Mitsubishi plans to stop work at Illinois plant, find buyer NORMAL, Ill. (AP) --

 

Mitsubishi Motors says it plans to stop U.S. production at its facility in central Illinois and sell the plant.

Dan Irvin, tthe company's North American spokesman, said Friday that the Japanese automaker reviewed its global supply chain and decided it was necessary to end production at the plant and find a buyer.

The plant in Normal, Illinois, employs more than 1,200 workers. Irvin says Mitsubishi's board will make a formal decision soon and hopes to find a buyer who'll maintain employment.

The plant's annual production has fallen from more than 200,000 vehicles in 2002, to 64,000 vehicles.

The announcement follows Japanese media reports that Mitsubishi wants to focus on Asian markets.

The company sold only 82,000 vehicles in the U.S. last year, less than one percent of the total market

Pantagraph.com | News from Associated Press

Governor Rauner says he can hold as many secret meetings on public time as he wants | Bleader | Chicago Reader

Governor Bruce Rauner believes he can hold secret meetings on public property.

He also maintains that taxpayers have no right to know who he's consulted, even long after the conferences are over and policies have been enacted as a result.

A lawyer for Rauner staked out those positions in a letter last week to the office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

It was submitted as part of a battle with the Reader over whether copies of the governor's past calendar and meeting schedule should be released to the public. I requested the records in May under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, but Christina McClernon, an assistant general counsel for Rauner, says he has the right to keep them private.

"The Governor's Office was under no obligation to provide the requested appointment calendars to Mr. Dumke because these documents are not 'public records' under FOIA," she wrote in a July 16 letter to the Public Access Bureau, a division of the attorney general's office that rules on FOIA disputes.

If the governor's position is upheld, it would be a setback for anyone who thinks taxpayers should get to know who has access to public officials conducting business with public funds. The letter suggests the calendars and meeting schedules of every other public official in Illinois could also be kept secret.

I'm writing about the back and forth to keep the legal dispute open and public.

During his $57 million campaign for governor, Rauner promised to bring a new level of openness to state government, painting incumbent Pat Quinn as a product of the corrupt Democratic machine that conducted public business in backroom deals. "This is about transparency and accountability," Rauner declared.

Since taking office, though, Rauner has worked to conceal how he operates.

He's made good on vows to fight for a probusiness "turnaround" agenda that would tighten the rules for union organizing, worker's compensation, and filing lawsuits. Since Democrats have rejected the proposals, Rauner has refused to work with house speaker Michael Madigan and senate president John Cullerton on a budget deal, resulting in a state shutdown during which the governor has remained largely out of public view.

At the same time, he has refused to disclose who has access to his office, let alone what he's working on. In some cases, he also won't say who's being compensated with taxpayer money to do work for the state.

In May I submitted a FOIA request intended to see who has Rauner's ear. Specifically, I asked for copies of his daily schedule and meeting calendar from his inauguration in January through early May.

The governor's office eventually provided copies of the schedules, but more than 150 appointments were blacked out—an average of more than one secret meeting a day, as Ben Joravsky and I wrote last month.

An attorney for Rauner argued that the redactions were justified because the information was "preliminary" and protected by attorney-client privilege, two loopholes in the FOIA frequently invoked by officials to avoid releasing records.

We then asked the public access bureau to weigh in, arguing that citizens have a clear right to know what the governor is up to. We stressed that we never asked what was said at the meetings—only who was in on them—so it was illogical to claim that releasing the information would reveal confidential discussions.

But last week the governor's office responded that the public doesn't have the right to see his daily schedules in any form.

In a five-page letter, McClernon—Rauner's assistant general counsel and freedom of information officer—cited old cases from federal court, Ohio, and Pennsylvania in arguing that the governor's schedules and calendars are off limits. She also claimed that releasing the documents could violate the governor's security, even long after the events are over.

But the letter also indicated that the governor simply doesn't want the public to know who has access to him. The calendars "reveal the identities of people with whom he has met and consulted and thus can be read to determine the substance and direction of his judgment and mental processes," McClernon wrote.

The arguments have a familiar ring. Five years ago I went through a similar battle with lawyers for the city of Chicago over schedules for then-mayor Richard M. Daley. They argued that releasing them would be too "burdensome" and could endanger the mayor.

But the attorney general's office eventually rejected those claims and determined that the mayor's schedule and meeting calendar were indeed public records. "The public has a legitimate interest in learning of its Mayor's public meetings held in City Hall," wrote an assistant attorney general.

I cited the ruling in a lawsuit against the city over its FOIA denials. City officials now cough up Mayor Rahm Emanuel's schedule when asked.

Yet Rauner's administration is fighting over more than copies of his meeting calendar. Previously it's refused to disclose which legislators attended policy planning meetings.

And last month I requested a list of private-sector law firms hired to do state work—that is, firms paid with taxpayer money. McClernon refused to provide that information either, saying it too was protected by attorney-client privilege.

Is the governor really claiming that the public doesn't have the right to know how taxpayer funds are spent? Public contracts are among the classic and longstanding examples of "information regarding the affairs of government" meant to be disclosed under the Illinois FOIA.

The public access bureau will have a chance to weigh in on both FOIA matters in the coming weeks.

So far, we know this much: Rauner is being transparent about what he thinks of open government.

Governor Rauner says he can hold as many secret meetings on public time as he wants | Bleader | Chicago Reader

Rauner, Madigan hit a wall on Illinois budget - Daily Egyptian: News

 

Posted: Monday, July 20, 2015 12:56 pm

Rauner, Madigan hit a wall on Illinois budget Monique Garcia | Chicago Tribune Daily Egyptian

After seven months, the legislative sausage-making process to put in place a new state budget has hit a wall: The governor proposed a spending plan and lawmakers passed one, but the governor vetoed it and lawmakers failed to override him.

The end result is that Illinois enters its fourth week without full authority to spend money, and there's no clear path through the political logjam that threatens to shut down parts of state government.

At this point, it's historically been up to the governor and legislative leaders to hash out a deal in private. While the occasional talks are taking place, signs are that they've been less than productive and don't appear likely to bring about a quick agreement.

"I don't necessarily presume that there will be some kind of deal put together between the governor and legislative leaders," powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan said last week.

For now, Madigan has indicated he'll keep sending Gov. Bruce Rauner piecemeal budgets to try to prop up critical social service programs, while Rauner maintains he won't sign them into law.

"Rather than passing one-month, out-of-balance budgets that hurt social service providers and the most vulnerable, Speaker Madigan and the politicians he controls should compromise with Gov. Rauner on passing a truly balanced budget along with much-needed reforms that will turn our state around," Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said in a statement.

The political enmity between Rauner and Madigan remains a major stumbling block. Rauner has aired TV ads to try to blame Madigan as the source of the state's problems, while the speaker repeatedly counters that the governor is "extreme" for connecting the budget-making process to approval of his agenda to help businesses and curb union power.

It's difficult to see peace talks progressing when two of the state's biggest politicians are still firing at each other. Frustration among many lawmakers is evident.

"We need a reset. We're back to square zero, we're back to square negative two," said Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston. "It's an outrage, it's an embarrassment."

Part of the impasse is that not enough pressure has built up to force Democrats and Republicans to reach a deal. Rauner signed the education budget, so schools will have money to open on time this fall. The law is set up to keep pension checks and lawmaker salaries flowing, and judges have ordered that workers should get paid and the state's child welfare department must be funded.

Many social service agencies that care for the disabled, elderly and addicted are still getting money because the state is so far behind in paying its bills, but that spending authority will run out in the coming weeks as the comptroller gets around to making good on vouchers dated July 1 and beyond.

One immediate pressure point evaporated Friday when the Illinois Supreme Court opted not to quickly hear Attorney General Lisa Madigan's appeal of a pair of legal cases on whether state workers can be paid in full absent a budget. Rauner has assured employees they will get paid during the impasse, and so far he's found help in keeping that promise from the courts. A speedy court ruling that turned off the paycheck spigot would have hurt Rauner's leverage.

Another factor in the stalemate is that there's not much of a template of how to proceed. Illinois has had divided control of government before, but the legislature and governor eventually were able to compromise.

The most recent parallel to the current impasse is 2007, when then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich was locked in a fight with fellow Democrats over his desire for a major increase in education spending and a massive expansion of state-subsidized health care. Speaker Madigan favored a smaller budget.

That year, the governor and lawmakers agreed to a one-month budget before Madigan teamed with then-Senate President Emil Jones Jr. to send Blagojevich a full-year budget that he eventually signed on Aug. 23. Blagojevich used his veto powers to cut $500 million from that plan. The House overturned that veto, but the effort was blocked in the Senate.

This time around, however, Rauner has vetoed much of the budget lawmakers sent him, but Democrats were unable to stick together to override him and put a spending plan on the books.

On its face, the two sides aren't terribly far apart on the budget. Both agree there need to be cuts. Democrats say a tax hike is necessary, and Rauner hasn't shut the door on the idea. It's how to get there that's the problem.

Rauner says he won't even consider raising taxes unless lawmakers also go along with his wide-ranging agenda, which includes freezing local property taxes, enacting term limits, curbing collective bargaining rights, reducing what businesses must pay injured workers and limiting awards in civil lawsuits.

Democrats are fundamentally opposed to many of those ideas, saying they will diminish the middle class at the benefit of corporate bosses. They've accused Rauner of hijacking the process to push ideas that have nothing to do with the budget, while the governor contends his plans are critical to putting the state on more sound financial footing.

"We're stuck, and here's the issue. I believe the math problem of the budget is not that difficult to solve," said Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno of Lemont. "Where we're stuck is that we absolutely have to have some reforms in order for this state to get on, and more importantly, stay on a path to prosperity."

It's now become a case of which side will flinch first. As Rauner continues to pitch his stance as positioning Illinois for a better economic future, Democrats have focused on the human toll of the fight. They've held hearing after hearing featuring testimony from those with the most to lose, namely people who rely on social service groups that receive the bulk of their funding from the state.

Most will be able to stay afloat for a few more weeks because the state is still paying for services they provided in the last budget year. But once those payments become current and the comptroller can no longer cut checks, groups that provide everything from home care for seniors to autism therapy for children could lay off workers, cut services or close completely.

Democrats say they're focused on piecemeal budget bills to keep those groups afloat, though that approach also could put Rauner in a political trick bag in which he must choose to approve or reject funding for sensitive programs.

A spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, agreed a budget resolution doesn't appear to be in the "near term" but said it's time for all sides to get back to the bargaining table instead of focusing on political theater.

"The Senate president is at a place where he thinks we need to recognize that we've dialed back the clock to January or February, and it's time to get a credible budget plan on the table," spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said.

But as the last several months have proved, that's easier said than done.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Sen. Toi Hutchinson, D-Olympia Fields. "It's two different worldviews

Rauner, Madigan hit a wall on Illinois budget - Daily Egyptian: News

Governor's budget office review suffers in stalemate

The stalemate between Democrats who control the General Assembly and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has left Illinois in a state of suspended animation.

Although state troopers are still out patrolling the roads and prison guards are keeping an eye on the inmates, there are some functions of government that are simply not getting done.

Take the governor's budget office, for example.

In January, the governor issued an executive order calling for the budget office to review state personnel contracts to determine if any of them were wasteful or improper.

Figuring that enough time had elapsed for the review to be complete, I recently asked for a copy of the results. The governor's office said it hadn't been done.

I also asked about the purpose of the review. Spokeswoman Catherine Kelly did not respond to multiple inquiries.

My guess is that the review was triggered by stories and investigations, including one by the Better Government Association, about cronies getting lucrative state contracts, as well as retirees going back to work for the state on contract while they were earning a state pension.

There are dozens of these kinds of double-dipping arrangements at numerous agencies under the control of the governor. Many of them appear to have been in place before Rauner took over as chief executive in January.

In all, there are more than 1,500 contract workers spread across various state agencies. The man who earns the most as a contract worker is Essam El-Beik, a Texas-based telecom expert who is a consultant on a state-run broadband Internet service.

In the first half of this year, El-Beik has earned more than $163,000.

Of the top 25 contract earners, seven are former state workers who, on top of receiving their pension checks, also are earning money for their current work.

Two of them, Scott Deubel and Mark Stevens, are former state police employees who now work for the Illinois Gaming Board. Both retirees have been paid more than $70,000 from their contracts this year.

In what came as absolutely no surprise, Kelly hilariously blamed the governor's lack of compliance with his own executive order on the governor's nemesis, House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago.

"Reviewing the employment contracts in state government is a momentous task, but before it can begin, (the budget office) is working on making sure the current fiscal year has a balanced budget in place," Kelly said.

A NEW WAY? In an unprecedented switch from his usually stealthy mode of operation, Madigan has been holding weekly news briefings.

the inmates, there are some functions of government that are simply not getting done.

Take the governor's budget office, for example.

In January, the governor issued an executive order calling for the budget office to review state personnel contracts to determine if any of them were wasteful or improper.

Figuring that enough time had elapsed for the review to be complete, I recently asked for a copy of the results. The governor's office said it hadn't been done.

I also asked about the purpose of the review. Spokeswoman Catherine Kelly did not respond to multiple inquiries.

My guess is that the review was triggered by stories and investigations, including one by the Better Government Association, about cronies getting lucrative state contracts, as well as retirees going back to work for the state on contract while they were earning a state pension.

There are dozens of these kinds of double-dipping arrangements at numerous agencies under the control of the governor. Many of them appear to have been in place before Rauner took over as chief executive in January.

In all, there are more than 1,500 contract workers spread across various state agencies. The man who earns the most as a contract worker is Essam El-Beik, a Texas-based telecom expert who is a consultant on a state-run broadband Internet service.

In the first half of this year, El-Beik has earned more than $163,000.

Of the top 25 contract earners, seven are former state workers who, on top of receiving their pension checks, also are earning money for their current work.

Two of them, Scott Deubel and Mark Stevens, are former state police employees who now work for the Illinois Gaming Board. Both retirees have been paid more than $70,000 from their contracts this year.

In what came as absolutely no surprise, Kelly hilariously blamed the governor's lack of compliance with his own executive order on the governor's nemesis, House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago.

"Reviewing the employment contracts in state government is a momentous task, but before it can begin, (the budget office) is working on making sure the current fiscal year has a balanced budget in place," Kelly said.

A NEW WAY? In an unprecedented switch from his usually stealthy mode of operation, Madigan has been holding weekly news briefings.

Last week, he was asked how the never-ending impasse will be resolved if the Democrats who control the legislative branch and Rauner aren't meeting on a more regular basis.

“I don’t necessarily agree with the first part of your remarks, that in the end this will be negotiated between the governor and the leaders. I don’t necessarily agree with that,” Madigan said. “I don’t think you should proceed under any presumptions that are based upon what happened in the past. I don’t necessarily presume that there will be some kind of a deal put together between the governor and the legislative leaders.”

Madigan didn't elaborate on how that might work.

One way of getting a budget in place without Rauner's signature would be for the Democrats to approve a new spending plan and then use their supermajorities to override a veto by the governor.

That scenario, however, would imply that Madigan actually wants the budget impasse to be resolved.

NOT SATISFIED: The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported last week that the state's unemployment rate dropped to 5.9 percent in June. It was the first time the state jobless rate fell below 6 percent since 2008.

It wasn't a cause for celebration in the Rauner camp. Positive economic news doesn't fit with their theme that Illinois is a crappy place to do business and therefore needs drastic, pro-business, anti-union changes to boost the economy.

“As jobs continue to leave Illinois, we need to focus on enacting reforms to reinvigorate our business climate and create greater economic opportunities for all Illinois families,” Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Jim Schultz said

 

It should be noted that Schultz also is chairman of Rauner's campaign fund.

kurt.erickson@lee.net|(217) 782-4043

Governor's budget office review suffers in stalemate

Rock River Valley counties paying more in fees for jurors - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

By Susan Vela
Rockford Register Star

Posted Jul. 18, 2015 at 5:48 PM
Updated Jul 18, 2015 at 5:49 PM

ROCKFORD — Jury trials in the Rock River Valley have become more costly for counties.

Effective June 1, state law required that jurors be paid $25 for the first day of duty and $50 a day for each day thereafter. Previously, jurors got $13 a day.

As a result, the cost for a two-day trial with a 12-member jury, plus two alternate jurors, has jumped from $364 to $1,050.

County officials say it’s an additional unfunded state mandate that makes budgeting perilous.

“What are they, $6 billion upside their current budget?” Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen said, referring to a state budget deficit recently projected to be nearly $4 billion. “They’re worried about what we pay jurors. How absurd. How utterly absurd. Even if that’s a priority, then fund it.”

In budget discussions this fall, Thomas Jakeway, Winnebago County’s trial court administrator, said he’ll ask for up to $300,000 to pay for increased jury costs.

For now, his annual budget is about $385,000. That covers juror fees, the county jury commission's staff of two full-time and two part-time employees, three jury commissioners, mailing, copying and other office expenses.

“We’re bound by what the legislative body puts forth,” Jakeway said. “Certainly, the jurors are a critical function of what we as the courts need. They preserve every citizen’s right to a jury trial. Fair and reasonable compensation is important, but the balance here is county-funded.”

Jakeway also is trial court administrator for Boone County, where jurors had been receiving $12.50 a day. Because of the change, he’s expecting to request $127,000 in the next budget year to pay for jurors. That's up from $45,000 in this year's budget.

Boone County State's Attorney Michelle Courier said she’s willing to start earlier in the day and stay later to keep jury-trial days to a minimum. Start and end times for trials are up to the judge.

“It’s going to be a strain on our local budget, which is already strained,” she said. “But ultimately, that is going to be up to the courts to decide.”

Stephenson County Circuit Court clerk Nate Luy began tracking the increased costs when the state mandate took effect. In June, the county paid $12,050 to jurors, compared with $3,300 in June 2014, when the cost was $10 a day plus mileage.

He’s still not sure how that will affect his budget requests for next year.

Continue reading:  Rock River Valley counties paying more in fees for jurors - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

High court denies Lisa Madigan bid for ruling on state worker paychecks - Chicago Tribune

 

Illinois Supreme Court on Friday declined to take up the question of whether state employees can be paid in full during the ongoing budget impasse, setting the stage for what could be a lengthy legal battle as Republican Comptroller Leslie Munger continues sending out paychecks.

The decision dealt a blow to Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who had asked the court to intervene after judges in Chicago and downstate delivered contradictory rulings on the issue last week.

 

By declining Madigan's emergency motion, the high court effectively said that the matter will need to move through the lower courts first, and there are two cases in which that could happen.

One was filed in St. Clair County, where a judge ruled last week that failing to deliver paychecks would violate state workers' collective bargaining agreements. Madigan is appealing that decision, but Munger has used it to justify sending out full paychecks to state workers.

The other case was filed in Cook County, where a judge last week told Munger to pay only the $7.25-per-hour federal minimum wage until state government gets a budget in place. Munger argued that her office did not have the technical ability to make the payroll change. On Friday, an appeals court voided the ruling and sent the case back to the Cook County judge to consider "hardships" to Munger and taxpayers.

Munger said the appellate court's ruling "removes any conflict between court decisions and allows my office to continue paying all state employees for their work."

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At any rate, the state Supreme Court's Friday decision not to immediately take up the two cases relieves pressure on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has tried to minimize fallout from his feud with ruling Democrats in the General Assembly by making sure paychecks keep flowing to workers.

Rauner and Democrats disagree over the new governor's pro-business, anti-union agenda, which has stalled a deal on a budget for the financial year that began July 1.

High court denies Lisa Madigan bid for ruling on state worker paychecks - Chicago Tribune

Letter to Editor: County Board & Animal Service Building