Health & Fitness
Are Illinois lawmakers overpaid? Also: Class warfare rages via Chicago school closings
Reducing legislator paychecks, support for Mark Kirk for different reasons than his gay marriage endorsement, costly bonds, requests for real CPS reforms, particle physics and more.
TOUCHING A NERVE On Monday, we happened upon a letter to the editor in the Pantagraph of Bloomington-Normal in which writer Linda Maxwell wondered why, when the national average pay for state legislators is $33,600, Illinois pays its part-time lawmakers $68,000. We posted it on Facebook. The response nearly took down the Internet. Or so we suspect based on the speed and volume of comments that followed. The words "absurd," "joke" and "pathetic" were bandied about freely by our Facebook faithful. In a blog post today, Reboot's Madeleine Doubek comments on how issues dealing with pay and benefits for our representatives in Springfield -- especially when contrasted with the horrid condition into which they've guided the state -- always spark a huge response.
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THEY MAKE HOW MUCH?! See how Illinois compares in lawmaker pay with it neighbors in this handy infographic. (Spoiler alert: We pay a lot more. But go look anyway.)
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
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BATAVIA REBOOT West-suburban Batavia may be famous as the home of Fermilab, but particle physics and neutrino detection on Thursday take a back seat to promoting reform and good government as Reboot Illinois comes to the Batavia Public Library. Come hear from editor Matt Dietrich, Chief Operating Officer Madeleine Doubek and Director of Digital Strategy Anthony Knierem at 7 p.m. Thursday in Meeting Room A of the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. (Route 31 and Wilson Street). We'll talk about Reboot's mission, goals and plans. We want to hear your thoughts on improving Illinois' government, state finances, schools and business climate. We promise no atoms will be split in this presentation. Sign up here.
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
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LAWSUIT LENDERS We've all heard of payday and car title lenders, who advance cash to borrowers at high interest rates using paychecks and vehicle titles as collateral. In a Reboot Illinois op-ed today, the head of Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch warns of a new loan built on the payday model: lawsuit loans. These loans offer cash advances to lawsuit plaintiffs before their cases are settled. Travis Akin urges lawmakers to defeat a bill that would bring this practice to Illinois, which already is known as a lawsuit haven. Read it here.
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NO FEDERAL BAILOUTS U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk is in the national headlines today because of his announcement Tuesday in support of gay marriage. But he's also concerned that his home state and others in serious financial trouble might turn to the federal government for a lifeline. Kirk may have changed his mind on gay marriage, but he has not softened his stance on federal help for financially distressed states. He's introduced a resolution to prohibit bailouts of states that created their own financial problems. We've created a petition where you can show your support for Kirk's effort. Click here and sign on.
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DAILY TIP-OFF One effect of the pending closing of 53 Chicago public elementary schools and one high school program has been a sharp delineation of the class/racial divide in Chicago. It comes through loud and clear in a couple of pieces we highlight in today's Daily Tip-Off section of our website.
In Crain's Chicago Business, Northwestern University English Prof. Bill Savage contrasts the closing of dozens of schools in the city's poorest neighborhood's with Mayor Rahm Emanuel's announcement of Coeur d'Alene Mines moving its corporate headquarters to Chicago. "Mayor Rahm Emanuel touts this as economic development, but that's sheer nonsense. A hundred more executives and their families will generate some ancillary economic activity, mostly among real estate agents, nannies and dog-walkers," scoffs Savage. He continues: "Unless the city develops an economic strategy that provides employment opportunities to all Chicagoans, nothing is going to change for the better, in CPS or the poorer parts of the city."
In the Chicago Reader, writer Ben Jarovsky, a frequent critic of the Emanuel administration's approach to school management, opens his story on the closings with this: "As you may have heard, Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently jetted in from his Utah ski vacation to tell the city—particularly south- and west-siders—that he'd done them a big favor by closing 54 of their schools."
The tone of these stories mirrors that of an NBC 5 blog post we posted last week, in which writer Edward McClelland stated that the wealthy and powerful in Chicago largely regarded the fate of Chicago Public Schools as irrelevant to the overall success and status of Chicago. (Such status rests on the shoulders of the city's universities, the elite attitude goes, according to McClelland.)
These pieces arrive days ahead of another round of public hearings on the school closings, reports the Chicago Tribune, which notes that the hearings are unlikely to alter the fates of the schools on the list. (CPS parents: If you're concerned about what's going on with your children's school system, click here and send a message to Chicago Public Schools.)
On the state front, Illinois went to the bond market on Tuesday after canceling a planned bond sale earlier out of fear of high costs due to the state's worst-in-the-nation credit rating. Turns out we got a pretty good deal, thanks to record low interest rates, but we'll still pay $10 million more in interest per year than a state like Wisconsin would have, reports Springfield's State Journal-Register.
And news from the 2014 race for governor comes from two sources today. The Chicago Tribune reports that venture capitalist Bruce Rauner, who has launched an exploratory campaign to possibly seek the GOP nomination, has raised $1.3 million in his first month of exploratory campaigning. That's more than six times more than the current war chest of another possible GOP candidate, Treasurer Dan Rutherford. Rauner has said he'll spend $50 million of his own money if he runs.
WGN's website features a history of the historic power divide between the Madigan and Daley families. It dates back to when Richard M. Daley left Springfield to pursue offices in Chicago, while Michael Madigan stayed in the Legislature to become its most powerful person. This dynamic could come into play if Madigan's daughter, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, faces Daley's brother in a contest for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
Find links to these articles and other news from around Illinois in our Daily Tip-Off section.
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PUSHING FOR PENSION ACTION Illinois House has passed an important pension reform measure that must be part of any worthwhile effort to fix the state's pension crisis. But will it make it into a final bill and get a vote in the Senate when the Legislature returns to Springfield next week? Click here and help us send a message to our leaders that we demand pension reform and an end to the financial instability that is hurting our schools, our economy and has given Illinois the lowest credit rating in the country.
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WE'RE HIRING! We are looking for a director of outreach to work with our partners both on social media platforms and in the communities. See the job description here. Know anyone who would be a great fit? Pass on this email!
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STREAMLINING COOK COUNTY GOVERNMENT Last month, Better Government Association President and CEO Andy Shaw wrote about some fairly crazy personnel dealings in the office of Cook County Recorder of Deeds Karen Yarbrough. It was a reminder to him, and us, of the need to combine offices to improve efficiency and discourage the bad behavior that comes with the political clout of an elected office. (Be sure to read it if you missed it. It's an egregious example of "only in Illinois" political culture.) If you agree with Shaw, sign our petition here and demand that Cook County government be streamlined and de-clouted.
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