Posts filed under 'Rod Blagojevich'
August 14th, 2008
As the Register Star reported this morning …
Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford, reversed course [Wednesday] and embraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s changes in his bill to help college students keep health insurance when they must leave school because of illness or injury.
Jefferson said he initially viewed Blagojevich’s veto as an attempt to sabotage his initiative, but later decided to accept the governor’s changes — which dramatically expanded its scope — because he believes in increasing health care.
“Plans do change sometimes,” Jefferson said.
So what does this mean? There are practical and political implications.
First, the practical: If the bill — as amended by the governor’s changes — becomes law, then employers across Illinois likely will be on the hook for the cost of additional insurance sought by employees with children between 18 and 30.
The core of Jefferson’s bill would require health insurers to continue covering for a year dependent, full-time college students who leave school or reduce classload because of a catastrophic illness or injury. Under Blagojevich’s additional language, parents would have the option of simply keeping children on their private health plan until they turn 26 — or, in the case of veterans, the age of 30.
Blagojevich refused to acknowledge last night that employers might face additional cost, but Blagojevich also has a history of ignoring or even denying reality. “I don’t know that it’s going to cost them anything,” Blagojevich said.
So what happens now? It’s up to the Senate to decide whether to follow accept the governor’s changes to Jefferson’s bill, as the House did last night. It’s not clear when the Senate might vote, as the chamber is not scheduled to meet again until after the November general election. (On Wednesday, the House and Senate were meeting in a special session Blagojevich had called.) Blagojevich said Wednesday night that he would soon reach out to Senate President Emil Jones Jr., D-Chicago, concerning the schedule for a vote.
And this takes us to the political implications. These days in Springfield, most all significant action must be viewed through the lens of the ongoing feud between Blagojevich/Jones and House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago. This move by Jefferson, a member of Madigan’s exclusive leadership team, is no exception.
By reversing position and accepting the governor’s changes to his bill, I believe Jefferson — backed by Madigan — accomplished the following:
1) He called the governor’s bluff. Blagojevich’s amendatory veto of Jefferson’s bill was widely viewed, by Jefferson and others, as a clear attempt to sabotage Jefferson’s bill in the course of Blagojevich’s feud with Madigan. By calling Blagojevich’s bluff, Jefferson (again, backed by Madigan) stunned other lawmakers, the business community and, apparently also, the governor. Rather than making a predictable move by fighting the governor’s changes, Jefferson & Madigan surprised him — and may keep him guessing in the future.
2) He neutralized a future attack by Blagojevich. Had Jefferson led the House in rejecting the governor’s changes to his bill, Blagojevich no doubt would have blasted the House — loudly and repeatedly — for voting to deny children health care. That’s just how Blagojevich works.
3) He kicked a political hot potato into the lap of Jones — Blagojevich’s ally and Madigan’s adversary. Jones must now reconcile the governor’s health-care initiative (riding on Jefferson’s bill) and fierce opposition from the business community. Jefferson and Madigan didn’t have to reconcile any fierce opposition from the business community because, quite frankly, the House voted on the governor’s amendment to Jefferson’s bill about an hour after it became clear that Jefferson would move to accept the amendment. It happened in a flash. There was no committee hearing. There was little informed debate on the House floor because other lawmakers had to spontaneously get up to speed on the governor’s changes to the bill. But now that this bill as amended is just one or two Senate votes from becoming law, the business community is paying attention. And it will be up to Jones to deal with them. (The business community, by the way, perhaps should not have assumed — and many others did — that Jefferson’s bill was all but dead after the governor amended it. Last night, the Illinois Chamber was completely taken off guard.)
Update 1
I should add that there’s also a constitutional angle.
There is much debate in Springfield about whether Blagojevich has the constitutional authority to amend a bill in this way. Yes, the governor of Illinois does have the power of amendatory veto. And that means he may veto a bill by suggesting changes to it, sending it back to lawmakers for their consideration of his changes. But the governor may not use an amendatory veto to wholesale re-write a bill, courts have held.
During Wednesday night’s floor debate over the governor’s changes to Jefferson’s bill, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, all but declared that the House Democrats’ motivation behind accepting the governor’s changes to Jefferson’s bill was to create a new test case for the courts.
“I think that the lack of clarity from the court decisions may mean that it’s time for a second crack for the judicial branch. Maybe we ought to invite the question before the courts whether this particularly amendatory veto, for example, does go beyond the scope of that authority provided in the Constitution. For that reason, I would suggest that an eye vote may help us answer this question that has been so contentious between the two branches ever since 1971.”
August 8th, 2008
Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford, set out to help people.
He sponsored a bill requiring health insurance policies to continue providing coverage to dependent, full-time college students who must leave school or reduce their classload to part-time because of a catastrophic illness or injury. His fellow lawmakers approved that plan overwhelmingly; the House voted 105-3 and the Senate voted 56-1, sending the measure to Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s desk.
Little did Jefferson know that his bill might amount to nothing more than ammunition in Blagojevich’s political war with House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago. Now Jefferson is staring at a bill that may be dead. And if it’s dead, he will need to start all over again by re-introducing it and maneuvering it through the legislative process all over again.
What did Blagojevich accomplish in hijacking and possibly killing Jefferson’s bill? He took a swipe at Madigan and other House Democrats. He won a day of favorable publicity. And that’s that.
So much for Jefferson trying to help people.
On Wednesday, Blagojevich vetoed Jefferson’s bill to add language giving parents the option of keeping their children on their private health plan until they turn 26 — or, in the case of veterans, the age of 30.
That may sound like a well-intentioned initiative from the governor. But the fact is that lawmakers — both Republicans and Democrats — are tired of Blagojevich attempting to force his will upon them.
Blagojevich, notorious for his absence from Springfield while lawmakers are in session, didn’t bother attempting to maneuver his initiative through the legislative process. Instead, he hijacked a bill sponsored by somebody who had already done that work.
Oh, and that person — Jefferson — just happened to be a Madigan surrogate.
Jefferson told the Register Star: “Whatever feud might be going on between Speaker Madigan and the governor, I’m not a part of that. And I don’t think that you need to make me a part of that by hijacking one of my bills.”
But Jefferson is a member of Madigan’s exclusive leadership team. That means he joins high-level meetings not attended by other House Democrats. And it means he’s under additional pressure to act in lockstep with Madigan — particularly when it counts, like when Madigan is waging a political war with the governor. In Blagojevich’s view, Jefferson is very much a Madigan guy.
It’s no accident that Blagojevich targeted one of Jefferson’s bills.
And if there was any doubt that Blagojevich had escalated the war by personally attacking Madigan’s closest allies, any such doubt was removed Friday morning when Blagojevich used an appearance at the State Fair to verbally attack Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Litchfield, for helping Madigan engineer the defeat of Blagojevich’s capital plan. Hannig is one of Madigan’s top lieutenants.
In 2007, Blagojevich’s administration canned the wife of Tim Mapes, Madigan’s trusted chief of staff.
There’s a chance that lawmakers could vote to override the governor’s veto of Jefferson’s bill, thereby putting Jefferson’s bill — without the governor’s language — into law. But it’s not such a great chance. For as long as Senate President Emil Jones Jr., D-Chicago, continues to serve as Blagojevich’s ally in chief, then it’s unlikely Jones will allow the Senate to vote on an override.
Lawmakers are even less likely to vote to accept the governor’s changes.
If both chambers of the Legislature don’t agree on whether to accept or reject the governor’s changes, then the bill is dead.
Blagojevich certainly knew all of this when he decided to hijack Jefferson’s bill. He did it anyway.
Update 1
Wow, Blagojevich sure did rip into Gary Hannig, the Madigan lieutenant, at the State Fair today. The audio is here.
He also ripped a group of 10 House Democrats he labeled the “double-dippers” — 10 state lawmakers also on the City of Chicago or Cook County payroll.
Basically, the governor argued that these 10 people, who all enjoy two paychecks, are hypocrites for sticking with Madigan, who engineered the defeat of Blagojevich’s capital plan. Blagojevich says the capital plan would generate hundreds of thousands of jobs.
According to a Blagojevich spokeswoman, the 10 “double-dippers” are:
Rep. Edward Acevedo
Rep. Luis Arroyo
Rep. John Bradley
Rep. Annazette Collins
Rep. John D’Amico
Rep. Monique Davis
Rep. Deborah Graham
Rep. Joe Lyons
Rep. Susana Mendoza
Rep. Cynthia Soto
“There’s nothing more important than getting our economy going in Springfield, in Decatur, in Rockford, in Carbondale, in Danville — than investing in our infrastructure and putting people to work,” Blagojevich said.
“And we have the Republican leaders supporting the capital program. We have the Democrats in the Senate supporting the capital program. And Mike Madigan and 10 double-dipping Chicago Democrats who work for the City of Chicago full-time and then have part-time jobs as state reps killed the jobs bill that impacts people in downstate Illinois,” he said. “So if people feel there is this sense that some from Chicago don’t care about them, just look at that roll call and I can appreciate their frustration.”
Yep, it’s safe to say the political war is on.
August 8th, 2008
Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s relations with so many Illinoisans are so horrible that some wondered recently whether somebody might physically assault him had he decided to attend the Thursday parade marking the start of the Illinois State Fair. He didn’t show at the parade, but the point stands: His unpopularity among Illinoisans, particularly those outside of Chicago, is extraordinary.
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| Is that you, governor? |
It’s unlikely Blagojevich will turn that image around any time soon, if ever. But in the spirit of State Fair fun, I hereby propose a way for Blagojevich to begin the healing: He should find a dunk tank at the State Fair, climb in, take a seat and hold his breath. If there’s no dunk tank at the State Fair, his people certainly could arrange one on the fly. If they do anything well, it’s manage a gimmick.
Yes, there would be complications to having Blagojevich in a dunk tank:
1) Hordes of people would make a special trip to the State Fair and line up for their chance to dunk the Blago. State Fair staff would have to work overtime — maybe around the clock for the entire fair — to manage the giddy, ball-carrying crowd.
2) The dunk tank would need a heavy-gauge grate over its face to guard the guv against errant balls. Hey, accidents happen. Maybe lots of them.
3) The governor’s mane might absorb all the tank’s water the first time he drops, rendering the tank not so much a tank as an empty box. A backup supply of water is a must.
Each point is surmountable. And the benefits are vast.
Ordinary folks could ventilate their pent-up anger with Blago and state government, generally. The governor could raise a bundle of cash for state coffers, potentially restoring much of the spending he recently cut from the budget. And most importantly, the governor would have a chance to show some true humility — a trait sorely lacking from his character.
It’s been a long time coming. Take the challenge, Illinois.
How Much Would You Pay for a Shot at Dunking Blago?
Update 1
Blagojevich, at the State Fair this morning, responded to a reporter’s question about whether he would climb into a dunk tank to help raise money for the state.
“Gimme a number. How much could we raise? I’ll look at it,” Blagojevich said.
The audio clip is on this page, which also includes other Blago audio.
August 7th, 2008
Gov. Blagojevich wants to install speed-enforcement cameras on interstates across Illinois to generate more money for Chicago cops …
To make good on his offer to help Chicago combat violence, Gov. Blagojevich envisions putting speed cameras on interstates across Illinois — and using the revenue to form an “elite tactical team” that would operate in Chicago and other cities.
In other words, drivers from the Rock River Valley and around Illinois would help pay for Chicago’s police needs, if Blagojevich has his way.
Do You Support the Governor's Speed-Camera Concept?
Update 1
The governor’s afternoon press release …
SPRINGFIELD – To further enhance traffic safety and reduce fatalities, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich announced today that the Illinois State Police (ISP) will join the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in a new enforcement program that would put speed cameras on highways to crack down on reckless drivers.
This new program involves reducing the speed of motorists on Illinois interstates with the deployment of Photo Speed Enforcement (PSE) cameras. PSE cameras will be deployed on each interstate throughout Illinois. An administrative citation will be generated as a result of the PSE camera. The goal of these cameras is to target motorists who chose to drive at excessive speeds. The revenues generated from the initiative would be targeted to hire an additional 500 troopers to the ranks of the Illinois State Police over the next three years.
“The Illinois State Police have already done an exceptional job reducing the number of lives lost from traffic crashes,” said Governor Blagojevich. “The use of speed enforcement cameras on interstate highways throughout Illinois will mean that even more lives will be saved by targeting motorist that drive at excessively high and reckless speeds. At the same time, we will try to assist the Chicago Police Department in reducing gun-related crimes.” […]
The PSE cameras will be strategically placed in high speed corridors and high crash areas as determined by enforcement and crash data. […]
With the additional 500 troopers hired with revenue from the new safety initiative, the ISP will create 10 elite Statewide Enforcement Teams to focus on gangs, guns and criminal and traffic activity within communities throughout the state who are experiencing high crime. The remaining officers will focus on all aspects of public safety including some new initiatives such as; an Anti-DUI Strike Force, Fatal Crash Investigative Follow-up Teams, Child Victimization and Death Review Units and Cold Case Homicide Investigations.
Meanwhile, effective immediately, the Illinois State Police will also work in conjunction with the Chicago Police Department, re-deploying troopers to the Chicago area in an attempt to reduce violent crime in the city of Chicago and collar communities. Multiple Strategic Enforcement Teams (SET) will increase patrols in the area, experienced investigators will be assigned to the Chicago Police Department (CPD) Anti-Gun Enforcement (CAGE) Unit, and Criminal Intelligence Analysts will be reassigned to create a Gang Intelligence Unit.
The SETs will patrol the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower Expressways near high crime areas within the city of Chicago. ISP officers will aggressively enforce Illinois traffic and criminal laws and assist CPD within the city as requested. ISP officers will also patrol high crime areas in the collar communities.
Investigators assigned to CAGE will concentrate their efforts on tracing the history of weapons located at or near crime scenes. Instead of focusing exclusively on the crime itself, CAGE realizes gun violence can be reduced by investigating individuals who purchased guns used in crimes. Officers will focus on arresting and prosecuting the purchasers of weapons who are the source of illegal weapons.
The ISP will also appoint a statewide Gang Coordinator and expand the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center through the assignment of Criminal Intelligence Analysts. Analysts will work 24/7 on this initiative to provide a strategic focus for statewide gang intelligence concentrating on gang hierarchy, methods of gang operations, and gang territories. Additional ISP resources including fixed wing air support and manpower for special events are available upon request by CPD.
August 1st, 2008
Nevada Democrats are trying to claim the title of “worst governor” for their very own Jim Gibbons …
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| Blagojevich at the U of I in 2006 |
The state Democratic Party has launched a Web site asserting that Jim Gibbons is “America’s Worst Governor.” […]
The party has cobbled together multiple press clippings documenting some of Gibbons’ gaffes, including the tax scandal he’s now embroiled in over a piece of property he owns in the Elko area and what Democrats have labeled text gate, referring to how he sent hundreds of text messages to a female friend.
“Everything is documented, because we couldn’t make this up – obviously,” said Travis Brock, the executive director of the Nevada Democratic Party, in a conference call this afternoon with reporters.
The clever site is here.
But can the Nevada Dems move so fast to claim the crown?
July 22nd, 2008
If Rod Blagojevich does anything especially well, it’s raise campaign money. He has long been a prolific fundraiser, and despite a looming federal probe of his administration’s activities, he continues to be. He raised roughly $1.9 million during the first six months of this year.
Still, his fundraising is down from previous years.
Midway through his second term, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich has amassed more than $3.6 million in his campaign fund, more than any other statewide officeholder but only about a third of what he had in the bank halfway through his first term.
July 22nd, 2008
Sunil Puri, the Rockford real estate developer, gave generously to political campaigns during the first six months of this year, according to newly filed statements with the State Board of Elections.
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| Puri (right) with Dan Arnold of Road Ranger |
His donations included:
$2,501 to the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association
$1,000 to Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford
$250 to Gwyn Gulley, candidate for judge
$10,001 to Gov. Rod Blagojevich
Over the years, Puri has donated more than $346,000 to public officials and candidates for office in Illinois, according to the State Board of Elections.
He also is a “bundler” for the Obama presidential campaign, having raised at least $50,000 for that race.
July 17th, 2008
State lawmakers are back home today and are not scheduled to return to Springfield until after the Nov. 4 general election.
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| Dog in Pajamas, complements of spoilurpets.com |
It’s just me, a couple dozen other reporters, some legislative staff, secretaries and a bunch of security guards remaining at the Capitol. Once again, I can show up to work in my pajamas.
But my bliss in puffy slippers may not last long. With Gov. Rod “Madman” Blagojevich, House Speaker Michael “King of the Mountain” Madigan and Senate President Emil “I’m Powerful Too” Jones running the state government, it’s a safe bet we won’t have to wait long for the next drama in Springfield.
Just when you think you’ve seen it all with these characters, it gets even goofier. Yesterday, Blagojevich declared that he might send state troopers or even the National Guard into the neighborhoods of Chicago to help stem “out of control” violence. Only, Blagojevich hadn’t bothered to mention this to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley before mentioning it to rolling television cameras. As CapFax Blog noted, Blagojevich apparently just “blurted” it out.
By the time the House completed work Wednesday, its members had restored to the state budget more than $400 million in spending Blagojevich had cut. Only, Blagojevich said he cut that spending because there was inadequate revenue in the budget to support it, and the House didn’t bother voting for any additional revenue-raising plan to back up the additional spending.
Blagojevich’s people were quick to say the House had acted irresponsibly. Then again, Blagojevich cut just $1.4 billion from the budget after insisting it had a $2.1 billion hole. How did the governor plan to manage that other $700 million in spending for which he claimed there was no revenue? Who knows.
And in any case, Blagojevich has long lacked any credibility regarding budget numbers. It’s prudent to take everything the man says about the budget with a huge — I mean huge — grain of salt. Even as the state faced the worst general-fund deficit in the nation near the end of his first term, Blagojevich insisted it wasn’t possible for the state to have a deficit.
Oh, and remember how the governor tried to cut state funding for 4-H and other agricultural programs from the budget that ended June 30 because he claimed it had a $750 million hole? The governor agreed to restore funding for those programs when fellow Democrats in the Senate agreed to defeat a plan that would have allowed voters to recall Blagojevich from office. And though Blagojevich’s people had threatened to withhold nearly $400 million in payments for schools during the month of June to help close that budget gap, they released that money too.
How did the governor patch that $750 million hole? Who knows. Did such a hole even exist? Who knows.
If there’s another thing Blagojevich does not do well, it’s sit still with his mouth shut. Though Madigan engineered the defeat of the governor’s $34 billion capital plan by out-foxing him on the last day of spring session, Blagojevich is working feverishly to build public pressure to topple Madigan and push the plan through.
Blagojevich seldom misses an opportunity to promote his plan. Yesterday, when he offered to send troopers or troops into Chicago yesterday, he clumsily painted his capital plan as a means to quell violence in Chicago.
“The mayor can be a great help in this in getting the House Democratic leadership to pass that big capital program,” [Blagojevich] said.
That capital program would funnel millions into communities he says need money to fight crime in a comprehensive way.
It’s safe to assume Blagojevich will continue beating that drum. Perhaps he’ll go so far as to call lawmakers into special session. Who knows.
In the meantime, I’m getting cozy with flannel.
July 3rd, 2008
Gov. Rod Blagojevich today had a blowout with Chicago reporters who relentlessly shouted questions about the federal probe of his hiring, contracting and fundraising activities.
Blagojevich — allowing himself uncanny exposure to the media — shouted back.
He said reporters asked “stupid,” “absurd” and “ridiculous” questions.
My favorite Blagojevich line?
“I have nothing to fear but the truth.”
I’m wondering: Did Blagojevich, with that remark, accidentally speak the truth? Roosevelt must have just rolled over in his grave.
The full audio of the governor’s appearance, courtesy of Chicago Public Radio, is here. The fun part begins at about 16:00.
July 1st, 2008
Take the state government’s assets — cash on hand, property and the like — and put them alongside its liabilities — debt and bills not paid — and what do you get?
A whopping -$20.4 billion.
Yes, that dash before the dollar sign means the figure is negative. Indeed, the state’s assets are $20.4 billion behind its liabilities. The state is in the fiscal hole — big time. And ultimately, taxpayers are on the hook.
In accounting jargon, the figure represents the state’s “net assets.” In real-life terms, it means the state has big, big long-term fiscal problems. In fact, Illinois has by far the worst net assets position of all the states, according to an analysis released Monday by Illinois Auditor General Bill Holland.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich didn’t create the problem. But it got worse under his watch.
First, let’s look at how the state’s net assets have deteriorated in recent years. This chart from Holland’s report, which you may also see here, inverts the trend of net assets so that negative is up and positive is down. In other words, the higher the red line climbs on the chart, the worse financial shape this state is in.
Now, let’s look at how Illinois compared to other states. As you may see from this chart, which also is available here, the vast majority of states are positive in terms of net assets. That means their assets outweigh their liabilities.
Illinois is among just four states in the red. Illinois has more than twice as much liability as any other state. (This chart also is available on the last page of this report.)
Holland based his analysis on the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of each state. In Illinois, state Comptroller Dan Hynes produces that report. The latest CAFR is here, but I must warn you that it’s large and may take a minute to download.
From the CAFR, here’s a detailed look at why the state’s net assets are deteriorating. The punchline is this: The report says the state’s increase in liabilities was driven in large part by another $1.02 billion in “Section 25 liabilities” — budget-speak for bills the state pushes off from one fiscal year to the next.
The State’s assets increased $1.952 billion from $38.482 billion at June 30, 2006, to $40.434 billion at June 30, 2007, due mainly to $837 million in increased investment balances and $825 million in increased taxes receivable. The increased investment balances can mostly be attributed to the increases in investments in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund of $628 million due to the Trust Fund’s increase in net assets of $607 million during the year. The majority of the increased taxes receivable are related to the State’s hospital assessment plan ($734 million) which was not in effect at the end of the prior year. The State’s increase in liabilities of $2.931 billion from $53.462 billion at June 30, 2006, to $56.393 billion at June 30, 2007, resulted mainly from the increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $1.020 billion, increase in intergovernmental payables of $321 million, and increase in long-term obligations of $1.472 billion. The $1.020 billion increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities resulted mainly from the increase in Section 25 liabilities (described on page 11) of $1.021 billion. The majority of the increase in intergovernmental payables of $321 million is due to the timing of payments to school districts made by the State Board of Education. The long-term obligations increase of $1.472 billion resulted from the increase in the net pension obligation of $2.592 billion, the decrease in bonds and notes payable in the Designated Account Purchase Program of $726
million due to normal and early retirements, and the decrease in general obligation and special obligation debt of $392 million and $147 million, respectively.
Now, let’s look at another nifty chart from Holland’s report. This one shows the state’s general-fund deficit over the last six years. To put this in political perspective, Gov. Rod Blagojevich took office in January 2003, roughly the middle of fiscal 2003. Fiscal 2007 — the last year for which CAFR data is available — ended June 30, 2007.
As you may see, the state’s general-fund deficit hit $3.8 billion last summer. That’s not far off from the $4.2 billion deficit that existed when Blagojevich took office. Illinois started to climb from its budget hole after Blagojevich became governor, but is has since fallen nearly all the way back down in that hole.
(To be fair, Holland said in his report that the deficit last summer was driven in part by hangups with the state’s hospital assessment plan, an elaborate mechanism the state uses to generate more federal dollars for itself and hospitals by shuffling dollars between itself and hospitals to trigger federal reimbursement for Medicaid-related expenses.)
Back in 2006 when Blagojevich was running for re-election, I compared this state’s CAFR with those in other states and found that Illinois had the worstgeneral-fund deficit in the nation. The state’s fiscal condition has improved little since then, according to Hynes, who spent much of the spring describing the budgetary problemsthat balooned under Blagojevich’s watch.
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