Suburban Political Recount

Daily Herald political and projects reporter Joseph Ryan covered Michael Bloomberg's suburban visit today and files this report: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was in the suburbs today, but he remained shy about endorsing a presidential candidate. At a press conference with U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk on gun-control, Bloomberg spoke positively about Barack Obama's position on guns, but he also praised John McCain. "I have known John McCain a lot longer than I have known Sen. Obama," he said. "I can say nothing but good things about Sen. McCain." Bloomberg recounted how he first meet Obama -- it was in an elevator and the Chicago Democrat introduced himself and the New York mayor had no idea who he was. "I think both of them give the public a real choice," he said.

Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. should include a hammer when he sends out his retirement announcement this afternoon. That hammer would be to nail the lid closed on the political casket holding the so-called "compromise" capital proposal. Now those who've been closely following Illinois politics know the plan's been dead. Never really had much life. Initially it was a $25 billion plan paid for with gambling expansion and leasing out the lottery. It went nowhere. So, Gov. Rod Blagojevich brought in Democrat Glenn Poshard and Republicans Denny Hastert to sell it. They said that would require taking the plan up to $34 billion. It too went nowhere. Then, the governor came out with what he called a compromise: $25 billion paid for by leasing out the lottery.

Ok, attendance at the Republican rally at the Illinois State Fair was modest at best. A couple hundred. Looked like nearly all could have fit on a State Fair tractor trolley.

But they were polite and listened.

The Democrats packed the rally with bused in supporters. But no one seemed to be listening to the speakers. They held up their Obama signs with one hand while talking to the person next to them.

Democrat Day had the feel of a mandatory school assembly.
Republican Day had the feel of a memorial service.

SNL moment

I’ve written numerous stories about Winfield Elementary District 34 and other schools efforts to finally get the school construction money they were promised years ago. On an annual basis the state finds a new way to mess with the nearly two dozen districts on the waiting list.
On Wednesday, two students from the Rochester School District, which is just outside Springfield, decide to go get some answers. Rochester sits atop the construction waiting list.
Here’s their video:

Yesterday, the governor ordered lawmakers into special session beginning at 5 p.m., which meant there'd be a full day for Democrats to attend party rallies including the annual Democratic Day at the Illinois State Fair. And by calling them into session it meant they'd all get $129 in taxpayer money to help with housing and meals.

Republicans were not amused that they had to sit around all day and wait for the festivities to end so the Democrats who control the Capitol could then gavel in the governor's special session.

Peoria Republican state Sen. Dale Risinger may have summed it up best:
“Today's a crock of crap.”

In his own words

Updated The proposal passed 70-21. Now the House is about to accept a total property tax exemption for disabled veterans. The legislation started out as a TIF district extension for a downstate community. The governor decided to, shall we say, improve it. Update 2 The property tax elimination for disbled vets passed too, as did a small -- by state standards -- construction spending program. It has no showy gambling expansion or massive lottery sell off. It just lets the governor borrow a couple hundred million more and says the money must be used to match federal transportation dollars. Adovcates of a far bigger construction spending spree said this plan would do nothing. When or if the Senate will ever take it up is unknown. Gamesmanship or Olive Branch?

Update -- Rod Dickens

State Comptroller Dan Hynes said Illinois is having the best of times with Barack Obama's campaign but the worst of times with its state government. Told of the Charles Dickens imagery, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said this, really.

There's been a lot of attention on what Michigan did with school funding back in the 1990s.
In summary, the state did away with property taxes paying for schools, banned local property tax increases and raised state taxes, making them the source of school funding.

This allowed Michigan to narrow the gap between the have and have-nots and become a role model for progressive education funding.

Then the economy tanked.

In 2005, as so-called "tax swap" plans swirled at the Illinois Capitol, I revisted the Michigan reform and wrote this story:

SPRINGFIELD -- Ten years after Michigan embarked on the nation's most dramatic education funding swap, its state budget is awash in red ink and, as a result, schools there have been forced to close buildings, end programs, and cut staff.

Update
Just got the governor's schedule for the day. At 6 p.m. he's presiding over the State Fair's auctioning of the grand champion rabbit, chicken, lamb, pig and steer. So that leaves three hours to get school funding fixed.

Update 2
I'm clearing out old files from my digital recorder to make room for upcoming interviews and came across this Blagojevich gem from last year's budget stalemate.

"You can't have give and take if one side isn't willing to propose something they're for or against."

That was in the context of his budget standoff (last year) with Speaker Michael Madigan. Of course today the governor has ordered lawmakers back to the Capitol to address school funding even though he's offered them no plan.

At 3:47 p.m. on Saturday, the following statement went out to media outlets:

Statement from Governor Rod R. Blagojevich
On death of Chicago Southside native, Bernie Mac

Bernie Mac was a native of Illinois and a favorite son. Whether he's in the movies, or on TV, or in Hollywood, Bernie Mac always called Chicago "home". And he never forgot that he was a kid who grew up on Chicago's South Side. Because of his Chicago roots, we picked Bernie Mac to be the face of the state lottery - his passion, enthusiasm and humor helped make that one of our most successful, and funniest, campaigns. My wife Patty and I extend our condolences to his wife Rhonda McCullough, their daughter, Je'Niece, and granddaughter, Jasmine. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.