Mayors to Rauner: 'Follow our lead, don't cripple our progress' | Chicago

 

A group of suburban mayors is pushing back against Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal to cut in half the amount of state money that goes to municipalities, saying their residents are asked to pay the price for the state’s lack of fiscal discipline.

“Follow our lead, don’t cripple our progress,” said Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, who said he already had to lay off 185 employees to contend with budget shortfalls after the economic recession.

Mayors from Downers Grove, to Lynwood to Hanover Park, complained that they already made drastic cuts that lawmakers in Springfield failed to make in the years following the recession and the housing bubble burst.

Downers Grove Mayor Martin Tully said the state now wants to dip into a $1.2 billion Local Government Distributive Fund, money that covers 10 percent to 15 percent of local municipality budgets and are dedicated to essential services such as police, fire, garbage and snow removal. They launched a new website, ProtecttMyTown.com, for residents to quickly send letters to state lawmakers or the governor’s office about the potential impact of the cutbacks. Rauner’s proposed cuts were part of his plan to deal with a $6 billion shortfall after allowing the state’s income tax increase to expire.

The mayors further complained about Rauner’s statewide tour asking local towns to sign onto his Turnaround Agenda, arguing he has failed to provide details on what exactly it is and what it would do. Tully said in his experience, the details from the governor’s Turnaround have “evolved,” leaving him at a loss over what he’s asking his community to sign on to.

Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig said he was equally at a loss for details.

“Up to date, it’s like a shuffling of the deck. We don’t see the cards, and basically we’re asked to respond to a number of platitudes,” said Craig. “If they can’t put it in clear writing, give me the clear facts and legislation then we’re going to struggle with that. . . . We’re happy to work with him, [but] we’re struggling with the facts that don’t exist.”

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Mayors to Rauner: 'Follow our lead, don't cripple our progress' | Chicago

US union membership sinking, except for managers: study - Yahoo News

 

protester holds a sign during a march for labor and union rights on March 4, 2015 in New York City (AFP Photo/Spencer Platt)

Washington (AFP) - Labor union membership has sunk across the United States over the past 15 years for most jobs except legal workers, mathematicians and, ironically, management, according to a study published Monday.

The Pew Research Center's new survey said that the number of union members in jobs classified as "management occupations" rose from 438,000 to 562,000 in the 2000-2014 period.

Over the same period, the number of union members in manufacturing jobs fell by nearly half to 1.1 million.

In another once relatively strongly unionized sector -- installation, maintenance and repair occupations -- the number of union members fell from 933,000 to 655,000, according to the study.

Overall union membership sank to 14.6 million people last year, or just 11 percent of the workforce, marking a steady slide since the peak of the labor movement in the 1950s, when nearly 35 percent were in labor unions.

Pew said the gain in management occupations involved not high-level executives but people deemed management because they had authority over others, including school administrators, construction foremen, food-service managers and other supervisory personnel.

And the rate of union membership in the category remains extremely low at 4.5 percent.

The losses in union jobs over the past three decades have all been in the private sector, while public sector unions remain strongest.

Many economists blame the growth in income disparity across the country to the weakening of unions. In the past three years unions have fueled a growing movement to force higher wages for low-paid workers in retail and fast-food service jobs.

Despite a decline in pro-union sentiment, the Pew study said more Americans still support the right to unionize.

Forty-eight percent have a favorable view toward unions, compared with 39 percent unfavorable. Just five years ago, more people had negative views of unions.

There was relatively stronger support for the right to unionize: 62 percent of people back fast-food workers in their right to set up and join unions, and 82 percent back the same rights for manufacturing and factory workers.

But only 45 percent of those surveyed say the fall in union membership has been bad, while 43 percent say it has been mostly good for the country.

US union membership sinking, except for managers: study - Yahoo News

Rauner details more budget cuts

 

SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Bruce Rauner's effort to patch a big hole in this year's budget includes cutting aid for low-income college students and programs for sexual assault and homeless youth.

Documents obtained Thursday by the Lee Enterprises Springfield bureau show the Republican governor's attempts to close a $1.6 billion budget gap will mean reductions to the state's Monetary Award Program, which helps students offset the cost of college tuition.

Nursing homes face a 16.75 percent reduction in Medicaid reimbursement rates saving an estimated $53 million, while programs that pay for sexual assault treatment, domestic violence initiatives, homeless youth programs and teen parents also will see $1.1 million in cuts, the documents note.

The latest list of cuts came as Rauner aides met behind closed doors with budget officials from the legislative branch as part of a pow-wow to outline the latest developments in the governor's attempt to manage the state's budget mess.

State Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, attended the session. Steans, who is a lead budget negotiator for Democrats in the Senate, said the specific programs identified for reductions were not a surprise.

"It is totally aligned with what we expected when we worked to close the $1.6 billion gap," said Steans.

Members of the House and Senate last month approved a plan to cut most state agencies by 2.25 percent and allow Rauner to dip into a series of special state funds to fill the hole that occurred when the state's temporary income tax expired in January.

But, some social service programs had already run out of money, leaving Rauner aides the task of picking through individual programs to find the 2.25 percent savings as the clock ticks down on the state's fiscal year, which ends July 1.

Among those announced Thursday was the University of Illinois Sickle Cell Center in Chicago.

In addition, as part of the deal with lawmakers, hospitals were spared, putting the Medicaid savings largely on the back of the state's nursing homes.

The current year budget remains a sticking point for the governor and Democrats who control the General Assembly.

On Good Friday, Rauner riled Democrats when he made another $26 million in cuts to programs covering autism therapy, indigent burials, epilepsy treatment and addiction prevention.

Democrats in the Senate Wednesday rammed through a plan to jumpstart funding for those programs, but House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, believes Rauner has the ability to fund those programs without legislative help.

Rauner budget chief Tim Nuding has warned lawmakers that the governor might not be done when it comes to cutting programs as a way to close the budget gap.

kurt.erickson@lee.net

Rauner details more budget cuts

Rauner appointee to Illinois Gaming Board heads group that took money from casino: BGA | Chicago

 

A Gov. Bruce Rauner appointee to the Illinois Gaming Board heads a group that has taken money from the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, the state’s most lucrative casino.

In naming Illinois State Police special agent Hector Alejandre last month to the board that regulates the state’s casinos, Rauner said Alejandre “will bring a law enforcement perspective to the position.”

The governor noted that Alejandre is the president of the Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association, or HISLEA, a nonprofit organization of Latino police officers.

The group — which holds safety seminars and provides college scholarships — has taken $5,500 in donations from Rivers since 2012. The money went toward scholarships and programs, according to Juan Valenzuela, a spokesman for the group.

Alejandre wouldn’t talk about that.

Don Tracy, who chairs the gaming board, said that after being asked about the casino’s donations, Alejandre has agreed to recuse himself from voting on anything involving Rivers that comes before the board in the next six months.

Valenzuela said the group has decided not to take any more donations from Rivers Casino as long as Alejandre is on the gaming board.

Another HISLEA member, past president Isaiah “Danny” Vega, is the gaming board’s deputy administrator of enforcement, investigating casinos to ensure they’re operating above board.

The Rivers Casino donations came while Vega and Alejandre were both top officers of HISLEA.

Vega didn’t return calls seeking comment.

Mark Ostrowski, the gaming board’s administrator, said Alejandre and Vega haven’t broken any agency rules.

But Aaron Jaffee, who was gaming board chairman, under former Gov. Pat Quinn, said “people who sit on the board can’t take money” from the casino industry. “We’ve always held very strict standards.”

In January, Rauner replaced Jaffe with Tracy, a Springfield lawyer.

“The administration does not believe these prior donations, which help support scholarship programs, will impact Hector Alejandre’s ability to remain impartial while a member of the Illinois Gaming Board,” a Rauner spokeswoman said. “The last donation to the HISLEA by Rivers Casino was more than six months ago, and it will decline any future contributions.”

A Rivers spokesman didn’t respond to requests for comment.

 

The gaming board regulates the state’s 10 casinos.

Last year, Rivers reported taking in more than $425 million after paying winnings, a figure that made the casino the most lucrative in Illinois, state records show.

Rauner’s EPA pick and his lobbyist-father

In January, Ryan McCreery was in the private sector, trying to calm Kentucky residents who feared that a natural gas pipeline proposed by his then-employer would contaminate drinking water.

Today, he’s one of the state’s top environmental regulators, hired by the Rauner administration in February as deputy director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Asked about his environmental experience, McCreery pointed to his time as a contractor and public affairs manager for the gas and oil pipeline company Kinder Morgan.

“I partnered with stakeholders on many different projects,” he said in response to questions, “with the objective to expand energy infrastructure in an environmentally conscious and compliant manner.”

McCreery’s father, W. Michael McCreery, os a longtime Springfield lobbyist. And the elder McCreery intends to lobby the Illinois EPA, he says in a registration statement filed with the state.

Ryan McCreery said there will be no conflict of interest, though.

“My father has listed numerous agencies under ‘lobbying intent,’” Ryan McCreery said. “He does so on an annual basis so as to be covered in case he gains new clients throughout the reporting period.”

Ryan McCreery said his father doesn’t have any current environment-related clients, nor will he take any as long as his son is deputy director of the state EPA.

Michael McCreery didn’t return calls.

Ryan McCreery said Nancy Kimme, acting on behalf of Rauner’s transition team, recruited him. Kimme, a lobbyist, was chief of staff for Judy Baar Topinka, the late Illinois state comptroller. Kimme couldn’t be reached for comment.

— Brett Chase

Rauner appointee to Illinois Gaming Board heads group that took money from casino: BGA | Chicago

Illinois GOP targets political hiring; Democrats wary | Miami Herald Miami Herald

 

Illinois Republicans have unveiled legislation backed by Gov. Bruce Rauner they say will clean up state hiring rules that allow a governor to hand out jobs to loyal lieutenants instead of hiring strictly on merit.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Karen McConnaughay of St. Charles, is intended to rectify problems uncovered last year in a hiring scandal at the Illinois Department of Transportation under former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn.

It defines the type of employee a governor may hire without restrictions, because he needs someone with a similar political affiliation to carry out his wishes. The U.S. Supreme Court recognized the need for such allegiance to the boss among high-ranking policymakers. In a 1990 case from Illinois known as "Rutan," the high court decreed, however, that most government jobs should be open to anyone who can show proper ability and skill.

But majority Democrats in the General Assembly are wary. The bulk of McConnaughay's measure is devoted to limits placed on collective bargaining units, going so far as to remove some employees from labor unions and empowering the government to transfer or dismiss those found to have been improperly hired at IDOT. They warn that the bill could lead to more politics in state hiring.

It also includes a "hiring reform" section which directs agencies under the governor to correct faulty job descriptions, revise procedures for determining exempt positions and seek to decertify union coverage where appropriate.

"It's good legislation," Rauner said last week. "We strongly support it. We look forward to having hearings about it."

Posts for which a governor may hand-pick candidates based on loyalty, such as those handling confidential information or who speak publicly for the executive, are for the most part not covered by the Supreme Court rules. They're referred to as Rutan-exempt.

In recent years, investigations showed IDOT hired more than 250 employees into jobs the agency described as performing duties that would exempt them from hiring rules, meaning IDOT could hire anyone it chose for them. But then some did routine work such as mowing grass or answering phones — jobs that should have been available to the general public. Many were transferred into jobs that had union protection, defeating the purpose of the politics exemption, which should have meant that they could be fired, as well as hired, at will.

"That was always the intention, that Rutan-exempt employees are at-will employees," McConnaughay told The Associated Press last week. "That in itself is an automatic conflict with collective bargaining. ... You can't have it both ways."

The GOP stance has the support of Noelle Brennan, a federal court monitor appointed to assess state hiring after the authors of a 45-year-old legal challenge to Chicago patronage practices trained their sights on IDOT. In her March interim report, Brennan called the matter an "inherent conflict." She declined last week to comment on McConnaughay's legislation.

The legislation tackles the issue by declaring that Rutan provisions trump collective bargaining unit rules "to ensure that political affiliation is not considered in filling Rutan-covered positions and that collective bargaining units are protected from improper political influence."

The plan also changes the definition of who is eligible to join a union, including eliminating anyone who is exempt from Rutan hiring rules.

But simply removing them from bargaining units could make them purely political, expanding partisanship in state employment, according to the state council of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The proposal "would result in stripping thousands of public employees of their right to be represented by a union," AFSCME Council 31 spokesman Anders Lindall said, "with the perverse result, given the bill's supposed purpose, of giving agencies even greater leeway to circumvent the merit system." It would do "nothing to prevent future political hiring scandals," he said.

To union-friendly Democrats, it could lead to "unintended consequences," said Sen. Gary Forby of Benton, the chairman of the Labor Committee which will decide whether to give McConnaughay's bill a hearing as early as next week. He said he will discuss the issues with McConnaughay.

"Given the history and sensitivity of this issue, we need to take some time and give this a closer look to make sure there are no unintended consequences," Forby said. "For example, the last thing we would want is for something to increase the role of politics in government employment decisions."

Above is from:  Illinois GOP targets political hiring; Democrats wary | Miami Herald Miami Herald

Vernon Hills dismisses Rauner 'Turnaround Agenda' - Vernon Hills Review

 

Vernon Hills followed suit with Libertyville and on April 21 decided not to vote in support of Gov. Bruce Rauner's controversial "Turnaround Agenda."

"There's an awful lot of affirmation in this document that we have absolutely no control over," Mayor Roger Byrne said during the regularly scheduled board meeting. "We're a municipality. This authority being discussed goes against the charter of our state."

Municipalities throughout Illinois are being asked to approve a pre-written resolution that pledges support for a number of Rauner's ideas.

Gov. Bruce Rauner's controversial "Turnaround Illinois Agenda" died on the floor without a single Libertyville trustee willing to recommend approval during an April 14 meeting. ( Rick Kambic )

The proposal advocates for a change to state law allowing municipalities to decide whether or not people should have to join a union as a condition of employment, a practice known as "right to work."

Among several other items, the resolution also pledges support for reforming workers' compensation laws and removing the state requirements for government construction contracting, also known as "prevailing wage."

Village documents indicate Rauner's administration wanted an unmodified resolution approved and sent to Springfield by April 23.

"There's a crisis in Springfield. We can't ignore that," Byrne continued. "This isn't the way to fix it."

Just as in Libertyville last week none of the six Vernon Hills trustees motioned to approve Rauner's proclamation.

"The whole concept of the right-to-work zones is not going to fly. It's an incredibly ill-thought-out concept that the attorney general already said doesn't cut it," Trustee Thom Koch said. "Putting aside whether it's right or wrong, this is a matter to be discussed downstate — not in our chambers."

Although Rauner's proposal was dismissed, Byrne still encouraged discussion.

"You all came here and sat through our regular business, so you might as well speak your piece," Byrne told a group of 42 union engineers, electricians, firefighters and teachers. Nine people took the opportunity.

Among them was at least one Rauner supporter. Lisa Fugina said union teachers in many of the local school districts spend the minimum required amount of time in their classrooms.

"I pay extremely high taxes in Lincolnshire so that my kids can go to good schools, but I don't think they are getting the quality education they deserve," Fugina said. "I'm tired of study halls once a day for kids who aren't even in high school. I'm sorry, homework should be done at home."

Fugina said her job in the medical manufacturing industry is non-union and she doesn't think it's so bad.

"I'm a working mom for 30 plus years at organizations that are considered right-to-work. I get objectives every year and ratings by supervisors," Fugina said. "My raise is not based on a law that gets passed, but instead on how well I performed my job that past year."

The rest of the speakers opposed Rauner's proposal.

Thomas J. Lauman Jr. of Mundelein said his daughters go to Vernon Hills High School and he fears for their future. Lauman is a member of International Union Of Operating Engineers Local 150.

"I'd like to see everyone make an honest living. That's all I make. I don't even eclipse six figures, unlike the governor's wife in her new role as first lady," Lauman said. "I just want to help my kids get through college. If right to work passes, my income will go back to the Stone Age and I'll be struggling to support just myself."

Byrne responded with laughter.

"Yeah, I don't think any of you guys take home $53 million a year," Byrne said. "I don't blame you for being defensive."

Another speaker, Rick Rottman of Gurnee, told trustees he is a business manager for the Libertyville-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 150.

He praised Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik for ignoring Rauner's proposal, but he said Vernon Hills is the real winner.

"Gurnee Mills was built by a bunch of fly-by-night guys who jumped across the Wisconsin border. Everything at Hawthorn Mall except two small stores was built by us, and we were paid a living wage that gave us some spending power," Rottman said. "I have always encouraged our membership to shop Hawthorn because one hand feeds the other."….

Read more by clicking on the following:  Vernon Hills dismisses Rauner 'Turnaround Agenda' - Vernon Hills Review

Bob O'Dekirk blasts Gov. Bruce Rauner on right-to-work zones | The Herald-News

By BOB OKON - bokon@shawmedia.com

JOLIET – Mayor-elect Bob O'Dekirk criticized Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposal for so-called right-to-work zones, saying it would hurt Joliet and Will County.

O'Dekirk said Wednesday that because of the area's strong union tradition, it would likely be hurt if other communities could put into place right-to-work zones.

"Will County and Joliet is a strong union community,"

O'Dekirk said. "I would see Will County and Joliet put at a disadvantage, given the history of unions in this area."

O'Dekirk said Illinois communities that establish right-to-work zones could use them to draw companies and jobs away from those who do not.

Rauner's proposal is to let local communities opt for "Right to Work" laws that bar unions from negotiating contracts that require all employees in a workplace to join a union.

The governor was in Joliet in March making his case for local right-to-work zones.

On Wednesday, Rauner's office issued a statement saying local communities should decide the issue and, "If Joliet voters want to allow unions, the governor has not issue with that. He just wants them to have a choice."

O'Dekirk's comments came after he issued a statement Tuesday that said Rauner's proposal is "anti-worker" and dividing Illinois.

"I will be glad to join Gov. Bruce Rauner in any economic development efforts that recognize the rights of labor unions to operate and so would labor union members who want more job opportunities, but Rauner needs to stop the anti-worker rhetoric that is dividing our efforts to revitalize the state and local economy," O'Dekirk said in the statement.

He also said Rauner had "toned down his anti-union rhetoric to get elected" and said the governor's comments since the election show "he would prefer that Illinois workers have no right to organize."

O'Dekirk was elected April 7 and takes office May 4.

Bob O'Dekirk blasts Gov. Bruce Rauner on right-to-work zones | The Herald-News

NFL concussion settlement granted final approval by judge - LA Times

 

A federal judge granted final approval Wednesday to the settlement of long-running concussion litigation between the NFL and retired players.

In a 132-page opinion in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, Judge Anita Brody called the deal "fair, reasonable and adequate."

Experts for the NFL and retired players project that about 6,000 of the estimated 19,000 retired players would be eligible for compensation, but only 3,600 of them would choose to participate.

“Today’s decision powerfully underscores the fairness and propriety of this historic settlement,” NFL Executive Vice President and general counsel Jeff Pash said in a statement.

Pash added that the settlement would bring “prompt and substantial benefits” to retired players and their families.

The agreement compensates retired players who suffer from a variety of problems, including Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Monetary awards will be determined based on scale that takes into account a player's seasons in the NFL, age at diagnosis and other criteria.

The maximum payout for a player with Alzheimer's, for example, will be $3.5 million. But awards decrease significantly when offsetting factors are considered. The average payout for Alzheimer’s is expected to be $190,000 when age and experience are factored in.

Though there is no limit to the overall amount the NFL could pay out to the retired players, the individual award amounts are capped at amounts that range from $1.5 million for Level 1.5 dementia to $5 million for ALS.

"Despite the difficult health situations retired players face today and that many more will unfortunately face in the future, they can take comfort that this settlement's benefits will be available soon, and will last for decades to come,” said Christopher Seeger and Sol Weiss, co-lead counsels for the retired players, in a statement.

The final settlement revises a deal first reached by NFL and retired players in August 2013 to remove a $675-million cap on payouts to retired players and make other adjustments.

“We are pleased that the settlement was substantially improved as a result of objections that we made,” said Steven F. Molo, lead attorney for retired players who objected to terms of the deal. “We are reviewing the court’s detailed opinion to determine where things go next.”

An appeal of Brody’s decision would delay any benefits until the matter is resolved.

The deal covers all retired players or their estates who didn't opt out by the deadline last fall, regardless of whether they sued the NFL. Around 200 players or their families -- including that of late San Diego Chargers great Junior Seau -- decided to not participate in the settlement. They can pursue litigation on their own.

Retired players and their families have 180 days to register for the settlement. They’ll be ineligible for payouts if they don’t.

An analysis by the plaintiffs estimated an average 12-month wait for retired players from filing a claim to receiving a payout. In some cases, the wait could be as long as 24 months.

Attorneys for dozens of retired players filed the first concussion lawsuit against the NFL in Los Angeles Superior Court in July 2011. The case grew to more than 300 lawsuits which were consolidated in federal court.

NFL concussion settlement granted final approval by judge - LA Times

City of Dixon moves against “Turnaround Illinois”

The following resolution was passed by the Dixon City Council

 

* Here are some other Illinois localities:

 

On to Mt. Zion…

The Mount Zion Board of Trustees quashed a resolution in favor of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda” on Monday, causing a packed audience to erupt in applause.

The resolution had been introduced and immediately tabled at the board’s previous meeting April 6 without discussion. […]

Though initially included for discussion and approval for Monday’s meeting, the agenda was amended Sunday with the removal of the resolution.

“The resolution was taken off because we did not feel there was support for it,” Mayor Don Robinson said.

* Wauconda…

Labor union members and their supporters filled the Wauconda High School cafeteria Tuesday night to oppose a controversial proposal by Gov. Bruce Rauner that would weaken labor unions in the state.

And when they were done, the village board members criticized the new governor’s plan, too, saying the issue needs to be resolved in the state Capitol, not village boardrooms. […]

Tuesday’s Wauconda village board meeting was moved to the high school because the crowd that showed up at village hall for the meeting was too large to fit in the boardroom.

Of the 100 or so people in the audience at the school cafeteria, about a dozen spoke about Rauner’s plan and the board’s proposed supportive resolution.

All of them criticized the plan, saying it would lower wages and hurt middle-class families. […]

When it came time for the trustees to speak, they were similarly critical of the resolution.

* Related…

* Voters should decide on a local right-to-work law, Effingham County Board says: The Effingham County Board passed a non-binding resolution on Monday supporting the “local empowerment” aspect of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s economic agenda. The seven Republicans on the board supported the resolution, while the two Democrats opposed it. Before the vote, the board heard opposition from union leaders such as Jason McKinley of the Illinois Building Trades Council.

* Charleston Representatives, community members speak out about resolution: John Kraft, a graduate student of political science and a member of the Edgar County Watchdogs, said he supported the resolution; however, he thought the way the council passed it was problematic. “I previously asked the council and the mayor to place it in a new agenda and vote on it again after complying with the Illinois Open Meetings Act,” Kraft said.

* Residents address Charleston City Council on right-to-work resolution

* Campton village trustees delay decision on prevailing wage act - Will discuss the issue again in May

* Union Files Lawsuit Alleging Meeting Violation By McHenry County Board: A labor union claims the McHenry County Board violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act when at least eight of its members gathered at a private discussion with Gov. Bruce Rauner at the Woodstock Opera House April 8. The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 filed a lawsuit against the County Board April 17, accusing board members of failing to comply with a state law that requires the public be allowed to attend government meetings. “It appears to be a very, very clear violation of the Open Meetings Act,” said Edward Maher, a spokesman for Countryside-based IUOE Local 150.

* McLean County suggests mandates Illinois could eliminate: The county has submitted recommendations, such as tightening eligibility requirements for the state municipal retirement fund , reducing the number of property tax exemptions, eliminating juror pay, no longer publishing legal notices and pulling back on expanded voter access.

Field notes: In Naperville Rauner’s anti-union Turnaround takes a u-turn. | Fred Klonsky

 

At nearly ten o’clock this evening and after listening to well over 30 outraged Naperville residents, one exasperated and tired Council member reluctantly agreed that even the passage of their paired-down version of Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda would be all too symbolic of a victory for Rauner’s entire agenda, one which includes an attack on unions and collective bargaining.

The Naperville version had expunged the “whereas” positions regarding collective bargaining and unfunded liabilities, but enough of the old language remained to aggravate a strongly union audience, which made it clear through various speakers their opposition to any of it.

“Empowerment zones,” one speaker cited, “are described by Rauner in his State of the State speech as regions in which fair share, collective bargaining, and unions can be avoided. Your dropping of the term ‘collective bargaining’ does not drop the intent in the governor’s own stated definition.”  He went on to quote those sections of the speech.

In fact, most if not all of the Council members in Naperville seemed unclear about any of the language in the remaining ten position points.    When asked about what empowerment zones were, they instead threw questions back to the speakers.

Various speakers, some still wearing their work clothes, proudly walked to the podium tutored them and the audience.

One council member asked if “anyone could tell me what the 280 unfunded mandates are?” People in the audience, realizing that the Council was looking at the adoption of a resolution without knowing what it meant, were concerned and understandably unsettled.

One articulate representative for union carpenters was asked if he knew what Prevailing Wage meant.  He walked the members of the Naperville Council through the levels of pay, which are set in Springfield, not local entities. He explained why various states had different levels of Prevailing Wages. He educated the Council on the arduous but necessary path to a level considered a qualified professional carpentry.  His answer seemed illuminating for them.

In fact, his explanation was so lucid and comprehensible; they even asked him to explain what Illinois compensation for workers was. (Again, these questions from a panel of a City Council about to move a resolution regarding these terms, concepts, and understandings – all of which could have significant impact on the people before them and the citizens not in attendance.)

He explained the complicated but necessary determinations of costs given for a loss of a finger, an arm (right vs. left), and an eye.  He also explained what a traveling injury might look like from the perspective of a worker asked to go to another job site.

Unembarrassed, they even asked the carpenter representative if he knew what the 280 unfunded mandates were.  He threw his hands up and said, “Ask Rauner.  He’s got a couple million to find the answer.”  Applause.

Additional citizens appeared, warning the outgoing Mayor Pradel to avoid leaving this pathetic resolution as his legacy.  Others warned the incoming mayor the passage of such a resolution would besmirch his own leadership for his term in office.  Many more decried the continued attack by people like Rauner on the middle class.

“Why would you bring this forward as many of you prepare to leave the Council?  “Why this last minute push to put this resolution through as our Mayor and many of you prepare to retire from your positions?  Is this some kind of lame-duck action about which you’ve given little if any thought?

After the open forum ended, two of the Council members described the phone messages they had received from Rauner.  He called them each and asked them to push forward the Turnaround Agenda in Naperville.  One was eager to describe how the Governor has no caller ID when he calls.  The other still had his message on his phone.

“But now,” said one of them, “I can see that we cannot pass this without tacitly approving in appearance all of the agenda for Rauner.”

The incoming Mayor Chirico asked the resolution be tabled indefinitely, but he added that he was looking forward to “helping the Governor in some way to make Illinois great again.”  Promises to review the Turnaround Agenda at a later date were proposed by many of the Council members. Chirico added, “We might all have to sacrifice.”

Field notes: In Naperville Rauner’s anti-union Turnaround takes a u-turn. | Fred Klonsky

Miller: Gov. Bruce Rauner has big bucks behind 'Turnaround' campaign | Northwest Herald

 

Gov. Bruce Rauner devised a new way to reward his friends and punish his enemies on Thursday when he created a campaign committee called “Illinois Turnaround.”  

Illinois Turnaround is an independent expenditure committee, meaning contributions to it and by it are not capped by law. The committee’s officially stated purpose is to “support state legislative candidates who support Gov. Rauner’s bold and needed reforms, and to oppose those who stand in the way.”

According to Rauner insiders, the new committee will be given $4 million to $5 million within days of its founding. That’s in addition to the $20 million the governor has in his own personal campaign account, which won’t be touched for this particular effort. Spending on advertising is expected to begin soon after the money comes in.

The governor’s campaign also released a polling memo which purports to show the public backs his agenda. While his job approval rating is just 38 percent, his disapproval rating is five points below at 33 percent and his favorable rating is 42 percent, versus 34 percent who view him unfavorably. 

By contrast, the General Assembly’s job approval rating is a mere 20 percent, with 57 percent disapproving. House Speaker Michael Madigan’s favorables are just 24 percent, with 51 percent viewing him unfavorably.

The poll also found that 57 percent agree with: “Bruce Rauner is trying to shake things up in Springfield…

 

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Miller: Gov. Bruce Rauner has big bucks behind 'Turnaround' campaign | Northwest Herald

Our View: Township consolidation is a small but key step | Northwest Herald

As the McHenry County Board closely examines whether to put a referendum question on the ballot on consolidating the county’s townships from 17 to 8, it’s important to look at the big picture.

 

With about 7,000 taxing bodies, Illinois leads the nation in the number of line items that show up on our property tax bills. Coincidentally, Illinois has the second highest property taxes in the United States behind New Jersey.

These facts can’t only be coincidences. Would consolidating units of government save money and reduce property taxes? Unless it is done with breathtaking incompetence, it’s difficult to see how it could not.

Regardless of which agency performs them, government services need to be performed. Students need an education, roads need to be maintained, police and firefighters are needed to provide safety, and the list goes on.

It’s also important that some local control be maintained in making the decisions that affect the residents in those communities. Decisions made on behalf of Chicago residents are different than decisions made for McHenry residents. This is one of the major arguments against consolidation.

But the benefits of local control are diluted when residents have so many different taxing bodies governing them that they’re left dizzy keeping track of who’s in charge. In many cases, it’s different people controlling their village, their parks, their libraries, their fire districts, their townships, their county, etc.

By spreading the accountability so widely, it removes accountability. Taxpayers are left barely knowing who is taxing them and for what.

And each one of those taxing bodies, in addition to serving residents, serves its own interests. They provide jobs and often pensions. The more vital the services they provide, the easier it is to justify their need for more employees, more tax dollars.

Consolidating townships is the tip of the iceberg of bloated government that’s flattened Illinois’ economy, leaving a mountain of debt just as the glaciers flattened the Illinois landscape, leaving the Great Lakes behind.

But Illinois needs to start somewhere, and it needs to do so fearlessly and without regard to the hundreds of tiny fiefdoms who are fighting for self preservation. It must do so wisely in the interest of taxpayers and the economy, not merely in the interest of political philosophy.

McHenry County Board Chairman Joseph Gottemoeller has appropriately asked the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office to review the law and guide the board on what it might consider to put as a question to voters.

Common sense tells us government consolidation has to be part of the solution for turning Illinois around for the better. But those steps need to be taken much faster than the pace of a glacier.

 

Our View: Township consolidation is a small but key step | Northwest Herald

Obama won't declare killings of Armenians in 1915 to be genocide - LA Times

 

hite House officials have decided that President Obama will not use the word “genocide” to describe the killings of more than 1 million Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks when he commemorates the deaths Friday, the 100th anniversary of the massacres.

The decision, revealed Tuesday in a meeting with Armenian American groups, backs down from a previous Obama pledge and sparked anger from activists.

“The president’s surrender represents a national disgrace,” said Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America. “It is a betrayal of the truth, and it is a betrayal of trust.”

White House officials defended the decision as necessary to preserve the chance of cooperation with Turkey, a NATO ally, on Middle Eastern conflicts.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), who has led efforts in Congress to recognize the genocide, said he was "deeply disappointed" by the decision.

"How long must the victims and their families wait before our nation has the courage to confront Turkey with the truth about the murderous past of the Ottoman Empire? If not this president, who spoke so eloquently and passionately about recognition in the past, whom? If not after 100 years, when?" he said in a statement.

White House officials released a statement that did not use the word "genocide" after the meeting with Armenian American groups. The statement from National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said the U.S. would use the anniversary of the massacres to "urge a full, frank, and just acknowledgment of the facts that we believe is in the interest of all parties."

A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House expects Obama will mark "the historical significance" of the “Meds Yeghern," as the massacres are known in Armenian.

"We know and respect that there are some who are hoping to hear different language this year. We understand their perspective," the official said.

But, the official added, "the approach we have taken in previous years remains the right one — both for acknowledging the past, and for our ability to work with regional partners to save lives in the present," a reference to U.S. hopes for cooperation from Turkey, particularly in the civil war in Syria.

Hamparian said he and other Armenian American leaders learned the news

Obama won't declare killings of Armenians in 1915 to be genocide - LA Times

State retirees' lawyers to get $1.5 million for work on health insurance case - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL

 

• Lawyers representing state retirees in a case involving their health insurance premiums will receive a little more than $1.5 million in fees and costs for their work.

  The amount, determined by Sangamon County Associate Judge Steven Nardulli, is less than half of the $3.1 million in compensation (including a multiplier) the lawyers sought during a court hearing two weeks ago.

  Money to pay the fees will come out of the roughly $63 million in health insurance premiums collected from retirees. The money was deducted from their pension checks.

  In his ruling, Nardulli said the attorney fees amount to about 2.37 percent of the premium money paid. In other words, when refunds are made, for every $100 in premium refunds due to an employee, $2.37 will be deducted to pay legal fees.

  After the state passed a law that began to charge all retirees premiums for their state-subsidized health insurance, multiple lawsuits were filed challenging the law as a violation of the Illinois Constitution's pension protection clause. Nardulli consolidated the various cases, but multiple attorneys remained involved.

  The attorneys affected by the legal fees decision took their cases on a contingency basis, meaning they would not get paid unless they won. Some other attorneys were paid by their clients as the case proceeded through the courts.

  Nine lawyers and a paralegal initially claimed more than 3,500 hours working on the case. The lawyers' fees ranged from $250 to $400 an hour. They also claimed a multiplier that is allowed in class-action lawsuits.

  Nardulli reviewed the billing and cut the hours to 2,668. He also limited hourly billing to $250. Springfield lawyers Don Craven and John Myers, who brought one of the earliest lawsuits against the law, worked the most hours on the case, Nardulli determined. Each will be paid $265,625 for his work. Craven could not be reached for comment. Myers declined to comment.

  Hundreds of people filed letters with the court, virtually all of them objecting to attorney fees. Many felt the state should cover the legal expenses since it lost the case. Nardulli said that while he sympathized with their position, nothing in the law allowed him to shift the costs to the state.

  More than 300 others objected because they said they were paying their own counsel and should not have to pay for others. A number of those were members of the State Universities Annuitants Association, which hired its own firm to represent members. Nardulli noted, though, that the association didn't get involved until after the Illinois Supreme Court ruled against the law and sent it back to circuit court for further proceedings.

  "The fact remains that the work performed in overturning the assessment of health insurance premiums was performed by attorneys other than SUAA attorneys," Nardulli wrote in his decision. "To exclude SUAA members from sharing in the cost of the litigation would unfairly shift the burden of the attorney fees to other retirees, and would provide a benefit to SUAA members for which they did not contribute."

  Page 2 of 2 - In a short briefing to members, the annuitants association said it is "grateful to be able to say that the fees being taken from money being returned to (retired university) members are far less than requested."

  Now that attorney fees have been decided, work can being on determining how much of a refund is due to each retiree. The court schedule calls for refunds to be sent out in early June.

  — Contact Doug Finke: doug.finke@sj-er.com, 788-1527, twitter.com/dougfinkesjr.

• By Doug Finke, State Capitol Bureau

  The State Journal-Register

  By Doug Finke, State Capitol Bureau

  Posted Apr. 15, 2015 at 1:23 PM
  Updated Apr 15, 2015 at 10:14 PM

 

State retirees' lawyers to get $1.5 million for work on health insurance case - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL

Rauner's 'Turnaround Illinois Agenda' gets no support in Libertyville - Libertyville Review

 

Gov. Bruce Rauner's controversial "Turnaround Illinois Agenda" died on the floor without a single Libertyville trustee willing to recommend approval during an April 14 meeting.

Municipalities throughout Illinois are being asked to approve a pre-written resolution that pledges support for a number of Rauner's ideas.

One item in the proclamation says local governing bodies should have the right to decide what workplace topics unions in their towns can bargain over and whether or not non-union members should pay "fair share" dues.

Among several other items, the resolution also pledges support for reforming workers compensation laws and removing the state requirements for government construction contracting, also known as "prevailing wage."

 

"The governor's office has asked that we pass this resolution as it stands," Libertyville Mayor Terry Weppler said. "In my opinion, we can pass any resolution we want. If we want to pass a resolution to the governor, it should say what we want."

Village trustees in Mundelein voted April 13 to spend two weeks revising Rauner's resolution in private before revisiting the matter April 27. Weppler said he agreed with a few items on the document and was willing to consider a revision, but his trustees decided otherwise.

"I swore an oath to uphold the constitution of the State of Illinois, so it would be inappropriate of me to recommend that we secede and join Wisconsin," Trustee Richard Moras said. "I cannot support this. It makes no sense, and it's plain silly."

Moras, who was the most outspoken of the trustees, compared the resolution to a hypothetical situation where Libertyville supports raising fees at the Federal Reserve.

"We have no authority or insights on these topics," Moras said. "This is a waste of our time, and nothing more than a political grandstand."

Trustee Todd Gaines said he agreed with Moras' statements, and also expressed discomfort with the Rauner's administration's emphasis that nothing in the resolution be changed…

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Rauner's 'Turnaround Illinois Agenda' gets no support in Libertyville - Libertyville Review

Rauner tries to distance himself from CPS contract scandal - Chicago Tribune

 

…records show that Rauner was a key player in the group and that the group played a key role in bringing the executive training program to the public schools.

Rauner's family foundation gave the Chicago Public Education Fund $500,000 in 2012, according to federal tax records, and Rauner said Monday that he and his wife have given the fund "many millions of dollars" over the years. Rauner also was chairman of the nonprofit for a time and said he served on the board for at least 10 years.

In 2012, the Chicago Public Education Fund issued a news release saying it provided $380,000 to fund the first year of the SUPES Academy program, which it described as a "pioneering effort to create the nation's first district-based academy for managers of principals."

The Rauner-connected group also stated that "following a successful first year supported by The Fund, CPS absorbed the cost" for the program during the 2012-2013 school year and that CPS "is further expanding the program during the 2013-2014 school year to become the primary source of support and development for all CPS principals."

In her statement, the fund CEO said the nonprofit organization has made more than $50 million in grants over the past 15 years, primarily to organizations working with teachers and principals in Chicago's public schools.

"In 2011, our organization made a $380,000 grant to SUPES Academy for a one-year pilot program to train CPS network chiefs and their deputies. Network chiefs are the CPS employees who supervise and manage school principals," Anichini said. "In 2012, following the completion of that pilot program, we declined a request by CPS leadership to provide a second year of funding for SUPES Academy training of principals. The Chicago Public Education Fund, its directors, and its staff have had no involvement with SUPES Academy since 2012."

The Chicago Public Education Fund is made up of a broad list of the area's most influential politicians and business leaders — all of whom have made restructuring education a top civic priority over the past decade. Many have become key political supporters of Rauner, Emanuel or both.

Indeed, Rauner was a board director and is currently a director emeritus. Last week, the governor's hand-picked board of education named Tony Smith the state's new superintendent of schools. Smith, who has spent most of his career in California, was appointed to the fund's board of directors last year and was on Rauner's transition team after the November election.

Launched in 2000, the group was first led by then-Chicago Tribune Publisher Scott Smith. Rauner joined the board the next year and later was its chairman before becoming an emeritus member of the board, along with future U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, who is a former member of the Chicago school board, and current school board President David Vitale.

Others currently on the nonprofit board include Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel, who has financially backed both Rauner's and Emanuel's campaigns; Mellody Hobson of the powerful Ariel Investments; Helen Zell, wife of real estate magnate Sam Zell; Susan Crown, a principal of the Chicago investment firm of Henry Crown & Co.; and Beth Swanson, a former top education deputy to Emanuel.

"But the investigation, I hope that the potential wrongdoing that I've read about didn't occur," Rauner said Monday. "I don't know. But I hope anybody that did wrongdoing gets fully prosecuted."…

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Rauner tries to distance himself from CPS contract scandal - Chicago Tribune#page=1

Two former Rauner aides form a super PAC to back governor's agenda - Chicago Tribune

 

Two former campaign aides to Gov. Bruce Rauner have formed a new political fund to help the governor push his agenda at the Capitol, the latest effort to give the Republican leverage as his plans face resistance from the Democrat-controlled legislature.

Kim Geiger and Monique Garcia

As the Easter holiday weekend loomed, Gov. Bruce Rauner quietly trimmed $26 million from the state budget, including cuts in funding to bury the poor, help people with autism and aid smokers who want to quit.

As the Easter holiday weekend loomed, Gov. Bruce Rauner quietly trimmed $26 million from the state budget, including cuts in funding to bury the poor, help people with autism and aid smokers who want to quit. ( Kim Geiger and Monique Garcia )

Called "Turnaround Illinois," the fund will be able to raise an unlimited amount of money as a super political action committee. The group's goal is to "support state legislative candidates who support Gov. Rauner's bold and needed reforms, and to oppose those who stand in the way," according to paperwork filed with the State Board of Elections.

Documents show the group's chairman is listed as Lesley Sweeney, who was chief financial officer for the governor's campaign committee. Named as treasurer is Michael G. Adams, who was general counsel for the Rauner campaign.

While no contributions have been reported yet, big money is expected to flow in shortly. The new fund is on top of a $20 million pot of money Rauner established in his own campaign fund shortly before taking office to promote his agenda.

Rauner, who made his wealth as a private equity investor, put in $10 million of his own money, while Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of the Chicago-based hedge fund Citadel, provided $8 million, and Richard Uihlein, CEO of Uline Corp., added $2 million.

The new super PAC comes as Rauner has been touring the state promoting what he's billed as the Illinois Turnaround, a package of proposals ranging from limits on employee unions to business-friendly changes to workers compensation insurance and regulations to prevent venue-shopping for civil lawsuits.

The governor also is pushing changes to the state employee pension system that would shift all workers into a less generous benefit plan as well as huge cuts to the state budget that are fiercely opposed by Democrats who favor tax increases to offset the need for deep spending reductions.

The state faces an estimated $6 billion shortfall in the budget year that begins July 1, and Rauner has made no secret of his desire to use the massive budget hole to his advantage as he seeks changes. That sets the stage for Rauner to potentially cut a deal on higher taxes in exchange for lawmakers going along with some of his other plans.

"The opportunity to bring big structural change is right now, as part of the 2016 budget," Rauner said last week while addressing a group of school superintendents in Springfield. "Because once the 2016 budget happens, nobody is going to want to listen to any structural reform. They're going to move on to the next issue, now is the opportunity to drive change along with the budget. Because crisis creates opportunity for change."

Two former Rauner aides form a super PAC to back governor's agenda - Chicago Tribune

Marion school district announces two superintendent finalists | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Weather

looking again.

MARION — The Marion Independent School District on Monday announced two finalists for its superintendent position.

Joseph Dyer, a superintendent in Southampton, N.Y., and Michael Houselog, a superintendent in Belvidere, Ill., are the two final candidates, the district said.

Marion this year has been searching for a replacement for current superintendent Sarah Pinion, who will retire June 30. She has led Marion schools since 2009.

Ray and Associates, the firm hired to lead the search, received 46 applications and presented 11 to the Marion school board, said board president David Law. The board chose five to interview via Skype, he said.

Dyer and Houselog will be in Marion Thursday, Law said, for in-person interviews with the board, administrators, students, faculty, support staff and community members.

The board will decide on a candidate Thursday night and hopes to have a verbal commitment from the candidate that night or Friday morning, Law said. He added that he hopes to get a signed contract and announce the next superintendent on Monday or Tuesday.

Dyer has been the superintendent of the Tuckahoe Common School District in Southampton since 2010. He previously was a superintendent in Pennsylvania and earned a doctor of education degree from Virginia Tech University.

Dyer planned to leave the Tuckahoe district last year for a superintendent position in the Susquehanna Valley Central School District, also in New York, according to an October report from the Southampton Press and a release from the Susquehanna district.

The Susquehanna district later hired a different superintendent. Law said the Marion board did not “delve into” that situation in considering Dyer.

“We did not feel it had a great deal of bearing on our situation,” Law said.

“My hope is to serve where educational needs are a professional match with my skills as an educational leader,” said a statement from Dyer. “I highly regard the excellence and community pride that are characteristics of Marion Independent School District and am honored to be considered for the position of superintendent.”

Houselog has been the superintendent of the Belvidere Community Unit School District #100 since 2007. He previously was a superintendent at two other Illinois districts.

Houselog earned a doctor of education degree from Aurora University. He also has earned an education specialist degree from Drake University and a bachelor’s degree from Loras College.

Houselog previously was a candidate for Iowa superintendent positions in the Johnston, Southeast Polk and Dubuque districts, according to media reports and the Southeast Polk district. He has two adult children who live in Iowa, according to a news release from the Marion district.

“The Marion superintendency provides a rare opportunity for me to share my successes I’ve had in Belvidere and other locations,” said a statement from Houselog. “I am highly motivated to relocate my wife and younger children to Marion. Upon researching your school district during the past few weeks, I’ve concluded that my skill set could likely be a great match for the superintendent of schools position for Marion Independent.”

Dyer and Houselog did not return requests for comment Monday afternoon. The Marion district did not make available a schedule of the Thursday interviews.

Marion school district announces two superintendent finalists | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Weather

Labor group seeks rehiring of workers at 5 Wal-Mart stores - Yahoo News

 

YORK (AP) — A union is asking labor regulators to go to court to force Wal-Mart to rehire all 2,200 employees affected by the abrupt temporary closing of five stores a week ago.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board on Monday, arguing the closings were retaliation for labor activism. Wal-Mart says it closed the stores to fix plumbing issues.

One affected store, in Pico Rivera, California, has been a hotbed for worker protests against Wal-Mart. It was the first store to wage such protests, in October 2012. The other stores are in Midland and Livingston, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Brandon, Florida.

The food and commercial workers union made its filing on behalf of OUR Wal-Mart, a group of Wal-Mart employees that it backs that has pushed for better pay and working conditions.

"This is a new low, even for Wal-Mart," Venanzi Luna, an eight-year Wal-Mart worker and member of OUR Walmart, said in a statement. "Through OUR Wal-Mart, we're going to keep fighting back until the company gives us our jobs back."

Wal-Mart said in a statement that it does not believe there is any basis for an injunction.

"As we have said all along, these stores were closed temporarily so we could fix the ongoing plumbing issues and it would be unfortunate if this outside group attempts to slow this process down for our associates and customers," the company said.

The stores will remain shuttered for up to six months, Wal-Mart spokesman Lorenzo Lopez said. The company has said that the workers would be put on paid leave for two months and it would look to transfer some to nearby stores.

Lopez did acknowledge that it was atypical for Wal-Mart to temporarily close stores for plumbing issues but said the company wanted to improve the customer experience.

"We understand this decision has been difficult on our associates and our customers and we aim to reopen these stores as soon as these issues are resolved and improvements are made," Wal-Mart said in a statement.

Lopez noted that the stores have had between 100 and 140 service calls for plumbing issues, the highest incidence of plumbing issues in its 4,500 stores.

Wal-Mart emailed to The Associated Press excerpts from documents that highlighted issues at the Pico Rivera store that included incidents of leaky toilets and water flowing to the back room and onto the sales floor under egg coolers. It also cited clogged floor drains in the deli. Those incidents, said Lopez, were part of the reason why the Pico Rivera deli was downgraded by the Health Department to a "B'' rating, causing a temporary closing of the department.

He also said the retailer would look to make other updates to the stores. Lopez said the company has not filed any local construction permits because it still is assessing what needs to be done.

The worker group wants the labor board to seek a court injunction, which can be quicker than typical NLRB proceedings, the group said.

Wal-Mart has gotten itself in trouble for similar actions. In June 2014, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled that Wal-Mart had violated labor laws when it closed a store in Quebec. The employees in that location had voted to join a union. That made it the first unionized store in North America just before the store was closed.

Wal-Mart has been making moves to increase pay for its workers. The company announced in February that it was increasing the minimum wage it pays its hourly workers to at least $9 this month and to at least $10 in February 2016. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour

Labor group seeks rehiring of workers at 5 Wal-Mart stores - Yahoo News

Few Chicago-area hospitals shine in government's new patient star ratings - Chicago Tribune

 

he federal government has adopted a new patient satisfaction metric to rate the nation's hospitals, awarding each institution one to five stars after synthesizing the responses to consumer surveys.

In Illinois, the Chicago area stood out for having some of the lowest-rated hospitals — six received just one star — along with a handful of highly rated facilities that have focused on making hospital visits less unpleasant.

Of the 65 hospitals rated in Cook and the collar counties, just one received the top score of five stars: Midwestern Regional Medical Center, a cancer treatment center in Zion. Fourteen received four stars, according to Medicare data posted Thursday to the federal Hospital Compare site.

The searchable data base is available by clicking on the following:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-how-patients-rate-illinois-hospitals-20150416-htmlstory.html

The ratings are based on 11 facets of patients' hospital experiences as ranked in post-visit surveys, including how well doctors and nurses communicated, how well patients believed their pain was addressed and whether they would recommend the hospital to others.

Hospitals that performed well said their success came from listening to patients' complaints. They reduced wait times, encouraged patients to ask questions and resolved billing issues at bedside rather than during checkout. Some have taken less obvious steps; Midwestern Regional has a gym where patients and their families can exercise, as well as a Labradoodle named Tori that plays catch with patients.

Officials at low-ranking hospitals said a rating of one to five stars does not adequately capture the complexities of administering care, especially at facilities that see many low-income patients who often have chronic conditions.

 

"Rating hospitals is more complicated than judging a restaurant or hotel with star ratings," said William Dorsey, CEO of Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago, which received one star.

In assigning the ratings, Medicare compared hospitals against each other, essentially grading on a curve. The website notes that "a 1-star rating does not mean that you will receive poor care from a hospital" and that "we suggest that you use the star rating along with other quality information when making decisions about choosing a hospital."

Many in the hospital industry fear Medicare's five-star scale places too much weight on patient reviews, which are just one measure of hospital quality. Medicare also reports on other aspects of hospital care, such as how many patients died or contracted infections during their stay, but those factors are not yet associated with star ratings.

"Health care is fairly complex, and to try to capture the complexity of health care in one set of star ratings causes us to have pause," said Dr. Jay Bhatt, the Illinois Hospital Association's chief health officer. "We need to think about that in the context of other factors."

In Illinois overall, 13 of 147 rated hospitals received five stars, 62 received four stars, 50 got three stars and 16 got two stars….

Read the entire article by clicking on the following;  Few Chicago-area hospitals shine in government's new patient star ratings - Chicago Tribune

Rauner Trying To Broker Mega-Deal In Illinois Legislature « CBS Chicago

 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Seizing on Illinois’ budget crisis as a political opportunity, Republican businessman-turned-governor Bruce Rauner is trying to broker a master deal to advance his pro-business priorities through the Legislature in exchange for new revenue to save programs near and dear to the Democrats.

Democratic leaders who control the General Assembly say they’re willing to negotiate, and talks with Republicans could begin in the next week. But they caution that some of Rauner’s proposals are non-starters.

Rauner has been heavily promoting structural changes that he says will help Illinois be more competitive and move beyond a lengthy history of financial mismanagement. They include overhauling workers’ compensation and unemployment, freezing property taxes, replacing Illinois’ pension system and creating “right to work zones” where union membership would be voluntary.

He says the roughly $6 billion deficit in next year’s budget — which Democrats want to close at least partially through a tax increase — creates the “leverage” he needs to get some of those changes.

“Crisis creates opportunity for change, and we have a crisis. … We’ve got to take advantage of that,” Rauner told attendees at an Illinois Chamber of Commerce event. “A lot people are saying ‘Bruce, just balance the budget and worry about other stuff later. We’ll talk to you later about reform.’ No, no, no. … If we do only that, they’ll never talk about reform. It’ll never happen.”

Rauner campaigned on his record as a successful businessman who could turn Illinois around just as he did hundreds of companies. But his efforts to mimic GOP governors in states like Indiana and Wisconsin have run up against a Legislature where Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers.

Democrats insist any budget deal must include both cuts in spending and new revenue, saying slashing spending alone will hurt working people, the disabled and others who rely on the state for services such as cancer screening and mental health care.

“You’ve got to look at income and you’ve got to look at expenses,” said Rikeesha Phelon, a spokeswoman for Democratic Senate President John Cullerton.

Rauner and legislative leaders have discussed creating working groups to try to negotiate areas of compromise behind closed doors, an approach that Republicans say signifies a new way of doing things under the first divided government in Illinois in more than a decade.

Rauner has left a door open to new revenue. During last year’s campaign, he proposed a sales tax on some services, and he wouldn’t rule out raising Illinois’ income tax — which dropped from 5 percent to 3.75 percent on Jan. 1 — provided it’s down to 3 percent within four years.

“The governor has indicated that perhaps he would consider revenue, but there’s a pretty tall order that’s on the table,” House GOP Leader Jim Durkin said. “The governor wants a lot.”

Republican Senate Leader Christine Radogno believes there’s potential for a multifaceted deal and that both parties recognize the need to compromise. She also said the discussions should include a review of Illinois’ tax structure.

“I would say we’re in such desperate straits that nothing can be off the table for anybody,” she said.

But Phelon said the Senate will not consider Rauner’s proposal to create right to work zones, which unions strongly oppose and she says wouldn’t make Illinois more competitive. She said Senate Democrats also have differences of opinion with Rauner on what changes are needed to programs like workers’ compensation.

Steve Brown, a spokesman for Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, said it was too early to say what the speaker might be willing to support, but that Madigan agreed his caucus would participate in the working groups.

The attempt to reach a grand bargain is playing out as both sides try to win the hearts and minds of voters.

Rauner has been pitching his plan on a campaign-style tour of Illinois. The multimillionaire also has created a new political action committee, Turnaround Illinois, to support legislators who back his agenda and oppose lawmakers who don’t.

Democrats have focused on telling the stories of people and organizations already hurt by cuts in the current state budget or who would lose funding in Rauner’s proposed 2016 budget, which doesn’t include any tax increases.

Senate Democrats have held hearings on the effect of the cuts across Illinois. On Friday, Madigan announced that a new budget oversight panel will begin meeting Tuesday to review some of the cuts Rauner made to state grant programs.

“While I believe that a budget solution should include a balance of spending cuts and additional revenue, as a state it’s also our duty to protect our most vulnerable citizens, including children with autism, persons with developmental disabilities and lower-income women in need of breast cancer screenings,” Madigan said.

Rauner, meanwhile, is continuing the hard sell.

“I’m a salesman,” he said. “I’m also an arm twister, so we’re going to do the best we

 

 

((Rauner Trying To Broker Mega-Deal In Illinois Legislature « CBS Chicago

Former Boone County employee sentenced to 5 years in prison for stealing money - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

Click on the following to see earlier Rockford Register Star articles on this issue:

• • Former Boone circuit clerk deputy pleads guilty to felony theft...
• • Boone reviews audit process after employee arrested
• • Former Boone circuit clerk deputy charged with theft, misconduct...

By Ben Stanley
Rockford Register Star

Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 4:28 PM
Updated Apr 16, 2015 at 4:32 PM

BELVIDERE — Former Boone County employee Donna Osoria was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday for stealing more than $24,000 in bond money while working in the circuit clerk's office.

Osoria, 58, pleaded guilty to felony theft on Dec. 4, 2014.

On Thursday, Boone County Circuit Clerk Linda Anderson testified that between March 15, 2010 and June 22, 2012, Osoria engaged in a cash lapping scheme with bond money paid to the circuit clerk's office for various unrelated felonies and misdemeanors. 

Osoria stole bonds paid on active cases and covered her tracks by transferring bonds paid on old and unrelated cases. She claimed she stole the money to help her mother pay rent.

"She just needed my help and if she hadn't needed my help I wouldn't be here right now," Osoria said. "I'm not a bad person I just made a really, really, really, really bad mistake. And in turn that mistake cost me just about everything that mattered to me."

However, Osoria's mother died in 2011 and thefts continued well into 2012. Judge Robert Tobin called Osoria's systematic approach to stealing bond money and covering her tracks a "true act of a criminal mind"

"A mistake is different than an ongoing theft, and this is behavior that went on for 27 months," said Special Prosecutor Chuck Colburn. "That goes beyond a mistake. This is a criminal enterprise that went on and on and on."

Above is from:  Former Boone County employee sentenced to 5 years in prison for stealing money - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Feds Target Corruption at Pace - Patronage & Contractor Kickbacks - McHenry County Blog

Very interesting article from Cal Skinner regarding the RTA and PACE buses.

 

Read all of the article by clicking on the following:  Feds Taget Corruption at Pace - Patronage & Contractor Kickbacks - McHenry County Blog

Election dates to replace Schock set for July 7, Sept. 10 - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL

 

CHICAGO — The dates have been set in the special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock.

A federal judge in Chicago signed a consent decree Tuesday scheduling a July 7 primary and a Sept. 10 general election.

Schock resigned his seat representing Illinois' 18th Congressional District last month amid questions about his office expenses and campaign spending. The Justice Department is investigating the Peoria Republican and a grand jury has begun hearing testimony about the matter.

Candidates may begin filing nominating papers for the office Wednesday.

GOP state Sen. Darin LaHood, the son of former Congressman and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, is considered the front-runner in the heavily Republican district.

Illinois and federal officials needed a judge's approval for the dates because Illinois election law conflicts with federal voting law.

Election dates to replace Schock set for July 7, Sept. 10 - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL

Pantagraph.com | News from Associated Press

 

-- While lawsuit-filing rates in most of Illinois are at a 40-year low, they remain high in Cook and Madison counties due, in part, to asbestos cases brought by out-of-staters, a report released Tuesday by tort-reform advocates says.

The 14-page report from the Illinois Civil Justice League, which has long argued that too much litigation hurts the business environment, compares all 102 counties in Illinois by lawsuits filed per 1,000 residents.

Combined, it found 99 counties had 1.2 lawsuits per thousand residents in 2013 - the lowest figure since 1974.

But the rate in Madison, which hugs St. Louis, was 8.2 per thousand, the state's highest rate. Cook, Illinois' most populous county, had a rate of four per thousand….

 

Read the rest of the article:  Pantagraph.com | News from Associated Press

Gov. Bruce Rauner aide: Grant freezes for social services may continue - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

-- A top aide for Gov. Bruce Rauner said grant freezes could continue for the rest of the current fiscal year as the administration tries to balance the budget.

Tim Nuding, Rauner's budget director, said at a Tuesday hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee that grant suspensions like the $26 million announced last week for the Department of Human Services would likely continue until the new fiscal year begins in July. The recent freeze has adversely affected several programs, including funding for The Autism Program.

Lawmakers passed a budget deal in March to fix the $1.6 billion deficit in the current fiscal year. It diverted $1.3 billion in special funds as well as implemented a 2.25 percent across-the-board cut to other parts of the budget.

Human Services sent a letter out April 3 to several agencies alerting them that grant funding would be frozen beginning April 6. Nuding said the budget deal required freezing some funds, and more could be frozen in the near future.

“Again, agencies are reviewing — I don’t know what those are yet — but there is the possibility that based on appropriation limits, we may have to look at other areas that to this date we have held harmless,” he said.

Nuding and Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Greg Bassi said the suspension would likely last until the end of the current fiscal year unless new revenue is found.

Russell Bonanno, director of The Autism Program’s statewide network, said the cuts were having a “calamitous impact across the state,” including full suspension of services in Rockford starting Friday. The Autism Program provides a bevy of services, including health screenings and education for children and parents.

Local families are feeling the squeeze. Whitney Rikas, a mother of two autistic children, said without TAP she would have a much harder time teaching her kids basic functions.

“If they’re just shut down completely, then obviously we won’t be able to go and it’ll impact both our boys’ life skills — just getting through the day and those things we need to know how to teach them,” she said. “And if they keep going without the funding, we’re not sure how we’re going to be able to afford it.”

Stephen Moseley, a 19-year-old with autism, was part of the social skills group at TAP. He presented a letter to the committee outlining why the program is so important to autistic children.

Moseley’s mother, former Springfield Democratic Rep. Vickie Moseley, said without the program, he likely would not have been able to even attend the committee meeting.

“The very fact that he’s been volunteering at TAP to work with younger kids, the fact that he was willing to write this letter and come with me today is a testament to TAP,” she said. “Believe me, when he was 9, I never saw that kind of situation happening.”

Continue reading:  Gov. Bruce Rauner aide: Grant freezes for social services may continue - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Chuck Sweeny speak again of the PSB sales tax

Below is from:  http://www.rrstar.com/article/20150413/NEWS/150419736/10458/OPINION

Rob Funderburg appointed to lead Illinois Finance Authority - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

By Kevin Haas
Rockford Register Star

Posted Apr. 13, 2015 at 6:58 PM

ROCKFORD — Gov. Bruce Rauner appointed Alpine Bank Chairman Rob Funderburg to lead the Illinois Finance Authority.

The appointment was announced Monday in a news release from the governor's office that says Funderburg's background in business and as an entrepreneur make him supremely qualified for the job.

Funderburg of Belvidere is the chairman of board for Alpine Bank and Trust and Alpine Bancorporation, Inc. He is also president and treasurer of both Funderburg Farms, Inc. and K-B Farms, Inc. The third-generation banker and philanthropist volunteers with numerous community organizations including the YMCA of Rock River Valley, the Rockford Art Museum, Keith Country Day School, the Belvidere Community School District Foundation for Excellence in Education, Rockford Symphony Orchestra Foundation, and the Rockford Park District Foundation. He was named Citizen of the Year by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in 2009.

The Illinois Finance Authority provides low-cost capital to public and private organizations in hope of fostering economic development, creating and retaining jobs, and improving quality of life for Illinois residents.

Rob Funderburg appointed to lead Illinois Finance Authority - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL