State House

This issue was discussed on here in July, and the State Board of Elections has never required someone challenging nominating petitions of a candidate to register as a PAC, but Frank Calabrese campaign wants to make that the requirement.

Frank Calabrese, who will face Democrat Naomi Jakobsson in the November election, filed a complaint with the State Board of Elections last month against Champaign firefighter Patrick Devaney, a legislative representative for the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois and a county Democratic leader.

The complaint alleges Devaney failed to comply with state campaign disclosure rules because he did not form a political committee to oppose Calabrese when he challenged the Republican's election paperwork last spring.

Calabrese's attorney, John Maloney, said Devaney must have spent more than $3,000 – the threshold under state statutes – to try to get Calabrese off the ballot.

IMO, there is no requirement (and should be no requirement) for someone to form a PAC to challenge nominating petitions.

Of course, this also begs the question: is this an effective way for Calabrese to convince people he should be their State Representative?  I'm a process guy myself, but I doubt that the petition challenge process is a sufficiently important issue to the voters of the 103rd District to warrant a full-scale press conference six weeks before an election.

I just received the following email from Lori DeYoung (Dem candidate for Ill. House 104th):

Please join me and my committee as we support Ryce Tuggle's efforts to save Kickapoo. Ryce has started the KICK campaign (Kids Interested in Conserving Kickapoo) and has scheduled a rally/picket from 9 to noon on Saturday 9/6/08 at Kickapoo.   There is also a sign up tent to get petitions at Lincoln Square this Saturday at 7 a.m. 

Listen to Ryce and I on WITY starting tomorrow - we all can make a difference to save this wonderful park. Many of us have had the privilege of camping, fishing, hiking, listening to music and having picnics/reunions at Kickapoo - don't we owe it to Ryce, her friends, and all children to have this place to enjoy in the years to come?

Please let me know if you can join us - 

thanks - lori

This is one more example of why I argued that it was irresponsble for Sen. Frerichs and Rep. Jakobsson to once again follow their leaders by passing an unbalanced budget and defering critical spending decisions to Gov. Blagojevich:

The governor was given an unbalanced budget, Quinn said, and "he did the responsible thing."

"These aren't decisions we take lightly," she said. "We didn't want to make them, but given a $2 billion deficit we have little choice."

Quinn said the governor met with each agency and developed a management plan as part of making up the deficit.

Overall, four state agencies will cut their work forces this fall because of the $1.4 billion Blagojevich took out of a state budget he said wasn't balanced.

The cuts include 179 positions at the Department of Children and Family Services and 73 at the Department of Human Services. Another 127 DCFS workers will keep their jobs but be moved to positions or areas where there are vacancies.

As for the parks and historic sites, the decision to close them is one that will not change this year, Quinn said.

Several historic sites, including Lincoln Log Cabin near Charleston and Bryant Cottage in Bement, are scheduled for closure Oct. 1.

Kickapoo State Park near Oakwood, Moraine View State Park near LeRoy and Weldon Springs State Park near Clinton are among the parks scheduled for closure Nov. 1, according to information from the governor's office.

I notice that the article had no quotes from either Democratic legislator who had originally voted for this budget.  I hope someone - if not the media, then their constituents - will ask them why they wanted the Governor to make these sorts decisions, and why doing so was good for their districts.

Today's News-Gazette:

Bruce Suardini, chief executive officer of Prairie Center Health Systems Inc., said at a news conference Wednesday that Thursday will be the last day its detox unit in downtown Champaign will accept new admissions.

That cut is just one of many the Urbana-based agency is making after learning last week that it would lose one-third of its state funding – about $914,200 – due to cuts in the Department of Human Services budget for mental health and substance abuse treatment.

...

State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-Urbana, and State Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, who were present for the news conference, called for a fundamental change in the way the state generates revenue, stopping short of endorsing tax increases. Both said they are hopeful that some of the money cut can be restored in the fall veto session.

Emphasis added.

Frank Calabrese won his case in Circuit Court.  The order from Judge Leonhard is on the County Clerk website.

Besides the obvious bit of good news for Calabrese, this is also good news for voters as the ruling from Leonhard moves this case along in the process quickly enough to ensure the timely issuance of ballots.

Our State Rep., Naomi Jakobsson, had an interesting legislative session last week.

As you may recall, the State House was called into special session by Gov. Blagojevich to consider the capital plan, and a variety of revenue generating measures to pay for the capital plan and other state spending.

Rep. Jakobsson, though not a prolific legislator, is one of five House sponsors of the spending portion of the capital plan legislation.  However, last week, she voted against the funding mechanism for the capital plan - a gaming expansion bill.  Her explanation was two-fold.  First, she doesn't like gaming expansion, which is admirable enough.  But then she said:

"He promised the money for Lincoln Hall, and he's never come through," Jakobsson said. "He made a promise he didn't keep. I can't vote for $34 billion to give a man and not have him live up to his promises."

She's sponsoring the bill to give Blagojevich the authority to spend $34 billion yet doesn't trust him enough to allow him to spend $34 billion?

A media advisory just received:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2008

CONTACT: Julie Johnson

(312) 575-9500 (office)

MEDIA ADVISORY:

“It’s Time to Fix Illinois”
Calabrese Postpones Campaign Announcemen

CHAMPAIGN, IL – State Representative Candidate Frank Calabrese to postpone announcement of candidacy.

WHAT: State Representative Candidate Frank Calabrese postpones campaign announcement due to personal reasons. Rescheduling information will be soon to follow.

WHEN: Rescheduled

WHERE: Rescheduled

# # #

The announcement had been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

UPDATE:  The rescheduling details:

CHAMPAIGN, IL – State Representative Candidate Frank Calabrese to hold an announcement rally for his candidacy. Frank had rescheduled since his mother had recently undergone 2 surgeries and he was tending to her. She is recovering well but Frank felt that he needed to spend the time with his family.

WHAT: State Representative Candidate Frank Calabrese

WHEN: July 13, 2008 – 12:00 P.M.

WHERE: Alma Mater Statue on University of Illinois Campus
West Gateway to the University on Green and Wright Streets

Today's Chicago Tribune:

The challenge to Calabrese was filed by Patrick Devaney, a local Democratic Party official who is president of a firefighters union that has donated $54,500 to the campaign of Madigan's daughter, state Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan.

The lawyer representing Devaney is Michael Kasper, the treasurer of the state Democratic Party as well as the legal specialist Madigan routinely turns to in election-law cases.

Neither Jakobsson, Devaney nor a spokesman for Madigan responded to requests for comment. Kasper denied Madigan or the party was behind the challenge, which centers on a complaint that GOP officials failed to affix their names to Calabrese's paperwork by an April 7 deadline.

Discuss.

Democrats continue challenge to Calabrese:

The Republican candidate for the 103rd District seat faces another challenge.

Chicago attorney Michael J. Kasper has filed a request for judicial review of the papers for University of Illinois student Frank Calabrese, who is running against incumbent state Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-Urbana.

Jakobsson has said she has nothing to do with the challenges.

First, Jakobsson absolutely is involved in the challenges.  She's not signing the papers, and she knows less about election law than even I do, but these challenges are being managed on her behalf by her political master, House Speaker Michael Madigan and his staff.  For the media to keep repeating this mantra of "Jakobsson isn't involved," is just silly, and insulting to anyone who has ever paid attention to politics.  Her largest, most dominant donor, who also supplies both her campaign and legislative staff, is behind the challenge.  Let's not pretend she's not involved; everyone knows better.

Second, in this year, with the massive Obama tidal wave expected among young and more-highly-educated voters, in a district dominated by the UI campus, are the Democrats really iso worried about a 21-year-old GOP candidate that they feel they need to do this?  What are they so worried about?

This, Sen. Mike Frerichs and Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, is why it's irresponsible to pass a budget that is so badly out of balance that you must rely on Gov. Blagojevich to cut things in order to balance it.  Does anyone really expect, when the Governor is considering where to cut, that the University or local legislative districts will be treated well? 

But at least our local legislators can sleep easy knowing they have done their masters' legislative leaders' bidding.

Normally, I wouldn't comment on such a pointless media pop, but something about yesterday's press conference by State legislators in front of Lincoln Hall demanding Speaker Mike Madigan pass a capital plan rubbed me the wrong way:

State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville said the state was in danger of losing millions in federal matching funds if it did not move forward.

First, Rep. Hoffman is lying about losing federal matching funds if the state doesn't pass a capital plan.  From Rich Miller at Capitol Fax Blog:

Nobody has yet been able to prove to me that this “We’re gonna lose $9 billion” statement is a fact. Yet, it is contantly passed along by reporters as if it is true.

Second, Hoffman's dear friend and close political ally, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, promised the funding to renovate Lincoln Hall way back in 2003, when then Sen. Rick Winkel agreed to break with Republicans and vote for Blagojevich's bond refinancing proposal.  Blagojevich has yet to deliver on the promised funding from five years ago, so for Hoffman to stand up and demand that Madigan do something to fund Lincoln Hall is the height of chutzpah. 

If Hoffman really wants to help renovate Lincoln Hall, he should call on Blagojevich - again, they are very close friends personally and thisclose politically - to keep his promises, as the reason there has been no real capital plan is because nobody trusts the Governor to honor the funding promises which would be included in one.

UPDATE:  Here's the recent quote from Sen. Winkel, which I was having difficulty locating earlier:

In exchange for his vote in 2003 - and for which he got a lot of heat from other Senate Republicans - Winkel was supposed to get a commitment from Blagojevich to undertake the long-awaited renovation of Lincoln Hall on the University of Illinois campus.

It still hasn't happened.

"I found out who I was working with," Winkel said. "From my experience I wouldn't do it again."

First, he said he wouldn't trust Blagojevich. He isn't alone, of course, the General Assembly is full of members who believe they've been burned by the governor and his administration.

Second, Winkel said he didn't like the way political insiders, including GOP heavyweight Robert Kjellander, profited from the bond deal.

"I wouldn't do it again," Winkel said. "Besides, who's vote to give him a ton of money that he could use as a discretionary fund?"

ANOTHER UPDATE:  Here's another example of this tired trick:

Poor Joe White. The University of Illinois president apparently really believes Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the governor's claim - in a press release anyway - that if a big gambling expansion bill gets the Legislature's OK it means the UI's Lincoln Hall will finally, finally, finally get a long-promised $55 million makeover.

Where have we heard that promise from Blagojevich before?

Well, just four years ago.

Unfortunately, Joe White wasn't at the UI then. So maybe he can be forgiven for drinking the Blagojevich Kool-Aid and allowing himself to be used last week as a prop in the governor's latest stunt - sending deputies and assistants around the state to appear with local officials to promote a $25 billion capital improvements plan financed with proceeds from gambling expansion.

But even if the money for Lincoln Hall stays in the bill, and even if the bill passes, and even if the bill is signed by the governor, and even if the project is authorized that still doesn't mean the money would be released by the governor. This governor doesn't work that way. Deals are aborted. Promises are forgotten.

That's why a lot of state lawmakers don't trust Blagojevich, and why Joe White shouldn't either. The UI president is only setting himself up for a $55 million disappointment.

"I would have no confidence that any agreement would be honored or kept," said former state Sen. Rick Winkel - now a UI faculty member - who was burned by a Blagojevich "agreement" when he was in the Legislature. The pact was that if Winkel broke from his Republican caucus and voted for a $10 billion pension bond sale that Blagojevich wanted, Winkel would get construction money for Lincoln Hall and two other projects, the Post Genomic Institute and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.

How many times will Lincoln Hall be used as bait by Gov. Blagojevich as his allies to get gullible legislators to go along with his budget schemes?  Rep. Hoffman is the Governor's buddy, so his motives are transparent, but Rep. Black and Rep. Rose should know better than to participate in this.  Why are they standing with Blagojevich on this when they know he cannot be relied upon to fulfill commitments made more than five years ago?

And, at some point, it would be nice if the media attending one of these press conferences actually reported on the number of times Lincoln Hall funding has been promised and withdrawn by this Governor.

YET ANOTHER UPDATE (and bumped to the top):  Someone saw this post today, and wanted to send along this poll recently conducted in Rep. Hoffman's 112th District, a fairly Democratic district down by St. Louis.

Client: PRIVATE BY REQUEST
Date of Poll: June 11, 2008
Polling Area: 112th House District
Number of Participants: 3,772
Margin of Error: ± 1.57%

1.  Do you think it is appropriate for the Illinois Legislature to form a special impeachment
committee? - 65.46 percent

2.  Do you want your local legislators to support the formation of that special impeachment
committee? - 65.67 percent

3. Based on what you know about Gov. Blagojevich, do you think the legislature SHOULD attempt
to remove him from office? - 56.81 percent

Cross-tabs are at the link above.  Can someone please explain to me why the House Republicans are standing with Rod Blagojevich to call for this $34 billion capital plan, when nobody trusts him, even in Democratic district represented by his staunchest ally?

DISCLAIMER:  I built the campaign website for Hoffman's opponent several months ago, but I don't have any ongoing involvement with that campaign.  I didn't talk to them about this post, didn't get any information for it from them, and did not get the poll from Hoffman's opponent or his campaign.

This may be just a little bit over-the-top. 

Instead, we have the political equivalent of a roadside bomb, a dangerous weapon dropped off anonymously and in the dead of night. If Illinois government is to take such a drastic and unprecedented step, shouldn't the Speaker of the House, the man suggesting impeachment proceedings, be accountable and answerable? Not, apparently, in Speaker Madigan's world.

Roadside bomb?

I wonder how long it will be before Rep. Naomi Jakobsson starts talking about impeachment?  Speaker Madigan has already issued the talking points, so that should be all the direction she needs.

Notice as well that Senate President Emil Jones is opposed to impeachment:

I think it’s wrong for the Democratic Speaker and Democratic Party Chairman to promote the impeachment of a Democratic Governor. Impeachment is unwarranted in my opinion, and should not be used as a political tool. It is a serious state action that should not be used to divert attention from the issues at hand which are the operating budget and passing a capital bill.

And it's worth remembering that Jones' statement and position nullify the positions and opinions of every other Senate Democrat, including "tough and independent" Sen. Mike Frerichs.

Random thoughts about the boondoggle state budget passed by the House and Senate Democrats over the weekend:

• The budget is so badly out of balance ($2 billion?!?) that someone - the Legislature expects it to be the Governor, and vice versa - will have to make severe cuts.  I hope it's the legislature, because I disagree with so many of the Governor's spending priorities.  And I still don't understand how the legislature can abdicate so much authority and discretion to a Governor whom none of them trust.
• You will see lots of stories claiming that the UI got such-and-such funding increase, and lots of mail and press releases from Rep. Naomi Jakobsson and Sen. Mike Frerichs claiming that they secured that increase.  But all they've really done is ask the Governor to make $2 billion in spending cuts, and they know that higher education will be one of his first targets.  So take all the bragging with a huge grain of salt until the UI actually receives the increased funds.
• Speaking of Sen. Frerichs, he voted against the gaming expansion and lottery sales which were to fund the $34 billion capital plan, but voted present on the spending portion of that plan.  That's a great example of consistent, principled, "tough and independent" leadership, eh?
• I'm glad that no Republicans voted for this budget, unlike last year, when so many were lured by the siren song of pork.

UPDATE:  Sen. Frerichs says that the deficit isn't that bad:

State Sen. Mike Frerichs (D - Champaign) said the governor has the power to balance the budget himself by vetoing the specific expenses he deems unnecessary and doubts the size of the deficit is as large as Blagojevich claimed Monday morning.

"According to our budget staff, it is not that large," Frerichs said.

How large is it?  And why did Sen. Frerichs vote for an unbalanced budget, trusting the Governor to make such important budgetary decisions?

From today's News-Gazette:

The Illinois House on Tuesday passed legislation appropriating $25 million for the design and construction of the school, which would be the first of its kind in the state. The bill now goes to the state Senate.

"We're excited to get to this step," said Greg Wolfe, Oakwood School Board president. "It's what we've been hopeful for and working towards. ... We can't foot this on our own. It's critical that we have state assistance."

State Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, introduced House Bill 628 in February 2007. It originally appropriated $15 million for the project, but the amount was increased to $25 million.

In 2006, Black laid the groundwork by spearheading the passage of a law that makes cooperative high schools eligible for some of the same incentive funding offered to districts that consolidate.

Didn't I just see a letter to the editor from the Vermilion County Democratic Chairman stating that Bill Black was too old to effectively serve in the legislature?

As expected:

Illinois Rep. Bill Black officially hits the campaign trail today after Champaign and Vermilion county Republicans slated him Wednesday night as their candidate for representative of the 104th District.

"Let me assure you, the campaign starts at 6 a.m." today, Black told precinct committeemen of both counties' Republicans parties Wednesday night just after they unanimously approved him as the person to replace the former candidate, Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer.

Discuss.

http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2008/04/16/question-of-the-day-504/#comments

95 hilarious comments to go with it!  (the one about negative space is pretty good...)

From the UIUC News Bureau:  Poll: Most still undecided about constitutional convention for Illinois

"Support is lagging for Illinois’ first constitutional convention in four decades, but could get a boost from growing unrest over political in-fighting that many citizens fear has paralyzed state government, according to a new University of Illinois poll.  Nearly 40 percent of respondents in the Institute of Government and Public Affairs survey support a convention to draft a new state constitution, well short of the majority needed when the question goes to voters in the Nov. 4 election.  But with 43 percent still undecided – coupled with strong support for reforms such as a California-style recall for top state officials – there’s plenty of room to swing the balance..."

“Given how little discussion we’ve had in the media and in general, it’s no big surprise that most people don’t know if they want a convention,” Gaines said. “But I think if someone tries to build a case for a convention, there’s a fairly receptive public. People don’t seem to think our current constitution is working great.”

“In the end, there has to be a Pat Quinn figure who’s pretty good at whipping up a crowd who seizes on the idea, using issues like recall and term limits and telling people this is how to get them,” Gaines said.   “If nobody has touched it by August, I think it will be too late,” he said. “There’s no way that you can get people to think about it and make a decision that quickly when there’s a presidential election, a war and possibly a recession overshadowing it.”

No better way to get the conversation ignited...

State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson has an opponent - UI student Frank Calabrese.

A University of Illinois junior majoring in history, Calabrese supports the recall of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 28, preserving the state pension system and advocating for higher education issues.

He's especially interested in the school he attends.

"On so many different fronts, the UI has been given the short end of the stick," he said, suggesting Jakobsson has not performed as well as she might.

"It's not a strength of hers" to protect the Urbana campus' interests, Calabrese said.

Frank Calabrese is an occassional blogger on IP.com.

UPDATE:  The DI story:

Calabrese, junior in LAS, announced his candidacy Tuesday and said he is running to represent the University in Springfield.

"This district is heavily dominated by the University," he said. "Literally almost half the population of the 103rd are U of I students."

He referred to the district as "the University district" and said the participation of his peers will play a large role in determining whether he wins the seat.

"If anything, me being a student just ties the University more into the district," he said. "Students can basically decide the outcome of this election."

On her part, Jakobsson said that, although she does not know much about Calabrese, she is not overly concerned by his candidacy.

"He has a right to run," she said. "He's certainly a young man, and that's really all I know about him."

Rumored for weeks, Tom Kacich confirms it:

Sources confirmed today that Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer intends to announce next week that he is dropping out as a candidate for state representative in the 104th District....

Eisenhauer won the February primary but has campaigned very little, if at all, since that time. Party officials have expressed concern about his commitment to the race....

Black, who is out of the state this week, could not be reached for comment. But it is expected that he will once again run for re-election -- if the Vermilion and Champaign county GOP chairmen appoint him.

Hopefully, given the lateness of the switch, Rep. Bill Black will consider running for another term.