Illinois Review

Duckworth says Kaifesh is "unfit to serve" in Congress for quoting Ben Carson

SCHAUMBURG - Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth says she's appalled by a quote from Dr. Ben Carson, which her 8th CD GOP opponent Larry Kaifesh put on his Facebook page this morning:

"This line of thinking - that African Americans are dependent on the government - is offensive and wrong," she wrote in an email to supporters. "And anyone who holds such views is unfit to serve as a Member of Congress." She then asks for campaign funds to respond to Kaifesh's remark.

Chicago manufacturing lags during nation's economic recovery

CHICAGO - A report released Wednesday shows that the Chicago region's manufacturing is not recovering as quickly as other sectors in the region. 

The study, by the HSBC Bank and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, wrote "Manufacturing in Chicago is an old heavyweight slugger, punching below its weight," although its still key to the region's economy.

While manufacturing accounts for two-thirds of the region's exports, export numbers put Chicago in fourth behind New York, Los Angeles and Houston.

Why is interest in Chicago manufacturing falling? Four reasons, the report says: 

• A lack of civic and government attention to the sector because of a perception that it was dying.
• An absence of intraregional cooperation on economic issues.
• Freight rail gridlock.
• Lingering wariness about expanding business within the state, given its fiscal problems.

More in the Chicago Tribune

Newly uncovered emails prove ex-IRS chief Lois Lerner hated conservatives

AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke

Newly released emails by Lois Lerner, the former IRS official at the center of the tea party targeting scandal, show “deep animus towards conservatives, which she refers to as ‘—holes,’” according to a House committee.

The emails were among a batch of new evidence the House Ways and Means Committee turned over Wednesday to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in support of an investigation of criminal wrongdoing at the IRS.

“Despite the serious investigation and evidence this Committee has undertaken into the IRS’s targeting of individuals for their beliefs, there is no indication that DOJ is taking this matter seriously,” Rep. Dave Camp, Michigan Republican and chairman of the committee, said in a letter to the department.

More HERE

49% Believe Government Programs Increase Poverty in America

A new survey shows that most Americans understand that government anti-poverty programs have no impact on poverty in this country, and may actually increase it.

The Rasmussen poll found that a plurality (44%) of American adults think the government spends too much on poverty programs. Thirty-one percent (31%) say it doesn’t spend enough in this area, while 14% say the level of spending is about right. Another 10% are not sure.

The survey of 1,000 adults was conducted on July 26-27, 2014. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Group seeking term limits for Illinois politicians files appeal

CHICAGO - A group pushing for term limits Illinois politicians has filed a court appeal to get their question on November's ballot.

The Committee for Legislative Reform and Term Limits filed a motion Tuesday with Illinois' First District Appellate Court asking it to reverse a June Cook County Circuit Court ruling.

The circuit court said the measure didn't meet constitutional requirements and ruled it invalid.

Committee spokesman Mark Campbell believes the appellate court can rule in the group's favor.

If the appellate court doesn't reverse the ruling, the committee wants the court to urge the Illinois Supreme Court to change an earlier decision. The high court declined to immediately hear the lower court's ruling.

Quinn doesn't believe latest poll putting him 14 points behind Rauner

CHICAGO - Democrat Gov. Pat Quinn is blowing off a new poll that puts Republican opponent Bruce Rauner up by 14 points in the race for governor.

According to a recent We Ask America poll, forty-seven percent of respondents said they'd vote for Rauner if the race were today. Thirty three-percent said they'd back Quinn.

Quinn said it's too early to gauge on who's up on the race. He notes that he was the underdog in 2010, but he pulled through and his opponent state Sen. Bill Brady "is still looking for his gym shoes."

Lawsuit against Quinn back in court just before election

CHICAGO - A legal battle between an anti-patronage lawyer and Gov. Pat Quinn's administration will return to federal court less than two weeks before voters will decide if they want to re-elect the Chicago Democrat.

Anti-patronage attorney Michael Shakman has - as part of a lawsuit - requested an investigation of hiring in Quinn's Department of Transportation and a monitor to ensure the administration complies with bans on political hiring for nonpolitical jobs. Quinn's attorneys argue the judge should reject the request because it would be detrimental to state officials' duties of hiring workers.

During a brief hearing on Tuesday, Magistrate Judge Sidney I. Schenkier gave attorneys time to file motions and told them to return to court Oct. 22.

Chicago telephone tax to rise by 56 percent to shore up government pensions

Desperate to avoid a pre-election property tax increase, Chicago aldermen advanced an alternative Tuesday that could end up costing their constituents even more money: a 56 percent increase in the monthly surcharge tacked on to telephone bills.

Effective Sept. 1, the City Council’s Finance Committee agreed to raise the surcharge from $2.50 to $3.90–$1.40 more-per-month or $16.80-a-year–for every land line and cell phone in Chicago. The tax applied to pre-paid phones will rise from 7-to-9 percent, effective Oct. 1.

A family of four with four cell phones and a land-line would end up paying $84 in additional taxes each year. That’s $34-per-year more than the $50 price of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s original plan to raise property taxes by $250 million over a five-year period to shore up two of Chicago’s four city employee pension funds.

Read more

Illinois values voters in a quandary over November gubernatorial election

CHICAGO - Picking up on Illinois Review's story about Rick Newton's call for conservatives to support Bruce Rauner (HERE), Mark Anderson of the Ward Room has written about Illinois "values voters," and how they're being ignored by the Rauner campaign.

The truth is, Rauner is very likely to have trouble gaining support of the kinds of voters conservative enough to give a damn about social values and issues, like Tea Party voters. That’s because, in an effort to make himself electable to the widest possible voter base, Rauner and his running mate, Wheaton city council member Evelyn Sanguinetti, have bent over backwards to avoid taking a position or even mentioning social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

And for socially conservative voters who call themselves Republicans, that’s gotta hurt.

And while social issues may not be such a hot topic in political circles as they used to be, there are still signs some voters care deeply about such topics. A recent poll commissioned by Paul Schimpf, GOP candidate for attorney general, found that a sizeable component of Illinois voters believe issues such as abortion, gun rights, gay marriage and the like would significantly influence their choice of a candidate.

22M young adults live at home: New survey says parents don’t mind

More and more young adults are choosing to live at home with their families than buy a home. About 22 million adults between the ages of 18-34 lived at home in 2013 — a 4% increase from 2006. Parents are welcoming these late (housing) bloomers with open arms: 68% would prefer if their adult child continues to live with them according to a new study by Fannie Mae.

Doug Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae, says there are several financial reasons young adults are reluctant to move out. Some want to shore up their finances before getting married; others are working in low-wage jobs; some are choosing to graduate later from college and are living at home to reduce expenses.

This trend has had a big impact on the housing market. Analysts say that the housing recovery has stalled in part because of the lack of demand by new home buyers.

Read more

Quinn plays Robin Hood, approves ballot question about taxing millionaires

BERWYN - Democrat Gov. Pat Quinn today signed into law a measure to put a non-binding referendum on the fall ballot asking voters whether millionaires should be taxed at a higher rate — a move aimed at helping drive up Democratic turnout.

House Speaker Michael Madigan - a fellow Chicago Democrat - says taxing successful Illinoisans 3 percent more than other citizens could raise the state government an additional $1 billion, which he promises will be used for education.

Madigan had wanted the idea proposed as a constitutional amendment. But he couldn't garner the 71-vote supermajority it needed in the House to put the amendment before voters.

Republican challenger Bruce Rauner said the state should focus on cutting the spending burden on taxpayers rather than looking to raise taxes. Rauner, though, has indicated he might need to boost the 3.75 percent personal rate he would inherit if he becomes governor, but vows to lower it to 3 percent at the end of a four-year term.

Andrzejewski: The Real Financial Crisis in College

By Adam Andrzejewski - 

Wine Cellars, Shooting Clubs, a corrupted $20 Million State Grant, a College President’s $500,000 Comp Package, $600 Million in Construction Projects, & much more…

Nearly every day, the news headlines are screaming about the increasingly unattainable costs of tuition and the insurmountable price tag of attaining a college degree. Student debts are at crushing levels which impacts social mobility and drives a deeper divide between the haves and have not’s.

Do you want to know why college costs and debts are so oppressive? Colleges have become fiefdoms unto themselves- even at the local community college level. An excellent case-in-point is within my own locale at the College of DuPage (COD).

Here’s what we’ve exposed at COD during the last 45 days:

Stopped a political strategy to procure a $20 million state grant
Requesting COD President Robert Breuder’s emails during the two week period prior to the governor’s visit to campus for commencement, we exposed a political strategy to “shake loose” a $20 million state construction grant by bringing support to incumbent Governor Pat Quinn. Citing our exposure, the major Chicago dailies editorialized and the scandal ran on the front page. The governor said the president’s strategy was “extremely alarming” and employed “misrepresentation.” Quinn then suspended “all future capital dollars.”

COD is cash rich with $180 million in the bank. They didn’t need the extra $20 million, but they wanted it- so badly- they risked their integrity. Read Dr. Breuder’s email strategy here.

More HERE

Moore: A Rauner win would be thunderbolt to the political class around the nation

By Stephen Moore - 

If you want to know which individual political race has the biggest stakes in 2014, look no further than the Land of Lincoln.

The Illinois governor’s race pits incumbent Pat Quinn, a Democrat, against upstart non-politician Bruce Rauner. Why are the stakes so huge? Because Illinois is arguably the worst-run state in America. It’s a blue state that has been run for many years by corrupt and bungling politicians, including Rod Blagojevich, who went to jail for trying to sell a U.S. Senate seat, and Mr. Quinn, who has run the state’s finances into the gutter.

This year shows no improvement. Even as the national employment picture has improved, Illinois actually managed to lose more than 15,000 jobs throughout the first half of 2014. In June of 1998, Illinois had 5.07 million private-sector jobs. In June of 2014, Illinois had just 4.98 million. Somehow, Illinois managed to lose jobs during this 16-year time frame.

If Illinois were to elect a reform-minded governor in a deep blue state that’s hemorrhaging cash, it would be a thunderbolt to the political class around the nation. Illinois could become a laboratory experiment about whether conservative ideas can work in a state that has been ruled by teachers’ unions and a self-serving political machine in Springfield and Chicago.

More HERE

Pension crisis and proposed solutions discussed on Chicago Tonight [video]

CHICAGO - The state's pension crisis and possible solutions was the centerpiece topic of Monday night's Chicago Tonight on WTTW. State Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) was joined by two others on the panel, including the Illinois Federation of Teacher's Dan Montgomery. 

Morrison defended his idea to transform Illinois into a 401k program over the failing direct pension program now in state employees' benefits. 

Oberweis inches closer to Durbin

CHICAGO - Some recent polling from the New York Times has the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Dick Durbin and Republican Jim Oberweis within 7 points.

The poll asked: "If the election for U.S. Senator from Illinois were being held today and these were the candidates, who would you vote for?"

48% of the respondents said Dick Durbin, while 41% said Jim Oberweis. 7% responded they would not vote and 4% were unsure.

Obamas thank Muslims for "strengthening America's core of democracy"

WASHINGTON DC - As Islamic violence continues in Iraq, Syria, and Gaza, the President and First Lady released a statement today celebrating the Muslim Eid-al-Fitr starting today.

“In the United States, Eid also reminds us of the many achievements and contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy.

"… On behalf of the Administration, we wish Muslims in the United States and around the world a blessed and joyous celebration. Eid Mubarak.” (Blessed celebration) 

The Eid-al-Fitr holiday marks the end of the Muslim's fasting month of Ramadan.

Interactive map shows Tea Party favorability by county

The left-wing Talking Points Memo (TPM) has plotted tea party favorability by county nationwide. Click on the map to go to the interactive version.

Some TPM findings:

• The states with counties where tea party favorability is highest are Alabama, Utah, and Nebraska.
• 39 percent of total respondents in the survey had a somewhat or strongly favorable opinion of the tea party.
• 61 percent had a neutral, somewhat unfavorable, or strongly unfavorable opinion of the tea party.
• Among those who said they had a strong opinion of the tea party one way or another, 60 percent said they had a unfavorable opinion while 40 percent said they had a favorable opinion.

H/T: CapFax

Illinois health care companies required to offer implants, hormones to transgenders

Members of Chicago's transgender community 

SPRINGFIELD - Health care insurance providers must pay for medical needs of transgender clients, the state of Illinois informed providers Tuesday. 

In the announcement, the Illinois Department of Insurance cited Illinois law and the federal Affordable Care Act, notifying private insurers that they must not discriminate and must provide transgenders the same medical treatment available for non-transgender policy holders.

The non-discrimination notice means that in order for insurance companies to be certified and able to sell policies in Illinois, they must cover hormone therapy and regular blood tests for transgenders as they do for post-menopausal women. The providers must also cover breast reconstruction surgery for transgenders as they cover female clients after surgery for breast cancer.

Illinois Congressman chooses cheeseburgers over VA reform

CARBONDALE - GOP congressional candidate Mike Bost took note of the fact that Democrat Congressmen Bill Enyart picked chose to campaign rather than join his colleagues on the issue of VA reform.

"Congressmen Enyart is once again missing on the issue of veterans’ health care," said Bost spokesman Ron Deedrick. "The thousands of veterans in the 12th District deserve to know that Enyart chose to be dialed into Jimmy Buffet's 'Cheeseburgers in Paradise,' at a local fair instead of working for them."

According to Deedrick, over 100 of Enyart's House colleagues, including Illinois members Bustos, Foster, Schakowsky, Quigley, Duckworth, Gutierrez and Schneider, have signed a letter calling for VA reform. But, Enyart "chose cheeseburgers over helping to fix the VA," said Deedrick. "Enyart should explain why he was absent from signing this bipartisan letter and saying he was in a southern Illinois food coma doesn’t cut it."

This is not the first time this year that Enyart has been missing on Veteran's Administration issues. Back on April 30 and May 1, the Congressmen missed key votes that would have funded the Veteran's Administration.

Illinois' corn condition rated good to excellent

First place-winning photo for 8 to 10 year olds, by Eila Prince of Alexander Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois ranked #1 in soybean production and #2 in corn in 2013. This year's weather has been favorable for the crops, setting Illinois in the running for #1 in corn nationwide yet once again. In 2013, 18.37% of the nation's corn came from the Prairie State, a close second to Iowa's 19%. 

Officials estimated this week that the state's corn condition was rated at 82% good to excellent. Corn silking reached 94%, ahead of a 5-year average of 85%, according to officials.

Schilling hits the airwaves to challenge Bustos on Obamacare

EAST MOLINE - Former congressman and GOP congressional candidate Bobby Schilling has taken to the airwaves (HERE), arguing that Congresswoman Cheri Bustos is an Obamacare apologist who refuses to address the impact President Obama's health care law has had on her constituents.

According to a new analysis by Forbes, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) has increased individual-market health insurance premiums by an average of 41 percent nationally. The Forbes study looked at 3,137 counties across the country—including all 14 counties in the Illinois 17th District—to determine Obamacare's impact on individuals.

The Forbes study looked at six cohorts: men ages 27, 40, and 64, and women ages 27, 40, and 64. Five of the six groups saw premium increases across the board in all 14 counties in the Illinois 17th District, while the remaining group—40 year old women—saw mixed results, with six counties seeing marginally cheaper premiums while the other eight counties saw large increases.

According to Schilling, the negative impact of Obamacare on citizens in the 17th includes:

Advocates for the developmentally disabled question Quinn/Emanuel commitment

STREATOR - While Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn voice compassion and concern for unaccompanied children coming out of Central America, they're ignoring children and disabled residents that need their attention as well, a volunteer advocate said Tuesday.

Last week, Mayor Emanuel said he is willing to take in up to 1,000 illegal immigrant children and provide free housing, schooling and legal services. Governor Quinn said he was "deeply concerned" about the illegal children and said he is "prepared to help in whatever way necessary to preserve the well-being of these children. 

All the while thousands of Illinois residents with developmental disabilities are waiting patiently for the state to live up to promises they've made in the past.

"How are they planning to provide for these illegals when they cannot afford to take care of their own especially the most vulnerable, children and adults with Developmental Disabilities in Illinois?" asked volunteer Christine Chalkey of Streator. 

Teachers Unions vs. Students [video]

Terry Moe, Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, discusses the dilemma in American education and offers solutions.

On the one hand, teachers are essential to student achievement. On the other, teachers unions promote self-interests of their members which are antithetical to the interests of students.

State Rep. Cabello tapped for House Republican leadership team

MACHESNEY PARK – House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) announced his appointment of State Representative John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) to serve on his leadership team as board member of the Illinois House Republican Organization.

“John Cabello has a record of fiscal responsibility dating back to his service on the Harlem Township Board and the Winnebago County Board,” said Durkin. “His experience in all facets of government is invaluable. While serving in the legislature with Cabello, I have witnessed his strong advocacy for the taxpayers in the Illinois House. Cabello’s motto of putting people before politics is the kind of leadership I need by my side and for the future of the Republican Party.”

“I am honored to accept this opportunity and am ready to go to work for the future of Illinois and our next generation,” said Cabello. “I would like to thank GOPAC, the Republican State Leadership Committee, and the Future Majority Project for their instrumental support and guidance. I am excited with the direction our party is headed and I look forward to putting forth fresh ideas and developing policy that will represent all of Illinois’ residents. In order for our State to get back on the right track, we must provide opportunities for all and realize if we work together, we can turn this State around for the better.”

Illinois Medicaid death panel restricts who gets game-changing hepatitis drug

CHICAGO - Illinois Medicaid officials have put in place tight criteria on prescriptions for Sovaldi, a new drug for hepatitis C with potentially game-changing effectiveness.

A panel at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services that included Director Julie Hamos has implemented a set of 25 criteria for prior authorization before it will pay for the drug, a product of Gilead Sciences Inc. with a wholesale price of $84,000 per 12-week regimen, or $1,000 per daily pill.

The aim of the list is to narrow the eligibility for Sovaldi among the state's roughly 3 million Medicaid beneficiaries and limit the state's bill for treating hepatitis C, a potentially fatal liver infection.

More HERE

Where's Weyermuller: Solving Chicago's Crime Issues with ... Signs

By Mark Weyermuller - 

I was in Home Depot this week when the solution to Chicago's Crime problems hit me. We should just install these "no gun" signs in high crime areas and the violence will stop. Perhaps I should get the Nobel Peace Prize for this idea. 

Latest stats from Heyjackass.com

West Suburban Patriots questions reveal political dismay at DuPage Co Fair

West Suburban Patriots Judy & Gary Carlson, Babette Holder, David Brooks at DuPage Co Fair

DUPAGE - It's county fair time throughout Illinois, and Sunday wrapped up the annual DuPage County Fair. The West Suburban Patriots were on hand with a booth full of information, voter registration and a daily question. As fair goers expressed their opinions, it became clear those participating were unhappy with Washington DC, the country's direction and Illinois' current voter ID rules.

Friday's question:

Hultgren Supports Passage of Act to Keep Citizens Safe on Fed websites

WASHINGTON DC - Illinois Congressman Randy Hultgren (R-14) announced via press release that he supported House passage of H.R. 3635, the Safe and Secure Federal Websites Act, a bill he cosponsored to protect the privacy and security of Americans who access federal websites.

H.R. 3635 requires Healthcare.gov and future federal websites that collect sensitive personal information, such as social security numbers, be reviewed by the Government Accountability Office and certified as secure by the agency’s Chief Information Officer before being made available to the public. Further, any federal website published after July 1, 2013 not certified must be taken down until certified as secure. Full text of the bill is available here.

“American taxpayers who are required to submit personal information to federal websites, including Healthcare.gov or IRS.gov, should have assurances that their personal information is protected by basic, industry-accepted standards of security,” said Hultgren. “Computer security experts have testified that Healthcare.gov was rolled out with alarming security vulnerabilities that put Americans’ personal information, including income data, social security numbers, and demographic information, at great risk. There was no end-to-end testing, and the website’s search bar exposed back doors that were vulnerable to hackers. The IRS’ care for Americans’ personal information is also questionable.

Revolving door continues on Capitol Hill

According to LegiStorm, at least 222 people left Congress and have filed as lobbyists during the first half of 2014.

Election years tend to see fewer revolving door staffers. This year's figure is on course to outpace its closest comparison, the 329 who left Capitol Hill to lobby in 2012.

This year's revolvers are nearly split along party lines, with 3 more Republicans than Democrats leaving to lobby.

Tea Party leader tells conservatives to put on "big boy" pants, support Rauner

BARTLETT - Monday, Tri-County-Teas Party leader Rick Newton broke through a perceived hush among Illinois conservatives about what to do in the November election. Newton, whose group meets twice a month, said in an email plea that conservatives have been hesitant to lock arms in support of Rauner, mostly questioning whether he was "conservative enough" for their support. Newton argues Rauner is the only choice in November, writing:

Over four months after the Republican primary election, we continue to hear conversations among conservatives about the uncertainty/lack of comfort with Bruce Rauner as a candidate for Governor. In my opinion, however, I sincerely believe that it’s time for anyone in Illinois whose political beliefs lie anywhere right of center (and even a little to the left!) to come to grips with reality. Not only is the primary over, but more importantly, this state is in the throes of a veritable economic death spiral.

Yet, we have people who would normally vote Republican who continue to quibble over degrees of conservatism while our state is bleeding jobs, money, and people! Do we truly believe that re-electing Pat Quinn to work in tandem with the Michael Madigan and John Cullerton will create even a modicum of meaningful, positive improvement for this state? Not only should our answer to that question be a well-deserved “Hell no!”, but it shouldn’t require deep thought.