Senate Dems meet to plot 2016 attacks on wealthy Koch brothers - POLITICO

Politico Magazine

• By Michael Hirsh

 

A coalition of deep-pocketed liberal groups ― including a pair of super PACs backing Hillary Clinton ― has been meeting quietly for months, examining the 2016 map and plotting attacks against the powerful Koch brothers' network.

At midday Thursday, the architect of that effort, Clinton antagonist-turned-enforcer David Brock, is scheduled to present his findings ― complete with the back-up polling and research ― to the Senate Democratic Caucus, sources tell POLITICO.

Brock declined to comment for this story. But sources familiar with the caucus meeting plan say it appears his goal is to win strategic buy-in from Democratic Senators, who are looking for ways to make the most of a favorable 2016 electoral landscape.

Brock's argument, according to his recently released book and interviews with his allies, is that spotlighting the massive political spending of the conservative groups backed by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch is a "critical component" of boosting Democratic candidates, including Clinton, in 2016.

While the strategy produced little tangible benefit for Democrats in the 2014 election, several Democratic Senators in interviews this week expressed support for recommitting to the attacks.
"Well, I'm going to continue talking about them," said Senate minority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who has spearheaded the Democrats' war on the Kochs and invited Brock to the Capitol. Reid first reached out to Brock about the effort in 2014, according to Brock's book, which recounts a conversation in which Brock asked the senator "What should I be doing?"

Since then, Brock's groups have invested heavily in providing ammunition for the Koch attacks. And Reid asserted the effort has publicly defined the billionaire brothers, whose network intends to spend $889 million shaping the political and public policy debate in the run-up to 2016.

"We've proven in the long run that they're interested in one thing: Their bottom line. They're trying to buy the country, they want to become America's oligarchs," said Reid, who before the 2014 election repeatedly took to the Senate floor to lambast the Kochs as poster children for the corrupting power of money in politics. The broadsides were supported by multi-million-dollar political advertising campaigns, many of them funded by unlimited money super PACs that got their research from American Bridge, a non-profit operation founded by Brock. The common theme was that GOP candidates were beholden to super-rich donors like the Kochs rather than the middleclass voters who tend to decide elections.

It didn't go so well.

 

Democrats lost nine Senate seats and, with them, control of the Senate, while Republicans also made gains in the House and state capitals around the country. And Reid faced criticism from across the political spectrum for attacking the Kochs. Even Reid's fellow Democrats questioned the efficacy of attacking a pair of little-known ― albeit hugely influential ― donors, arguing it detracted from Democrats' core messages about the plight of the middle class.

"How could you say it's effective? Look at the results. I think the American public wants a discussion on solutions," Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), said Tuesday. "When you start making [the Kochs] front and center, you are losing sight of what you absolutely need to do," said Heitkamp, who does not face reelection until 2018. "We need to be more mindful of what the message is, not who the messengers are and who's paying for them."

James Davis, a spokesman for Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, the non-profit group that orchestrates the Koch network, accused Brock and Reid of pursuing a cynical ― and unsuccessful ― political ploy. "Their past attempts to divide America by demonizing job creators have failed," he said. "We remain focused on advancing free-market principles ― ending corporate welfare, reducing barriers to opportunity and restoring fiscal responsibility."

The Kochs' allies have pointed out that some of the Kochs' top policy goals ― like reforming criminal justice laws and eliminating the Export-Import Bank ― have little, if any, bearing on their family-owned multi-national industrial conglomerate, Koch Industries. And they've mocked Reid for his occasional diatribes against the Kochs, who he's accused of being one of the "main causes" of climate change, alleging it's all part of an effort to intimidate conservative donors from political participation.

The Koch brothers have defended their network's spending as driven by a desire to improve society by advancing free market policies, rather than Koch Industries' profits. And the company has spent heavily on ads touting its corporate citizenship and the 60,000 U.S. jobs it provides.

Democrats have interpreted that as a sign that their attacks are working.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) asserted this week "The fact that the Koch brothers are spending a fortune on positive advertising about themselves is an indication that their reputation has suffered."

And Brock and his allies have argued that the 2014 efforts by Reid and his big-money super PAC allies laid the groundwork for the strategy to pay dividends in 2016, when Democrats will face a more promising landscape. They're defending only 10 Senate seats, compared to 24 for Republicans.

Sources familiar with the plan for Thursday's caucus meeting say Brock will be accompanied by the veteran Democratic pollster Geoff Garin, who works for both American Bridge and Priorities USA Action, a super PAC that plans to air millions of dollars of ads supporting Clinton's presidential campaign.

Garin, who has conducted focus groups for American Bridge on Koch-themed political messaging, has argued that the attacks on the Kochs in 2014 may have helped Democrats win one Senate race ― Democrat Gary Peters' victory over Republican Terri Lynn Land in Michigan ― and kept others close.

For Reid, who is not seeking reelection in 2016, the battle also is personal. His accusations ― among them that the Kochs are "un-American" ― have provoked personal responses from the Kochs and their allies.

At the Kochs' annual summer donor summit in 2014, organizers erected a life-sized cardboard cutout of Reid, his arms spread and his mouth agape as if in midspeech. Emanating from it was a cartoon-like quote bubble with the word "un-American." This summer, Charles Koch took a swipe at Reid, mentioning his "bad eye" ― an allusion to an exercise accident early this year that left Reid blind in one eye.

 

And the Koch network has been building a robust infrastructure in Nevada, which likely would have deployed against Reid had he sought another term. In particular, the Koch-backed LIBRE Initiative, which courts Latino voters, was plowing money into infrastructure in Reid's backyard. It could still make things tricky for Reid's preferred successor, Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, who is Latina.

LIBRE's efforts contributed to the defeat of two Latino Democrats in 2014, said Cristóbal J. Alex, president of the Latino Victory Project, a liberal advocacy group. It's working with Brock's groups to counter LIBRE's efforts in 2016.

"We don't want to be caught flatfooted like we were in 2014. We won't let our candidates be attacked without response," he said, adding that his group would highlight LIBRE's Koch funding, without attacking the Kochs directly.

Likewise, a liberal group that reaches out to veterans, VoteVets.org, has worked with Brock's coalition to counter the efforts of a Koch-backed group called Concerned Veterans for America.

"Every chance we get, we're going to talk about Concerned Veterans being financed by the Koch brothers, because we think it's important for people to know," said VoteVets President Jon Soltz. Additionally, he said "when I mention the Koch network to my email database, it raises money and it fires up my base." In fact, in a Tuesday email to his supporter list, he warned that "the Koch Brothers are funding a massive organization to replicate our efforts, but with a focus on privatizing veterans' health care. And they are very dangerous."

Beyond the electoral and fundraising components, Democrats say the focus on the Kochs can help generate momentum for campaign finance reform.

"The Koch brothers are symptoms of a bigger problem, and that is Citizens United … free speech means normal folks can get swamped out," said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).

Senate Dems meet to plot 2016 attacks on wealthy Koch brothers - POLITICO

Ratification of UAW, FCA deal appears mathematically impossible

 

By Brent Snavely, Detroit Free Press 12:42 p.m. EDT September 30, 2015

Mathematically, the deal did not get enough votes to ratify the proposed four-year contract.

TOLEDO, OH - MAY 7: A Jeep sign sits in front of the Chrysler Toledo North Assembly Plant where Jeep Wranglers and Cherokees are assembled. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) (Photo: Bill Pugliano)

 

Ratification of a deal between the UAW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles appears to be impossible after workers at assembly plants in Toledo and Sterling Heights on Tuesday overwhelming voted against a proposed four-year contract, the latest in a string of decisive defeats that now makes ratification of the deal a long shot.

In Toledo, 87% of production workers and 80% of skilled trades workers who work at the plant where the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Cherokee is built voted against the contract, according to a person briefed on the results who is not authorized to release them publicly.

The margin of defeat by workers represented by UAW Local 12 in Toledo appears to be the largest yet among any UAW local that has voted so far.

At UAW Local 1700 in Sterling Heights, 72% of production workers and 65% of skilled trades workers who cast ballots voted against the contract, according to a person briefed on those results.

DETROIT FREE PRESS

Everything we know about UAW talks

A Free Press analysis of voting already indicated that ratification by a majority of the 40,000 union-represented workers at Fiat Chrysler was unlikely before the Jeep results were announced. Mathematically, the deal cannot pass.

The rejection of the agreement by members of UAW Local 12 in Toledo isn't surprising, but the overwhelming margin of defeat is the highest of any large UAW unit that has voted so far.

Many of the more than 5,000 workers there are angry at Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne because there have been media reports that the automaker plans to move the Jeep Cherokee -- the best-selling Jeep model -- to the automaker's plant in Belvidere, Ill.

News of the company's plans to move the Cherokee came after officials from Toledo and the state of Ohio spent more than a year putting together land and an incentive package to convince the automaker to keep the Wrangler in Toledo. But workers, as well as politicians, felt double-crossed when news emerged that the company would move the Cherokee instead.

DETROIT FREE PRESS

UAW VP threatens strike at Ford F-150 plant

Workers are worried about the relocation of the Cherokee because they are concerned that the Wrangler and a potential Wrangler pickup truck won't support as many jobs even after production capacity is expanded for the iconic SUV.

Workers in Toledo and Sterling Heights voted today and are among the last to vote in a nationwide ratification process that began last week. Workers at an assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill. will be the last to vote on Wednesday.

Issues about the automaker's product plans are also a factor at Sterling Heights Assembly, where Fiat Chrysler recently spent more than $1 billion to retool the plant to make the Chrysler 200. Now, there are media reports that car will be moved to Mexico and the automaker will make move the Ram 1500 from Warren to Sterling Heights.

Both the company and the UAW have refused to disclose the product plan and put it into writing.

"All the UAW workers in Metro Detroit are bombarded with rumors or work going to Mexico,"  said Simon Vuli, who has worked at Sterling Heights Assembly for three years.

A 2015 Chrysler 200 automobile moves down the assembly line at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Sterling Heights, Mich. (Photo: Paul Sancya, Associated Press)

If ratified, the proposed contract would give all workers a $3,000 signing bonus, entry-level workers in assembly plants would see wages increase to a range of $17 to $25.35 per hour, and workers hired before 2007 would receive two 3% wage increases and two lump-sum bonuses over the life of the contract. It would also establish a new health care cooperative for all active UAW auto workers that would work to negotiate better rates and treatments from health providers without an increase for what workers pay.

The health care cooperative, combined with pay raises for both entry-level workers and legacy workers with a pay raise, largely achieves what UAW President Dennis Williams set out to deliver in contract talks.

DETROIT FREE PRESS

UAW FCA contract on shaky ground as voting concludes

But many workers also have said they don't like the proposed contract because it doesn't provide entry-level workers with a full path to the $28-per-hour average wage that workers hired before 2007 make, and a lack of clarity on a new health care cooperative.

The agreement also includes a different wage scale for entry-level workers the automaker's Mopar parts and distribution centers. They would earn between $17 and $22 per hour while axle operators would earn between $17 and $22.35 per hour, according to the 450-page contract

"My issue with the tentative agreement is back in 2011 there was talks about a cap of 25% on Tier 2 workers after the life of the contract," said Vuli. "In this new agreement their is actually another tier being added for Mopar workers and for progression employees no cap was put in place."

Contact Brent Snavely: 313-222-6512 or bsnavely@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrentSnavely.

Ratification of UAW, FCA deal appears mathematically impossible

Gov. Rauner orders closure of Lockport museum – but city's mayor fights back | The Herald-News

 

LOCKPORT – Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has ordered the Illinois State Museum system, including the Lockport Gallery, to shut its doors to the public by the end of the business day Wednesday.

But can Illinois’ top executive officer order the closure of a privately owned building?

Lockport Mayor Steven Streit doesn’t think so.

“It’s not the state’s building. It’s not the state’s [liability] insurance. It’s not the state’s artwork at this point,” Streit said Tuesday, noting he’s in talks with the building owner on keeping the museum’s doors open to visitors.

While the four other ISM branches are located on state property, making Illinois the landlord, so to speak, the Lockport Gallery — at 201 W. 10th St. — is not, said John Lustig, gallery manager.

“Who is wagging the dog? That’s the open-ended question,” Lustig said.

It wouldn’t be the first time the museum staff and Lockport mayor have taken matters into their own hands.

Since the museum was emptied out this summer because of a lapse in insurance, the two parties pulled together to create “The People’s Exhibit,” so the walls now are filled with the public’s work made in reaction to the state’s budget crisis. Lockport officials recently placed the museum’s new artwork under the city’s insurance.

Streit said the city also will cover the museum’s rent and utility bills in the interim at a reduced price agreed upon with the building owner.

The four other branches slated for closure include the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, the Chicago Gallery in the James R. Thompson Center, the Southern Illinois Art and Artisans Center in Whittington, and the Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewistown.

As a state employee, Lustig said he will follow Rauner’s orders, but that if Streit and the building owner choose to unlock the doors, that’s of their own free will.

Streit said Tuesday he hopes he can sidestep the closure orders, adding the museum is too valuable to the city’s continued development of downtown Lockport to be “under lock and key.”

Pending lawsuit

Rauner is moving forward with the planned Thursday closure, which also includes the Sparta Shooting Complex in Springfield, even as state employees continue to draw paychecks because of a pending lawsuit. The ongoing St. Clair County lawsuit brought forth from public employee unions prevents him from laying off employees, as the case is under arbitration.

That means employees such as Lustig will report to work and stay on payroll.

Read by clicking on the following and going to page 2:  Gov. Rauner orders closure of Lockport museum – but city's mayor fights back | The Herald-News

Gov. Bruce Rauner offers tax incentives to lure ConAgra HQ to Chicago - Chicago Tribune

 

Gov. Bruce Rauner has offered packaged food giant ConAgra tax incentives to move its headquarters from Omaha to Chicago, according to a source familiar with the deal.

The revelation comes on the heels of news that ConAgra is negotiating to lease office space large enough to accommodate as many as 1,000 workers at River North's Merchandise Mart.

Speculation that the firm, which owns brands including Chef Boyardee, Hebrew National hot dogs and Slim Jim meat sticks, will move its headquarters increased last week after CEO Sean Connolly told investors that the firm expected to have an increased presence in Illinois.

Connolly, who lives in Winnetka, said at the time he would tell ConAgra employees by the end of this week about his plans, which he said would include layoffs and fewer employees in Omaha.

A spokesman for ConAgra declined to comment Tuesday on the tax breaks the firm has been offered to move to Chicago. But a source familiar with the deal said Rauner met with ConAgra executives earlier this year and offered them Edge tax incentives to move to Illinois.

Though Rauner has since ordered a halt on such incentives until the state's budget impasse is resolved, the commitment to ConAgra was made before that and will be honored, the source said.

Last week, a source told the Tribune that ConAgra was negotiating to lease 180,000 to 200,000 square feet of office space at the Merchandise Mart but had yet to sign a deal while it hammered out tax incentives.

Workers from ConAgra's suburban office in Naperville, as well as some of those in Omaha, are expected to relocate, that source said.

Gov. Bruce Rauner offers tax incentives to lure ConAgra HQ to Chicago - Chicago Tribune

Bernie Sanders acknowledges a possible area of agreement with the Koch brothers - The Washington Post

As he rails against the political power of the “billionaire class,” there is no fatter target for the scorn of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) than the Koch brothers.

In his stump speeches, Sanders, the surging Democratic presidential hopeful, decries the hundreds of millions of dollars that the Kochs are spending to influence U.S. elections and, in Sanders’s view, turning the country into “an oligarchy.”

On Monday, however, the Vermont senator, a self-described “democratic socialist,” acknowledged that maybe, just maybe, there is one issue on which he can work with the Republican benefactors: criminal justice reform.

“I am prepared to work with anybody who is working in good faith on that very, very important issue,” Sanders said during an appearance hosted by the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics.

Sanders’s assessment came in response to a student questioner who noted that the Koch brothers have been spending money to advocate prison reforms. Among the concerns they’ve expressed are the high levels of incarceration in the country and sentencing disparities that affect the least well off.

On the campaign trail, Sanders devotes a section of his stump speech to the country’s “broken criminal justice system,” calling it an outrage that the United States imprisons more people than China, a country with several times the population.

On Monday, Sanders said policymakers need to address the “huge number of nonviolent people in jail” and abolish so-called “mandatory minimums,” which take away the discretion of judges to be more lenient in sentencing based on individual circumstances.

The senator also made very clear that his overarching view of the Koch brothers remains unchanged. Sanders branded them “extremist right wing” and questioned their efforts to lobby for tax breaks benefiting the wealthy.

“They are a very destructive force in American society,” Sanders said.

His visit to the University of Chicago was a homecoming. Sanders’s graduated from there in 1964, a fact noted by the host of Monday’s event, David Axelrod, the former senior adviser to President Obama who now serves as director of the Institute of Politics.

“Every once in awhile, we like to bring back an alumnus to talk about what they’re doing,” Axelrod joked when introducing Sanders during an event that was live-streamed over the Internet.

Sanders, 74, also reminisced about college years, saying he had not been a stellar student but “learned a lot from off-campus activities” and discovered democratic socialism, the philosophy that continues to guide his political career.

While a student, Sanders was also active in the civil rights movement, and his activities included leading a protest of a segregated campus housing policy. He was also charged with resisting arrest during a demonstration against segregation in Chicago’s public schools.

On Monday, he praised "young people who pick up the torch," urging students to be involved in pressing for societal changes.

Bernie Sanders acknowledges a possible area of agreement with the Koch brothers - The Washington Post

Germany Now Faced With Thousands Of Aging Wind Farms - Yahoo Finance

 

Germany has long been a pioneer in the field of renewable energy, generating a record 78 percent of its power consumption from renewables in July of this year. In fact, Germany is one of the very few countries in the world that is actually struggling with too much renewable energy. The latest testimony to this fact is the new issue of decommissioning its old wind farms.
2011 was a turning point for the European giant as it started moving away from nuclear energy (post Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster) and began to replace it with renewables. However, wind energy made its foray in Germany well before 2011. Germany started building wind turbines in the mid-1990s and now there are almost 25,000 wind turbines in the country.
However, the problem now is that a large number of the 25,000 odd turbines have become too old. Close to 7,000 of those turbines will complete more than 15 years of operation by next year. Although these turbines can continue running, with some minor repairs and modifications, the question is whether it makes any economic sense to maintain them?
Related: Winners And Losers Of Iran’s Return To The Oil And Gas Markets

Efficiency is the key
Beyond a period of 20 years, the guaranteed tariffs that are set for wind power are terminated, thereby making them unprofitable. “Today, there are entirely different technologies than there were a decade ago. The performance of the turbines have multiplied, the turbines are also more efficient than before”, said Dirk Briese of market research company called Wind- Research. It therefore makes sense to replace old turbines with newer ones. However, it is not very easy to dismantle an existing turbine and, while there are companies like PSM that specialize in dismantling of wind turbines, the costs of decommissioning can run upwards of $33,500 per turbine.
Decommissioning wind turbines: a growing problem?
The process of decommissioning a wind farm is a complicated one as it requires at least two 150 ton cranes which are used to dismantle the turbines, tower houses, rotor blades and other related equipment and parts. In fact, offshore wind decommissioning is even more intricate and expensive, as the availability of shipping vessels, cost of shipping the components back on shore and cost of removing steel pillars form seabed need to be considered too.
Related: Oil Prices - What Does “Lower For Longer” Actually Mean?
Wind farm decommissioning is indeed going to be a universal problem, especially for countries like the United States where a large number of wind projects are being developed. The U.S. has more than 48,000 utility operated wind turbines and more than 18 million American homes are powered every single year by the country’s installed wind capacity. Even corporations such as Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft, IKEA, Mars, Walmart and Amazon have invested in the U.S. wind energy sector.

Total US installed wind capacity as of 4Q 2014
Image Source: Awea.org
The numbers above suggest that the U.S. is going to face a similar problem that Germany is now facing may be in the next 8- 10 years when its oldest wind farms become outdated. However, a lot depends upon the efficiency and technology of turbines that are in use. Even if around 30 percent of U.S. wind turbines need decommissioning in the next five to ten years, the total decommissioning costs could reach up to $1 billion (when we consider a decommissioning rate of $55,000 and above per turbine).
Related: Goldman Sachs: “Peak Coal” Is Here
What can be done with the decommissioned wind turbines?
A previous study that was commissioned by Scottish National Heritage (SNH) forecasted that there would be a need to ‘recycle’ approximately 225,000 tons of rotor blades by the year 2034. Something similar is happening in Germany, where the rotor blades are ‘reprocessed’ in industrial scale factories and then shredded and mixed with other waste. The final product is then used in cement manufacturing facilities as fuel.
Moreover, the second hand market for the discarded wind farms is flourishing in Asia, Russia, Eastern Europe and Latin America where the components can be re-used in applications such as building community wind farms. The issue of wind turbine decommissioning must be viewed more as an opportunity than a threat, as the wind decommissioning market (for both offshore and onshore) is growing at a rapid pace. The question is whether the global wind industry is prepared to seize this opportunity.

Germany Now Faced With Thousands Of Aging Wind Farms - Yahoo Finance

Sanders jabs Koch brothers over Walker exit | TheHill

 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2016 Democratic presidential hopeful, on Sunday took a jab at the Koch brothers over their support of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who dropped out of the GOP race last week.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sanders said money controls politics, despite the well-funded Walker's exit from the race.

"I wish the Koch brothers would say, ‘Well, gee, now we can take the $900 million that we planned to spend in this campaign supporting right-wing Republicans… and we’re not going to spend it,’” Sanders said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “But, John, I’m not sure that the Koch brothers learned that lesson.”

The self-identified Democratic socialist took Jeb Bush to task for saying people vote for “free stuff.”

“Well, let’s be clear that what Jeb Bush is proposing are massive tax breaks for the richest people in this country, while he will fight to cut social security and Medicare and programs that tens of millions of elderly people and middle-class people and working-class people depend upon,” Sanders said.

“I happen to believe, John, that in a democratic, civilized society, all people should be entitled to healthcare as a right – yeah, I do believe that.”

Bush had described the Democratic Party platform as buying voters with "free stuff."

Sanders also called for public colleges and universities to be tuition free and said the wealthy will have to pay “substantially more in taxes.”

Sanders jabs Koch brothers over Walker exit | TheHill

4 reasons UAW members are voting against Chrysler deal

DETROIT — For most outsiders, the UAW ratification process of a new proposed four-year agreement is confusing because many union members are speaking out against a contract that looks like a really good deal.

The UAW's proposed contract with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles would give every union member a raise of some kind and a $3,000 signing bonus.

All entry-level workers would move to a new, higher pay scale. Workers hired before 2007 would get their first raise in more than 10 years.

And a new health care structure that would oversee health care benefits is designed to negotiate lower costs with providers so workers don't have to pay more.

In short, the contract delivers almost everything UAW President Dennis Williams set out to get when he sat down with FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne.

But in early voting on Thursday, workers at three large UAW units voted to reject the agreement and only one voted in favor.

Why are so many workers voting against the deal?

The reasons boil down to what the UAW members see as broken promises, uncertainty and a lack of clarity.

Here's four reasons why UAW members say they are voting to reject the agreement:

1. The 25% cap disappeared: Workers say the UAW and Fiat Chrysler should honor a 25% cap on entry-level workers that would automatically boost the pay of workers from $19.28 per hour to $28 per hour once the company exceeds that threshold.

The cap was originally negotiated as part of the UAW's 2007 agreement with Chrysler. It also was included as part of a summary of the 2011 contract that was distributed to workers, and every entry-level worker was told by UAW representatives that they had a shot at eventually making $28 per hour when they were hired. But the cap wasn't in the actual 2011 contract.

"I can’t find that," UAW Vice President Norwood Jewell told members of UAW Local 1700 on Sunday.

 

So instead of forcing the automaker to reinstate the cap, the UAW got the automaker to agree to raise entry-level wages for production workers to a range of $17 to $25.35 per hour. This gives all entry-level production workers a small, but immediate raise and a path to $25.35 per hour, or $52,728 per year before overtime, signing bonuses and profit sharing.

The result: Workers simply believe a promise was made and that promise is being broken.

2. Anxiety over Fiat Chrysler's product plan: Fiat Chrysler has promised to invest $5.3 billion over the next four years at plants in the U.S. But what's included in that number? Which plants will get the investments and what products will be made where?

Fiat Chrysler isn't saying and UAW officials are not saying.

Meanwhile, the Free Press and other publications have reported that production of the Chrysler 200, made in Sterling Heights, and the Dodge Dart, made in Belvidere, Ill., will be moved to Mexico. And, the Ram 1500 will be moved from Warren Truck to Sterling Heights and the Jeep Cherokee will move from Toledo to Belvidere.

Confused yet? Workers are, too. Thousands of Fiat Chrysler workers have no idea what car or truck they will be building two or three years from now. They don't know if they will be able to stay at their current plant or be relocated to another plant.

Uncertainty breeds anger, fear, frustration and, for many, a no vote.

3. Confusion over health care: A summary of the proposed contract says "a Health Care Co-op will be established. The Co-op will focus on improving health care benefits in an manner that increases quality, lowers cost, produces less waste and provides better patient care and outcomes."

But what is a co-op? Who will run it? The UAW? The company? The UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust? An entirely new entity? Will workers have to pay more for their insurance?

The summary of the contract doesn't say. A Facebook message posted by the UAW says there will be no additional costs for health care other than a $100 payment for any emergency room visit that doesn't lead to being admitted to the hospital. Workers are also being told their health insurance and their health insurance provider will not change.

For many, none of this matters. They suspect this change in health care will eventually mean they will pay more in out of pocket costs and they still have many unanswered questions.

4. Anxiety and broken promises: The common theme running through all of the concerns by UAW members is a belief that past promises were broken and the information they have about the new contract doesn't adequately address their questions and concerns.

What comes next?

Workers at UAW locals across the country will continue attending informational meetings and voting through next Wednesday.

To be ratified, a majority of about 40,000 UAW members at 37 UAW local units across the U.S. must vote in favor of it.

4 reasons UAW members are voting against Chrysler deal

Tough Times Ahead For Boone County Government

BCJ articles are available on line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2015/Boone-County-News-09-25-15.pdf#page=1

By James Middleton

The “high water” mark in municipal revenue
collections for Boone County was reached in 2007 and
2008 before the bottom fell out in 2009. However, after
that point, revenue coming into the county needed for all
county funding requirements, saw that revenue decline
and revenue has not yet returned. Revenue collections
from all sources coming into Boone County has yet to
return to those levels and in the current budget preparations
for Fiscal Year 2016, the reductions in revenue are being
felt even more so than in previous years.
The years of 2009 through 2011 have been referred to
by county officials as the “Great Recession” when revenues
passed through a serious reduction that led county officials
to impose a variety of cost saving steps to control spending.
Many of those cost cutting steps had included voluntary
pay reductions and voluntary unpaid days off work. Others
had agreed to voluntary pay freezes and other forms of
employee salary controls and reductions.
Individuals have also left county employment and those
vacancies have not always been refilled with new hires.
Some of those vacancies remain even today including two
deputies and one secretary unfilled in the Boone County
Sheriff’s Department. An administrative clerk has retired
from the probation department, a county clerk has been
laid off and one deputy clerk in the treasurer’s office had
their hours reduced. One custodian has been laid off in
the administration building, one animal control worker has
retired and one dispatcher in the 911 center has left county
employ. In each of these instances, employees are no
longer working with the county and their vacancies have
not been refilled.
The need for this policy has hampered the overall
efficiency of county government with the loss of personnel
and the county deciding that those vacancies would not be
refilled. These facts and others were laid out in a special
meeting of the Boone County Board finance committee
meeting that occurred this week.
Boone County administrator Ken Terrinoni dedicated

part of the meeting to presenting to the committee members
the history that has led to this point, how this point was
reached and what the current situation holds for the new
Fiscal Year 2016 in Boone County government.
The chairman of the Boone County Board Bob
Walberg (District 1) was at the meeting and he described
the event as one in which preliminary information was
given regarding the potential new budget. It is likely
that far more information will follow in another special
finance committee meeting scheduled to occur on Monday
evening, September 30.

It should be noted that in the current budget for Fiscal
year 2015 that is just nearing its conclusion, members of
the County Board agreed to allow $150,000 to be available
for use to manage some of the expenses associated with
law enforcement activities in the county. That funding
came from the annual surplus of collected revenue that
comes to the county in the form of the public safety sales
tax that was approved a decade ago when county voters
agreed to erect the new Boone County Jail and to pay off
the bonds created to fund that construction through the use
of a half-cent public safety sales tax.
In the meeting this week, the finance committee
members heard from County representative Paul Larson
(District 2) who said that the county in Fiscal Year 2016
might need to access revenue from the same source to the
extent of from $300,000 to $400,000 to erase a potential
deficit. Mr. Larson is a past chairman of the County Board
finance committee. The possible use of that money was not
approved and really no aspects of what could become the
final budget was approved but these points and others were
brought for discussion purposes.
Mr. Terrinoni said after the meeting, “There are two
primary reasons for the possible deficit in the new budget
and that is first caused by the inability to provide jail space
to neighboring municipalities to house their detainees and
the second reason is the rapidly increasing self-insured,
healthcare costs for the county.” Last year the county ran
near a deficit due to a number of serious healthcare claims
from county employees that were not expected. This year,
because many of the available jail cells in the County Jail
are occupied by local detainees, that cell space cannot be
used by other municipalities to hold their detainees. When
the jail was being considered for construction, one of the
selling features was that the county could lease jail space
to neighboring municipalities and the federal government
to hold their detainees waiting for trial.
Mr. Terrinoni also said that at this point, the county
could be looking at a potential $1.1 million deficit for
Fiscal Year 2016. Part of the reason for that deficit is also
due to the state not paying some salaries that they share
with the county. The state’s attorney’s salary and that of
the probation workers and other salaries are not being paid
by the state. Mr. Terrinoni said, “If the state’s makes up
those salaries, and we expect that they will, the deficit
could drop to $800,000.”
Sources outside the
county have indicated
that the state is paying
some of their day-to-day
expenses by not making
payments to municipalities
that they are mandated to
make. Further, the state
is also using this money
earmarked for municipal
governments and avoiding
either approving a new
budget or enacting
appropriation measures.
It should also be noted
that a municipal budget is
a framework that identifies
paths by which revenue
can be spent to manage the

municipality. At this point, many ideas are being discussed
to manage what likely will be a budget deficit in one
amount or another. Though every department that makes
up Boone County will propose potential initiatives or new
ways to spend their funding, very few of those proposed
initiatives will likely be approved.
Mr. Walberg and Mr. Terrinoni both indicated after
the special meeting that there is very little likelihood that
any of those initiatives will be approved. A few might be
included in the budget but no one is, as yet, certain which
initiatives could be approved.
The special meeting of the Boone County Board finance
committee is scheduled to occur next Monday, September
30 at 6 p.m. It is possible that by that meeting, a clearer
picture of the new budget for Fiscal Year 2016 will be
better defined but leading to that meeting, negotiations and
discussions continue.

BCJ Editorial: Conflicted Perspectives

 

Differing perceptions can conflict when two do not see a reasonable answer to a question arising from the same
perspective. When these conflicts arise, that is where disagreement is found.
The work of the Belvidere/Boone County Planning Department is an interpretive function. Planners are vested with
the authority to determine in a quasi-legal context if an application for a special use zoning or a zoning variance should
be allowed. Yet, there are some here that would prefer the planning department interpret zoning code from a different
perspective and to be less reliant on a legal perception to base their decisions. Ergot, that point is the Genesis of the
conflict.
Some would claim that to evaluate a question within a purely legal context denies other elements of the question that
also have relevance. However, the planning department must review questions through a lens of a legal interpretation
while an emotional context to the question must take a backseat.
These points arise resulting from the Tuesday Boone County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) meeting that heard
a summary report presented by the planning department. That report repeated previous findings that did not approve
passage of an application for a text amendment to be added to the county zoning code. The application seeks to
establish new setback distances for wind turbines from adjoining property owners. The tone and the tenor of some
of the questions directed to the interim director of the planning department served to compromise the wisdom of the
arguments for passage offered for the text amendment. There is validity in the proposed text amendment but the tone
of some of the questions served to disable the value of these proposed amendments.
The wind turbine debate in Boone County has become more an emotional argument than one based on legal
considerations. That is unfortunate because decisions based on valid legal perceptions are sounder than to base a public
decision on emotional perspectives that are fluid. In the ZBA meeting this week some questioned the interim-director
using hypothetical propositions more as a weapon to trap the director in misstatements than to clarify points. The
questioners might have learned their approach from reporters following the presidential candidates who try more to trap
the candidates than to clarify points in their platform.
The technique is a shabby exercise that panders to the “got-yeah” style of questioning. The interim-director might
have better replied to those hypothetical assertions by responding, “Your question is irrelevant to the subject matter of
our review because your question is hypothetical and not based on fact.”
However, people often desire to answer questions that are placed before them. That can be the case regardless
of how arcane the question may be or even if the question is more based on myth than on any bearing of fact. Some
questions that came to the interim director were difficult even for a casual observer to decipher.
The work of the planning department emerges from their duty to evaluate zoning questions within the context
of current zoning code when balanced beside the parameters of the 1999 Boone County Comprehensive Plan. One
questioner was hampered by their opinion that did not allow them to ascertain how planning personnel would bridge the
gap that exists between current zoning law and the broader goal of a government to protect the public “health, safety
and welfare.” Planning staff are county employees and must consider the public health, safety and welfare but their
first duty is to investigate a zoning application to determine if the question offends or complies with current zoning code
and the Comprehensive Plan, period.
All forms of government in America have the duty to enact and to enforce law to protect the public “health, safety
and welfare.” However, at times, laws that are enacted conflict with that charge. For example, the oil depletion
allowance has been a part of the Internal Revenue Service Code since 1913. Arguably, that tax benefit allowed oil
producers to compromise the public health, safety and welfare when viewed under the lens of potential damage to
environment by burning fossil fuels. Leading to the current condition of that law it could be argued that the law denies
protection of the public health, safety and welfare by allowing for greater fossil fuel production and use because of the
tax advantage the law offers to oil producers.
The final word on if wind turbine technology comes to Boone County rests with the Boone County Board. The report
of the planning department, the evaluation of the regional planning commission and the ZBA and the investigation of
the County Board planning, zoning and building committee are preludes to the final act that will occur with a decision
by the full Boone County Board.
The next step is for the ZBA to allow anyone from the community to present their view on the question. This process
could extend for some time and the exact timeframe of that public hearing is unknown.
It remains unknown if a decision will arise in 2015, 2016 or later. Those that have watched this drama unfold must
remember the focus of the planning department. Posing “got-yeah” style questions is unethical and irrelevant to the
broader question. Those that pander to such base elements are producing “white noise” that allows them to trumpet
their views and to deny reasonable debate of this vital question. Those that descend to such a base level of discussion
assaults the wisdom of the position that they espouse.

Planning Staff Report Takes Center Stage

By James Middleton

The path tread from applying for governmental change
and possibly reaching enactment of that change can be
long. If anyone disbelieves this they should ask those that
have applied to add a text amendment to the Boone County
zoning code to establish a wider setback for wind turbines
from adjoining property lines. This process has moved on
more than a year and the end is still not in sight.
The end will be reached when the Boone County Board
convenes to vote to determine if that text amendment will
be added to county zoning code. One more step to that end
occurred this week in the September meeting of the Boone
County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).
The focus of the ZBA meeting allowed the Belvidere/
Boone County planning department to deliver a final report
on their investigation if the text amendment should be
approved. The result of their initial investigation led the
planning staff to recommend denial of the text amendment.
The substance of their initial report had not changed after
hearing testimony in numerous meetings that was offered
by those favoring the text amendment.
The essence of the text amendment asks the county to
establish a new setback distance for wind turbines to be
erected from adjoining property owners and roadways.
The current code allows wind turbines to be erected no less

some of the specific elements of the report. She added
that staff believed that some elements of the proposed text
amendment should be revised for greater clarity. She also
said that the staff had not been persuaded by testimony that
one setback distance was really not defined as being any
better than any other setback distance.
She then entered into a brief discussion of the setback
distance of a half mile from adjoining property lines. Ms.
Miller cited a statement made by counsel representing the
proponents of the text amendment, Ms. Schilling. Ms.
Miller said, the setback distance proposed was stated by
Ms. Schilling to be, “A good starting point.” However,
Ms. Miller added, “Staff believes that this distance is in
conflict with the Comprehensive Plan and Boone County

zoning code. We need to set reasonable setbacks and the
larger setbacks would deny development of wind projects.”
With that Ms. Miller covered a couple of other points
and ended her review of the staff report. Mr. Savino then
opened the meeting for staff questions. ZBA member Joan
Krumm took the floor and endeavored to ask questions of
Ms. Miller but it was difficult for her to articulate a question
that Ms. Miller understood. Two efforts were made before
Ms. Miller could answer.
Ms. Krumm finally asked, “Why do you say it is not
necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare.”
Ms. Miller answered, “I’m not sure I understand your
question but we want to protect the public health.”
A debate arose between Ms. Krumm and Ms. Miller in
that Ms. Krumm seemed not to understand what a scale
was in reference to a site drawing. Ms. Miller agreed that
a scale was needed for any drawings and that definitions of
terms should also be added.
With that the floor was opened for statements from
the audience and Karen Kenney, one of the applicant’s
for the text amendment took the floor. She asked if staff
was recommending that a visual rendition of a future
wind turbine project be provided and Ms. Miller that the
rendition should be available. Ms. Kenney then asked if
Ms. Miller believed that the text amendment would deny a
project to arise with the expanded setback requirement and
Ms. Miller answered, “Yes.”
Ms. Kenney then asked, in that waivers were allowed
under the proposed text amendment, why a map of a
project had not been drawn. Ms. Miller answered, “How
can you create a map without knowing who would waive
their right.” A later addition to the text amendment request
would allow for any adjoining property owner to waive
their right to require a 2,640 foot setback. However, there
has, as yet, been no formal application from any group
requesting to site a wind turbine project in Boone County
and, as yet, it is unknown if any adjoining property owner
would waive their rights.
Others that spoke included Marion Thornberry and
Julie Van Laar and they were followed by Julie Newhouse
of rural Capron. She asked Ms. Miller, “In your opinion
does state wind energy law trump the public health?”
Ms. Miller answered, “No.”
Ms. Newhouse then asked, “Should zoning code make
rules to meet state standards?”
Ms. Miller answered, “If these setbacks were approved
that would be in conflict with zoning code.”
Ms. Newhouse asked if, in Ms. Miller’s opinion, “Is a
1,000 foot setback in place to protect the public health?”
Ms. Miller replied, “I think that does need to be looked
at.”
Tower heights in Boone County and in other counties
were discussed but with no conclusion was reached.
Ms. Krumm then asked Ms. Miller which counties
she had contacted in Illinois regarding their wind turbine
zoning code. Ms. Miller said that she had called many
counties and discussed their code over the telephone.
However, she was unable to remember specifically which
counties she had called.
No other members of the audience spoke however, the
only other matter to consider was to affirm that the October
ZBA meeting would allow members of the audience to
have up to two minutes to speak and to ask questions.
Before adjournment one point it was considered asking
if text amendment proponents would be allowed to rebut
evidence that had been presented by opposing parties
without allowing them a comparable opportunity to
rebut evidence presented
by the text amendment
proponents. That question
was, however, not resolved
and could come for further
discussion in the October
ZBA meeting.

than 1,000 feet from neighboring property owners. The
text amendment requests that the distance be extended to
½ mile or 2,640 feet.
The final report of the planning department was
delivered by the interim director, Kathy Miller. Before
she delivered the report, the ZBA chairman, Tony Savino,
asked Ms. Miller of her role as interim director of the
department.
Ms. Miller said, “Our role is to review applications for
zoning changes and to look at the evidence. We weigh the
‘pros and the cons,’ we do our research and we make visits
to sites.”
Mr. Savino asked if the opinion of the department could
change and Ms. Miller said, “If the evidence presented
changes we can change our opinion.”
Ms. Miller then entered into the staff report detailing

Is Peaker Plant finally happening?

 

See previous posting regarding this project:  http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2014/09/peaker-plant-asks-for-annual-extension.html

Illinois budget ills threaten state armored car, garbage pickups - Yahoo News

 

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The newest casualties of Illinois’ long-running budget impasse could be garbage pickup at the state Capitol, lights in state offices and armored truck service that moves large cash shipments out of drivers license facilities, Secretary of State Jesse White warned on Friday.

Feuding between Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the state Legislature has Illinois nearing its fourth month without a budget. That means an array of government vendors are not getting paid for services they have provided since fiscal 2016 began on July 1.

The impasse stems from the governor’s insistence on tying enactment of a new budget to passage of his framework for business-friendly changes to state workers' compensation, collective bargaining, tort and property tax laws.

Without spending authority, White said his office is facing the prospect of bills no longer being paid. That would affect motorists seeking drivers' services, his office’s computer operations and upkeep of the state’s Capitol complex in Springfield, he said.

“This situation has grown critical, and we are seeking a solution to this problem,” the five-term Democratic secretary of state wrote in a letter to Rauner that was released on Friday.

White said unpaid computer and software contractors have threatened to quit performing maintenance and data-breach protection services on the secretary of state’s sprawling computer network, and some landlords for facilities in which drivers' services offices are based are pursuing default actions against the state for nonpayment of rent.

On another front, the unpaid company that provides armored truck service has threatened to discontinue collecting as much as $100,000 in cash per day from secretary of state facilities, he said.

The secretary of state also cautioned that daily garbage pickup at the state Capitol could be imperiled because the vendor has threatened to discontinue waste collection until getting paid. White said he is concerned electricity, gas and coal supplies also are at risk because of nonpayment of bills.

A Rauner aide said on Friday that the governor’s office reached out to White about his letter and shares concerns about other cash-starved functions within state agencies under the governor’s control.

“We hope (White) will also join us in encouraging his friends in the legislature to fulfill their constitutional obligation to pass a truly balanced budget,” Rauner's spokeswoman, Lyndsey Walters, said.

(This story has been corrected to fix spelling of governor's spokeswoman's first name to Lyndsey from Lindsey in last paragraph)

(Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Illinois budget ills threaten state armored car, garbage pickups - Yahoo News

Koch Industries running commercials during Badgers games as part of rebranding effort | Local Education | host.madison.com

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Koch Industries running commercials during Badgers games as part of rebranding effort | Local Education | host.madison.com

Rauner: Museum, shooting complex to close

Read the rest of the article by clicking on the following:  Rauner: Museum, shooting complex to close

Ex-State Fair manager Patrick Buchen blasts Rauner administration - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL

 

By Carla Jimenez and Doug Finke, Staff Writers

Posted Sep. 25, 2015 at 12:54 PM
Updated Sep 25, 2015 at 7:14 PM

Former Illinois State Fair manager Patrick Buchen blasted Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration on Friday, saying that he and former Department of Agriculture Director Philip Nelson were forced to resign because of cronyism and interference.

Buchen and Nelson announced their resignations late Thursday afternoon. Rauner's office issued a statement immediately following the announcement saying the governor appreciated Nelson's "commitment to agriculture and his service to the people of Illinois."

Buchen, however, insisted on Friday that he and Nelson did not resign willingly. He said that it was either they resign or wait until they were fired.

"The politicos downtown never wanted me here," he said. "Philip Nelson fought for me very forcefully for my employment."

Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said Buchen "is continuing to demonstrate the same type of erratic behavior he exhibited as a state employee."

"Mr. Buchen sometimes had a difficult time appropriately communicating with other state employees and often failed to treat fellow state workers with respect," Trover said in a written statement. "He damaged morale within the agency and was beginning to create a toxic atmosphere among those who had to work with him."

Buchen said he believes the biggest reason he was being pushed out was because he didn't want to go along with what he believed were unfair practices.

One dispute centered on naming the grand marshals of the fair's annual Twilight Parade. Buchen said he and Nelson wanted the Brandt family, owners of Brandt Agricultural Products in Springfield, to be the grand marshals as a way to bring agriculture back to the forefront of the state fair.

Instead, two U.S. Navy commanders, Jessie Porter and Darin Hess of the USS Illinois, were named the grand marshals. Buchen said Robert Alec Messina, Rauner's policy adviser for environment and energy, insisted on that choice.

Buchen said Messina acted as liaison between the administration and the Ag Department.

"Alec Messina doesn't know the difference between a boar and a barrow, and he's our ag liaison?" Buchen said.

Trover released an email exchange between Buchen and Messina from July 10 regarding the fair parade grand marshal. Messina said he learned from Nelson that Buchen was "rather upset" with the choice of the parade marshal. He said Buchen should feel free to call him directly if there is an issue to discuss.

Buchen replied that the "gentleman is not agriculture, the submarine has not been christened and I was most disappointed in the fact that our recommendation was denied."

"I am here to promote agriculture for the fair and the state of Illinois," he continued. "If that is not the intent of those who made this decision then I need to go elsewhere."

He then added: "You need to understand that when my nose gets bloodied I will break those that bloodied mine. A metaphor of course, but mad or upset is unproductive. I get even."

• Zoom

  Patrick Buchen

  »  RELATED CONTENT

• • • Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois State Fair directors step down...

• By Carla Jimenez and Doug Finke, Staff Writers

  Posted Sep. 25, 2015 at 12:54 PM
  Updated Sep 25, 2015 at 7:14 PM

  Former Illinois State Fair manager Patrick Buchen blasted Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration on Friday, saying that he and former Department of Agriculture Director Philip Nelson were forced to resign because of cronyism and interference.

  Buchen and Nelson announced their resignations late Thursday afternoon. Rauner's office issued a statement immediately following the announcement saying the governor appreciated Nelson's "commitment to agriculture and his service to the people of Illinois."

  Buchen, however, insisted on Friday that he and Nelson did not resign willingly. He said that it was either they resign or wait until they were fired.

  "The politicos downtown never wanted me here," he said. "Philip Nelson fought for me very forcefully for my employment."

  Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said Buchen "is continuing to demonstrate the same type of erratic behavior he exhibited as a state employee."

  "Mr. Buchen sometimes had a difficult time appropriately communicating with other state employees and often failed to treat fellow state workers with respect," Trover said in a written statement. "He damaged morale within the agency and was beginning to create a toxic atmosphere among those who had to work with him."

  Buchen said he believes the biggest reason he was being pushed out was because he didn't want to go along with what he believed were unfair practices.

  One dispute centered on naming the grand marshals of the fair's annual Twilight Parade. Buchen said he and Nelson wanted the Brandt family, owners of Brandt Agricultural Products in Springfield, to be the grand marshals as a way to bring agriculture back to the forefront of the state fair.

  Instead, two U.S. Navy commanders, Jessie Porter and Darin Hess of the USS Illinois, were named the grand marshals. Buchen said Robert Alec Messina, Rauner's policy adviser for environment and energy, insisted on that choice.

  Buchen said Messina acted as liaison between the administration and the Ag Department.

  "Alec Messina doesn't know the difference between a boar and a barrow, and he's our ag liaison?" Buchen said.

  Trover released an email exchange between Buchen and Messina from July 10 regarding the fair parade grand marshal. Messina said he learned from Nelson that Buchen was "rather upset" with the choice of the parade marshal. He said Buchen should feel free to call him directly if there is an issue to discuss.

  Buchen replied that the "gentleman is not agriculture, the submarine has not been christened and I was most disappointed in the fact that our recommendation was denied."

  "I am here to promote agriculture for the fair and the state of Illinois," he continued. "If that is not the intent of those who made this decision then I need to go elsewhere."

  He then added: "You need to understand that when my nose gets bloodied I will break those that bloodied mine. A metaphor of course, but mad or upset is unproductive. I get even."

  Page 2 of 3 - Fair conflict

  Buchen said Messina forced him to hire Janet Dobrinsky, who used to work at the comptroller's office under Judy Baar Topinka, as the assistant fair manager. He said it was the first time in years that an assistant fair manager had been appointed and that Dobrinsky — earning $90,000 annually — was "essentially useless" in the position.

  "She's never done a fair," Buchen said. "She's never done events. She had no value being there whatsoever."

  Trover said Dobrinsky was hired before Buchen was appointed fair manager, "so it is untrue to claim he was forced to hire her."

  Buchen also said Dobrinsky spent more money than was necessary, including on a ceremony to rename a street on the fairgrounds for Topinka. Buchen said the state could have saved money by having the ceremony at the ag tent, which was nearby. Dobrinsky instead had the stage and sound system set up at the corner of the new road, and it cost about $2,000, mostly for the labor to move an existing system there.

  Buchen added that whenever he confronted Dobrinsky about her job performance, Dobrinsky would tell Illinois chief operating officer Linda Lingle that he yelled at her in front of the entire staff or that he threatened and strong-armed older employees into retirement.

  He said he was also forced to issue all-access passes to government workers or to issue press passes to people who weren't members of the press.

  "Did I push back and fight them on it? You bet I did," he said.

  Trover denied that excessive numbers of passes were issued.

  "A small number of Department of Natural Resources employees were provided press passes, as they had been provided in past years," Trover said. "The press passes enabled these employees to fulfill important duties related to the state fair, including putting on Conservation World, which is run by DNR."

  Attendance controversy

  Buchen, who was only state fair manager for five months, received criticism for low attendance numbers at the fair. An estimated 850,000 people were recorded at the fair for 2014, but 411,547 attended in 2015.

  But he insisted that numbers from previous years had been inflated and had been for years if the numbers for revenue and parking were any indication. He said he and others in the Ag Department were berated for reporting what he called the correct numbers.

  Buchen believes the governor didn't know about the incidents since Rauner has only ever said he and Nelson were doing very well in their jobs.

  Instead, Buchen thinks it's the people surrounding Rauner who forced his and Nelson's resignations.

  "Boy, did we take heat for it because of the cronyism," Buchen said. "And we thought this administration wanted to clean all this up."

  Page 3 of 3 - Warren Goetsch will act as the director for the Ag Department until a permanent director is appointed. Previously, he served as the bureau chief of environmental programs within the department.

  A new state fair manager has not yet been named.

  Nelson could not be reached for comment Friday. The Illinois Farm Bureau, where Nelson served as president from 2003 to 2013, issued a statement praising Nelson's service as agriculture director.

  "He put his heart and soul into the position," farm bureau president Richard Guebert Jr. said. "He wasn't afraid to make tough decisions to put the Illinois Department of Agriculture in a position to be successful, even during these difficult times. I like the changes he and his staff made to put a renewed focus on youth and agriculture at the Illinois State Fair. I don't know anybody more dedicated to improving Illinois agriculture. I wish him the best in his next endeavor."

   

Ex-State Fair manager Patrick Buchen blasts Rauner administration - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL

EPA warns other carmakers it will test for defeat devices - Yahoo Finance

 

By Chris Bryant in Frankfurt and Barney Jopson in Washington 3 hours ago

 

The US environmental regulator put all vehicle manufacturers "on notice" on Friday that it would intensify its emissions testing on diesel-powered vehicles to discover whether "defeat devices" were being used more widely.

 

Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, told reporters: "We are stepping up our testing activities in response to VW's alleged violation."

The new testing regime will start immediately and Christopher Grundler, director of the EPA's office of transportation and air quality, said that for manufacturers it meant "we'll be keeping their vehicles a little bit longer and driving them more".

The EPA's announcement came as Volkswagen's board gathered to appoint a new chief executive to lead the carmaker, with Matthias M�ller, head of Porsche, widely viewed as the favourite candidate

Click to read entire article:  EPA warns other carmakers it will test for defeat devices - Yahoo Finance

Apocalyptic ad blasts Bennet for Iran vote | The Colorado Statesman

 

9/24/2015

A TV ad taking aim at U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet over his vote in favor of the Iran nuclear deal drew howls of outrage from Democrats and others this week. But the outspoken head of the group that paid for the ad says it’s just the opening salvo in a fusillade of vicious attacks on Bennet, who is up for reelection next year.

Reminiscent of the “Daisy” ad targeted at GOP presidential nominee Barry Goldwater more than 50 years ago, the ad begins with children counting down in their native languages — including Hebrew, Arabic and Chinese — before the screen fills with a mushroom cloud and scenes of devastation.

“A nuclear Iran is a threat to the entire world,” it says. “Sen. Michael Bennet supports Obama’s Iran Deal. Sen. Michael Bennet is jeopardizing our safety. Call Sen. Michael Bennet. … Ask him, ‘Why?’”

With a $46,000 ad buy on three local Denver stations — backed up by about the same in online advertising — the ad won’t be seen often by many, but that wasn’t the point. So-called “earned media” (stories like this one!) amplify the ad dollars by treating it as a news event.

Jonathan Lockwood, the director of Advancing Colorado, the uber-conservative, ultra-provocative group that lobs vitriolic press releases almost daily, threw down.

“Bennet is a dangerous puppet, and we will never forget he voted to hold the American people hostage and sided with terrorists and madmen to silence the innocent people he represents here in Colorado,” Lockwood said.

Calling the ad “horribly offensive and misleading,” state Dem communications director Andrew Zucker responded.

“With Washington Republicans lacking an opponent in the Colorado Senate race, it comes as no surprise that a secretly funded group with ties to the billionaire Koch brothers is out with a deeply offensive, fear-mongering attack against Sen. Bennet,” said Zucker. “The truth is, Michael Bennet passed tough sanctions against Iran, has worked to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon and is authoring legislation to make the Iran deal even stronger.”

The next day, when The Denver Post editorial board called the ad “the latest exercise in political sleaze” and opined that Lockwood “sounds flat-out deranged on the topic,” Zucker forwarded that far and wide, too.

The criticism doesn’t faze Lockwood, however. While he refused to say who funds his group, he claims the Left’s favorite bogeymen — that would be “the billionaire Koch brothers” —aren’t behind it.

“Liberals are more scared of this ad than they are of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he told Chatter. “They are more mad or shocked or scared over Americans expressing themselves than with Iran chanting ‘Death to America.’

“This is our opening salvo on the Iran deal issue-advocacy campaign,” he added. “The deal is not going to get any better as time goes on, it’s going to get worse and worse. People can rest assured we’re going to be continuing our work on this issue.”

Apocalyptic ad blasts Bennet for Iran vote | The Colorado Statesman

Rauner accepts resignations from IDOA Director, State Fair Direc - Wandtv.com, NewsCenter17, StormCenter17, Central Illinois News-

 

SPRINGFIELD - The Office of Governor Bruce Rauner has announced that the resignations of Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Phil Nelson and State Fair Director Patrick Buchen have been accepted.

Officials say Nelson will continue to be employed at the IDOA to help with the transition to a new director.  IDOA Chief of Staff Warren Goetsch has been appointed as Acting Director by Governor Rauner.  State officials say the search for a permanent director is underway.

In a news release, Governor Rauner says he wishes Nelson "all the best."  We will provide more details as they become available

Above is from:  Rauner accepts resignations from IDOA Director, State Fair Direc - Wandtv.com, NewsCenter17, StormCenter17, Central Illinois News-

 

 

Both the head of the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the director of the Illinois State Fair submitted their resignations Thursday, a month after they announced attendance at the annual event was down by half.

Agriculture Director Phil Nelson will remain on the job for a month while Gov. Bruce Rauner looks for a permanent replacement. Nelson is the former president of the Illinois Farm Bureau, and Rauner picked him to lead the agency because of his experience as a fourth-generation farmer.

There was no word about an immediate replacement for fair director Patrick Buchen, who was named by Rauner in May. Buchen formerly worked as the executive director of the Indiana State Fair.

Last month, Buchen's office released figures for the 11-day State Fair in Springfield clocking attendance at 411,547 — down from 844,649 the year before. He contended past numbers were inflated, pointing to gate and parking revenues that were down just $55,000 from 2014.

Rauner took some heat for holding the state fair despite the ongoing budget impasse, and he made it a point to visit the grounds every day. Rauner's office would not comment beyond announcing the departures.

mcgarcia@tribpub.com

Twitter @moniquegarcia

Above ifs from:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-rauner-illinois-agriculture-director-state-fair-met-0925-20150924-story.html

Central Illinois newspaper sues Gov. Rauner over public information request for schedule

 

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois — A central Illinois weekly newspaper is suing Gov. Bruce Rauner after the attorney general's office said he must turn over appointment calendars showing his daily schedule.

An Illinois Times reporter submitted a May request through the Freedom of Information Act for Rauner's daily calendar from April 1 to May 15. When the documents arrived, information was redacted.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office issued an 18-page opinion saying Rauner's office violated the act and should provide the requested information.

However, Madigan's office can't enforce the ruling.

That led to the Springfield newspaper filing a lawsuit Wednesday in Sangamon County. It seeks to force Rauner's office to turn over complete documents, saying the administration "intentionally and in bad faith" violated open records law.

Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly declined comment, citing pending litigation.

Above from:  Central Illinois newspaper sues Gov. Rauner over public information request for schedule

 

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015 03:48 pm

AG rules against Rauner, in favor of Illinois Times

Newspaper sues governor

By Bruce Rushton

Gov. Bruce Rauner has refused to release his appointment calendar to Illinois Times, so the paper sued him today, following a favorable decision from the Illinois Attorney General. Photo by Patrick Yeagle.

Illinois Times today sued Gov. Bruce Rauner after Attorney General Lisa Madigan ruled that the governor must turn over his appointment calendar in response to the paper’s request made under the state Freedom of Information Act.
The newspaper asked for Rauner’s appointment calendar last spring after the governor walked out of a Holocaust remembrance ceremony. The newspaper’s request came after the governor’s press office ignored an emailed query asking where the governor had gone while a Holocaust survivor spoke at the annual ceremony held at the Old State Capitol.
Rauner gave the newspaper a redacted version of his appointment calendar showing that he had attended a meeting in the governor’s office while the ceremony continued. The governor redacted the names of the person, or people, with whom he met. The newspaper subsequently appealed to the attorney general, who ruled that Rauner must disclose the names of the people who attend meetings memorialized in his appointment calendar, which is prepared by public employees on public time using public equipment.
Rauner had claimed that the calendar was maintained for the governor’s convenience, but the attorney general determined that the calendar is the public’s business.
“(T)his office’s review of the redacted entries indicates that they all appear to pertain to the business of the state, rather than the personal affairs or private business interests of the governor,” Michael J. Luke, counsel to Madigan, wrote in the 18-page decision issued Tuesday. “Because the governor’s calendar was prepared and is maintained by the governor’s office and pertains to public business, it is a public record of the governor’s office for purposes of the Illinois FOIA.”
The newspaper sued Rauner today in Sangamon County Circuit Court, demanding that the governor release the requested appointment calendar. The newspaper sued because the attorney general’s decision is not final and could be appealed in court by the governor. In short, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act contains no provisions that force the governor to follow the attorney general’s directive.
“We have no way to enforce a binding opinion (by the attorney general),” said Don Craven, attorney for Illinois Times. “They (the governor’s staff) can just sit there and do nothing.”
Other media outlets, including the Associated Press and the Chicago Reader, have been unsuccessful in convincing Rauner to release his appointment calendar showing with whom he has met. Rauner has also refused to tell the Chicago Reader the names of lawyers in private practice who have done work for the state and been paid with public money.
In refusing to release his calendar to Illinois Times, Rauner had claimed that providing unredacted copies would pose a security risk and that someone who intended to harm the governor could discern patterns from the calendar that would provide opportunities to physically hurt Rauner. The attorney general’s office, after examining Rauner’s unredacted appointment calendar, determined that was nonsense.
“The governor’s calendar predominately consists of information regarding appointments: names of individuals and groups, and telephone numbers or meeting locations as applicable,” Luke wrote in his written decision. “The governor’s office has not provided facts demonstrating that disclosing those names, telephone numbers or meeting locations from past appointments would pose a security risk to the governor.”
The governor had also claimed that information on his appointment calendar was preliminary in nature and therefore exempt from disclosure. However, the attorney general found that Rauner had not demonstrated that this was true.
Rauner had also claimed that the public could discern his thought processes and legal strategies if he revealed his appointment calendar, particularly with regard to meetings attended by attorneys for the governor. The attorney general found no merit in that argument.
“(T)he mere presence of an attorney in a meeting is insufficient to justify (withholding of the record),” Luke wrote. “Based on our review, disclosure of the redacted entries would not reveal that privileged communications were involved or, more specifically, the substance of any confidential attorney-client discussions.”
As a candidate, Rauner had pledged to be open and transparent. Neither the governor nor a spokesman could be reached for immediate comment on Wednesday.

Read the lawsuit here.

Read the AG's decision here.

From:  Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com

Local Animal Shelter Finding Homes for Hundreds of Hoarded Cats

 

BOONE COUNTY (WIFR) – Boone County is in the middle of one of its worst cat hoarding problems ever, with about 400 cats involved in five different cases.

Boone County is crawling with cats and Jacqui Richardson is scrambling to find new owners for nearly 100 which she says were being hoarded and are now feral.

“They don’t know what humans are, they don’t know what we’re wanting. They don’t understand that we’re actually there to help them. It’s devastating to see that so many cats have never been socialized and don’t know what the touch of a human hand is,” says Richardson.

Richardson’s Another Chance Animal Sanctuary in Capron is taking in as many anti-social cats as it can hold, mainly because Boone County Animal Services has nowhere to put them. They rely on the sanctuary and many other rescues in the area to help them out.

“The problem is the local animal services does not have funding or a facility to house a large quantity of cats, so that’s where ourselves and other local rescues are able to step in and help with the cats until they are able to have a budget to help cats,” says Richardson.

Since her felines don’t get along with humans, they will be used as barn cats to fend off mice. Another Chance is even running a promotion through October, where they are giving away their cats for free, simply because there are so many still being allegedly hoarded.

“When we go out and we do our follow-ups o n the cats that have been adopted into their new barns, it’s very rewarding to see the cats lounging around in the grass, running around on hay bales. They’re doing what they really enjoy doing with minimal human interaction. They’ve never had human interaction and they prefer not to which is fine and we respect that. We’re able to offer them a home where they can enjoy themselves,” says Richardson.

Richardson says thankfully, none of the cats have needed to be euthanized. Of the 400 that were originally said to be hoarded, 200 have been adopted. Excluding the ones on Richardson’s property, we’re told the remainder are still in the overflowing homes. Richardson says she cannot reveal any of those locations.

Boone County Animal Services says it’s expecting to move into a new location hopefully by this time next year.
They say the additional space will allow them to take in some cats.

For more information on how to adopt a cat, please click on the attached related links.

Local Animal Shelter Finding Homes for Hundreds of Hoarded Cats