Illinois Review

Walsh withdraws Bellar endorsement

BURR RIDGE - Former Congressman and radio talk show host Joe Walsh withdrew his endorsement of Dr. Barbara Bellar who is running in the GOP primary for Cook County Commissioner against incumbent Republican Liz Doody-Gorman.

Walsh, who named Bellar in his first endorsment list released in September, told Illinois Review that the reason he withdrew the endorsment was because he couldn't see a path for her to win.

"Yes, I really like Dr. Bellar," Walsh said in an email. "But she hasn't done what she's needed to do to put together a campaign that can actually win. [Cook County Board of Reviews Commissioner] Dan Patlak told her the same thing."

Bellar said she was surprised to hear that Walsh had withdrawn his endorsement because he didn't contact her about it. "I was disappointed to read about it... I guess, but since I didn't ask for his endorsement to begin with, it really doesn't bother me that much," she said.

IRS Chief Counsel being summoned back to Capitol Hill

IRS Chief Counsel William Wilkins is being summoned back to Capitol Hill following his obscure testimony in November concerning the IRS targeting of conservative groups. He responded "I don't recall" 80 times during the session. Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Jim Jordan (R-OH), in a letter to Mr. Wilkins, note, "[This] suggests either a deliberate attempt to obfuscate your involvement in this matter or gross incompetence on your part."

Wilkins is "one of only two Obama appointees at the IRS," explains Gary Bauer. "And not surprisingly, there is a big Obama connection. According to the Wall Street Journal, 'Wilkins helped lead the defense of Chicago Reverend Jeremiah Wright's United Church of Christ when the IRS investigated then Senator Barack Obama's involvement with the church...'

Terror threat highest in 5 U.S. metros, including Chicago

According to a report by Risk Management Solutions Inc., the threat of a large-scale terrorist attack in the United States is still high, and is concentrated in five metropolitan areas - New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., in that order.

The Newark-based company said the risk of a major attack is still high, and certain types of attacks could cause almost unfathomable destruction. For example the detonation of a five-kiloton nuclear device in Chicago could kill more than 300,000 people and cause more than half a trillion dollars in losses.

More HERE

New IRS non-profit regulations being challenged

ALEXANDRIA VA - Thursday, the Center for Competitive Politics (CCP) submitted comments to the Internal Revenue Service on the agency's proposed rules governing the political activity of social welfare groups. The group also proposed an alternative draft rule that it says would "greatly reduce the risk of selective enforcement" and protect First Amendment rights.

The proposed IRS rules "suffer from significant flaws," according to the comments, which were submitted by CCP Chairman and former FEC Chairman Bradley Smith and CCP Legal Director Allen Dickerson. Smith and Dickerson write that the IRS proposal "regulates far more speech than can be justified, under either administrative law or the First Amendment, given Supreme Court precedent over the past several decades."

Preckwinkle says she won't support 2 felons running for Cook County board

CHICAGO - Cook County's board president Toni Preckwinkle says she won't support two felons running for the panel.

Al Sanchez was the head of Chicago's streets and sanitation department and Isaac Carothers is an ex-alderman. Both are running for the board, even though they were convicted of corruption. While felons can't run for city offices, they can run for county and state positions.

Sanchez, who was released from prison five months ago, is running for a seat once held by William Beavers, who's currently serving a six-month sentence for tax evasion. Carothers is running for a vacant seat.

They're following you via your cell phone, newly released documents say

WASHINGTON - The NSA is likely to be tracking you via your cell phone, the Washington Post reports today.

The National Security Agency is gathering nearly 5 billion records a day on the whereabouts of cellphones around the world, according to top-secret documents and interviews with U.S. intelligence officials, enabling the agency to track the movements of individuals — and map their relationships — in ways that would have been previously unimaginable.

Quinn to collect $74K in back pay following pension deal

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Gov. Pat Quinn is set to receive about $74,000 in back pay now that his fellow Illinois lawmakers have approved a pension deal.

The governor halted legislators' salaries this past summer, until they passed some sort of pension reform, which they did this week.

Quinn earns $177,400 per year (plus benefits) from Illinois taxpayers.

Part time workers demand minimum wage hike to $15/hr

CHICAGO - As part of a national protest in downtown Chicago Thursday, fast food and part time workers are demanding a minimum wage increase from $8.25 to $15 an hour. Progress Illinois, Illinois' news source funded by SEIU has been Tweeting their protest slogans - "No justice, no peace; No raise, no peace" and "We can't survive on $8.25!":

Ives: Save retiree pensions by enacting real pension reform

By State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) - 

While I have made statements explaining my vote against Madigan’s revised pension reform bill on both the House floor and via press release, I have been asked repeatedly for further explanation. So for the sake of additional clarity, I offer the following:

I refuse to adopt the attitude that any bill will do regardless of its principles and content. Yesterday the Wall Street Journal called out the IL GOP  in an article entitled ‘Illinois’ Fake Pension Fix: “GOP leaders who are rounding up votes must be feeling especially charitable this holiday season because they're making an in-kind contribution to Mr. Quinn, who will claim a bipartisan victory as he runs for re-election… Such me-too thinking is why the Illinois GOP has become a useless minority.” There is no doubt that voting for any legislation dropped on the table is quickly moving us from “super-minority” to “irrelevant.”

But, what can we do? We can fight back. We can say, “This isn’t acceptable. This won’t solve the problem.We are selling people a bill of goods by saying this is reform.” Then, vote against it.

Amazon reopens associate program in Illinois

CHICAGO - Illinois businesses with an online presence may now tap back into Amazon Associates program, the company said via email Wednesday night.

"We're now able to re-open the program because the Illinois State Supreme Court recently struck down legislation that had forced Amazon to close the program to residents of Illinois," the email said.

After the Illinois General Assembly passed a law two years ago requiring online vendors to collect sales tax on Internet sales, Amazon withdrew its state associates' program.

Unions prepare to battle pension reform in state court

SPRINGFIELD - State employee unions are gearing up for a court battle hoping to knock down as unconstitutional the pension reform bill passed by the Illinois General Assembly.

The unions argue that the 1970 Illinois Constitution does not allow state employee union benefits to be diminished. A flattening of pensioners' cost of living allowance will limit compounding their annual 3 percent increase, and that will cut into what some union workers are entitled to receive over his or her lifetime.

The State Journal Register came up with three examples of how union workers could be negatively impacted:

Employee 1

Retired teacher, 30 years of service | Initial annual benefit: $67,000 | Annual pension benefit after 20 years of retirement: $121,009 a year under the current pension system; $91,183 under the proposed changes

Cumulative 20-year decrease: $284,030

Huebert: What the Detroit bankruptcy ruling means for Illinois

By Jacob Huebert - 

Tuesday, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Steven Rhodes ruled that “nothing distinguishes pension debt from any other debt” – and that Detroit’s pension debt can therefore be partially discharged in bankruptcy.

What does that mean for Illinois, where huge unfunded pension liabilities threaten to render the state government and many local governments insolvent? If the courts here follow Judge Rhodes’ example, it could mean that Illinoisans in local government pension systems could see some of their promised benefits disappear in bankruptcy as well.

In Detroit, public sector unions argued that the bankruptcy court couldn’t touch pension benefits because of the Michigan Constitution’s “Pensions Clause,” which says that any pension obligation of the state or a local government “shall be a contractual obligation thereof which shall not be diminished or impaired thereby.” According to the unions, discharging pension debt would diminish and impair their benefits and would thus violate the Michigan Constitution.

Stantis pension reform cartoon riles union members

CHICAGO - Chicago Tribune editorial cartoonist Scott Stantis' latest set off a firestorm among Illinois teachers and state workers with his post-pension reform commentary posted Wednesday night. The cartoon depicts AFSCME as being neutered with the provisions the General Assembly passed to the governor's desk. All observers expect the legislation to be challenged in court. 

And while Stantis' cartoon specifically refers to AFSCME, a Chicago Teachers Union official took Stantis' cartoon personally and sent out a string of Tweets blasting the Tribune for publishing Stantis' cartoon. 

Michelle Gunderson, a Chicago Public School teacher and Functional VP for elementary schools for the Chicago Teachers Union, described it using words like "Goebbel," "black," "lynching," "vile," and more: 

Mark Kirk one of the least known senators in the country

WASHINGTON - "Who's Mark Kirk?" That's the response from most people when asked their impression of Illinois' junior U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey taken the last week of November. If he were to be challenged by Attorney General Lisa Madigan in 2016, the race would be very close. PPP reports:

Almost halfway through his first term, Mark Kirk is one of the most anonymous Senators in the country. 32% approve of him, 32% disapprove, and the largest percentage at 37% doesn't have an opinion about him one way or the other.

According to the poll, Kirk tracks better with Democrats than Republicans:

What's interesting about Kirk's numbers though is that while Republicans are not that enthused about him (only a 35/27 approval), Democrats don't really have much of a problem with him compared to most Republican Senators (a 23/35 approval).

That crossover support means he might not be an easy out in 2016- he ties Lisa Madigan at 41 in a hypothetical head to head, taking 15% of the Democratic vote while losing only 11% of Republicans.

Illinois evenly divided over Obama's health care plan

CHICAGO - Illinois Democrats that are comfortable with political power could be shocked to find out people in the normally blue state are evenly divided over the Affordable Care Act. A new Public Policy Poll released this week shows 45 percent of Illinoisans disappove of with the Obama Administration's health care plan, and 44 percent approve. Ten percent haven't decided yet.

A majority of Illinois residents believe the implementation of the law has thus far been a failure, with 70 percent saying that it has been at least somewhat unsuccessful and, among those, 47 percent saying it has been very unsuccessful.

Chicago GOP scours perennial Madigan opponent's petitions

Chicago GOP has already found curious signatures in Madigan opponent's petitions

CHICAGO - No one knows better how important verifiable signatures are on an election petition than House Speaker Mike Madigan. For decades, he's easily won election after election in his 22nd House District among bungalows surrounding Midway Airport, and hundreds more campaigns as House Speaker and head of the Illinois Democratic Party. His home district is "Madiganville" to anyone who's been around in Illinois politics for any length of time.

Terrence F. Goggin, who lives at 7750 South Kostner in Madigan's 22nd House District, is also well acquainted with the routine of filing petitions. Starting in 1996, he filed as a Republican candidate to challenge House Speaker Mike Madigan four elections in a row.  Never did he get close to beating the Speaker, although the last time Goggin tried in 2002, he came the closest - losing by only 43.35%. 

Goggin has never raised enough in campaign contributions to file a financial report with the State Board of Elections. But after a twelve year silence, he's back again, filing petitions to be the Republican nominee for the 22nd State House District - challenging House Speaker Mike Madigan once again.

Do you hear words being parsed?

By Nancy Thorner and Ed Ingold - 

Jay Carney held a press conference in advance of the President’s address on Tuesday, December 3rd, which was billed as the start of a three-week push to redirect the conversation about HealthCare.gov and the health care reform law.

As on so many other occasions, the Press Secretary chooses words very carefully, seeming to say one thing but often meaning quite another. This goes beyond misleading, and the technique is used by this administration more than any others in recent history. You have to listen very carefully, and be prepared to consider what is not being said as much as the words themselves. Ask yourself, “Do I hear words being parsed?”

Although President Obama is no stranger to parsing words, and excels at it, if you listen carefully you can hear Press Secretary Jay Carney likewise exhibit proficiency in parsing his words when speaking in front of a press gaggle.

Illinois Bonds Rally After State Lawmakers Pass Pension Reform Plan

NEW YORK - Bloomberg reports good news from Illinois' bond market - 

Municipal bonds from Illinois rallied to a one-month high after lawmakers broke through decades of political gridlock to pass a measure addressing the nation’s worst-funded state pension system.

About $4.4 million of taxable Illinois general-obligation bonds maturing in March 2016 traded today at an average yield of 1.8 percent, the lowest since Nov. 8, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Yields move inversely to prices. The volume that changed hands was the highest since July.

House Dems needed GOP votes to pass Madigan's pension reform plan

SPRINGFIELD - Not only did the Senate Democrats' super majority need GOP votes to pass pension reform Tuesday, so did House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) need the help of 15 Republican House members to reach the needed 61. Together, Democrat and Republican House members passed the bill, with one extra vote to spare, to the governor's desk.

Fifteen Republicans and 47 Democrats supported the plan while 31 Republicans and 22 Democrats opposed it. The House members' votes broke down like this:

Senate Dems needed GOP to pass pension reform

SPRINGFIELD - With only 20 Democrats voting for the pension reform plan Tuesday, Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) has 10 Republicans to thank for getting SB 1 past the Senate. Unions staunchly opposed the plan and demanded those they put into office oppose SB 1. It is unlikely that Cullerton could have twisted enough Democrats' arms to get the plan to the governor without endangering his super- majority. The Senate numbers worked out this way:

During the Senate debate on SB 1 Tuesday, State Senator Kyle McCarter (R-Highland) said he'd be more inclined to support the reform plan "if this bucket didn't have so many holes it." (Video below)

State Rep. Ives on pension bill: "Something a rogue nation, run by despots, would do"

SPRINGFIELD - During the House floor pension debate Tuesday, State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) challenged Speaker Mike Madigan's SB 1's wording concerning the 401k option. The language she questioned reads "the System shall be entitled to recover the amounts in the participant's defined contribution accounts": 

"That to me sounds like something a rogue nation run by despots would do - they would take private property and put it back into a plan," Ives said. 

Most Illinois lawmakers given only one day to read pension bill

By Jackson Adams - 

Most state House and Senate members in Illinois were given only one day to read through a 327 page pension bill before it was called for a vote on Tuesday.

“The members of the conference committee had several days to read the bill,” said state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, “Lawmakers could have had it any time Sunday or Monday that they wanted it.”

Not all lawmakers agreed.

“We should have had a more transparent hearing for the public and the rank-and file-members. Even though people knew the issues the language was far different,” said State Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale, who is also seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Illinois high school requires parents to self-identify as liberal or conservative

OAK FOREST - An assignment sent home from an Oak Forest, IL high school government class is raising eyebrows among parents who are shocked by the questionnaire they and their children are required to fill out. The questionnaire (below) has the parents identify their positions on a number of highly-charged issues, and then places them on a "political spectrum."

The survey is from the textbook "U.S. Government 2", published by the "The Center for Learning". It is part of Oak Forest High School's Common Core curriculum, which according to the school district's website is to ..."provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them."

Elected officials comment on Illinois pension reform bill passage

Comments from State Senator Jim Oberweis, State Senator Christine Radogno (R-Lemont), State Senator Sam McCann (R-Litchfield), State Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago 

State Senator Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove) - 

“As one of the few lawmakers who actually sat down and read through the entire bill, 325 pages, I have some concerns about what is included in this bill and what is not included in this bill.  Senate Bill 1 does offer future employees the option of defined-contribution plans, similar to one of the provisions in a plan I offered in April; however, that option is only made available to 5 percent of the employees, which I question.  And there is also no guarantee that the money saved by these reforms will actually be used to pay down debt, instead of being used for new programs,” Oberweis said.

“This bill is not true reform, but it seems to be the best we can get at this time.  State officials have made pension benefit promises they knew or should have known they couldn’t possibly keep.  We must take action now and resolve these issues for our state’s long-term fiscal health,” he added.  “While this bill doesn’t really solve our problems, it is at least a step in the right direction.”

State Senator Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) - 

Groups respond to Illinois General Assembly's passing of pension reform bill

Statements from Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois Manufacturers Association, Civic Committee of the Commercial Club, and SEIU- Illinois/Indiana  - 

Illinois Policy Institute: 

John Tillman, CEO of Illinois Policy Institute said, "It's universally accepted that this bill does not represent a "solution" to Illinois' pension crisis. Many politicians who voted for this bill have said as much, and have defended their vote by saying, "This is not a solution; it is a first step."

"A "first step" necessarily means there is a second step. Now the real reform begins; now we start working toward the next step.

"For examples of what that next step is, look around the country. There is something in common with states enacting pension reform and turning their fiscal houses back in order: Michigan, Alaska, Rhode Island. They're all moving away from pensions and to the defined contribution model. 

2014 Primary Candidates respond to Tuesday's pension bill passage

Comments from 2014 primary candidates, including Bruce Rauner, Doug Truax, Jeff McKinley, Jim Wozniak - 

Doug Truax, GOP candidate for U.S. Senate -

"Illinois is the worst run state in America due to a political class — largely Democrats — that consistently fails to put the interests of everyday taxpayers first. My opponent in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, Jim Oberweis, knows this but voted anyway in favor of a tepid pension reform bill that is likely to result in further tax increases and a continued stagnant economy. Every other financial “fix” passed in Springfield the past decade has harmed taxpayers. Mr. Oberweis needs to explain why he so easily voted with the status quo that never solves problems but rather transfers them to the next generation."

GOP primary candidate for governor Bruce Rauner - 

Illinois House and Senate pass pension reform bill

SPRINGFIELD - Simultaneously Tuesday afternoon, the Illinois House and the Senate discussed a pension reform bill that sponsors say will save Illinois taxpayers $160 Billion dollars, reduce the amount state workers pay into their pensions, use a new formula to determine retirees cost of living allowances among a myriad of other changes.  Within minutes of each other, both chamber passed SB 1, and will likely be signed into law by Governor Quinn. 

The Illinois Senate vote was 30 to 24, with 3 present:

The House vote was 62 to 53, with 1 present:

Illinois state capitol opens Christmas season with Nativity scene

SPRINGFIELD  – At noon on Tuesday, December 3, 2013, the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee (SNSC) unveiled its annual display depicting the newborn Christ Child, lying in a manger inside a handcrafted wooden stable for the sixth year in a row.

The crèche stands in the center of the Illinois State Capitol Rotunda, next to the Governor’s “Holiday Tree.” 

The crèche and manger represent a constitutionally protected expression by private citizens, the SNSC, in a traditional public forum, namely, the Capitol Rotunda, where political rallies are routinely held during sessions of the Illinois General Assembly and at other times during the year.

Thorner: Taxes Out of control and out of bounds

By Nancy Thorner - 

CNS News reported in October of this year that according to the U.S. Treasury the government's federal debt had jumped by $409 billion. This equals approximately $3,546 for each of the Census Bureau's estimated 114,663,000 U.S. households, and makes October's spending the largest one-month jump in debt in this nation's history.

What is troubling is that Congress is not currently restrained by a debt limit. Since October 17 when Congress enacted the Continuing Resolution (CR) with a deal that ended the government shutdown and pushed the debt ceiling level to February 7, 2014, no set dollar amount exists to restrict spending. 

With nothing to stop legislators from piling even more spending and debt on taxpayers before February 7, 2014, it is folly to believe that legislators will restrain their spending, nor have they done so. Noted was how an additional $409 billion of debt was accrued through the end of October. While on October 17 the debt subjected to limit stood at $16,699,396,000,000, just $25 million shy of the legal limit of $16,699,421,095,673.60, by October 31 the debt now subject to limit had grown to $17,108,378,000,000.

Eaton: Why Illinois can't achieve true pension reform

By Fran Eaton -

Illinois taxpayers and lawmakers are likely to be frustrated with the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" choices before them concerning Illinois' grave financial crisis and the band-aid lawmakers are being accused of putting on an open wound. But Illinois' problems are long term, deep-seated and not easily fixed. It took the state decades to get in this mess, and it will take a while to get out.

My column published on Illinois Review in October offered the long-term solution to taxpayers: 

So what should Illinois taxpayers expect concerning the public pension crisis in Springfield this week, or the rest of the year?

Expect another smoke and mirrors kabuki show - with perhaps a few minor modifications that the union bosses will promise not to challenge in court - that will do nothing but postpone the crisis with another bandaid approach. Nothing substantial, if anything, will be done to correct the situation. After all, it's not a crisis, according to Senator Cullerton.