master’s program at the University of Illinois at Springfield, next month.

Something fun
You may be interested to see which presidential candidates align with your views. WQAD News Channel 8 linked to this 11-question survey, which is not scientific, developed by Minnesota Public Radio. It’s here. It's quick and easy, but the site says it's not meant to pick your candidate for you. It's designed to inform the public about the candidates' stances on a variety of issues.

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What's Wrong With Homeschooling?

The Illinois Family Institute's e-mail update of the week contains an article written by Rhonda Robinson, a Douglas County native who is homeschooling her nine children.

Here's the lede:

Would you believe the earth was created on Oct. 23, 4004 B.C.?

The age and origins of the earth has been a hot debate for centuries, and remains in full swing today.

Um, well, no Rhonda. I don't believe the earth was created on October 23, 4004 B.C. Actually, I'm kind of shocked to find out that anyone could. I'm guessing they must not have The Discovery Channel in Douglas County. Or Nova. Or books.

And I guess it depends on what you mean by "hot debate." Based on the fossil evidence, its universally accepted in the scientific community that a meteor struck Central America 67 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs.

Based on radiometric dating of lead isotopes, as well as meteorites and their remnants, the age of the earth and the solar system is believed to be 4.55 billion years old, plus or minus 50 million years.

Of course, Creationists dispute that, just as they dispute evolution.

Here's a good explanation of why they're wrong on the age of the earth.

Here's a good explanation of why they're wrong on evolution.

Now, can someone explain to me how any kid in Illinois can earn a high school diploma without understanding these basic scientific facts? Or more importantly, that science requires that a hypothesis be testable and the results be reproducable, and that no hypothesis can ever be absolutely proven, only disproven, but once the results are reproduced often enough, they become generally accepted fact?

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Components of Political Polling: The Benchmark Analysis

Cross Posted from Fako & Associates' Political Polling Blog.

Campaigns need a detailed analysis that highlights the key findings of a survey and interprets the findings into usable strategic recommendations. A good analysis always goes significantly more in-depth than the "slide show" presentations that have become popular in recent years. A quality analysis provides direction, focus and discipline to a campaign.

Continuing our series on understanding political polling, we've previously discussed the components of crafting a survey and how to read crosstabs. Now, we will discuss the components that should be present in an in-depth strategic analysis of a typical comprehensive benchmark survey.

An analysis is essentially a detailed strategic playbook for a campaign in three parts. A good analysis will be one part reporting key findings, one part analysis and strategic interpretation of those findings, and another part interrelating these findings and interpretations into cohesive strategic advice.

The analysis should report the significant findings of the survey and the pollster's strategic interpretation of the data. As the report progresses, a strategy is developed as all the pieces of the puzzle come together, with a final conclusion and a detailed understanding of the candidate’s situation, dynamics of the election and a clear (or best available) path to victory.

See the rest of this post here.

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Pundits overestimate Obama’s effect on a potential primary day special election in the 14th

The conventional wisdom seems to be that if Hastert retires early, and Blagojevich schedules the special election for February 5th, the presence of Obama on the primary ballot will increase turnout and give the Dem candidate in the 14th an advantage. I think that conclusion is wrong. Here’s why:

In the 2004 primary, voters in DeKalb, Kane and Kendall counties pulled Republican ballots by margins of 62%, 61% and 67%, respectively. And even in one of the worst Republican years since Watergate, the incumbent (who had just endured a good six months of negative media), still won those counties with margins of 58%, 59% and 66%, respectively. Bottom line: it’s still a solidly Republican district. Any increase in Democratic turnout will only, at best, affect the margins, not the outcome.

Also, let's not forget that Republicans in Illinois will have another incentive to come out on Feb 5th that will blunt the effects of any increase in Dem turnout in the 14th: they will have a competitive Presidential primary as well, which will give them something they haven’t had in a long time: a real chance to actually have some say in who becomes President.

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Who's Going to Give the Governor $3-5 Million?

Cross posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

A major political organization is holding its big annual fundraiser in Chicago tonight. Sponsors are paying up to $20,000 for the title "honorary co-chair." And no, it's not our event.

It's Gov. Blagojevich's, and if past fundraisers are any indication, he's expected to pull in $3-5 million. That's more than most previous governors have raised at a single event, but it's par for the course for Blagojevich, who has raised more than anyone else in the history of Illinois politics.

The size of his fundraising is noteworthy by itself, but who gives has also raised eyebrows, and concerns. As Deanna Bellandi reports for the AP today, "Contributors have gained spots on state boards and commissions; donors have received state business; lobbyists who are friends and associates of the governor have won lucrative contracts for their clients; and his top fundraisers have had a say in government policy and appointments."

Friends of Blagojevich won't have to report receipts from the event until next January, so we won't know for sure who gave or if any of today's haul looks improper. But the history of donors getting state contracts, coupled with demonstrated illegalities in the Operation Safe Road and Hired Truck trials, suggest that Illinois needs more regulation over some campaign contributions than are now on the books.

HB 1, the pay to play ban, certainly deserves public debate and a floor vote. It's been tied up in the Senate for 176 days now without any sign that Senate leadership is prepared to address the problem. Lt Gov. Pat Quinn today calls for action on HB 1, and Comptroller Dan Hynes, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, and Secretary of State Jesse White have all declared their public support for the measure; to date, the governor is the only fence sitter.

Thonight's fundraiser is being held while the legislature is considering a multi-billion dollar capital construction program. Before another fundraising cycle slips by, sponsors of this bill, whose number includes fully three-fourths of the members of the Senate, should find a way to move this bill.

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The Return of PQ v1.0 (The Honeymoon's Over)

I've got a post swirling inside me about the state of the Democratic Party in our state and county and city, but until I can get that post from my head to my keyboard, I'll give you this latest gem.

If you already read my post from Monday about HB1, which would ban pay-to-play politics, then you know the backdrop of this story. If you haven't, go read my post.

Well, the chorus of calls for doing the right thing is about to get louder. I was given a heads-up by a reporter that this afternoon, only hours before Governor Blagojevich's big-ticket fundraiser ($1000+), Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn is scheduled to hold a press conference calling on the Governor pass and sign HB1 into law before the passage of any capital bill. (Disclaimer - I knew nothing about the press conference until being told about it Wednesday afternoon, and I have not discussed it with the Lt. Gov.)

Quinn's message echoes that contained in a letter sent to leaders last week by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, which correctly recognizes that, in addition to infrastructure repairs, a capital bill also means big dollar contracts that heighten the need for a law that makes sure that those contracts are not dependent upon political contributions.

I obviously agree with the Lt. Gov. on this issue and am glad that he is trying to put more light (heat) on the issue. So no real story there.

But I think that the bigger issue is that the press conference appears to be the latest chapter in the re-emergence of PQ v1.o.

To the praise of many, and disdain of others, Pat Quinn earned his stripes over decades by being the populist's populist. I've worked with Pat on numerous issues and will attest that his passion is as sincere as it gets. And I can think of no other elected official who comes even close to Pat in showing an unwavering dedication in honoring our veterans and fallen soldiers.

But after his election as Lt. Gov. in 2002, the old Pat just wasn't as evident. The fire and belief was there, but in a much more muted version. Hence, PQ v2.o. (The stories behind Pat's silence are a story unto themselves, and aren't mine to discuss.)

But lately, shades of renegade Pat are popping up with increasing frequency. A couple of weeks ago, he was talking about the need for a recall provision, which I'm sure went over big with his running mate.

And now, he fires a shot directly across the Governor's campaign juggernaut just as the tables and chairs are being set up for the Governor's fundraising event.

So now, in addition to: the Governor vs. the Speaker; the Speaker vs. the Senate President; and the Governor + Senate President vs. the House Democrats; you can add the Lt. Governor vs. the Governor.

Welcome to the Democratic Party of Illinois.

To read or post comments, visit Open House

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Hastert to announce resignation today

That's what Fox and Politico are saying. (A quick search of the Sun Times and Trib showed nothing.) Here's from Fox,

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert will resign his seat in Congress later this year, and not serve out the remainder of his term, FOX News has learned.

The Illinois Republican has informed the House GOP leadership of his early departure, according to Republican sources. No date has been chosen for a formal announcement, which was originally scheduled for Thursday, sources told FOX News, but the resignation is expected to become effective in December or January.

Hastert's leaving in the middle of the 110th Congress means his Illinois district will have to hold a special election, one more likely to favor a GOP candidate since the party is expected to be more adept at turning out voters in a low-turnout special election.

Update: IR has it too from Crains with this comment on funds raised to date.

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Obama Lands a Solid Left Jab

Here's the e-mail I got signed by Barack Obama tonight:

Subject Line: Inevitable?

Yellow Dog Democrat,

I'm leaving the Tonight Show studio and I wanted to share something.

Jay Leno just asked if it bothers me that some of the Washington pundits are declaring Hillary Clinton the winner of this election before a single vote has been cast.

I'll tell you what I told him: Hillary is not the first politician in Washington to declare "Mission Accomplished" a little too soon.

We started this week $2.1 million behind the Clinton campaign -- a lead they built in large part with contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.

We don't accept money from federal lobbyists or PACs. But thanks to your contribution, we've already cut that advantage in half.

Let's close the rest of that gap now. Please make another donation of $100:

https://donate.barackobama.com/closingthegap

Thank you,

Barack

(emphasis added)

That's a solid left jab where I come from. Comparing Clinton to George Bush in a very visceral, burned-image-in your-brain kind of way. It's also a message that could do some damage with Iowa and New Hampshire Democrats. They take their caucuses and their early primaries seriously. They believe they better understand the candidates and the issues better than the lower 48. They take pride in their independence, and they don't like to have their vote discounted or taken for granted. They also like underdogs. Obama's message could cause Clinton troubles.

The second-to-last paragraph also caught my eye:

We don't accept money from federal lobbyists or PACs. But thanks to your contribution, we've already cut that advantage in half.

First because it reminded me of Glenn Poshard's problem when he unilaterally disarmed his fundraising against George Ryan.

And then I realized that Obama was telling me that he raised $1.05 million in a single e-mail. That's right, Obama sent out just one e-mail Tuesday morning, and in less than 36 hours he raised over $1 million. Unreal.

Assuming Obama raised an average of $100 from those donors, he must have had 10,500 people respond, assuming the e-mail went out to 3/4 of his 352,000 donors, or 264,000, that's a 4% response rate. Pretty darn good. If he can keep up his current pace of adding 90,000 donors a quarter and get a 4% response rate every week, he'll raise nearly $18 million just off the Internet by January 1 and he'll be raising almost $1.5 million off the Internet starting in 2008.

Barack Poshard?
Poshard was nailed by Ryan on trumped up charges that he violated his own pledge, let's see if Hillary tries to put some chinks in his armor. Of course, if she does, Obama is likely to strike back and attack Clinton for her fundraising. I'm betting she's getting alot of money from insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies, so opening that debate could be a Pandora's Box.

I also have to wonder if Poshard might have been able to out-raise Ryan in 1998 if the Internet were at its current level of political penetration.

Chambana
One of the best fundraisers I ever knew was a guy known as The Old-Timer who did an old-time bluegrass show on WEFT 90.1 FM in Champaign. The Old-Timer raised more money than just about anybody, except News From Neptune, a show further to the left than anything you'll ever find. I figure if the Old-Timer could nickel and dime his way to the top, Poshard could to, if he could reach a large enough audience cheaply and conveniently enough.

News from Neptune, btw, was followed immediately on air by the Illinois Labor Hour, the only radio show I know of in Illinois dedicated to covering the labor movement on a weekly basis. During the strike years in Decatur in the early 90's, before the World Wide Web (invented at U of I) took off, the Illinois Labor Hour was the best source of coverage of the strikes at Staley, Goodyear and ADM, and it was a critical organizing tool for labor activists building community support and recruiting student volunteers.

A little Illinois Political Trivia: The Old-Timer was a member of the U of I College Republicans with the late Senator Stan Weaver. News from Neptune is co-hosted by former Green Party Congressional candidate Carl Estabrook, and Illinois Labor Hour is hosted by Bill Gorrell, organizer for Laborers International Union of North America #703.

Union tradesmen made up a big section of WEFT's weekday audience, tuning in from noon to 3 pm weekdays for the Blues slot. The D.J.'s were all live, all volunteer, and if you called in with a request, they would play it if they had it. And they had just about everything.

Are Community/Public Radio still Relevant?
This week happens to be pledge week for a lot of public/community radio stations. Alot of people wonder if broadcast t.v. and radio are becoming increasingly irrelevant in the era of cable television and the Internet, but what's surprising is that while traditional t.v. and radio stations have seen their audiences shrink, public television and radio have seen their audiences grow in recent years.

Maybe because its one place we can get away from Brittney Spears?

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DuPage Budget Debacle - What Others Are Saying…And What About Long-Term Planning?

[Cross-Posted at WurfWhile.com]

The current budget proposal is to cut about 10% of the DuPage County government workforce, about 235 people, as part of a plan to cut over $50 million. That means hundreds of people, who worked hard and did their job, now will lose their job through no fault of their own. It also means a lot to other DuPage residents, who will face cuts that threaten safety and key government functions. It should have never gotten to this. Many people, many of them Democrats like me, have railed about county mismanagement for years and advocated more fiscal responsibility. Now that disaster has struck on the all-Republican watch, it seems appropriate to me to permit office holders to describe what they will preside over - and in many cases what they've created. Warning to readers and residents - you may find the following material deeply offensive, and you should.

What Others Are Saying About The DuPage Budget Debacle (Alphabetically By Last Name)

DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett denies what the county board tells him is true, according to the Daily Herald, saying layoffs are not an option for the criminal justice system that stands to face almost 200 lost jobs. "It would mean not even doing the bare minimum that is required by law.... Probation will become a joke. The youth home will shut down. Courtrooms will have to be shut down because we can't staff them."

Chief Judge Ann Jorgensen in the Chicago Tribune, "'There won't be enough assistant state's attorneys to prosecute cases; there won't be enough public defenders to represent indigent defendants'.... Jorgensen said probation officers are already spread so thinly that further staff cuts will prevent them from providing services and monitoring that are designed to steer convicted criminals away from a life of crime. 'We have the finest probation officers in the state of Illinois, but I have already asked them to do more and more with less and less.'"

DuPage County Board member Linda Kurzawa, Board President of the DuPage County Board of Health, in the Naperville Sun said, "department services are severely threatened and the Convalescent Center is facing 'the beginning of the end.... The cuts will mean the loss of breast and cervical cancer screenings, hands-on health programs and a large scale-back if not elimination of our dental program.'"

DuPage County Board Chair Robert Schillerstrom in the Chicago Tribune, "'This is not a budget I want. It is not a budget you want.... It is not a budget that will meet the needs of DuPage County or our constituents. ... [The proposed budget cuts] are deep and they are real, and they will affect every department across our county.'" And in the Daily Herald, Chairman Schillerstrom is quoted saying, "Government should cut fat - we have.... Government shouldn't cut muscle - we must. This budget may change people's ideas about our county."

Coroner Pete Siekmann in the Daily Herald, "Siekmann said staff cuts to his office would translate to delayed autopsies and possibly the closing of the coroner's office on weekends. 'People aren't going to quit dying.... If people die in the hospital or their residence we can't just let them lay. We need to respond.'"

Sheriff John Zaruba in the Daily Herald, "'If the county board passes this budget, they have failed in their responsibility to protect the public,' said Sheriff John Zaruba in a written statement. 'The consequences of this budget proposal are unconscionable.'" And in the Chicago Tribune, Sheriff Zaruba is quoted saying, "This office has already been reduced to 1980s staffing levels. ... Crime prevention, alternative sentencing and anti-recidivism programs have been eliminated.... I cannot and will not stand by and let cuts of this magnitude stand. The safety of our citizens is not negotiable."

What About That Long-Term Planning?

Laurence Msall, president of The Civic Federation, told the Daily Herald that "part of the reason the county is in trouble is because it hasn't implemented a long-term strategic plan to address lean financial times." But wait, don't we have a strategic plan - a "roadmap" of where we're headed? Yes, we recently got one - it's here. So why are we in this mess? Well, the "roadmap" is apparently crap (to put it politely). According to the Naperville Sun, before this so-called "roadmap," "[i]n the 20 years that Robert Schillerstrom has been with the county, DuPage has not had a strategic plan." Just as damning, with Schillerstrom counted, ten of the 19 members of the DuPage County Board, a majority, have served at least eight years (and some around two decades). Yet these supposedly business-oriented county board members never thought, until just recently, that a strategic plan was a priority - and then they failed to create and follow a good one.

Conclusion

Now, of course, it's probably too late for a good, short-term fix. Chairman Schillerstrom and the county board want to blame the problem on not getting the $1 a pack cigarette tax through Springfield, but as the Chicago Tribune notes today, "Even that appears to be insufficient to roll back the cuts proposed by Schillerstrom because it would raise an estimated $25 million a year for the county when the cuts total $52 million."

Put simply, the DuPage County Board is responsible for the county budget - and it has lost control. Public safety and crucial government services will likely suffer. Robert Schillerstrom and the DuPage County Board have totally failed to plan for the future - and they've totally failed us. When campaign season comes, and everyone's making promises about being fiscally responsible and cutting taxes and running on their record, or running with the support of incumbents, you need to think about this and think hard. Decades of total Republican control of the DuPage County Board have led to this result. If you like what you see, vote for them. If you believe we need a change, then vote Democrat. As far as I'm concerned, we need big change. It can't come soon enough.

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Horserace Emerging in 14th

Two months ago I rated Jim Oberweis’ odds of winning the Republican Primary in Illinois 14th Dist. at about 99 percent. A perennial conservative favorite, he now had the backing of much of the establishment – including the tacit support of the former Speaker of the House he sought to replace. His personal wealth could cover whatever holes were left.

Last month, after talking with a couple handfuls of party and elected officials in the district, I dropped those odds to about 85 percent. State Sen. Chris Lauzen was holding on to all his strength in the population-rich eastern end of the district and making surprising inroads in the western end where Oberweis is well-known and Lauzen almost unknown. In his last two statewide races Oberweis had a superior field operation. But Lauzen, who has had to win his senate seat repeatedly over establishment opposition, has one of the finest local grassroots organizations in the state. Clearly, Lauzen’s organization was outdistancing Oberweis in the early going. But money would weigh in soon enough, I thought.

This week it did. Now I am rating Oberweis as a 65% favorite – and one who can’t afford much more discouraging news. Not counting money the candidates have put in themselves, Lauzen raised almost twice ($211,000) what Oberweis did ($122,000) in this last quarter. A key element in having as powerful a figure as the former Speaker whispering in your ear is the fundraising prowess he brings to the table. I’m not sure whether these figures are an insult to Oberweis or to retiring Congressman Denny Hastert or to both. Even when you add in what the candidates put in themselves Lauzen still retains over a $100,000 advantage.

Each district has a floor level of money required to run a complete campaign. Reach that level and the impact of any more money put in is marginal. Generally I consider every dollar raised after the floor has been reached to have about 10 cents of impact compared to the dollars needed to reach the floor. I consider the floor in the 14th to be around $1.1 million. With $536,000 total raised, Lauzen is halfway there. He is already organizationally outdoing Oberweis: if he hits the floor mark, he robs Oberweis of much of the financial advantage. Each campaign eventually takes on a story line, too. If the Oberweis campaign does not act with a certain prudent boldness sometime soon the story line of this campaign will make Lauzen into “the little train that could” and the early advantage vanishes entirely.

Meantime on the Democratic side, Geneva businessman Bill Foster raised $409,000 including $200,000 of his own money. Democrats clearly believe that this seat could be in play, particularly if conservatives Oberweis and Lauzen so badly bruise each other in the primary that divisions carry over into the general election campaign.

Do not be surprised if the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) quietly gets into play sometime soon. If they do, it will be on behalf of Oberweis. It’s nothing personal; just follow the math. The NRCC was spread thin in 2006 and will be spread much thinner in 2008. They probably have twice as many seats they need to target as they have money to target them with. Regardless of how the Republican Primary turns out this seat is likely to become a Democratic target. While Lauzen may very well have the fundraising ability to make up for what he lacks in personal wealth to compete in the primary, he would assuredly need significant national help if the general was targeted by the Democrats. The decision-makers at the NRCC aren’t geniuses. But you don’t have to be a genius to figure out that, if Oberweis wins, money that would have to be used to prop up Lauzen in a general could be used elsewhere, relieving a little of the pressure on the very tight national NRCC budget.

It has been surprising how cautious and lackluster the Oberweis campaign has been to this point. Without a renewal of vigor, Oberweis risks repeating the results of his first statewide race when little-known, underfunded State Rep. Jim Durkin swept to victory in the U.S. Senate Primary. Anything other than a decisive win will almost certainly lead the Democrats to target the seat, making the cost of the general election campaign

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Illinois Campaign Disclosure Ranked #1, and #29, in the Country

Cross posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

A new national survey of state campaign finance disclosure systems ranks Illinois tops in the nation for its electronic filing program,. The same survey, by the Campaign Disclosure Project of the California Voter Foundation based at UCLA, gave Illinois low marks for the campaign disclosure law, ranking us 29th in the nation. The report is here; press coverage is here and here.

The findings mirror similar reports in 2005 and 2003, that the State Board of Elections does a fantastic job of letting the public know what's in the disclosure reports, but that the underlying disclosure law leave a lot to be desired. We still have no rules on the size and source of donations, allowing corporations, unions, and associations to give unlimited amounts; allowing unrestricted transfers between committees, even tolerating donations from regulated industries and state contractors. All of these are regulated in nearly every other state in the country. Legislation to address these failings, including HB 1 and HB 3497 languish in the Senate and House respectively.

The report is right to praise what we do well, but it also serves as another reminder of the work we have yet to do.

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Update: State Board of Elections Postpones Decision on Stroger's A-1 Fines

Cross-posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

The State Board of Elections met Monday to consider fines to be assessed against the Friends of Todd H. Stroger for President committee, as we mentioned last week. Staff at the Board found that the committee failed to disclose an astounding 78 donations totaling over $250K in donations received during the A-1 period in the 2006 General Election. Despite the large number of undisclosed donations, staff recommended a fine of just 10%, the lowest level allowed by statute.

The matter came before the Board on Monday and, long story short, the Board took no action, deferring to their next meeting. They were unable to find five votes in favor of a penalty. Member Patrick Brady recused himself for an undisclosed conflict. A motion to accept the hearing officer's recommendation and impose a $25K fine failed with four votes in favor (John Keith, Vice Chairman Bryan Schneider, Jesse Smart, and Robert Walters), three opposed (Bill McGuffage, Chairman Albert Porter, and Wanda Rednour), and Brady abstaining. A second motion to impose a fine only on the transfers and not the direct contributions (the resulting tally would have levied a fine of $14,200) also failed, with Keith, McGuffage, Porter, and Rednour voting yes, Schneider, Smart and Walters voting no, and Brady abstaining. The matter was continued to the November 19 meeting, which will be held in Springfield.

To put the Stroger committee's violations in perspective is difficult. The Board does not keep records of violations that facilitate historical comparisons. But in our research, we haven't found any committee that has failed to disclose more than a dozen donations in a single election. No one had failed to disclose more than $100K in a single election. The Stroger committee's failures to disclose dwarf all previous violations.

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Coprez Coffie and the Chicago PD

ST on Chicago's settlement with Mr. Coffie,

The Chicago Police Department has agreed to pay $4 million to a 23-year-old man who says police shoved a screwdriver into his behind.

The announcement came moments after a jury of nine women and men ruled that they believed Coprez Coffie over the two police officers who testified they had no idea where that screwdriver in their squad car's glove compartment came from.

I wish Sen Durbin had used his clout to form a panel to look at CPD instead of Cook County's health system. It's going to take more than an independent commission to sort this department out.

PS behind? The jury found the Police shoved a screwdriver into Mr. Coffie's rectum. They should tell their readers that.

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Bad Rapping the Bible (Word up...His Word up)

I was thinking about the 'Moment of Silence' bill, um, law that we passed last week, which has gotten off to an 'awkward' start in schools around the state. The bill's sponsor maintained that it wasn't a way to try to get prayer into the schools, which if true, would make the law make even less sense. (If religion was at the crux of it, there would have at least been a purpose, albeit unconstitutional, to this ambiguous mandate. Taking the sponsors at their word, the purpose of the law is to let kids listen to birds chirping and leaves rustling.)

But despite all of the other issues that I had with the bill, I'm not sure that in today's age, a moment of silence is even the best way to get kids to focus on religion. (Not that that was the purpose of the bill, of course.)

Then I was watching Nightline and they had a short piece about a website called GodTube, essentially a religious version of YouTube. I guess that it strikes me as a logical way to use technology to reach the younger generation, to bring mass to the masses if you will.

But I'm not so sure if this video is what the site creators had in mind. Then again, maybe it's just what they had in mind.

I'm curious about other people's thoughts as to whether a video like this one helps promote religion in a modern era or if it trivializes the subject. My mind isn't made up yet.

To read or post comments, visit Open House

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Who Joins Edwards In Call For End To Frivolous Lawsuits?

Former Senator John Edwards' recent call for an end to frivolous lawsuits may have been taken with a grain of salt ... or a loud guffaw ... or a "what did I just hear or read?" reaction.

From AP story:

"Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who made his fortune as a trial lawyer, says attorneys should have to show their medical malpractice cases have merit before filing them.

"He also said attorneys with a history of frivolous suits should be barred from filing new cases."

While Edwards' comments may have surprised some -- in both parties -- and raised eyebrows, they do provide a hint that civil justice reform could be one of the sleeper issues in the 2008 presidential race.

The growing call for civil justice reform throughout the United States seems to be catching the attention of former trial lawyer Edwards and several of this competitors.

We tried to do a quick -- certainly not exhaustive -- search of what the candidates in both parties have been saying or writing on civil justice reform issues during the current campaign, and perhaps in the past.

We'll do a more comprehensive analysis closer to the Illinois primary on February 5.

Democrats:

John Edwards is a former trial lawyer and his comments latest comments provide no comfort that he has changed his philosophy. But he does understand he needs to change the perception of John Edwards, trial lawyer.

Full Story: Edwards Seeks End To Frivolous Lawsuits

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Barack Obama, current U.S. Senator from Illinois and former Illinois state senator, has a track record of supporting some civil justice reform proposals, including voting for the federal Class Action Fairness Act and previously supporting some reform measures in the Illinois General Assembly. It would be a stretch, however, to view his as a civil justice reform advocate.

Comments Re: Obama on Point of Law.

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Apparent front-runner Hillary Clinton, an Illinois native, has been viewed as a health care reformer but that does not include any reference to civil justice reform, at least according to her campaign website.

Hillary Clinton Campaign Website

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Republicans:

Predictably, the Republican candidates are more supportive of civil justice reform proposals, at least publicly.

Here are a few indications of where the front-runners (the four candidates considered in the lead for the Republican nomination by a consensus of polls).

Mitt Romney:

From the Romney website, excerpts from a speech:

Governor Romney Believes America Needs National Tort Reform, Not Reform State-By-State. "Another burden on our economic future is our out-of-control tort system. Last year, U.S. corporations spent more money on tort claims than they did on R&D. If innovation is the key to our long term leadership, then some tort lawyers are cashing out our country's future. I spoke with one member of the plaintiff's bar the other day. He said that the tort lawyers are ok with state reform, but not national reform. You know what state level tort reform means - it means that as long as there is one lawsuit-friendly state, they can sue almost any major, deep-pocketed company in America. No thanks, America needs national tort reform."

Link To Mitt Romney Website.

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Rudolph Giuliani

From the Giuliani website:

Policy on Ending Frivolous Lawsuits:

Discourage Frivolous Suits: Reform the federal court rules to give courts more discretion to quickly dismiss lawsuits through summary judgment. Shift the cost of excessive discovery outside the presumptive limits to the party requesting it, and reform the rules to require losers to pay costs and fees if they cannot meet the burden of demonstrating a good faith basis for the suit.

Reduce the Burden and Cost of Civil Lawsuits: Reform the civil discovery rules to lower presumptive discovery limits, institute strict time limits for the discovery process, require more court supervision of burdensome requests, impose real sanctions for discovery abuses, and encourage all courts to hear cases as quickly as the so-called "Rocket Docket."

Encourage Fast Resolution of Suits Through Alternative Dispute Resolution: We should explore various options for alternative dispute resolution in an effort to alleviate court congestion.
Cap Non-Economic and Punitive Damages: Set limits on punitive damages and non-economic damages and set a higher burden of proof on plaintiffs seeking non-economic damages in cases in which the defendant had already offered to pay economic damages.

Link To Giuliani Website.

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John McCain

From The Club For Growth:

Senator McCain's record on tort reform is generally positive. These votes include:

Sponsored the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 which sought to curb lawsuits by shifting suits from state to federal courts, by requiring judges to review all coupon settlements, and by limiting attorneys' fees in non-cash settlements

Voted for a bill that would bar lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, dealers and importers of firearms

Voted for a bill that would place caps on damage awards in medical malpractice suits against obstetricians and gynecologists

Voted for a motion to proceed to a bill that would cap non-economic and punitive damages in medical malpractice suits

This generally positive record, however, is tarnished by Senator McCain's sponsoring of and outspoken support for the Patients' Bill of Rights, which encouraged an increase in the number of frivolous lawsuits filed against healthcare providers. He also voted against the Litigation Uniform Standards Act, which limited the conduct of securities class actions under state law.

Club For Growth Comments On McCain.

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Fred Thompson

From The Club For Growth:

Thompson's position on tort reform is a bit of an enigma. At first glance, his record contains a mix of both good and bad votes, though many of these bad votes are better understood in light of Thompson's federalist philosophy. To his credit, this former trial lawyer voted against the McCain-Kennedy Patients' Bill of Rights; to exempt pro bono healthcare professionals from malpractice liability; and for the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act, requiring all class action securities lawsuits involving more than 50 parties to be filed in federal court.

The majority of his votes though, were against measures seeking to discourage runaway lawsuits. He voted multiple times against amendments to provide liability protection and limit damages, including:

Voted to kill an amendment that would limit punitive damages to twice the sum of compensatory damages; place limits on attorney's fees; and require lawsuits to be filed within two years of the discovery of an injury

Voted against a bill that would cap the liability of businesses from damage caused by Y2K-related computer problems, though Thompson voted for a conference version of the bill that extended liability protection to businesses with 50 employees or less

Was 1 of 7 Republicans to vote against a Dole amendment to limit punitive damages in civil cases

Voted to table an amendment to limit non-economic damages for pain and suffering in medical malpractice suits

Voted to table an amendment to raise the standards to require "clear and convincing" evidence in medical malpractice cases involving labor or delivery of a baby if the doctor had not provided prenatal care

Thompson's belief in a hands-off federal government is sincere to the point where he was the only senator to vote against liability protection for teachers and volunteers. As Thompson explained numerous times during his eight years, these votes and others stemmed from a firm belief that the federal government should not meddle in matters best left to the states.

In a recent blog post in defense of his 1998 vote against a cap on attorney's fees, he argued that "I did not come to the Senate to review billing records from lawyers in private lawsuits. For the record, I oppose the federal regulation of any fees negotiated by two competent parties at the state and local level. This goes for lawyers, doctors, butchers, bakers, or the occasional candlestick maker. Even if excessive fees offend congressional sensibilities, there are other remedies that make far more sense than the federal one."

At the same time, Thompson's votes demonstrate an inconsistency that calls into question his federalism defense. While he voted for the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act, he also supported a Sarbanes amendment that would have weakened the Act by narrowing the definition of class action suits. Thompson opposed several bills capping punitive damage awards, but voted for the Common Sense Product Liability and Legal Reform Act of 1995 that did just that. He voted against liability protection for volunteers and teachers but for protection for pro bono healthcare professionals.

While Thompson's federalism argument is laudable as a means of reducing the impact of the federal government in private transactions, the fact that he has also not supported or suggested any meaningful lawsuit limitations at the state level raises the question of whether he appreciates the damage that excessive litigation does to our economy. It would be reassuring if, as a presidential candidate, he proposed solutions to our litigation crisis, even if they fell short of comprehensive federal tort reform.

Club for Growth Comments on Thompson

-- Ed Murnane
Illinois Civil Justice League
October 15, 2007

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Chicago Public Schools to open Marine-run academy

Someone at CPS has been reading Making the Corps. via the AP from WQAD

The Chicago Public Schools will commission today the nation's first public high school run by the U.S. Marine Corps.

The opening of the Marine Military Academy on the near West Side is seen as another blow to activists who have fought to keep the armed services out of city schools.

xp Bill Baar's West Side

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Ethics Delayed, Ethics Denied

Carol Marin did a nice job on Sunday in shining a new light on a piece of legislation that I introduced, and then passed out of the House on April 25th.

She sums it up pretty well, so here you go:

It's Day 172 of a hostage drama playing out in Springfield. You may not have been aware of it given all the other crises looming on the landscape down there.

The hostage in question is House Bill 1. It's a straightforward piece of legislation. A simple declaration that would make "pay-to-play" politics illegal in Illinois.

HB1 would throw an obstacle in the path of that kind of politics. It would require anyone who bids on a state contract of more than $10,000 to disclose whether they've given campaign contributions in the last couple of years to the public official handing out the contract.

It would stop businesses that hold more than $25,000 in state contracts from making political contributions to the state officeholder with whom they made a contract deal...

It passed the House 116-0. And in the Senate, 46 of the 59 members are co-sponsors.

Free HB1. Free it now.

Those who pay attention to Springfield politics are well-versed in what should be known as the 'Springfield Shuffle', the art of trying to bottle up ethics legislation by saying something along the lines of 'it doesn't go far enough' or 'we don't have time to deal with it' or 'we have a better idea'. And sure enough, that's the dance being done with this bill.

Never mind that every major paper in the state supports HB1, that it passed the House unanimously, that 4 out of every 5 Senators are co-sponsors of the bill, or that it has likely been the biggest campaign issue in the state for years.

Never mind that it would do wonders to not only to bolster public confidence in state government, but would actually improve the honesty and integrity of a state government that could drastically use the help about now.

The bill remains bottled up in the Senate.

Earlier this summer, the Governor called a special session to demand that the Speaker call a gun bill in the House, even though the bill's own House sponsor didn't want the bill called because the votes weren't there to pass it. The Governor's position was that it was positively un-American to bottle up a bill in one chamber that was passed by the other.

At a budget meeting at the Governor's Mansion, I brought up the untenable nature of the Governor's argument to him as it related to not pushing for Sen. Jones to call HB1. The Governor's reply? Essentially, 'it doesn't go far enough', 'we don't have time to deal with it', and 'we have a better idea'. This from the office that promised to 'rock the system' of state campaign laws over two years ago.

I'm far from naive, but I truly find it difficult to fathom that there is still a belief that the political damage that results from refusing to call HB1 and end pay-to-play politics in Illinois is justified by the fundraising permitted in its absence.

Yet here we are 173 days later.

And counting.

To read or post comments, visit Open House

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Mark Pera, IL-3rd and the GOP

Today's ST,

Mark Pera stopped in Chicago's Mount Greenwood recently to mingle with the community.

As a candidate for the 3rd Congressional District, Pera wanted to introduce himself to voters. He was warned about the potential for an unfriendly reception. Pera is a pro-choice Democrat from Western Springs. Mount Greenwood represents the heart of a heavily working-class Catholic - and by extension, pro-life - voting base. U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, a pro-life Democrat, serves the area in Congress.

But Pera said he was surprised at the level of enthusiasm for his candidacy and the cynicism that still exists over the way in which Lipinski was placed on the ballot. Lipinski's father, former U.S. Rep. William Lipinski, retired from Congress in August 2004 when it was too late for an outsider to get on the November ballot.

The elder Lipinski personally called upon the committeemen in the district to appoint his son as his replacement. Not only that, William Lipinski had arranged for a Republican challenger to fill the opposing slot - a challenger who had no intention on campaigning or winning the election.

When the wealthy are flocking to the Democrats, doesn't it make sense for the IL GOP to quit making deals with Democrats and start seriously campaigning among people sympathetic to their principles?

xp Bill Baar's West Side

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Cooperation moves the public

A plug for the Shoreline Interurban Historical Society's history of the Garfield Park "L".

The first publication in the Dispatch Series is Cooperation Moves the Public, the story of the integrated operations of the Chicago Aurora & Elgin and the Chicago Rapid Transit Company and later the Chicago Transit Authority over the Garfield Park Branch of Chicago's rapid transit system until September 19, 1953. Trains were operated seconds apart "on sight" as there were no signals and no radios. This was a very complex operation, best described as cars of wood operated by men of steel pursuant to a book of rules that included a rule stating that no collision with another train will be excused.

We excuse all sorts of train wrecks in Illinois politics today and you'd be hard pressed to find men or women of steel skillfully operating much of anything complex.

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform's blog found an editorial in The Kankakee Daily Journal suggesting the rule book's flawed.

The first year of the four-year statewide term finds the state's three most powerful Democrats locked in a battle to determine which one of them is really in charge. Leaders do this sometimes, but the check on this bad behavior is usually the other 173 legislators who serve as ballast, pulling their leaders back to more rational positions.

But not this year. While the leaders squabble, the other 173 have been just witnesses. Why? The Kankakee Daily Journal editorialized over the weekend with a list of reasons. And their main focus? The concentration of campaign funds in the Four Tops.

"The leaders get to decide if you will have an opponent who's well-funded -- or none at all. To be competitive in a "targeted" race means $500,000 for a House seat and $1 million for a Senate seat."

Their fixes include a host of campaign finance reforms to end the concentration of money at the top: stop transfers, bar stockpiling of money, eliminate giving by gambling interests. Lastly? Limit donations, to force members to broaden their financial base and reach out to small donors.

So is this a way to run the railroad?

Update: STL Today on two of the motormen,

Gov. Rod Blagojevich and House Speaker Michael Madigan have been at it all year. The fight is ostensibly about Blagojevich's quest for a health care initiative, and Madigan's insistence that the state can't afford it.

But it's clear the conflict also encompasses the different backgrounds, political styles and personalities of two powerful men who need one another to run the state, but who (many believe) can't stand each other.

"It's palpable. Any time those two guys are in the same room, you can feel it," says state Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, echoing a common observation in the Capitol. "The hatred, the venom, the seething. … It's real."

And there's no Kate Shelly in Illinois Politics right now. We really need her 'cause the bridge is out.

xp Bill Baar's West Side

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Chicago Marathon statement on Sunday's race released

Earlier today Carey Pinkowski, Race Director of the Chicago Marathon, released his statement on Sunday's race. He should've had this out a few days ago--runners are an obsessive lot, and I'm certain thousands of them visited the Chicago Marathon site wondering when there would be some sort of explanation of what happened--and didn't happen--on October 7th.

The shirt is of course not officially licenced Chicago Marathon gear, it comes this way from Kansas Jayhawk, and you can purchase one at the new Chicago Fun Run site. a back-of-the-packer who encountered several empty water stations on Sunday--but still managed to finish.

As for the shirts, the operator of the website says portions of the proceeds will be donated to the family of Chad Schreiber, the Michigan runner who died in the race.

From the Chicago Marathon site:

Dear Runners,

For 17 years I have been honored to serve as Executive Race Director of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, a race steeped in a 30-year tradition of providing the ultimate marathon experience for runners.

The record high temperatures and humidity at Sunday’s race made for a challenging day for marathoners. The conditions on Sunday presented me with the single most difficult decision I have ever made as race director. While that was a frustration to many, I stand behind the decision to end the race early– it was a necessary safety measure. However, I also recognize that because of the conditions and my decision, many of our runners did not have the experience they trained for and expected.

As an organization dedicated to providing the very best experience in the industry, the results have left us disappointed as well. Our team has spent the last several days reviewing the details and we are listening to runners, staff and volunteers. Rest assured that we take the day’s events - and your comments - seriously.

We are reviewing all details and feedback as we plan to continue the tradition of our race in 2008 and beyond. Offering the best experience possible to runners always has been our priority and it remains a commitment of the highest importance.

My personal gratitude goes to each of you, as well as to staff and volunteers, for participating in the race this year. I share in your disappointment, if you did not have the experience you expected.

I certainly hope to be able to greet you at our finish line in the years ahead, in the grand fashion that has characterized The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon for so many years.

Sincerely,

Carey Pinkowski
Executive Race Director

Related posts:

To comment on this post, please visit Marathon Pundit.

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Austin Weekly News: Austin Wal-Mart celebrates first year of success

I don't know if its success met expectations but it has to be better than an empty lot.

AWN on the one year anniversary of Austin's Walmart.

Camille Lilly, executive director of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, also applauded Wal-Mart's efforts to support local business.

Lilly said the Austin store has generated tax revenue of more than $5 million and sales revenue of more than $1.3 million in its first year.

"A year ago we cut the ribbon, opened the door, and each and every one of you were a part of an awesome vision for our community," Lilly said. "Not only did it create partnerships, it created jobs, it created opportunity for economic growth, it created more business, [and] it created revenue.

Now, what's wrong with a casino over that at the old Brach's site?

Why is that old Brach site left unguarded? Who is removing all the bricks and items from the Brach site every day? What plans are in the works for that site, seeing that the newest building was destroyed? When will the community learn of the plans for the site? Will we learn via TV or will Ald. Ed Smith (28th Ward) as well as state Rep. LaShawn Ford, state Sen. Earlene Collins and Cong. Danny K. Davis tell us in advance?

Also, who owns the site?

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Independent Trustees for Stroger Hospital

Why should anyone believe the players in this blue-ribbon panel?

If they had been talking like this about Cook County (calling Stroger UnAmerican maybe? for denying Cook County indigent FDR's third of the four freedoms.) well I might buy their line.

But why should the people of Cook County have any more confidence in a panel Sen. Durbin was instrumental in creating, compared to the Democrat's majority of commissioners elected to run Stroger Hospital?

At least the people of Cook County elected Stroger and the commissioners. They should do their job and then face reelection. Not hide behind panels and trustees. American Pols should have more courage.

"To turn the county health system around, we need to begin by restoring public trust in the administration of the system," said Lindall. "And that can best, and perhaps only, be done with truly independent and expert outside administration."

[Quentin] Young agreed. "We have to point out the absolute incompetence and corruption … of county government," Young said. "The public … has no confidence in that agency."

What rock has Young been under?

Chicago Sun-Times, Oct 23, 2006
QUINN, YOUNG BACK STROGER

In the March Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and Dr. Quentin Young stood with Forrest Claypool as their choice for Cook County Board president, over incumbent John Stroger. Sunday, the two endorsed John Stroger's son, Democrat Todd Stroger, over Republican Tony Peraica, who they said would bring cuts to county health care programs reminiscent of federal cuts to health care made by President Bush. Their boost to Stroger came on the same day Peraica was endorsed by the Daily Southtown and Daily Herald newspapers and Stroger was endorsed by the Chicago Sun-Times. The election is Nov. 7.

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Illinois Pancakes

A blog devoted to Illinois Pancake Houses.

It's good... they keep it updated.

It's Illinois, people talk politics at 'em, and the Pols visit come election time.

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USOC considers HQ move to Chicago

Well at least if Chicago can't have the Olypmics in the next decade Chicago can have the headquarters of the US Olympic Committee. From Crain's...

On the heels of its efforts to lure the 2016 Summer games here, the Daley administration has opened talks with the USOC about moving its headquarters here from Colorado Springs, Colo., where the committee has been based since 1978, according to sources familiar with the talks.

The USOC’s real estate consultant, James H. Didion, World Business Chicago chief Paul O’Connor and others toured about a half-dozen downtown office towers last month, seeking about 100,000 square feet of office space and about 3,000 square feet of street-level retail or showroom space, those sources say.

In 2001, Mr. Didion retired as chairman of California-based commercial real estate firm CB Richard Ellis Inc., where USOC Chairman Peter V. Ueberroth was a director.

The identities of the Chicago buildings on the tour could not be confirmed. Other cities on the USOC’s list also could not be confirmed. Sources say the search is in the initial stages, and probably will not be completed for several months.

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Wurf While: Congressman Judy Biggert Why Aren’t You Proud To Be An American?

Wurf While seems over reaching just a bit here asking: Congressman Judy Biggert Why Aren’t You Proud To Be An American?

The merits of expanding SCHIP to the middle classes just doesn't seem the decisive issue. Certainly not decisive enough to differentiate the American from the UnAmerican. (Right Wing NutHouse covers SCHIP expansion nicely here by the way. He expressed my thoughts on the policy.)

I'd argue the progressive stand is to be more concerned about the 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 kids (estimates vary) already eligible for Medicaid who fall through the cracks. Outreach to poor kids seems more important than expansion to wealthier families. But I won't call you UnAmerican for disagreeing with me about it either.

Why Cook County built Stroger hospital vs more community clinics another decision that ought to give progressives pause as to who public expenditures for health care really benefit.

Anyway, since her Americanism questioned, I'd suggest Biggert answer with Illinois's Harold Ickes's What is an American?

Ickes generates some of the most hits on my blog. Here's his words; as true now as they were in May 1941,

What constitutes an American? Not color nor race nor religion. Not the pedigree of his family nor the place of his birth. Not the coincidence of his citizenship. Not his social status nor his bank account. Not his trade nor his profession. An American is one who loves justice and believes in the dignity of man. An American is one who will fight for his freedom and that of his neighbor. An American is one who will sacrifice property, ease and security in order that he and his children may retain the rights of free men. An American is one in whose heart is engraved the immortal second sentence of the Declaration of Independence.

Americans have always known how to fight for their rights and their way of life. Americans are not afraid to fight. They fight joyously in a just cause.

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"There's always next year"

The state is starting to look a lot like the Chicago Cubs in dropping the ball and saying it’ll get the job done next year. The Illinois General Assembly finished its annual fall session Friday without addressing two of the big-ticket items that have divided the legislative leaders and the governor all session: capital construction projects and mass transit subsidies. House Speaker Michael Madigan said he’d give his members seven days’ notice before calling them back to Springfield to act on some leftover business from the regular spring session, which, by the way, still hasn’t ended. It was supposed to end in May. Here’s what they did do during the six days of so-called veto session:

Budget overrides The Senate restored $7.9 million of the $470 million cut out of the state budget by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in August. Senate President Emil Jones Jr. said Thursday that the move was to restore dollars that were “inadvertently cut out of the budget.” The move restored the original funding levels for the offices of the attorney general, the auditor general and such other legislative bodies as the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and the legislative research and information bureaus, as well as the Illinois courts. Budget negotiator and Chicago Democratic Sen. Donne Trotter said the Senate can come back and approve more overrides or a supplemental budget bill when the state’s revenue forecasts improve. (See the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability’s monthly report that says sales tax revenue has declined and the latest comparative study that says Illinois has lagged behind most other states in economic growth.)

Property taxes The Senate president was the lone “no” vote when the his chamber overwhelmingly agreed with the House to override the governor’s changes to the so-called 7 percent solution. The program, which started in 2004, caps the taxable amount of residential properties’ assessed values, which started skyrocketing in 2000. As approved by both chambers, this session’s legislation extended the assessment caps another three years and raised the homeowner's exemption, on a sliding scale, to as much as $33,000 from an earlier high of $20,000. The governor used an amendatory veto to change the legislation by extending the homeowners’ exemption limit up to $40,000 and by making the 7 percent rule permanent. Because both chambers overrode the governor’s action, the original legislation immediately became law. Taxpayers can expect to receive their tax bills by November 1. The county can expect to receive payments by December 1. However, such lawmakers as Sen. Terry Link, the Waukegan Democrat who sponsored the legislation, favor making the program permanent. But he and others agreed to override the governor’s changes because a) if they didn’t agree with the House, then the measure would have died, and b) some questioned the constitutionality of the governor’s use of an amendatory veto to make such sweeping changes. Link says he’ll pursue legislation that would make the 7 percent solution permanent.

Moment of silence Rep. Bill Black, a Danville Republican, passionately spoke against the House and Senate approving a mandatory moment of silence to start each school day. “At least in that moment of silence, they can pray that the General Assembly finally sends them the money that they need,” Black said, referring to schools waiting for their belated state aid payments caught up in a political battle between Madigan and Jones, who is aligned with the governor. The moment of silence may be required, but there aren't any penalties for disobeying the rule. It’s immediately effective.

What’s next? There is no schedule for lawmakers to come back to the Capitol, but the House does have a public hearing scheduled for October 17 in Chicago to discuss the gaming-for-capital bill approved by the Senate. It would create three new casinos to pay for road and school construction projects and some mass transit subsidies, but it has been labeled as too aggressive by some House Republicans and by the speaker. It may well be next year before the legislative leaders set aside their differences and agree on capital and mass transit plans.

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New Lenox's Tim Baldermann on Springfield's proven dysfunction

Considering Durbin's well said comment,

"I wish I could blame the Republicans, but I can't figure out how to do it," Durbin joked. "I hope that they'll come to their senses and that the Democratic leaders down there will get together and compromise."

You have to wonder how far Republican's can ride the fiasco in Springfield for gain,

In announcing his entrance into the race for the 11th Congressional District seat Wednesday, New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann took aim at state Sen. Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, who also is seeking the open seat.

Baldermann slammed Halvorson, who is the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, for serving in a leadership role in the General Assembly at a time when the legislature has been mired in a bitter, record-setting overtime session.

“Our federal government has problems, but the last thing we need is to have the proven dysfunction of Springfield infect Washington,” Baldermann said.

Halvorson said Baldermann should keep his focus on his Republican counterparts.

Halvorson wishes she could blame Republicans too.

xp Bill Baar's West Side

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Coming with a Title in Your Mailbox, Compliments of Jesse White

Local media haven’t quite figured out the impact that NASA Education is having in the State of Illinois. Yesterday, McHenry County Blog wrote of the transitional living quarters soon to be operational in Crystal Lake near the intersection of Virginia Street (Route 14) and McHenry Avenue.

There were articles in the Northwest and Daily Heralds about the Monday and Tuesday Stand Down at Camp Algonquin.

But this is probably the first article about the one million and a half inserts that Secretary of State Jesse White is inserting into every envelope containing a title.

It is a pitch printed by NASA (National Association of Systems Administrators) Education asking for people to donate their old cars “and put a veteran to work!”

“NASA Education has received grants from the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and McHenry County Community Foundation to transport and repair the vehicles, and to pay for title and license plate fees. All we need is your donated vehicle!” says one side of the insert. It has two American flags, one with a female soldier and another with a soldier in a wheel chair.

The other side explains, “Who we are, What we do and How you can help.”

It explains that NASA Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by John Blanchard, an 8-year Navy veteran who “has a passionate commitment to helping veterans in need.”

“Project Fresh Start” provides “community reintegration for U.S. veterans who are displaced, disabled or homeless. This includes free training, employment services and use of vehicles when available.”

Donations of cars, vans and pick up trucks are requested, plus cash donations to support Project Fresh Start and the Stand Down for Veterans. Office machines, electronics and manufacturing equipment is also wanted.

I asked Blanchard how he pulled this really inexpensive direct mail campaign off.

He gave the credit to Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth.

Duckworth keynoted the Stand Down last spring at Camp Algonquin. She appeared in a pre-recorded talk this year.

The web site is NASAEducation.org.

= = = = =
All the images can be enlarged by clicking on them.

John Blanchard talks with two of the Stand Down volunteers--Chuck and Elaine Slack of VFW Post 5915 Carpentersville--on Tuesday at Camp Algonquin.

The reflection in the screen where Tammy Duckworth can be seen is of the Vice Chairman of the Illinois VFW.

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Discounts for law-breaking politicians

Cross-posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

As the state struggles with a massive budget crisis, as the CTA crumbles for lack of funds and schools are forced to borrow money the state should have appropriated by now, name one state agency that regularly tries to cut the penalties they assess law breakers? Ladies and gentlemen, we give you: the State Board of Elections.

Funny, that in this case the law breakers are all political committees.

Late last week, the Sun-Times reported that a campaign fund for Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, facing a quarter million dollars in fines, is likely to see that penalty amount reduced by 90%. It's frustrating enough that the State Board of Elections is, alone among cash-strapped state agencies, determined to slash fees and penalties for violations of state laws to the lowest possible legal amount. Even more galling is Stroger for President's argument for an even lower penalty.

Stroger for President's penalties result from the failure to report donations received in the 30 days before the 2006 General Election. The law requires that PACs report donations of more than $500 received within the last 30 days before an election within two business days. These A-1 reports let voters know where candidates are drawing financial support in the final days before voting, when candidates are most eager to raise cash, and donors are best positioned to extract promises in return.

The staff at the State Board of Elections determined that Friends of Todd H Stroger for President failed to report an astounding 78 donations -- totaling more than a quarter of a million dollars -- as required by law. The penalty for failing to report those donations can be, by statute, as much as 100%. Statute outlines these criteria for the Board to consider when setting the fine:

(1) whether in the Board's opinion the violation was committed inadvertently, negligently, knowingly, or intentionally
(2) the number of days the contribution was reported late; and
(3) past violations of [the Election Code].

In practice, however, the Board has almost always assessed penalties of 10% of the unreported donation -- the bare minimum allowed by law. No matter whether the violation as intentional, no matter how late the contributions were reported; indeed, without any apparent regard for the criteria set in statute. The Board’s consistent practice to reduce the penalty to the smallest possible amount runs counter the evaluation that statute directs the Board to undertake.

Now comes the Stroger for President committee, arguing that even 10% is too high. We cannot fault their attorney for making an argument in defense of his client; that’s the lawyer’s job, after all, and who wouldn't want to pay less for breaking the law? But we can fault the Board for encouraging PACs to discount the seriousness of this violation. Setting penalties at the very lowest end of the statutory range regardless of the reasons for the violation has now encouraged PACs to try to jawbone them down even lower. The Board's pattern of routinely giving political committees breaks no other agency would give to the general public fosters the sense that these public disclosure rules don't really matter.

Obviously, we think the Board should reject Stroger for President’s arguments and assess penalties on the entire amount of non-reported contributions. The Board should also rethink their practice of automatically cutting penalties to 10%. Telling candidates that a violation will cost only 10% may encourage willful hiding of potentially troublesome donations. If disclosure means anything, if the public's right to know is to have any meaning in the context of an election, the Board needs to set real standards and assess penalties commensurate with the scope of the violation.

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Chicago Marathon: Keep Pinkowski in charge

The Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn, like myself, knows Chicago Marathon Race Director Carey Pinkowski pretty well, and I have to agree with Zorn that Pinkowski uttered a whopper of a misstatement at Monday's post-marathon press conference:

Is there anything we could have done better? No. We anticipated the weather. I'm very proud of the way things went...

Well, he shouldn't be. Even if this was the only aid station that ran out of water and Gatorade, and it apparently wasn't, Pinkowski owes Sunday's participants and the aid station volunteers a deep, sincere apology. After all, runners had to shell out $110 to enter the race.

Many people, runners and non-runners alike, are calling for Pinkowski to resign. Here is Zorn's take:

His PR stumbles notwithstanding, Carey Pinkowski is still the guy I'd want instituting those reforms.

I agree. And let me put the situation into perspective. When Pinkowski took over as race director in 1990, the race was still suffering from the stigma of being cancelled in 1988 after its chief sponsor, Beatrice Foods, abruptly pulled out. By 1991, the marathon had no title sponsor, and half of the race course was pushed onto Lake Shore Drive, out of the neighborhoods because residents viewed the race as an extreme annoyance. Slowly Pinkowksi got the race, bit by bit, back into the neighborhoods, where for the most part it was eagerly welcomed by inhabitants of the many Chicago communities it now passes through.

In 1994, LaSalle Bank became the title sponsor, and it later purchased the race outright--keeping Pinkowski in charge. In the early 1990s, the marathon averaged about 8,000 entrants, within a few years after LaSalle took over, the number of participants doubled, then doubled again--up to the point that the race sold out at 45,000 entrants. This year that 45,000 cap was reached six months before race day.

All this time, I have to reiterate, Carey Pinkowski was at the helm. While the "back-of-the-pack" grew, the elite side of the event was not overlooked by Pinkowski, who was an All-American runner for Villanova University before he entered race management. In 1999 Khalid Khannouchi set a new men's record for the marathon in Chicago; Catherine "The Great" Ndereba in 2000, then Paula Radcliffe in 2001, did the same in regards to the women's world record for a 26.2 mile effort.

Keep Pinkowski and let him, in Zorn's words, "institute those reforms."

Zorn has run three marathon and can write with authority on the subject. The same can't be said for his co-worker Mike Downey. (Free registration is required for the link.)

Nearly 10,000 of the people who filed entries for this 30th annual race were smart enough not to run it.

Here's a little known fact about major urban marathons. Many of them, such as New York, Marine Corps in Washington, and of course Chicago, sell out months in advance. The first two use a lottery system to decide who gets in, but once you are chosen, you have to pay up. Chicago, as I wrote above, was booked up in April. A herd instinct drives people to sign up for races that they may be thinking of running, or they have every intention of running, but aren't able to on race day. Injuries are the chief reason people stayed home when this year's Chicago Marathon came around, but non-running distractions--new jobs, new responsibilities, illnesses, a pregnancy, or a change of mind months earlier brought that no-show count up to 10,000. Take a look at the other sold-out Chicago Marathons, and you'll find a similar number of absentees. Runners are a determined lot--too determined sometimes--so it's my firm belief that very few decided to throw in their non-sweaty towel when they heard Sunday's weather forecast.

Once again, I have to revisit media reports of the race. Yes, some people, too many, had a horrible experience on Sunday, and the race suffered a fatality--which was not the first Chicago Marathon death. But a lot of runners toughed it out and finished--some like myself drastically slowing down to ensure a successful completion of the race, others patiently walked it in.

But I'm still getting calls and e-mails from people wondering if I'm in the hospital or bedridden, which is what they believe was the fate of almost every runner that took part in Sunday's race because of what they saw on TV or read in the newspaper. I am fine. I ran a little bit on Monday, a little more on Tuesday, and I plan to run a little bit more later this morning. But then I'll take a couple days off.

Am I nuts? Probably. Determined? Absolutely. After all, I've run 29 marathons.

To comment on this post, please visit Marathon Pundit.

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Water station mayhem at Chicago Marathon

In this video, you'll see a picture of runners encountering a water and Gatorade station without water and Gatorade. My early skepticism on reports that some of the aid stations ran out of fluids has evaporated.

It's a chilling video, especially the bit with runners dousing themselves in fountain pool at the Peggy Notebart Nature Museum.

Hat tip to Running Jayhawk, whose Chicago Marathon, and that of her husband, was significantly less enjoyable than mine.

Related posts:

Happier scenes from Sunday's Chicago Marathon

Shirts of the Chicago Marathon

A participant's view of the cancelled Chicago Marathon: UPDATED

To comment on this post, please visit Marathon Pundit.

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Well Said Senator

You just don't hear U.S. Senator Dick Durbin weigh in that often on local issues, especially those involving state government. But weigh in he did the other day, and he didn't waffle.

The Senator was asked about the latest plan to fund state government operations.

At a Chicago appearance, Durbin, D-Ill., said he is not morally opposed to gambling or the idea of adding a "couple" of Illinois casinos "here and there." But Durbin voiced concern that lawmakers could become overly reliant on new gambling.

"I really, really think we ought to stop and catch our breath and say, 'Is this the future of Illinois - that every time we want to do something, we'll just build more casinos?'" he said. "When that becomes the answer to every question, I start to worry about it."...

"Most of the people who go in are low-income people and elderly people who lose money that they can't afford to lose," Durbin said. "That to me seems like a wrong way to finance the important programs that we need in this country."

Very well said, Mr. Senator.

To read or post comments, visit Open House

In what appeared to be a backhand aimed at the Governor, the Senator added this:

Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich has said he supports the Senate casino expansion as a preferable way to generate capital funding, rather than raising taxes on working families. Asked what other revenue sources the legislature should consider besides gaming, Durbin suggested leaders should be "honest." (emphasis added)

"I think they should be more honest with people," he said. "Selling off state assets and building casinos will only take you so far."

Blagojevich, in his first term, suggested selling or leasing the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago to offset budget problems - an idea that was widely panned.

And in closing, he added this sad but true nugget,

"I wish I could blame the Republicans, but I can't figure out how to do it," Durbin joked. "I hope that they'll come to their senses and that the Democratic leaders down there will get together and compromise."

I hope that he's right.

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End Columbus Day?

From Denver (Reuters):

DENVER (Reuters) - About 75 protesters, including American Indian activist Russell Means, were arrested on Saturday after blocking Denver's downtown parade honoring the Italian-born discoverer Christopher Columbus, an event they denounced as "a celebration of genocide."

Protesters have a point. Columbus was a bold explorer and a talented sailor, but he also enslaved and executed Native Americans. He was jailed briefly for his tyrannical rule. In Columbus's defense, he was later released, though Spain refused to restore him as colonial governor. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

On top of that, historians long ago acknowledged that the Vikings arrived in North America long before Columbus, and Columbus himself insisted until his death that he had not discovered "The New World," but had actually landed in a remote part of Asia.

All this makes me wonder, is it time to end Columbus Day as an official holiday?

I know that Italian-Americans may object, but given that there's still some dispute about whether Columbus was even Italian, I'd like to offer up a trade.

How about March 9th for Amerigo Vespucci?

Or even better, January 30th for Franklin Delano Roosevelt?

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“It Was Wrigley, Not Some Goat, Who Cursed the Cubs”

That was the title of the last column that Mike Royko ever wrote. March 21^st, 1997.

His epitomical work seems like a good epitaph today.

Mike Royko had opinions – about a lot of things – and he was of the opinion that P.K. Wrigley, who owned The Cubs until 1977 when they were sold to the Tribune Company, was responsible for a 22 year skid that began in 1947.

Royko wrote:

…all that could have been overcome in 1947 – two years after the Cubs’ last World Series [appearance] and the end of the war.

That was when Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers knocked down the racial wall in baseball by signing ex-Army officer Jackie Robinson.

And later continues:

Had Wrigley followed Rickey’s lead, he could instantly have a competitive team. And depending on how many black players he could have tolerated, maybe a great team.

He didn’t. His players made their feelings clear, voting not to play if other teams boycotted Robinson. And his team’s front office wouldn’t listen to those who urged them to sign black players.

It wasn’t a momentary hesitation. It was not until September 1953 – nearly seven full seasons after Robinson arrived – that Wrigley signed two black players.

Mike Royko was born September 19^th, 1932, and penned his first newspaper column for the anti-Machine Chicago Daily News on September 6^th, 1963. Readers took to him instantly. Royko’s career spanned four decades and three major dailies, through the death of the Chicago Daily News, the sale of the Chicago Sun-Times to Rupert Murdoch, and the unlikely union between Royko and a reformed Chicago Tribune at the end of his career.

For all of those years, Royko was the voice, the reason, the conscience of Chicago. No one was considered above reproach, he shed light on the truth, and he spoke his mind.

Some one ought to name September 19^th, 2008 in Mike Royko’s honor, and every year thereafter. He should be required reading in every Illinois history class in Chicago, and “One More Time” should be available in every public library.

The Chicago Cubs will likely be under new ownership sometime soon. Instead of dwelling on whose responsible for the last 30 years of World Series drought, what would you give a new owner to bring a World Series Championship to the Northside?

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Some Validation On Med-Mal Arguments?

The Cook County judge considering the medical malpractice case against Gottlieb Memorial Hospital (LeBron vs. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, et al.) (Cook County: 06 L 12109) is not likely to be paying attention to news stories concerning other medical malpractice, cases nor cases involving medical malpractice reform.

And Judge Diane Joan Larsen has enough to consider, without being influenced by news items.

But within the past week, there have been two significant news stories that validate the arguments that many advocates of medical malpractice reform have been making.

A major story in last Friday's New York Times discusses the increase in the number of doctors moving to Texas following voter approval of a constitutional amendment limiting awards in medical malpractice lawsuits.

From the news story:

Four years after Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment limiting awards in medical malpractice lawsuits, doctors are responding as supporters predicted, arriving from all parts of the country to swell the ranks of specialists at Texas hospitals and bring professional health care to some long-underserved rural areas.

The influx, raising the state’s abysmally low ranking in physicians per capita, has flooded the medical board’s offices in Austin with applications for licenses, close to 2,500 at last count.

“It was hard to believe at first; we thought it was a spike,” said Dr. Donald W. Patrick, executive director of the medical board and a neurosurgeon and lawyer. But Dr. Patrick said the trend — licenses up 18 percent since 2003, when the damage caps were enacted — has held, with an even sharper jump of 30 percent in the last fiscal year, compared with the year before.

“Doctors are coming to Texas because they sense a friendlier malpractice climate,” he said.

The medical malpractice law enacted in Illinois in 2005 was partly in reaction to the decline in the number of physicians practicing in some areas of Illinois, particularly in Southern Illinois, and the reduction in availability of some high-risk medical care, including obstetrical and neurological care.

(Opponents of the med-mal law claimed that the number of physicians registered in Illinois has actually been increasing. That may be true but just as the lawyers who are registered in Illinois may not actually be practicing law, physicians who are registered may not be practicing medicine, or practicing exactly as they did years ago.)

Legislators throughout Illinois, particularly in rural areas and particularly in Southern Illinois, voted in favor of the reform legislation in 2005 without regard to political party. They did vote with regard to their constituents who were concerned with lessening access to health care.

There is no doubt that if Illinois voters had the same opportunity that Texas voters had, i.e. to enact a constitutional amendment to limit the size of medical malpractice awards, they would have done so.

But they did not have that opportunity so they now must wait for the Illinois court system to determine if the 2005 law passes constitutional muster. The Cook County case referenced above (LeBron vs. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital) is considered the defining case and some of the most prominent Illinois personal injury trial lawyers are involved.

A second news item last week mentioned one of the prominent Illinois personal injury lawyers who is not involved in the "LeBron" case but who is viewed as one of the state's top medical malpractice lawyers and one of the strongest opponents and harshest critics of the 2005 law.

Keith Hebeisen of Clifford Law Offices is a former president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and is considered an expert on medical malpractice litigation.

Last Thursday's Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reported on a DuPage County medical malpractice case in which the verdict was $12 million in favor of the plaintiff, a boy who suffered brain damage at birth.

Hebeisen represented the boy's family, according to the news item, was the attorney for the boy's family. Of the $12 million, $1.5 million was for "non-economic" damages. The injury happened in 1999, before the Illinois law capping "non-economic" damages was in effect.

The $10.5 in "economic" damages is to provide for the boy's care for the rest of his life.

Hebeisen's comments in the Law Bulletin seem to validate the common perception of plaintiffs' attorneys: that it's all about the money.

From the news story:

"I've been told repeatedly,'' Hebeisen said, ''that you can't get a verdict that high in DuPage County in a malpractice case. People have been saying that for years, and it's obviously not true.

''I think some day there will be a verdict out there that will be substantially higher than this one. There is this myth or legend [that] because that jurisdiction is so conservative, it's impossible to get a verdict over the previous record no matter what the case is about. This proves that the myth and legend is false,'' Hebeisen said.

In fairness to Keith Hebeisen, whom we have known for more than a dozen years and who seems to be a decent person and certainly is an effective trial lawyer, the quote from the Law Bulletin may not be all he said. It is all that was quoted, however.

Hebeisen does comment on the injuries to the child on the Clifford Law Offices website but the most evident message on that site and in Hebeisen's comment is that it's all about the money.

New York Times Article (PDF).
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Article (PDF).
Clifford Law Offices

-- Ed Murnane
Illinois Civil Justice League
October 8, 2007

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ICPR to Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary

Cross-posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

COMPTROLLER DAN HYNES AND ILLINOIS ISSUES MAGAZINE EDITOR NAMED RECIPIENTS OF 2007 PAUL SIMON PUBLIC SERVICE AWARDS

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR) announced Monday that the 2007 Paul Simon Public Service Awards will be presented to Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes and to Peggy Boyer Long, executive editor of Illinois Issues magazine.

The awards will be presented at a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the founding of ICPR by the late Sen. Simon. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, 455 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago.

Hynes, now in his third term as State Comptroller, will be recognized for his leadership in the effort to enact legislation to limit opportunities for pay-to-play in state contracting, to reform state laws regulating lobbyists and to create a public financing system for elections to the state’s highest courts.

“Because he knows the importance of public confidence in government and understands that even the appearance of impropriety is damaging to our political system, Comptroller Hynes has been willing to go the extra mile for reform,” said Cynthia Canary, Director of ICPR. “We are pleased to be able to recognize his commitment to the cause.

Long, a veteran broadcast and print journalist, will be recognized for her many contributions to the public’s understanding of the operation of state government and the issues debated in the General Assembly.

“For more than three decades, Peggy Boyer Long has provided insightful reporting and commentary on the political and policy debates at the State Capitol and has been a mentor to many aspiring reporters.” Canary said. “Because Paul Simon had a hand in the founding of Illinois Issues, it is fitting that this award in his name is going to the person whose hard work has maintained the magazine’s excellence in public affairs reporting.”

This is the third year that ICPR has presented the Paul Simon Public Service Awards. The first awards in 2005 were presented to two close associates of former Sen. Simon -- former Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch and former congressman and federal appeals court judge Abner Mikva. The 2006 awards were presented to Mike Lawrence, Director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU, Newton Minow, a partner at Sidley and Austin and former Chairman of the FCC, and to the editorial board of The Peoria Journal Star.

ICPR led the effort to pass sweeping ethics reform legislation in 2003. Its work includes monitoring enforcement of the new ethics law; researching and reporting of campaign contribution and expenditure trends; encouraging informed and issue-oriented debate in judicial elections; developing non-partisan, state-sponsored voter education guides; advocating increased and improved coverage of election campaigns by broadcasters; and seeking passage of legislation to limit the influence of large contributors to political campaigns.

For more information about the 10th anniversary event visit the ICPR website. For a fuller version of this release, visit ICPR’s blog:
.

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A participant's view of the cancelled Chicago Marathon

I've run and finished each Chicago Marathon since 1990--that's me in a photo taken by Mrs. Marathon Pundit at Mile 24. But obviously this one stands out. Coming into this race I was easily in the worst shape for year's event. Which turned out perhaps to be a blessing. I didn't feel the need to, despite the high heat and humidity, to run a fast race because I was in peak condition.. And as a blogger, I thought I'd kick back, relax, take some photos with my digital camera, and take a "back of the pack" view of America's largest marathon.

When the starting signal went off at 8:00am, it was already in the mid-70s, and by 10:00am, the temperature climbed to 88.

This race was different. Towards the end of any 26 mile race, many runners turn into walkers. At mile two of today's race, I began seeing walkers. As I said, I wasn't worried, I was just viewing my participation as a "fun run."


Taking part in a marathon--or watching one--is a feast for the eyes, as my photographs hopefully portray. The sidelines are pretty entertaining too. The band of the left, Chicago's Gay & Lesbian Marching Band, was playing--no I'm not making this up--
"YMCA."

And there are of a fun people in the race--"Bam Bam" on the right, for instance.

"Bam Bam" was dressed for the weather at least.

At about noon, the rest of the rest of the race was cancelled. Runners who hadn't crossed the half-way point, just west of Chicago's Loop, were told to turn back on walk to Grant Park--the starting and end point of the race.

Participants I spoke with were understandably disappointed.

"I trained six months for this." one woman told me.

At Mile 16, I saw my first of about a dozen or so runners sprawled out on the side of the street.

I was at Mile 23 when I heard the race had been cancelled. A police officer told me to "Start walking." I thought he was joking. I kept running. After all, I had trained, sort of, for six months. A block later I first realized the gravity of the situation: I saw my first runner, a young woman in a tie-dyed shirt, getting an on-site IV treatment from a paramedic. This runner was propped up against a chain-link fest, her eyes were closed, and her head slumped. Later in the race, I saw two men getting IVs, their eyes were closed too.

One person, a 35 year-old Michigan man, died during the race. As for the number of runners taken from the race course and finish line areas by ambulances, most of the local media outlets are reporting that over 300 runners were driven away, although ABC 7 Chicago says only 49 have been hospitalized. Chicago and private ambulances couldn't handle the load, I saw EMS vehicles from suburban Summit and Mundelein, the first time I've seen suburban ambulances in downtown Chicago.

Local media is also reporting that some water and Gatorade stations had run out of supplies. I ran the race, every station I saw was well stocked. Perhaps the slower runners faced empty fluid tables, but no one I spoke with could confirm that.

I finished my 26.2 miles in under five hours. I grabbed some water, headed to my running club's tent, and exchanged "war stories" with my friends--over the constant screeching of ambulance sirens.

Usually post-race gatherings have the celebratory feel of a wedding reception. Not today. The slower runners were crushed that they couldn't finish the event, faster runners were disappointed that the weather conditions prevented them from reaching a time goal. And all of us were taken aback by the sites of fallen runners along the race course.

As for calling the race off, the race officials made the right call. Since suburban ambulance crews had to be called in to handle hundreds of runners needing help, one could only imagine what would have happened if the slower participants continued on instead of heading a couple miles east to Grant Park.

To comment on this post, please visit a very tired Marathon Pundit.

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Fair Market Value Taxation

What a concept.

A wealth tax—and that is what a property tax is—assessed according to what the item is worth.

Some states try to go with 100% of value; others debase the value.

That is what happens in Illinois.

In McHenry County, real estate is assessed at one-third of a three-year average. (You can blame me for agreeing to the three-year average language in the 1970’s. I should not have.)

But, assessing property is not good enough for some of Chicago’s politically connected.

Tim Novak of the Chicago Sun-Times reported on Thursday that Alderman Ed Burke was trying to cut now-indicted Tony Rezko’s real estate tax assessment, even though Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan had based it on the purchase price of the property.

If Burke had succeeded, past Governor Rod Blagojevich buddy Rezko

“would have saved Rezmar (Rezko’s firm) more than $390,000 in real estate taxes. And Burke would have gotten 20 percent of that savings, according to Daniel Mahru, Rezko's former partner.”

The Sun-Times seems to have a new section for political stories that don’t get front page coverage. It’s called, “THE WATCHDOGS.” That’s where I found this.

Posted first on McHenry County Blog, where there is more state news this weekend than here.

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Route 66 in Dwight, Illinois

Scroll down a couple of posts to see my now-concluded "My Kansas Kronikles" series. On my way home from Kansas back to the Chicago area I had to hustle--there was a family party to attend that evening--but I picked an excellent place to fill up my gas tank--just off Interstate 55 but adjacent to Historic Route 66 in Dwight, Illinois, a town of 4,300 in Livingston County.

No, I didn't buy any gasoline at this Texaco station--it closed eight years ago. What's pictured above is the Ambler-Becker Texaco Station, built in 1933--a sign outside of it makes the claim that it was the longest operating service station on "The Mother Road." It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Across the street from the historic site is The Java Stop, which seems to be a going concern, but was closed for the day--it was after 5:00pm on a Saturday when I took the picture on the left.


Route 66 of course began in Chicago--at Jackson Boulevard east of Lake Shore Drive.

Commemorative signs such as this one mark the road, which goes merges into Ogden Boulevard on Chicago's West Side. On Sunday my out of shape body will travel on The Mother Road, on Ogden, during the Chicago Marathon, for a few block of that 26.2 mile trek.

Related Marathon Pundit posts:

My Kansas Kronikles: Goodbye to Kansas Thirty nine posts within this link!

Thirty hours in Lincoln's Springfield, Illinois

To comment on this post, please visit Marathon Pundit.

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Unbelievable Texas Legislators

Perhaps they do this in the Illinois General Assembly as well or perhaps any other state legislature, but one thing is for sure Illinois isn't the only state where this type of voting happens.

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John Howard Association's Ex-Director Indicted

It doesn't get much worse than this if you are a good government type.

Mike Mahoney, 63, the past director of the John Howard Association, has been indicted by the U.S. Attorney's office. He has moved to Cassopolis, Michigan.

He is accused of paying "kickbacks while representing vendors that had multi-million-dollar contracts with the state prison agency."

The kickbacks allegedly went to George Ryan Corrections Director Don Snyder, 52. Snyder was indicted in July, along with Barrington Hills lobbyist John J. Robinson, 59, and Larry E. Sims, 59, of Pleasant Plains, near Springfield.

In an investigation that grew out of the Safe Roads probe of corruption in the Secretary of State's Office under Ryan, "Mahoney and others allegedly were involved in paying kickbacks totaling approximately $20,000, out of the approximately $50,000 total, to Snyder," according to the the U.S. Attorney's press release, which you can find here.

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Teamwork

I don't really have the energy to recap the bizarre political and procedural paths that the property tax legislation (the '7% bill) has taken over the last year, but suffice it to say that solving a Rubik's Cube is easier than pinning down the issues surrounding this legislation.

When you take an inherently complicated issue that resonates LOUDLY with constituents, and then mix in some pointed policy differences, and add some competing political agendas, you have a recipe for fireworks.

Yesterday's debate and vote was enough to give you a brain cramp. I was proud to be a sponsor of the underlying bill, and while I may consider it imperfect, I don't belief that there is any 'perfect' answer to this legislative quandary. The bill was the product of a lot of work by a lot of people, and represented a compromise agreed to by the interested parties. (Why the Governor unraveled all of that work through his amendatory veto is a whole story unto itself.)

But the situation was created in which a vote for the motion to override was technically a vote to reduce relief for homeowners, since the Governor's AV provided more relief that does the underlying bill. Further compounding the situation is President Jones' claim that he won't call the override motion if it was passed by the House. And if the two chambers don't agree on a single course of action, then the bill dies and homeowners get no relief.

At the same time, the amendatory veto is very likely constitutionally infirm and would almost assuredly be subject to a court challenge. Plus, I am not comfortable with making the bill permanent since I think that lessens the pressure to fix the underlying issues of how we assess property.

Accordingly, many of us were faced with a dilemma in that there was no real 'right' vote. After a pretty substantive, and respectful, debate, a number of us voted no, with the hope of furthering some additional discussions and a new compromise in the coming days.

The motion to override carried with over 20 votes to spare. But that didn't prevent something from happening that I don't recall seeing in my legislative career. Very shortly after the vote, the bill's sponsor had me removed from the bill. And today, in a move that either makes it better or worse, depending on how you look at it, my colleagues who also voted no on the motion were also removed from the bill.

10/3/2007	House	Override Amendatory Veto - House Passed 092-019-000; MOTION #2
10/3/2007	House	Remove Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. John A. Fritchey
10/4/2007	House	Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Harry Osterman
10/4/2007	House	Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Sara Feigenholtz
10/4/2007	House	Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Greg Harris
10/4/2007	House	Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Jay C. Hoffman
10/4/2007	House	Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Julie Hamos
10/4/2007	House	Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Coulson
10/4/2007	House	Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Kathleen A. Ryg
10/4/2007	House	Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Karen May

Sure, I can hear the argument that 'if you're not going to vote in support of the override, you shouldn't be a sponsor', but that argument doesn't really hold in a situation like this one that had a lot of convoluted components to it. Sponsorship of a piece of legislation is most often used to indicate a legislator's support for, or commitment to, an issue. And by and large, it is something usually handled with professionalism and courtesy.

Now I have seen sponsors removed at times with some political considerations at play, but I've never seen a member remove eight colleagues from their own party from a bill in an act of retribution. Let alone in an instance when their motion still carried by an overwhelming margin.

Does it make a real difference at the end of the day? Of course not.

But it sure doesn't win any teamwork awards either.

To read or post comments, visit Open House

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Bill Dwyer Says Source of Road Money “Doesn’t Matter”

I wasn't able to attend Bill Dwyer's rally at the intersections of Route 31 and 62. This picture of Congressman Don Manzullo is from that rally, but in no way indicates his support for expanding gambling in Illinois, a position I would be amazed if he took.
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When I was in the General Assembly, I used to muse that schools didn’t care where more money would come from.

If it came from the syndicate, well, no problem.

That thought came to my head when I read former McHenry County Board member Bill Dwyer’s comment to Daily Herald reporter Kerry Lester on the irrelevance of the funding source to improve roads in McHenry County:

"We're here to fix McHenry County's roads. If that's paid for by gambling money or not, it doesn't matter. Whatever way the Senate or House passes a capital bill, we'll take."

Actually, my take on the school folks’ avarice is pretty close to Dwyer’s comment.

The end justifies the means.

And the "demand" for money that ought to be provided because of "need" is what the gambling folks hope will convince legislators like State Representatives Mike Tryon, Jack Franks and Mark Beaubien to vote to make Illinois the gambling capitol of the Midwest.

It apparently does not matter that Illinois would become second only to Los Vegas in casino presence.

The social fallout is irrelevant.

It doesn't matter if another McHenry County Sheriff's deputy falls victim to the disease and finds money to gamble at the courthouse.

It doesn't matter that people can’t spend money on goods and services if they gamble it away.

That's a thought not a thought worth considering.

Just so we get roads that were promised a decade ago.

Back when amendments filed by state representatives had to be voted upon before a bill could move forward to passage stage, I introduced one to a casino expansion bill that required the erection of a lighted sign on the top of every riverboat. The sign had to say in very large letters (many, ten foot letters)

“LOSING”

“Losing,” after all, is what gambling is all about, isn’t it?

Posted first at McHenry County Blog.

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Austin Weekly News: Democrats host budget hearing

AWN on a meeting over at the Austin Town Hall, and a good reason why Conservatives should chuck the balanced budget talk and get behind people who want to use money to get rid of some bureaucracy

Speakers at last Wednesday's hearing, many of whom are opposed to specific cuts, expressed frustration at the loss of much needed state funding.

"It was not an angry or volatile atmosphere at the hearing but people were certainly frustrated," said Don Redmond, a member of Parents for School Choice, after the hearing.

Parents for School Choice specifically opposes the $3.5 million the governor vetoed from the budget, which was allocated towards the funding of charter public schools in Chicago.

"I have two children at a charter school up north and am a firm believer in giving parents a choice of where to send their kids," said Redmond, who lives in North Lawndale. "These cuts rob the parents of having that choice."

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Relationships 101

Rep. Tom Cross, the Republican leader in his chamber, had the quote of the day from the House floor before lawmakers finished their first week of the annual fall session.

“Perhaps, at least at the higher level, we’ve had an inability to communicate to get the budget done, to take care of capital, to take care of RTA, to take care of gaming. And I have a suggestion,” he said.

He cited psychologist and author Kate Wachs, who’s been interviewed by such media entities as the Chicago Tribune and Oprah Winfrey.

“She’s a nationally acclaimed relationship expert, and she’s written a book, Relationships for Dummies,” Cross said. “And she has a very good chapter on good communication, the bolts. One of the things she talks about is finding compromises that work for you and your partners. And I thought maybe she could come to a leaders’ meeting.”

Lawmakers return to the Capitol Wednesday, October 10 for three more scheduled days of the fall session. What do we have to look forward to? Lots or little, depending on whether the legislative leaders decide to hold off on major actions until the House holds committees on gaming and mass transit later in October. Until then, we wonder:
- Will Senate President Emil Jones decide to do the same as the House and let his members vote to override some of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s $460 million in budget cuts?
- Will Jones decide to act on the House version of a property tax assessment cap that phases out in three years or continue to side with the governor and advance language to make the cap permanent?
- Will House Speaker Michael Madigan allow budget implementation bills to be processed so schools can get their delayed state aid payments by November?
- And will the governor make a public appearance in the Capitol before the scheduled last day of the fall session, October 12?

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Willing and ABLE

Cross-posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

Earlier this week, the New York Times ran a piece on financial support for Barack Obama's presidential campaign from a group called Alliance of Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs, an organization of African-American business leaders.

The story focused on financial support to his U.S. Senate and Presidential campaigns. Some of those donors gave to Obama previously, when he ran for the U.S. House in 2000 and even to his State Senate campaigns. That support wasn't nearly as large or consistent, but it does give a fuller picture of the longstanding ties between Obama and these supporters.

The attached spreadsheet details donations from members of ABLE to Obama's earlier campaigns. ABLE donors account for about 4% of Obama's fundraising for his state Senate and U.S. House races.

We would have posted this earlier, but our website, if you've been checking, has been up and down. We're moving to a new Internet connection, and our domain name is as we speak switching to a new URL. That process should be done soon; in the meantime, our site may be hard to find, and our e-mails will bounce. All of which goes to show, computers are great when the work. When they don't work, they're just expensive paperweights, or very valuable Frisbees. We appreciate your patience. If the link for the attached file isn't working, please get in touch with us and we'll e-mail it out.
ObamaABLE.xls

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A few surprises

The first day of the Illinois General Assembly’s annual fall session played out as expected Tuesday. The only surprise came with the news that Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, a Crete Democrat, announced she’s running for Congress to replace Rep. Jerry Weller, a Morris Republican. He announced his retirement in September shortly after the Chicago Tribune and other news reports said he failed to fully disclose land holdings in Nicaragua, potentially violating federal ethics rules. Weller said that didn’t play into his decision. It was simply to spend more time with his family.

Halvorson’s announcement is key because she was previously mentioned as a potential contender for the Senate president’s position whenever the current president, Emil Jones Jr., retires. Jones seems to be supportive of Halvorson’s Congressional bid. “It’d be a tremendous loss, but she’d be a great congresswoman,” he said Tuesday.

During a break from the veto session, Halvorson said she opted not to pursue the Senate leadership position because, “It’s not about me. And it’s not about titles. And I found over the weekend it’s about people and about where you can make the biggest impact. And that’s why I’ve chosen to move on to where I believe the issues are much bigger and my help is needed.”

She attended a women’s leadership conference in Washington D.C. over the weekend and said that helped her realize that she could make the biggest difference in such issues as health care and troop levels in Iraq. While in D.C., she also met with current speaker of the U.S. House, Nancy Pelosi, and members of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Halvorson said the committee assured her that the 11th District race was an important one and that they would be working with her to snag the seat from Republicans. The district covers 11 counties of the southern suburbs of Chicago and parts of north central Illinois and has leaned Republican, but it could be vulnerable to political change as the demographics shift.

“It’s a very large district, but anybody who knows me knows what a fighter I am and what a campaigner,” Halvorson said. “I love a good fight, a good challenge, and I can’t wait to get out there.”

(Former intern Deanese Williams-Harris featured Halvorson in a March article about the senator’s push for young women to receive a vaccine for HPV, a common sexually transmitted disease that can lead to ovarian cancer.)

One potential contender for Weller’s seat mentioned was state Sen. Christine Radogno, a GOP budget negotiator who failed to win the state treasurer’s race last year. But the Lemont Republican said Tuesday that she decided not to run. “One, I like what I’m doing here. Two, I don’t live in that district, and while that’s not a legal requirement, I think that voters deserve to be represented by someone who does live in the district. It’s a different type of district than I have right now. It’s a rural district, 11 counties, as opposed to a more suburban district than I have right now.”

Here’s the not-so-surprising news:
• An overwhelming majority of House members voted to override most of the governor’s budget cuts. But the overrides are unlikely to have a favorable future in the Senate.
• Latino legislators representing the southwest side of Chicago still want the Senate to override the budget cuts, too, to help relieve severely overcrowded schools. Sen. Martin Sandoval, a Chicago Democrat and Latino Caucus member, says there would be enough votes in his chamber if the Senate president would allow a vote to override the governor’s budget cuts.
• However, Jones said this afternoon his stance has not changed and that he does not intend to call the overrides for a vote in his chamber.
• Mass transit advocates still want a long-term funding source to aid the Chicago area’s public transportation systems, but that’s still intertwined in the ongoing debate about whether to add new casinos. A House Gaming Committee hearing isn't scheduled until October 17 in Chicago.
• And the Senate advanced another version of a measure to limit increases to Cook County property tax assessments to 7 percent, the so-called 7 percent rule. This one is supposed to be identical to the governor’s announcement that he wanted to increase the homestead exemption from $20,000 to $40,000 and make the so-called 7 percent rule permanent. That version is unlikely to win over House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has supported phasing out the 7 percent cap over three years.
• Also, the Senate voted to override a governor’s veto and support the original measure that would establish a uniform speed limit of 65 miles per hour for all vehicles traveling on four-lane highways separated by a median. Essentially, it would allow trucks to drive the same speed as cars. The House would also have to override the veto in order for the uniform speed limit to become law.

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200% RTA Sales Tax Hike

I was struck by the number 266% in last Wednesday's Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown’s headline.

The incredible Chicago Democratic Party tax hiking machine, this time embodied by Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, wants to impose another two percentage point sales tax hike.

That would bring in about $1 billion.

Put in percentage terms, it’s a 266% hike.

While opposing this 266% sales tax increase, Brown has endorsed the RTA sales tax hike proposal. The Cook County proposal to hike the sales tax from 1/4 of one percent to 2.75 percent is taking flak, but the RTA one keeps chugging along, powered now by visions of casino donations in legislators heads.

In McHenry and other collar counties, that plan would increase sales taxes from 1/4 of one percent to 3/4 of one percent.

Yes, I know that 1/4 of one percentage point will be for road improvements, but there is already a law on the books that allows the imposition of such taxes after passage of a referendum. If McHenry County Board members wants that tax, let them ask for it. Instead of bringing up that topic, they are discussing revising the county's seal.

Do the math.

Dividing 1/4 of one percent into the proposed 1/2 of one percent increase gives us a 200% RTA sales tax increase doesn’t it?

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Previously published on McHenry County Blog.

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Can he do that?

The House gathered more anecdotal evidence Monday to argue that Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s $470 million in budget cuts hurt the very people he says he wants to help through health care, education and social services. The six-hour hearing didn’t result in a vote. It simply laid the groundwork for the chamber’s expected override the budget cuts Tuesday, but the Senate is not expected to follow suit.

Monday’s House’s committee of the entire chamber is just one more example of a tit-for-tat battle with the governor’s office to see who can make the other entity seem more heartless during this record budget stalemate.

Bigger picture: The core question remains. The governor says he cut nearly $500 million of so-called pork and unnecessary spending to pay for the expansion of health care programs, and the administration’s press releases suggest a simple shift in state dollars. During the hearing, the governor’s office e-mailed a statement by Deputy Gov. Sheila Nix. “Some projects in the budget are worthwhile, and we are interested in seeing some funded — but not at the expense of health care for families and mammograms for women.”

But funding of the programs is not that clear cut. The state’s general revenue fund is a different pot of money than Medicaid dollars for subsidized health care programs. It’s unclear whether the governor would or could transfer money from one pot to the other.

Abby Ottenhoff, the governor’s spokeswoman, responded in an e-mail with this: “The governor has increased the pool of available revenue to cover any additional cost by cutting other less critical spending from the budget." She didn’t respond to a follow-up question requesting clarification about how the governor was increasing the “pool of available revenue” if he’s simply spending down Medicaid dollars.

The House committee, by the way, had just 79 of 118 members present. And much of the testimony repeated what had been said during the past month of public hearings across the state. The larger issue during the next two weeks of the annual fall session will remain a capital budget to fund road and school construction projects and, potentially, mass transit subsidies. Then again, all of those issues could intertwine if a promise to restore the governor’s budget cuts is held out as an incentive for House members to side with the capital program crafted by the governor’s office and Senate President Emil Jones Jr. That plan as approved by the Senate is so far unacceptable to the House.

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Note to Legislature: Legislation, not Personality Conflict, is the Reason for Sessions

Cross posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

The legislature returns to the state capitol today to address gubernatorial vetoes and emergency legislation in their annual "veto session." Of course, they're still in regular session, and 16 special sessions, so there's no telling what they might do.

2007 has set too many dismal records to count. In addition to the obvious "longest overtime session," this may also be dubbed the least productive session in recent memory. Rather than argue over the substance of legislation (which, whether the argument takes place among rank and file members or among the four tops is usually what long sessions are for), this one is instead focused on personality conflicts and power trips.

The first year of the four-year statewide term finds the state's three most powerful Democrats locked in a battle to determine which one of them is really in charge. Leaders do this sometimes, but the check on this bad behavior is usually the other 173 legislators who serve as ballast, pulling their leaders back to more rational positions.

But not this year. While the leaders squabble, the other 173 have been just witnesses. Why? The Kankakee Daily Journal editorialized over the weekend with a list of reasons. And their main focus? The concentration of campaign funds in the Four Tops.

"The leaders get to decide if you will have an opponent who's well-funded -- or none at all. To be competitive in a "targeted" race means $500,000 for a House seat and $1 million for a Senate seat."

Their fixes include a host of campaign finance reforms to end the concentration of money at the top: stop transfers, bar stockpiling of money, eliminate giving by gambling interests. Lastly? Limit donations, to force members to broaden their financial base and reach out to small donors.

The Daily Journal's suggestions are well worth considering. Especially this week. If nothing else comes of this year's session, perhaps we can at least get a sense of the problems we face, and why it can be so hard to keep the leaders' focus where it should be.

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Local Governments Have Been In The Fight For Years

Last Tuesday, the City of Peoria passed a resolution calling for the Illinois General Assembly to pass meaningful lawsuit reform legislation.

Peoria thus joins dozens -- perhaps hundreds -- of local governments in Illinois that have expressed concern and frustration with the sue-happy mentality of some lawyers in some areas of Illinois.

Of course, the largest local government in Illinois, the City of Chicago, played a significant role earlier this year in working with the ICJL and other groups to stop -- or at least block -- SB 1296, a trial lawyer bill that would allow the plaintiffs' attorneys to go after the "deepest pocket" in personal injury cases, without regard to responsibility.

It has not been without good reason that local governments are supporters of reform. Municipalities, park districts, school districts all can list numerous lawsuits filed against them under questionable circumstances and the legal costs -- and settlement costs or awards -- are borne by taxpayers who would prefer their tax dollars to be used for swimming pools or police officers, rather than for compensation to trial lawyers in frivolous (not all) or questionable lawsuits.

Two situations that come to mind in the relatively recent past include lawsuits against Schaumburg Township and the Village of Hanover Park. Both had to raise taxes to cover the cost of litigation and awards in the late 1990s. In Schaumburg Township's case, voters had to approve a referendum to stave off a costly lawsuit following an accident involving a township bus.

Local governments of many stripes have been members and supporters of the Illinois Civil Justice League since the ICJL's beginning. The Regional Transportation Authority has been a member and the Illinois Government Association of Pools (risk management pools) currently is a member of the ICJL Executive Committee.

Sonya Crawshaw, the late mayor of Hanover Park, was a member of the ICJL's board of directors prior to her death.

During the recent medical malpractice in Southern Illinois, two major Southern Illinois municipalities, Carbondale and Marion, enacted resolutions calling for the General Assembly to enact med-mal reforms. Legislators heard the pleas and enacted reforms which are currently under challenge in a Cook County court.

The recent enactment of a resolution by Peoria is one of several that is pending in local governments throughout Illinois. The ICJL, with the Institute for Legal Reform of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, has been encouraging local governments to express the growing concern they have with litigation. Local governments can't enact reform legislation but they can encourage their legislators to do so.

Our hats are off to those who are doing so.

-- Ed Murnane
Illinois Civil Justice League
October 1, 2007

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