It appears that the number is $40,000,000 BUT WHAT IS THAT TO A BILLIONAIRE. see “Donations & Expenditures”
Note that Alpine Bancorporation WAS THE 15TH HIGHEST CONTRIBUTOR, donating $223.599.50.
Above information is from: http://illinoissunshine.org/committees/citizens-for-rauner-inc-25185/ This site also has available all expenses and contributions arranged by date.
A week after legislators left Springfield with no budget and no plan to fund education, Gov. Bruce Rauner began his Monday morning in Chicago, where he likened some of Chicago Public Schools to “crumbling prisons.”
By mid-day, the governor made his way to Ottawa — his third of three planned stops — where he again chose to pit Chicago against the rest of the state. There he reminded taxpayers to dial up their state representative —State Rep. Andy Skoog, a Democrat targeted by Republicans — to have him stand up against the “Chicago political machine
“They want your tax dollars to bail out Chicago,” Rauner said at an Ottawa courthouse. “That’s not right. It’s not fair to the people of LaSalle County or any other county in the state of Illinois. So we cannot allow that to happen. It’s not fair. But the super majority Democrats have said, publicly said, they want to hold up school funding. They want your schools not to open as leverage to try to force you to bail out the city of Chicago.”
The governor was met by dozens of union protesters, which forced a venue change in the town of about 18,500.
“I’m not anti-union. I’m pro-job creation, and I’m pro-taxpayer,” Rauner told the crowd, while reminding them his grandfather was a dairy farmer and union member.
It was a day of disparate messages for Rauner, who had set out to advocate for an education funding bill and a stopgap budget, but found himself calling Mayor Rahm Emanuel the “one major disappointment” during his 18-month term as governor, and also added “woeful” and “tragic” to his description of some CPS schools.
“The simple fact is that when you look objectively at the state of Chicago Public Schools, many of them are inadequate. Many of them are woeful, and some are just tragic. Many of them are basically almost crumbling prisons. They’re not a place a young person should be educated,” Rauner said.
The comments sparked outrage on Twitter, where CPS parents and students began a #notaprison campaign, detailing accomplishments at their schools.
It also brought out another Donald Trump comparison from Emanuel. Last week, Emanuel likened Rauner to the presumptive Republican presidential and condemned Rauner’s blame-game tour of the state.
On Monday, the mayor responded to Rauner comparing some CPS schools to “crumbling prisons” by escalating the war of words with his old friend, former business associate and vacation companion.
“Last week, I said his rhetoric of division and divisiveness — of targeting [and pitting] one group of people against another — was Trump-like. Now, it sounds like he’s auditioning to be Donald Trump’s running mate,” the mayor said.
Emanuel said Rauner “may have a stereotype that plays to his political philosophy, but those are not the results” in Chicago Public Schools under the mayor’s five-year watch.
“I would just say to him, ‘This is not about right-wing ideology. It’s about results.’”
“Now, I know you’re gonna try to play a political game and some rhetoric. [But] I ask all of you to do the responsible thing and put the data out about what the results are. It’s a University of Chicago report that talks about graduation rates, college attendance that are hitting remarkable highs,” the mayor said. The Sun-Times first reported the results Monday.
During his Chicago stop at technology hub 1871, Rauner talked about the failure of the General Assembly to pass a budget and said he is “deeply concerned” that schools might not open on time this fall.
While Rauner has said he’d put his “Turnaround Agenda” aside to fund education and get the state running, albeit temporary, he’s still advocating for changes in collective bargaining and workers compensation. Democrats say that will hurt the middle class. And Rauner has consistently said he won’t support a tax hike to balance the budget unless some of his favored reforms are attached.
Meanwhile, Democrats are trying to find a way to fund education and have long favored a complete reworking of the school funding formula. But for now, Rauner is pushing support for a bill to keep the doors open this fall that doesn’t include an overhaul of the formula.
Above is from: http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/gov-rauner-calls-some-cps-schools-are-like-crumbling-prisons/
Wednesday, Jun 8, 2016
* Voices for Illinois Children…
The legislative session is over, and Illinois is about to enter its second year without a budget. Where does all of this leave the state?
Voices for Illinois Children’s Fiscal Policy Center offers eight takeaways to put matters in perspective and lead the way to a solution that gets Illinois back to making the public investments needed for the state to flourish.
1) Illinois is Dismantling the Foundations of a Prosperous, Compassionate State. As the Fiscal Policy Center has chronicled, the lack of a fully-funded state budget is causing our higher education system to fall apart, service providers to shut down, and our safety net to collapse.
2) Public Safety is Jeopardized. At a time when Illinois needs a coordinated, public health-centered approach to violence that plagues many communities, we are going in the opposite direction, cutting mental health and substance abuse treatment, after-school opportunities for youth, and programs like Redeploy that rehabilitate youth in their communities.
3) Lack of Resources Drives This Crisis. The real problem is Illinois doesn’t have the money it takes to meet public needs. After last year’s 25-percent tax cut, Illinois needs more than $7 billion in new revenue a year to return to the level of services of the 2015 fiscal year — the last year with a full budget.
4) Delay In Raising Revenue Means More Debt. Illinois is racking up debt even with deep cuts in spending, because the state must still pay for a variety of things mandated under state and federal law. Every day lawmakers and Governor Rauner fail to agree on raising critically needed revenue, Illinois’ finances worsen.
5) Debt = Less Investment in Future. Increasing the state’s backlog of unpaid bills not only means unfair payment delays to people providing goods and services. It also restricts what Illinois can do in the future. Debt must be repaid using future revenue, taking resources away from schools, transportation, public safety, and other building blocks of broad prosperity.
6) Without More Revenue, Increases to Public School Funding Crowds Out Other Investments. Without new revenue, the large proposed increases to public school funding mean that Illinois will further increase its debt and be forced to cut a range of services for children and families that support children’s healthy growth and development. We cannot continue to pit education against human services — children and families need both to succeed.
7) Short-Term “Emergency” Budget is Not a Solution. At best, a six-month emergency budget to get elected officials past the November elections only slows the deterioration of our higher education system and our social safety net. Much of any emergency six-month budget would likely just fill existing holes and would not sustain critical services into next fiscal year.
8) Governor Rauner Has Bill on His Desk that is Part of His Desired Six-Month Budget. The legislature passed by large bipartisan majorities Senate Bill 2038 to provide urgently needed funds to service providers owed $700 million by the state. The money sits in state accounts, unable to be spent until Governor Rauner signs the legislation he received nearly three weeks ago. More than 220 organizations, including Voices, have urged him to sign this bill.
To avoid further damage to our state, lawmakers and Governor Rauner must come together to enact a fully funded budget that raises billions of dollars in new revenue to support critical services and public investment in Illinois’ future. Anything else falls far short of strengthening our state.
- Posted by Rich Miller 
Above is from: http://capitolfax.com/2016/06/08/8-crucial-points-to-remember-about-the-impasse/
To download the complete national report go to the address shown below
Above is from: http://features.marketplace.org/yourstateonwelfare/
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Above Illinois information is from: http://features.marketplace.org/yourstateonwelfare/illinois.html
Below are a series of emails received from Bill Breitsprecher regarding Great Lakes Basis Railroad and its lack of any formal application to the Surface Transportation Board. Mr.Breitsprecher, an opponent of the GLB RR, also speaks of Bakken Oil being the real rationale for the GLB RR. For your convenience some of the email is highlighted.
Today, I was informed that Victoria Rutson is on some type of leave. I
also just got off the phone with Michael Higgens and I believe he is
inappropriately telling me that I have no right to contact the different
sections at STB. While he said it was "as a courtesy", this sounds like
bullying to me.
Phillis Johnson Ball is the person under Victoria Rutson that needs to
hear from us. Ms. Johnson Ball, however, is making misrepresentations and
will only tell you to submit comments for the Phase 1 approval, even when
you need to learn more about this process to make informed comments.
I have given her the benefit of the doubt in previous encounters, but she
no longer deserves this courtesy and consideration.
While I hope others continue to submit comments, the problem is that if we
let STB misrepresent that our only right is to submit comments before June
15, 2016, we are helping them legitimize an illegitimate process.
Specifically here are some concerns about misrepresentations that Victoria
Rutson and her surrogates at STB cannot be allowed to get away with:
1. Victoria Rutson's letter (attached) dated September 22, 2016, clearly,
directly, and specifically states in its first sentence [... a 6-month
notification of intent and prodect details is] generally required for
construction projects under 49 C.F.R. § 1105.10(a)(1).
2. Two days ago, Ms. Johnson Ball directly stated to me that the waiver,
which Victoria Rutson has now admitted was not appropriate, was routinely
and typically granted. This directly contradicts the very first sentence
in Rutson's letter granting a waiver.
3. Today, Phillis Johnson Ball would not even admit that Phase 1
environmental review has anything to do with an "approval process". We
have all been told exactly the opposite, that this is the first "hurdle"
that must be cleared to gain approval. Sorry, I have to use the "L" word
here -- Johnson Ball knows it is a lie to proclaim Phase 1 is not part of
the approval process.
4. More important, Surface Transportation Board has never had a project
like this before it, yet Ms. Johnson Ball and others at STB misrepresent
that Frank Patton's nearly 300 mile railroad which claims will hijack 25%
of the through freight from each and every railroad serving Chicago is
somehow "typical". Nothing could be further from the truth. Dishonestly,
Johnson Ball falsely claims the only difference between GLBT and every
other project submitted in STB history is that GLBT is "controversial".
5. Any and all "controversy" related to GLBT is a direct result of
Victoria Rutson's waiver Patton and GLBT out of (in her own words) "[... a
6-month notification] generally required for construction projects under
49 C.F.R. § 1105.10(a)(1)." All "controversy" is because Frank Patton
refuses to file an application for GLBT and this must be because he cannot
or will not certify the information provided to STB as true under penalty
of law.
6. Any and all "controversy" about GLBT is a direct result of Frank
Patton refusing to submit a formal application and certify everything on
the docket as truthful under penalty of law.
7. Frank Patton has misrepresented far too many details to enumerate
here. I know you are informed about these. Despite what we now know to
be outright lies that he had "nondisclosure agreements" with the carriers
that would divert 25% of Chicago through-freight, Patton has initiated
Phase 1 review, the first step in the approval process, and today Phillis
Johnson Ball misrepresented that Phase 1 review has anything to do with
"approval".
7. Even though the September 22, 2015 letter from Victoria Rutson
explicitly states that as a direct result of a September 14, 2015 meeting,
"[...STB] believes it has adequate information to grant this request
[waiver of generally required notification under 49 C.F.R. §
1105.10(a)(1). and that GLB is sufficiently aware of OEA’s environmental
process" no one at STB will release any documentation nor make any
statements, representations, or provide details about that meeting.
We are being boxed into a classic "Catch-22":
Surface Transportation Board will not allow anyone to get information
about the approval process which increasing appears to be rigged to
exclude any and all meaningful comments. STB says our only right is to
submit comments to their illegitimate "Phase 1" process which, for the
first time today, Ms. Johnson Ball repeatedly misrepresented as being
irrelevant to approval!
I need others to file comments about these concerns. I know from
experience that STB has an internal process to marginalize and exclude any
individual that brings legitimate points to the docket that are
irrefutable. Please call me if you want to know more.
I can no longer enable the sham STB is perpetrating on us by submitting
comments that are not allowed to be discussed and which STB constantly
shifts their position on. Please encourage others to submit comments and
please continue submitting what you choose.
However, please also keep in mind that, when this charade ends, STB and
GLBT will proclaim that we had our chance to "comment" and that now we
have no right to question the abuse of the approval process. Sadly, our
comments may only serve to provide false credibility to a corrupt system.
Bill Breitsprecher
608.556.2062
Attachments area
Preview attachment stbToGLBTwaiver.pdf stbToGLBTwaiver.pdf 41 KB
I have spend hours talking to different people at STB in Washington D.C.
and urge you to also make phone calls and demand STB explain their
process, why Frank Patton was waived out of a 6-month notification period,
and how a proposal with no specifics or even stated land-uses warrants an
environmental statement. A "key contacts" listing for STB is attached.
Please look at page 50 in the link below -- an actual application to STB
for a rail project from April 2016. Please note that, when submitted, the
applicant is required to certify under penalty of perjury that:
1. All details and statements in the application are honest, accurate,
and correct
2. The person submitting is qualified to make these representation
http://www.stb.dot.gov/FILINGS/all.nsf/c72552abc289f85285257515007219bd/57f4373ac7aa362485257f9a00701128/$FILE/240520.pdf
Frank has refused to submit an application, which should not surprise
anyone as he constantly changes the GLBT narrative. Is it privately or
publicly funded. Will there be "quiet zones" or not? Does he have
"nondisclosure agreements" with any railroad? Where is he going to get
25% of Chicago freight from? Who are the silent partners/backers? Are
oil interests involved? Are other railroads involved?
We need to demand that the approval process is stopped until Frank Patton
submits an application and certifies the representations he is making.
Garbage in, garbage out. It is a travesty that the process has begun with
no details from GLBT "managing partner" Frank Patton on the docket.
Attachments area
Preview attachment KeyContacts 9-8-15.pdf KeyContacts 9-8-15.pdf 25 KB
Bakken crude is the most dangerous commodity on the rails and GLBT is designe...
Bakken crude is the most dangerous commodity on the rails and GLBT is
designed to put this and other hazardous materials through rural
communities, bypassing Chicago. You have all seen reports of this
weekend's UP Derailment and Bakken crude disaster.
Media reports have been wrong, 14 Bakken crude tank cars derailed. Even
worse, Union Pacific Railroad has admitted there is no way to put out
fires and minimize damage -- "[...] the recommended approach is to
evacuate and let the tanks just burn out."
http://www.desmogblog.com/2016/06/05/luck-rides-rails-another-near-miss-bakken-bomb-train
This is why the current STB Phase 1 approvals are a charade. They gave
GLBT's Frank Patton (now identified as a "managing partner" by media
reports and not the CEO) a free pass on all details of his railroad's
operations and land-use. There cannot be a legitimate environmental study
without these details.
We can now see that the as-of-yet officially unstated need and rational
for GLBT is to get the most dangerous traffic on rails out of America's
most-densely populated urban corridors.
All parties involved know that would be impossible to fully-evacuate a 1
mile corridor (1/2 mile each way) and simply let a Chicago Metro rail-bomb
burn out. The costs would also exceed any railroad or insurance company's
ability to pay.
Please not take representations by Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern that
they will not ship anything on GLBT at face value. This traffic can and
will be diverted around Chicago as no railroad nor shipper can financially
justify the risks of running this volatile and explosive commodity through
Chicago daily.
Please continue to submit comments to Surface Transportation Board,
including the fact that Mosier Fire Chief Calls Shipping Bakken Crude Oil
By Rail 'Insane:
http://www.opb.org/news/series/oil-trains/oil-sheen-slick-found-columbia-river-mosier-train-derailment/
But we cannot be silenced when STB arbitrary, unjust, and unfair "comment
period" expires on June 15th. I hope we can build a group of citizens to
continue to provide leadership to challenge the way Phase 1 approval is
being abused by Frank Patton.
I believe it will be important to put together a follow-up of our Great
Lakes Basin Rail: News and Views to keep people connected and informed.
We need to share strategies and actions to challenge the Phase 1 approval
after June 15th.
Bill Breitsprecher
608.556.2062
MILTON—Milton has joined the growing number of Rock County municipalities that oppose a proposed rail line that would stretch from Milton to Indiana, running south around Chicago.
Milton City Council members Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Great Lakes Basin Rail Line project, which would cut through hundreds of acres of land, most of it farmland, in Rock County alone.
Most of the county's 20 towns have passed resolutions opposing the rail line.
“It is a serious issue,” Mayor Anissa Welch said. “It affects a lot of farmland. It affects a lot of our families that live nearby us.”
At best, city council members expressed neutrality on the railroad concept.
Whether it's highways packed with trucks, the sky filled with planes or a rail line that cuts across the Midwest, products need some way to get from place to place, councilwoman Lynda Clark said.
“Commerce needs transportation, and I'm not saying I'm for this or I'm opposed to this, but it is something we the people have to think about,” she said.
Another railroad could harm the Milton House, a nationally recognized historic site, she said.
Councilman Ryan Holbrook also was on the fence on the issue. He pointed out the benefits a rail line could offer businesses and different markets, but he acknowledged the rail line wouldn't do much—if any—good for Milton.
The railroad could significantly decrease the time it takes trains to reach the East Coast. It would cost $6 billion to $8 billion and would be funded by private investors.
Councilwoman Nancy Lader wondered why the rail line would end up in developer Bill Watson's “driveway.”
“I find that very uncomfortable,” she said.
Residents have expressed concerns that Watson, who owns plenty of land near Milton, might develop gravel pits if he had a convenient way to transport the gravel.
Council members agreed there were plenty of unanswered questions and a short window of time to get them answered. The federal Surface Transportation Board is taking comments to determine municipalities' views on the rail line, but only until mid-June.
Councilman Dave Adams asked if the rail line would increase the amount of hazardous materials traveling through Milton.
It could, Fire Chief Loren Lippincott said, but he doesn't know what would be transported. Other fire departments in Illinois and Indiana have the same concerns.
“There's never been any formal plan presented to anybody in Wisconsin,” Lippincott said.
Milton already has a railroad, and no rail line official has presented a study about why another railroad is necessary, Welch said.
“I wanted Milton to have an opportunity to weigh in on this because … it could have a major impact,” she said. “There's too many questions, in my mind.”
Above is from: http://www.gazettextra.com/20160608/milton_opposes_controversial_rail_line
