Health & Fitness

A brief history of Illinois' decline; Stantis draws Rahm: Smile when you say "parking meter;" Your Reboot Illinois Daily Tip-Off

A brief history of Illinois' financial decline, cartoonist Scott Stantis on the Chicago parking meter deal, our constitutional amendment infographic and more.

 

DECADE OF DECLINE How did Illinois go from paying all its bills on time to being $9 billion in the hole? It took a decade, two recessions and a lot of really bad decisions. With guidance from The State Journal-Register, we retrace the path to today's financial disaster.

YOU SAY YOU'LL CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION Eliminating the office of lieutenant governor, starting a progressive income tax system, imposing term limits on legislators... all have been proposed this year as amendments to the Illinois Constitution. But what does it take to make that happen? Probably more than you think. Our infographic shows the steps in changing the constitution and some of the other amendments proposed. Click here to view.

Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

PUT ON A HAPPY FACE To Chicago Tribune cartoonist Scott Stantis, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is the only Chicagoan happy about an effort to make the city's 5-year-old, 75-year parking meter deal seem like something less than the outrageous fiasco it is. See Stantis' cartoon here.                                                                                                               

YOU SAY "FIASCO;" I SAY "AWESOME" OK, so maybe Mayor Emanuel isn't the only one smiling. Political consultant Will Caskey loves the 2008 deal that signed away Chicago parking meter collection to a private company for 75 years. We're not kidding. "(T)he parking meter lease is awesome. We’re fortunate to have it." Caskey makes an entertaining case for his meter-deal-philia. Don't miss it.

Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

FUNDRAISING FANDANGO That's what Better Government Association CEO Andy Shaw calls what went on in Springfield a week ago today. With the legislature not in session last Monday, lawmakers were allowed to hold fundraisers (they're prohibited from doing so on days when they're in session) and did so with abandon. Writes Shaw: "(S)tate lawmakers headed into the final month of the spring legislative session with an appeal for campaign cash from lobbyists and special-interest groups at more than 20 separate fund-raisers." Not an inspiring start to the busiest month of the legislative calendar, says Shaw in his weekly column,

WORTH THE FIGHT Scott Reeder of the Illinois Policy Institute is one of the harshest and most vocal critics of the direction Illinois has gone in the last 10 years or so. But he's not a cynic, and his criticism is based on the belief that Illinois can return to its pre-2001 health. He explains here.

DAILY TIP-OFF Last fall the Chicago Tribune endorsed a whole bunch of Illinois House candidates who pledged to cast the tough vote on sweeping pension reform if elected. But when the roll was called in the House last week, many of them found reasons to vote "no" or "present." The Trib calls them all out by name in an editorial.

But even with all those "no" votes, House Speaker Michael Madigan's pension reform bill passed and moves this week to the Senate. Will Senate President John Cullerton get it passed, or is there a deep divide between him and Madigan? Crain's political columnist Greg Hinz says any perception of feuding between Madigan and Cullerton is a figment of the media's imagination. "I wouldn't put it beyond either man to conspire a bit, floating and dropping plans in silent agreement in a mutual effort to buffalo reluctant lawmakers and unions alike into getting behind an unpopular but needed bill," writes Hinz.

Hinz quotes Cullerton: "We talk almost every day. I'm godfather to his son. We don't have a resolution yet. But there's no strain in our relationship. . . . We're both trying to come up with the votes to pass a bill.”

Pension reform got all the attention last week, but the Senate also passed a huge gambling expansion bill that soon could bring a casino -- or at least a slot machine -- to a location near you. Chicago Magazine explores the details of the gambling bill and the odds it will pass Gov. Pat Quinn's stringent ethics requirements.

Today our website features a graphic that shows what it takes to change the constitution. The Pantagraph of Bloomington already has weighed in against a progressive income tax that is the subject of one proposed amendment. "Of the 34 states that have progressive tax systems in the U.S., 31 levy a higher tax rate on $50,000 in household income than Illinois will when the 'temporary' tax sunsets," says its editorial.

We have links to these and other Illinois news stories in the Daily Tip-Off section of our website.

 

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