How Trump and Rauner are alike

 

February 27, 2016

Comments Email Print

Greg Hinz on Politics

 

Barack Obama Bruce Rauner David Axelrod Donald Trump Greg Hinz Michael Madigan Pat Brady Government and Politics Politics Greg Hinz on Politics More +

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

Maybe it's the lack of snow, but February truly has been a through-the-looking-glass month. I mean, we have a "pro-education" governor who is OK with colleges closing their doors and students dropping out because state funding has been blocked; a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate that thinks pouting equals good government; and "reformer" Jesus "Chuy" Garcia climbing into a big political bed with the head of the Illinois Democratic Machine, Michael Madigan.

And one more: How does "President Donald Trump" sound to you, Chicago?

Admittedly, the method we use in this country to nominate and elect presidents is something Alice and the Mad Hatter could have cooked up—or should I say hookahed. Only in America does the government empower a bunch of little, generally unrepresentative states to winnow the field and then select the winner not by a popular vote, which would force the candidates to campaign everywhere, but by something called the Electoral College.

"Her eyes immediately met those of a large blue caterpillar . . . taking not the smallest notice of her or of anything else."

Still, the juggernaut that is Trump is in a category of its own. I've never seen so many pundits, insiders, strategists, reporters and other "experts" so gob-smacked. Which, I must admit, is thoroughly entertaining to much of America.

The rise of Trump and the parallel climb of Sen. Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side of the political divide are clearly linked.

"While the economy has improved, incomes have lagged over a long period of time" and on average are no greater than they were in 1999, says David Axelrod, the Chicago strategist who more than anyone but the candidate himself made Barack Obama president. "This is fuel in (Trump's) tank." And Sanders', too, if you just pivot to the 1 percent and how well they're doing.

"Obviously there is a lot of fear and anger. But I think Trump has tapped into some anxieties that we weren't even aware were there," says David Yepsen, a longtime presidential campaign watcher who now heads the Paul Simon Institute of Public Policy at Southern Illinois University. "Race, gay marriage, the threat from abroad. America today is more of a stir-fry than a melting pot."

But there's more there.

Part of it, I suspect, is Obama's fault. Though Axelrod puts it down to hard-right conservatives upset that Congress won't "stand up to Obama," the Chicagoan who is president raised expectations through the roof when he first was elected in 2008, campaigning as a messianic sort who would soar above the clouds bringing bipartisan harmony, hope and change to all.

He couldn't deliver on all of that. Frankly, I doubt anyone could. The old social-issues divide remains. The continuing globalization of the world's economy—increasingly everyone everywhere competes with everyone else—has added heaps of new kindling atop that already burning pile.

Given such realities, it's not hard to explain why people will turn to crisp, simple answers and tough-talking, self-financed, little-understood Type A business titans who declare they know the formula to restore past glory.

No, I'm not talking about Gov. Bruce Rauner, though some similarities definitely exist. Rather, my target is Trump, and to a lesser degree Vermont's Bernie "I'll make everything free" Sanders.

I have no idea how all of this is going to play out in months to come.

Former Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady, a John Kasich fan, predicts "a revolt" in the GOP if Trump snags the nomination. "Trump started his campaign talking about (Mexican) rapists and murderers. . . . This is not what the party is about."

My suspicion is that the parties are realigning. Blue-collar folks, people who are more conservative on the social issues, are headed to the GOP. Upper-middle-class office workers are turning Democratic, joining Latinos and African-Americans who feel dissed by the other party.

What will life be like on the other side of the looking glass? Your guess is as good as mine. But it sure looks like we're about to join Alice there.

Above is from:  http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20160227/ISSUE05/302279992/go-ask-alice-when-shes-10-feet-tall

An Illinois House committee Monday will begin hearings on a new approach for dealing with the state’s crushing pension debt.

• Pension buyout proposals to get first hearing on Monday

 

 

• By Doug Finke
  State Capitol Bureau

  The State Journal-Register

  By Doug Finke
  State Capitol Bureau

  Posted Feb. 27, 2016 at 10:00 PM

• |

  Purchase this Photo

  An Illinois House committee Monday will begin hearings on a new approach for dealing with the state's crushing pension debt. File/The State Journal-Register

• By Doug Finke
  State Capitol Bureau

  Posted Feb. 27, 2016 at 10:00 PM

• 

   

• By Doug Finke
  State Capitol Bureau

  Posted Feb. 27, 2016 at 10:00 PM

  An Illinois House committee Monday will begin hearings on a new approach for dealing with the state’s crushing pension debt.

  Under consideration will be plans that would allow workers at retirement to take pension benefits as a lump-sum cash payment and give up guaranteed pension payments for life.

  For some workers, this could mean a payout of hundreds of thousands of dollars. At the same time, proponents say, it would help reduce Illinois' crushing pension debt that now stands at $111 billion.

  “I’m trying to find a constitutional way to save the state a whole bunch of money,” said Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, sponsor of one of the pension bills. “I call it a win-win scenario.”

  But it’s also a scenario that needs some scrutiny and raises a lot of questions that lawmakers want to see answered.

  “There’s a whole range of options and different ways to do this,” said Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, chair of the House Personnel and Pensions Committee, which will hold a hearing Monday. “We want to explore all of those options.”

  Nekritz, who helped author the pension reform plan that was ultimately struck down by the Illinois Supreme Court last year, said she believes the buyout plans would be found constitutional.

  “To my mind it is clearly constitutional because the choice is completely within the control of the annuitant,” she said. “If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it. We’re not changing your benefit. We’re offering you an additional benefit, frankly.”

  “Nothing here forces anyone to do anything,” agreed Rep. Mike Fortner, R-West Chicago.

  Present value

  Two versions of the buyout plan have been filed in the House. Batinick’s bill is House Bill 4427. Fortner has filed House Bill 5625. Both versions would allow people at retirement to take their pension benefit as a lump sum rather than receive continuing payments for as long as they live.

  The key for employees is the payout would be based on the present value of their pension benefits. In other words, it would be far more than just the payments the employees made into their retirement plans over the years.

  Under Batinick’s bill, a person about to retire could elect to get 75 percent of the net present value of their pension benefit as a lump sum payment.

  “It’s not based on what you contributed, it’s based on the state’s liability moving forward,” Batinick said. “It’s not a small amount of money.”

• • As an example, he said, a teacher about to retire at age 62 with a $60,000 annual benefit would have a net present value of nearly $800,000.

    He said the value of his plan to the employee is two-fold. Assuming the worker puts the lump sum payment into a retirement account, it can help reduce the federal tax liability on the pension benefit, he said. Also, money in a retirement plan can be willed to other family members in the event of the retiree’s death, while pension benefits cannot.

    “Pensioners don’t have access to basically what is their money,” Batinick said. “The money’s in a piggy bank. The state gives them an allowance for the rest of their life. There’s a lot of people that are concerned about the situation in the state and politicians fighting over what is their retirement money.”

    Batinick said a retiree would not have to take the entire amount as a lump sum. Rather, a person could take a certain amount as a lump sum and leave some in the retirement system to continue getting a monthly payment from the state, albeit at a reduced level.

    Depending on a final version of the buyout proposal, a retiree might have to forfeit some other benefit in order to get a partial buyout and still receive a pension. Nekritz said a possibility would be to give up compounded raises in retirement benefits and instead make them simple annual increases.

    Batinick said he will discuss in more detail Monday how the state would come up with the money to pay the lump sums that would be required under his plan. He said, though, that since the bill would be limited only to people who are actually at the point of retirement, the reduction in the state’s liabilities would help cover the cost.

    Insignificant impact?

    Fortner’s version of the legislation does not use money from the pension systems to make the lump sum payments. Instead, qualified vendors would make the payments to retirees and then receive the full pension benefits from the state pension funds that would have gone to the retirees. The vendors would decide how much of a retiree’s total lump sum to keep as an expense. The amount would have to be disclosed upfront to the retiree.

    Fortner said the advantage to the state is a reduction in its pension liabilities that would reduce the state’s annual pension payment. Reducing liabilities by 10 percent to 15 percent, Fortner said, could save hundreds of millions in pension payments.

    Acknowledging that Batinick will disagree with her, Nekritz said she thinks the buyout plan’s effect on either the state’s pension debt or annual pension contributions will be small.

    “It’s not going to have any significant impact on the unfunded liability or the contribution the state has to make to the pensions,” she said.

    And finding a source of money to pay for the lump sums could be an issue.

    “At the level at which we are funded, it would be challenging to take assets out of the pension systems to pay for this,” Nekritz said. “Is the state willing to bond the dollars to do this and does that make financial sense for us to do this?”

    Yet, she said the plan is worth exploring because “that’s one of those options we have left open to us.”

    At this point, no actuarial studies have been done to determine how the numbers would work out. The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability is working on some projections, but they are not completed yet.

    Nekritz said she anticipates several hearings will have to be held on the plans to bring in additional experts who can advise lawmakers about who is likely to participate in such a plan, how many people would participate and how it has worked in the private sector, where similar proposals have been used.

    “We’ve got a lot of homework to do here,” she said.

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

  • By Doug Finke
    State Capitol Bureau

    Above is from:  http://www.sj-r.com/news/20160227/pension-buyout-proposals-to-get-first-hearing-on-monday?Start=2

One Opinion:

For 98% of retirees, these options will be a bad deal, especially if you have a spouse you want to provide a pension to should you die early.

There are some cases I can think of where a retiree MIGHT consider it. If both spouses work for the State, I could see the one with the smaller pension possibly cashing out but remember there are tax implications if the cash is not rolled into a traditional IRA. Or a deathly ill currently single person with very short life expectancy who wanted to leave something to their kids. But even both of those scenarios have some risk of outliving the cash.

Either bill could be amended before passage, which might change things. If either bill is passed and you were to consider it, get the best PAID financial advice you can BEFORE you sign anything.

- RNUG

MercyRockford threatens to move $485M hospital project to Wisconsin

 

 

By Brian Leaf
Staff writer

Posted Feb. 29, 2016 at 2:52 PM
Updated at 3:22 PM

ROCKFORD — Javon R. Bea says he'll move MercyRockford Health System's $485 million hospital complex to Wisconsin if the city doesn't reduce $1.8 million in building permit fees by March 7.

The city contends it needs that amount to expand fire and EMS services to the hospital campus, near the junction of Interstate 90 and East Riverside Boulevard.

Bea sent a letter today to members of the Code & Regulation Committee. The committee tonight will review an annexation agreement between the city and MercyRockford for 262 acres where it proposes to build its campus.

"I appreciate everything the city staff, my team and the alderman (sic) have done to make this deal happen however the city's $1.8 million permit, review and inspection fees demand is a deal breaker for me," Bea said in the letter. "I will move this major medical campus to Wisconsin if we cannot find a compromise on this issues. I trust you will appreciate the larger economic impact of this project for Rockford and support my request."

A city memo accompanying the proposed annexation agreement said MercyRockford wanted a 50 percent reduction in the fee, an amount Bea confirmed in his letter.

Javon Bea letter to Rockford City Council

"Council members, I am requesting that you support my request to ensure fees will not exceed $900,000," Bea wrote. "I have informed city administration repeatedly that I will not agree to such an exorbitant fee structure."

Bea said that if compromise proves elusive, and the annexation agreement is not approved by the full council on March 7, MercyRockford will miss a scheduled commitment with its bond financing partner "and this will force us to consider an alternate location in Wisconsin."

The letter was copied to city officials and state Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, who is a member of the MercyRockford board of directors.

The city argues in a memo on the annexation agreement that MercyRockford's new campus will strain city services. The city proposes turning a fire maintenance facility at 2323 Sawyer Road into a fire station to meet increased demand for fire and ambulance services.

It would shift staff to Sawyer Road from Station 7, 4979 Falcon Road, near Chicago Rockford International Airport, where it previously had provided emergency aviation services that were outsourced by the airport board in 2013

We are confident that we will be able to recommission the Sawyer Road facility for approximately the same cost as the building permit fee that MercyRockford would have to pay under the agreement, which is estimated at approximately $1.8 million," said the memo to aldermen from City Administrator Jim Ryan, Legal Director Patrick Hayes, Community & Economic Development Director Todd Cagnoni and Interim Public Works Director Matt Vitner.

Tonight's meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at Rockford City Hall, 425 E. State St.

Above is from:  http://www.rrstar.com/news/20160229/mercyrockford-threatens-to-move-485m-hospital-project-to-wisconsin/?Start=2

Railroad project could bring jobs, development to Rockford and miles of tracks through Boone County

•       

•  

  The $8B Great Lakes Basin proposal would bypass Chicago, where congestion drains U.S. rail commerce.

 
• The proposed Great Lakes Basin railroad would travel south from an existing railroad that runs through Milton, Wisconsin. From there, the tracks would head south through Boone County, east to Indiana and north to Michigain City, Indiana. PROVIDED IMAGE

 
Backers of the proposed Great Lakes Basin Railroad say they're poised to file an application for a railroad operator license with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board...

By Isaac Guerrero
Staff writer
Posted Feb. 27, 2016 at 9:00 AM

ROCKFORD — A team of investors is poised to ask the U.S. Surface Transportation Board this week to build an $8 billion freight railroad that, if approved, could lift economic development and job creation to new heights in the Rock River Valley.

The roughly 275-mile railroad loop would bypass Chicago and thereby shuttle goods more quickly from coast to coast.

The so-called Great Lakes Basin Railroad route resembles a giant C, an extension of an existing railroad from Milwaukee to Brodhead, Wisconsin, to a new line that would travel south through Boone County — with a western spur to the Chicago Rockford International Airport — south to Lee County and east to Indiana before heading north, where it would terminate in Michigan City, Indiana.

The new freight line is a moonshot. No railroad project of this size and scope has been tackled for more than a century. The project's backers have deep pockets and say they'll finance the endeavor privately, with no public subsidies. Even so, they face daunting hurdles, including acquisition of vast stretches of private land. If all goes well, supporters say, construction could begin in late 2019.

The long odds don't deter Frank Patton, a suburban Chicago businessman who assembled a coalition of railroad experts and venture capitalists to advance what they call the Great Lakes Basin route.

“We're very much aware that, to most people, this seems like an impossible idea,” Patton said. “But you know, Victor Hugo said that the mightiest army in the world isn't as strong as an idea whose time has come. In our minds, we think that's exactly the case.”

Patton pitched the plan for the Great Lakes Basin project to the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning, or RMAP, board of directors last fall. The agency comprises regional municipal and county elected officials who decide how to best spend federal transportation dollars that flow to the Rockford region.

In Patton's initial pitch to RMAP, the proposed Great Lakes Basin route snaked through Winnebago County with a direct link to the Rockford airport. Further inspection of the route revealed a need for environmental impact studies to gauge the effect of development on sensitive lands along the Sugar River and near the Winnebago-Rock counties line. Those studies would be prohibitively time-consuming, Patton said.

Attention has turned to a new route that would traverse Boone County, from north to south, instead of slicing through environmentally sensitive land in Winnebago County. The new proposed route would travel through Bonus Township, part of which includes Belvidere, said Belvidere Mayor Mike Chamberlain.

He and other RMAP board members aren't keen on the new Great Lakes Basin route, but they're reserving an official opinion until Patton and his team submit a formal application to the federal government that explains the project in detail.

“Farmers are not going to be happy in Boone County," Chamberlain said. "I suspect that if this route is chosen there will be opposition from landowners.”

A greater concern, Chamberlain said, is that railroads have powers of eminent domain — the right to seize private land for public use. So property owners along the route may have no choice but to sell the necessary right of way for the Great Lakes Basin project, even if they're not happy with whatever cash offer is made.

There's an additional concern, Chamberlain said. The new railroad appears to hold substantial economic development potential for the south Chicago suburbs. And the route could provide fuel for two mammoth and politically charged capital projects that have never materialized, but have also never died: a proposed passenger-service airport in Peotone and the Illiana Corridor, a four-lane expressway that would link Interstate 55 in Illinois with Interstate 65 in Indiana.

Former Gov. Pat Quinn pushed for construction of a Peotone airport and a $1.3 billion Illiana Tollway that would link Illinois and Indiana. His successor, Gov. Bruce Rauner, put a hold on the Illiana plan amid concern that the highway would put Illinois taxpayers on the hook for some $500 million in borrowing. Similar concerns have been raised about the Peotone project, although the state last year bought additional land for the would-be airport in the south Chicago suburbs.

The Peotone airport is viewed by leaders in the Rock River Valley as a direct threat to the economic potential of the Rockford airport, which is poised for more cargo business when a giant jet repair hub opens for business this summer.

Steve Ernst doesn't think the Great Lakes Basin poses any threat to Rockford or its airport. A former city engineer and retired RMAP director, Ernst believes that quite the opposite is true.

“We have a legacy freight rail yard on South Main Street in downtown Rockford,” Ernst said. “All of transportation and urban planning that RMAP and the city of Rockford have done for the last 20 years has been to find a more suitable location for that rail yard.”

Railroad operators don't want to use a rail yard that's in the middle of a urban setting, like the one along South Main, Ernst said. That property is better suited for mixed-use development, he said, and the best site for a major freight terminal would be at or near the city's airport.

“That's what the Great Lakes Basin route does,” Ernst said. “There would be a spur directly to the airport. And the city could reclaim that legacy rail yard on South Main. This plan is better for the railroads, it's better for the Rockford area, it's better for Chicago because it alleviates congestion there, it's better for everybody.”

• The president of Great Lakes Basin Railroad is Jim Wilson, a longtime Chicagoland resident who now lives in Humble, Texas, just north of Austin. Wilson has several decades of railroad management and operations experience, including 18 years in executive and operational roles with Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (now known as BSNF). Patton won't name the investors behind his team, although he said their identities will be disclosed as soon as this week, when a formal application is submitted to the federal government.

  “There will be a very extensive public input process as we move forward,” Patton said. “The Surface Transportation Board requires that, and I can tell you there will be plenty of opportunities for people in Rockford and in Boone County to give us their input. There's no monopoly on wisdom as far as we're concerned.”

  Decision-makers at the U.S. Department of Transportation are likely to look favorably on the Great Lakes Basin proposal, Ernst said, because backers of the project aren't asking for a dime of local, state or federal money.

  “There's simply not enough public subsidies at the local, state or federal level to support projects of this size,” Ernst said. “I personally feel that Washington is looking for a showcase project like this. I think they're latching on to this because these kind of public-private partnerships will be how big capital projects of the future will be done.”

  For now, the notion that the revised alignment would aid the Illiana and Peotone projects “is scuttlebutt and should be treated as such,” Chamberlain said. But if that notion proves true, he said, then the Great Lakes Basin project “has a negative effect on what we're trying to do at RFD and throughout the northern Illinois region.”

  The Great Lakes Basin idea has been the subject of news reports for some time. It has gained credibility because of a renewed interest in the rail industry. Most notably, Berkshire Hathaway, the company of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, has reaped huge profits since it purchased BNSF railroad in 2009.

  If the railroad is built with either a direct link or a spur to Rockford's airport, there is an opportunity on the city's southern edge to build a rail-to-truck terminal that could be a powerful economic driver for the region. The project is more enticing because of the proximity of UPS' cargo hub at the airport and the prospect of additional cargo business there.

  The airport is viewed by many leaders in the Rockford region as a diamond in the rough, an economic development juggernaut that has yet to exploit its true potential. That airport and the confluence of Interstates 90 and 30 and U.S. 20 give Rockford a competitive advantage for jobs and prosperity desired by leaders in urban areas across the country.

• To that end, RMAP is attempting to supersize itself. Members of its Policy Committee approved a resolution Thursday that allows the agency to restructure itself into a multi-county regional planning council. The goal is to fold Winnebago and Boone counties into a larger alliance with Stephenson, McHenry, DeKalb and Ogle counties. The counties could then outsource transportation, housing and land-use planning services to RMAP and enjoy the benefit of a larger lobbying voice in Springfield and in Washington when opportunities are available for jobs and development projects that would benefit the entire region.

  “I represent 26,000 people in the city of Belvidere,” Chamberlain said. “But if we can work on job creation and economic development as a region of seven counties — now we represent a million people. All of a sudden, you're speaking with a larger voice, a more powerful voice. So that when money starts coming from the state and federal level, you have a greater opportunity to be granted those dollars.”

  Isaac Guerrero: 815-987-1361; iguerrero@rrstar.com; @isaac_rrs

• Above is from:  http://www.rrstar.com/article/20160227/NEWS/160229571/?Start=4

Election 2016: Two women vying for Boone County state's attorney in historic primary

•  

By Adam Poulisse
Staff writer
• Posted Feb. 27, 2016 at 9:10 PM
  Updated Feb 27, 2016 at 9:15 PM
  

  BELVIDERE — For the first time ever, two women are vying for the position of state's attorney in Boone County.

  Tricia Smith, a former Boone County Board member and former assistant state's attorney, is challenging incumbent Michelle Courier in the March 15 Republican primary. There are no Democrats on the ballot.

  Courier, who was first elected in 2008, pledges to continue making Boone County a safe place to live by cracking down on criminals.

  "I want to continue to grow our reputation on being tough on crime," Courier said. "In addition, we've done things that were proactive. We've made a positive impact on the community, and I want to continue to make a positive impact here."

  Smith is an attorney with John H. Maville Law Offices in Belvidere. Maville served as Boone County state's attorney from 1968 to 1980 and has endorsed Smith, as has former Boone County Sheriff Duane Wirth.

  "I've worked in every courtroom in that courthouse, from traffic and misdemeanor to juvenile delinquency, juvenile abuse and neglect and felony (cases)," Smith said. "I can go into any of those courtrooms and run them today. I draw on all that experience to look at charges and get them right."

  Both candidates graduated from Belvidere High School and have been involved in Boone County government in some capacity. Both point to their experience in the criminal justice system.

  Smith was a police officer in Rockford for six years and went on to work as Boone County assistant state's attorney. She was elected to the Boone County Board in 2010 but resigned in 2011 to avoid a conflict of interest when her law firm was hired to provide legal services to the 17th Judicial Circuit Court.

  Courier has spent about 13 years in the State's Attorney's office in different capacities, including criminal prosecutor. After graduating from law school at Northern Illinois University, she served on the Boone County Board and was chief assistant state's attorney in McHenry County from 2004 to 2008.

  Courier said the highlights from her time in office include implementing the use of SCRAM bracelets, which test alcohol intake of DUI offenders while using GPS tracking technology, and the county's First Offender Program.

  Established in 2013, the program allows first-time offenders accused of less-serious crimes like retail theft or property damage to commit to such things as community service, restitution and a letter of apology. Cases are dismissed for those who complete the program.

  Courier also is concerned about gang activity. She started a Gang Task Force that included her office, law enforcement, the Belvidere Park District and others. In 2009, she successfully sued the Latin Kings as well as more than 30 known gang members in Belvidere and Boone County. The lawsuit prohibited gang members from spraying graffiti on public or private property, meeting in public and possessing guns.

  Page 2 of 2 - "The whole point of the lawsuit was to give law enforcement another tool in the fight against gangs," Courier said. "It is the opportunity for them to actually, if they see them associating, to stop them and arrest them. It's an additional tool, not the only tool."

  Smith said the lawsuit "did not increase the safety of Boone County citizens."

  "It (was) a civil suit in which people are sued for money, a money judgment, not to put people in prison," Smith said. "My answer to people that are committing crimes in our community that are severe, that are gang members committing crimes, is to put them in prison."

  Smith also contends that Courier only has a 66 percent felony jury trial success rate. Courier maintains that of the 74 felony cases brought to trial from 2012 to 2015, 56 were found guilty — about a 76 percent conviction rate.

  "We've actually taken more tough cases to trial; we've taken more cases to trial, and our conviction rate is greater than the previous administration," Courier said.

  Smith said she has raised about $30,000 for her campaign. Courier said she has raised about $20,000 and is primarily self-funded.
  Adam Poulisse: 815-987-1344; apoulisse@rrstar.com; @adampoulisse
  Name: Michelle Courier
  Age: 43
  Job: State's Attorney, incumbent Education: University of Illinois, and law degree from Northern Illinois University
  Name: Tricia Smith
  Age: 43
  Job: Attorney at Law Offices John H. Maville
  Education: Degree in administration of criminal justice from Bradley University and law degree from University of Iowa College of Law.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Above is from:  http://www.rrstar.com/news/20160227/election-2016-two-women-vying-for-boone-county-states-attorney-in-historic-primary/?Start=2

You Know Electric Cars Are Poised to Take Off When the Koch Brothers Plan The Technology’s Demise

 

By Gina Coplon-Newfield

Photo Above: A sampling of the electric vehicles available on the market today. Photo Credit: Sierra Club.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise. In some locations, it’s no longer surprising to see LEAFs, Volts, or any of the multitude of available plug-in models driving alongside us on the road. Not even the climate-change-denying, fossil-fuel-baron Koch brothers, who run Koch Industries, have been able to ignore the reality of EVs’ growing popularity. According to journalist Peter Stone, the Kochs have quietly launched a multimillion dollar plan aimed at slowing EVs down.

This week a newly released analysis by Bloomberg New Energy and Finance predicted that electric vehicles will help mark the end of the world’s reliance on oil for transportation. This would be very bad for business for the Koch brothers and their allies. While EVs still make up a small portion of total US and worldwide auto sales, the projections are for rapid growth in the market share, especially once longer range, lower cost EVs hit the market in the coming months and years.

The Kochs’ new anti-EV front group will promote petroleum-based transportation fuels and attack government subsidies for EVs, such as consumer rebates. This new advocacy effort, reportedly preparing to launch as soon as this spring or summer, may well spend upwards of  $10 million per year. The Koch brothers’ behavior hardly comes as a surprise when we consider their record, as described in this great Rolling Stone article, launching initiatives against wind and solar power, supporting any fossil fuel project they could get their hands on, practically buying the elections of anti-environmental politicians, and funding media efforts to deny the reality of climate disruption.

This planned assault on EVs from the Koch brothers comes after a number of EV victories in recent months. In December 2015, while electric vehicles were up against the lowest gas prices since 2009, U.S. sales set a record-breaking total of 13,650 electric vehicles sold throughout the month,the highest since EVs hit the mass market in 2010, and the fourth quarter of 2015 was the best-selling EV quarter to date in the US. To date, worldwide, more than 1 million EVs have been sold.

Just last month, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and California were among states to announce important programs to accelerate the use of EVs. Judith Judson, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Commissioner, shared at the New England Auto Show that the ‘Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles’ (MORE-EV) program would receive $2 million in new funding, and Rhode Island subsequently became the latest state to add an EV consumer rebate program. In California, the Public Utilities Commission approved the Southern California Edison’s “Charge Ready” program, which will open 1,500 new charging stations and educate customers about the benefits of driving an electric vehicle. In New York, Governor Cuomo recently proposed funding for 900 more public EV charging stations through the Charge NY program.

EVs have a long way to go to reach mass market adoption, but the future of electric vehicles is clearly headed in the right direction. In fact, as Bloomberg’s Sooner Than You Think series indicated, EV battery prices came down 35 percent last year and will drop much further to make EVs cheaper to manufacture. In the meantime, we do indeed need government programs to make EVs less expensive and more convenient for the masses.

Many groups are gearing up to face off with Koch-funded front groups. But as the Union of Concerned Scientists recently pointed out, the planned Koch anti-EV campaign may in fact bring more attention toward electric vehicles and their many benefits. Because EVs are cleaner and more fun to drive than gas guzzlers, we’ll welcome opportunities to get “butts in seats” so people can check EVs out for themselves.

Gina Coplon-Newfield is the director of the Sierra Club's Electric Vehicles Initiative.

Above is from:  http://www.sierraclub.org/compass/2016/02/you-know-electric-cars-are-poised-take-when-koch-brothers-plan-technology-s-demise

Opinion: Rauner crusade deters Illinois job growth

 

Why does the governor of Illinois say he wants jobs and prosperity and then do everything he can to prevent it?

Gov. Bruce Rauner has become the main agent of economic harm to the state. He has steered the state back toward fiscal calamity by not engaging with legislative Democrats in a spending compromise, causing a growing toll of human suffering. It’s all sending a terrible message to private enterprise. When looking to invest somewhere, companies care if a place can govern itself with policies that appear sane.

Last week, there was Rauner again, in oblivious majesty, strangely presenting a state budget for the next fiscal year when he can’t get one for the current fiscal year. He hit on the themes he’s known for — the state’s bad financial shape, the high cost of its bureaucracy and the need for reform ahead of new revenue.

Above is from:  http://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/7/71/1353439/opinion-rauner-crusade-deters-illinois-job-growth

New TV ads in US Senate race

New TV ads in US Senate race

Friday, Feb 26, 2016

* Press release…

The largest progressive group of veterans in America, VoteVets Action Fund, is up in Illinois with a $600,000 statewide ad buy, over the next two weeks, featuring an Illinois veteran saying that when it comes to security, the military, and veterans, he trusts Tammy Duckworth, over Senator Mark Kirk. VoteVets vowed that this would be just the first ad on the issue of security, military, and veterans, as long as Senator Kirk wants to make it into an issue.

Opening with a shot of a Blackhawk helicopter and fading to pictures of Tammy Duckworth, Michael Terranova, a Marine Corps veteran from Chicago says, “You gotta be a special kind of person to fly one of these. That’s Tammy Duckworth. After she lost her legs in service to her country, she still served ten more years in the National Guard. But now Senator Mark Kirk is attacking her, asking who do you trust? Well Senator, you voted against fixing broken equipment that keep guys like me safe in the field, and against expanding our veterans benefits when we get home. So to answer your question…I trust Tammy Duckworth and it’s not even close.”

In 2014, Senator Mark Kirk voted against a $21 billion package, supported by veterans’ groups, that would have greatly expanded veterans care. And in 2003, while in the House, Mark Kirk voted against an amendment that the Washington Post said, in part, would have allocated money “for the repair and replacement of damaged equipment” for troops in the field.

“Frankly, we’re thrilled that Senator Kirk spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to turn this election into one about security and the military,” said Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org, referring to an ad that Kirk launched this week. “If there are two political losers for Mark Kirk, they’re the issues of trust and keeping America strong and safe. As long as he wants to keep on talking about it, we’ll happily keep running ads like these, because there’s not a shadow of a doubt that Tammy Duckworth wins if this campaign is about those issues.”

* The ad is pretty good…

…Adding… Kirk campaign…

“Yet another blatantly false and dishonest ad by Rep. Duckworth and her liberal SuperPac allies in an attempt to distract from Duckworth’s reckless and extreme policy of allowing 200,000 Syrian refugees into the US even though they cannot safely be screened. The simple truth is that while Senator Kirk secured a historic level of funding for veterans’ benefits, Rep. Duckworth has spent her time preparing for her April trial where she faces charges that she fired Veterans’ Affairs employees after they blew the whistle on her for not responding to veterans being abused and receiving poor care while she served as the Director.”

More here.

* Meanwhile, from the Tribune…

Republican Sen. Mark Kirk’s campaign is complaining about the latest in a series of incorrect statements and advertising against the incumbent lawmaker. […]

The latest came Thursday when the Democratic-backed Senate Majority PAC attacked Kirk in a social media ad for “obstructionism” on filling the vacancy of Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.

Kirk initially took no stand on whether President Barack Obama should forward a nominee to the Senate, but then broke with party leaders and said a nominee should be considered. Kirk’s decision to break ranks came a day after Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, declared that no nominee would be considered by the majority.

All this huffing and puffing (I received 6 e-mails from the Kirk campaign) was about a single tweet pointing to a web page. Happily, the offending tweet is no longer on the Senate Majority PAC’s feed.

* And I’m told there are just 275 ratings points behind this new Andrea Zopp ad as of yesterday morning, all in Chicago…

* Apparently, a TV ad touting Kay Hagan for US Senate is also playing occasionally on Chicago network TV. Somebody really messed up badly. Hagan lost her North Carolina race in 2014 and isn’t running again.

- Posted by Rich Miller

To view actual ads go to:  http://capitolfax.com/2016/02/26/new-tv-ads-in-us-senate-race/

Belvidere law enforcers talk drugs and gangs at Chamber of Commerce event

Both States Attorney Candidates speak out

Belvidere law enforcers talk drugs and gangs at Chamber of Commerce event

By Susan Vela
Staff writer

Posted Feb. 25, 2016 at 9:09 PM
Updated Feb 25, 2016 at 10:15 PM

BELVIDERE — Kathy Reed wants to protect her 13-year-old grandson from gangs.

The Poplar Grove grandmother was among about 50 people who attended a morning presentation on gangs and drugs in Boone County at the Boone County Council on Aging. The presentation, a Belvidere Area Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Before Business event, featured Belvidere Police Sgt. Dave Dammon, Belvidere Police Sgt. of Detectives Matt Wallace and Boone County State’s Attorney Michelle Courier. They provided some things for parents and grandparents to look for if they want to keep their youngest relatives free of the gang culture.

Reed intends to take notes on her grandson's clothing. Wearing the latest styles and similar colors often is a common indicator of gang involvement

“And I want to learn more about his friends,” she said.

Typically, gang members are male, 11 to 24 years old, and of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

“You've got to keep them out of gangs,” said Dammon, who advised parents and grandparents to keep their children and grandchildren busy with school activities. “If they don’t go into them, then you don’t have to deal with them.”

Representatives from Boone County’s criminal justice system said Courier’s successful 2010 lawsuit against gang members, requiring them to pay $14,518, plus court costs, diminished the problem greatly.

Since Courier proved during the litigation that the Latin Kings’ gang activity cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, the number of gang members has dropped to about 50 in 2015, compared to the peak of 385 in 2008, according to the Belvidere Police Department.

Gang graffiti reports numbered 289 in 2015, compared to the peak of 690 in 2008.

“Drugs don’t exist without gangs. Gangs don’t exist without drugs,” Courier said. “The Belvidere Police Department chief once said if you were to eliminate gangs and drugs in the city of Belvidere, you’d eliminate 65 percent of the crime. So, directly and indirectly, gang activity affects Belvidere and Boone County.”

In the last year and a half, Courier said she has prosecuted gang members aggressively and been more likely to charge juveniles as adults.

Tricia Smith, Courier’s opponent in the March 15 Republican primary, was in today’s chamber audience. The former Boone County Board member spent nearly six years as a Rockford police officer. She has worked as both an assistant state's attorney and a defense attorney.

Smith said Courier overstated her success with local gang activity.

She used it as a platform for her political campaign,” Smith said. “Studies have shown that the only time you can make a difference is in juvenile delinquent court. By the time they’re adult, it’s too late.”

The Belvidere Police Department released this week its 2015 annual report, which indicates 430 incidents of drug and narcotics offenses, an 11 percent drop compared to 485 in 2014. The drop would have been greater, Smith said, if Courier and local law enforcers were as successful at diminishing the gang problem as they say.

Terrance Smith, president of R&D Thiel, approached Dammon after the presentation and asked him to visit his company to educate employees about gang activity.

“I also want him to take a look around,” Smith said. “You never know.”

Susan Vela: 815-987-1392; svela@rrstar.com; @susanvela

Above is from: http://www.rrstar.com/article/20160225/NEWS/160229637/0/SEARCH/?Start=2

Status of Livingston County Wind turbine case

 

Pleasant Ridge WInd was denied a zoning request for a wind farm by Livingston County in 2015,  No court date has thus far been set; a status conference is set for March 14.

For more details on this case go to:  http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2016/01/lawsuit-regarding-denial-of-wind-farm.html

 

Above court record is from:  http://www.judici.com/courts/cases/case_history.jsp?court=IL053015J&ocl=IL053015J,2015MR162,IL053015JL2015MR162P1

Trump's 12 Years of Audits 'Very Unusual,' Ex-IRS Agent Says

 

By Lynnley Browning 3 hours ago

Donald Trump’s disclosure that his tax returns have been under review by the Internal Revenue Service for the past 12 years reflects a “very unusual” level of scrutiny by tax authorities, according to a former Internal Revenue Service agent who now works as an accountant for wealthy people.

“He signed his name to a return in which the IRS is finding problems for the past 12 years,” said Alan Olsen, the managing partner of Greenstein Rogoff Olsen & Co. LLP, an accounting firm in Fremont and Palo Alto, California that caters to wealthy Silicon Valley clients.

More from Bloomberg.com: A Look Inside Trump's Global Deals Exposes Trouble in Many Spots

Trump’s disclosure, which emerged during a contentious GOP debate on Thursday in Houston, Texas, was a departure from prior statements about his tax returns. He has previously suggested to interviewers that his campaign was working on preparing the returns for release and that the process was time-consuming because of their complexity.

“For many years, I’ve been audited every year,” Trump said Thursday night. “Twelve years or something like that.”

‘Strong Christian’

After the debate, Trump suggested to CNN interviewer Chris Cuomo that there might be an unsavory reason the IRS has targeted him -- because he’s a “strong Christian.”

An IRS spokesman declined to comment Friday, citing routine taxpayer confidentiality rules. While Trump cited the audits as a reason for not releasing his tax returns to the public, taxpayers aren’t prohibited from disclosing their own returns, regardless of whether they’re under review.

More from Bloomberg.com: Trump Dominates in Bloomberg Poll of 'SEC Primary' States

The issue moved to the top of the agenda this week after Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee -- and no stranger to controversy over tax returns himself -- said in an interview with Fox News that Trump’s tax returns may contain a “bombshell.” Romney speculated that Trump’s personal tax documents might show that he is not as wealthy as he has claimed. On Thursday night, Romney needled Trump again, posting on Twitter: “No legit reason @realDonaldTrump can’t release returns while being audited, but if scared, release earlier returns no longer under audit.”

Trump, who has said he’s worth more than $10 billion, has responded by calling Romney a failed candidate and posting on Twitter: “Just for your info, tax returns have 0 to do w/ someone’s net worth.”

More from Bloomberg.com: Rubio Declares War on Trump at the 11th Hour

Bombshell Revelation

Olsen said that Trump’s revelation about 12 years of audits is something of a bombshell itself. “If the IRS examines your tax return and finds no issues they will not audit your return again for two years,” he said. “If returns are properly prepared, the IRS typically goes away.”

Pressure on Trump to release tax information may only build through the weekend as his two main rivals for the GOP nomination announced plans to release their own tax documents.

Senator Ted Cruz, who released some tax returns during his 2012 U.S. Senate race in Texas, said he’ll make more returns public as early as today. Senator Marco Rubio, who released some tax documents during his 2010 Senate race in Florida, said he’ll release additional information as well.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has released several years’ worth of returns, through 2014, when she and former President Bill Clinton reported adjusted gross income of $27.9 million. Senator Bernie Sanders has released part of his 2014 return, on which he and his wife, Jane, reported $205,271 in adjusted gross income.

Above is from:  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/trumps-12-years-audits-very-141036901.html

Universities given credit downgrade

Fri, 02/26/2016 - 7:00am | Julie Wurth

Several beleaguered Illinois universities took another hit this week, with Moody's Investor Service downgrading their credit ratings because of the ongoing state budget crisis.

Northern Illinois University and Northeastern Illinois University saw their ratings lowered to Baa2 and Baa3, just above "speculative" or "junk bond" status, while Eastern Illinois University is now below investment grade, dropping from Baa3 to Ba1 and Ba3.

The ratings range from a high of Aaa, or "prime," to C, which signals default.

Schools use the bond market to borrow money for new classroom buildings, laboratories or residence halls, or just to consolidate debt. They secure the loans with student fees, housing payments, clinic income or other sources of money.

The lower the bond rating, the higher the interest rate will be for the schools to pay back that money. Ideally, schools want a high rating so they can borrow at a cheaper rate and keep their overall debt low.

"Without state money coming in, this would be what's expected over time, that the financial situation of these institutions will continue to erode, and the bond markets will continue to notice that," UI education finance Professor Jennifer Delaney said of Wednesday's announcement by Moody's. "In general, it's a signal to the market and also, frankly, the students and families about the financial health of the institutions."

All state public universities continue to carry a "negative outlook" from Moody's, which means that further downgrades could be likely depending on what happens with the state budget.

Moody's cited Eastern's "increasing vulnerability to the ongoing state budget impasse given its thin liquidity, declining enrollment and high reliance on state funding." The school's reserves are expected to be exhausted by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, Moody's said.

Moody's again affirmed the UI's credit ratings, with a negative outlook. The rating affects about $1.6 billion in debt held by the university, for its auxiliary facilities system (Aa3), which includes the State Farm Center and residence halls; certificates of participation (Aa3); south campus development bonds in Chicago (A1); and health services facilities system in Chicago (A2).

The affirmation reflects the UI's "very good liquidity that provides it with significant flexibility to manage the lack of direct state funding as the state budget impasse continues," Moody's said.

Other factors in the UI's favor: strong student demand, more than $5.5 billion in revenues from diverse sources, and a favorable balance sheet with a "modest" debt burden. But Moody's noted that the UI is constrained by the state's financial challenges, and a growing amount of its state appropriation is consumed by pensions and other benefits, "pressuring the university's core educational and general budget."

Analysts also expect "some weakening of operating cash flow" at the UI this fiscal year.

Moody's affirmed its previous ratings for Southern Illinois University (Baa1) and Western Illinois Univeristy (Baa3).

The ratings agency assigned an A3 to Illinois State University's upcoming $40 million revenue bond sale for its auxiliary facilities system and affirmed ISU's previous A3 ratings. Analysts cited strong reserves and debt-service coverage for the system, and noted that ISU is "one of the state's largest public universities with a strong regional reputation and fiscal stewardship."

The school has sufficient reserves and endowment funds to mitigate the state's budget impasse for now, and also has stable enrollment, Moody's said.

For Northern, the downgrade is based on the expectation of weakening cash flow and liquidity without state appropriations. Moody's said the ratings reflect actions taken by Northern to trim expenses and "carefully manage liquidity cope with the state budget impasse," and its position as one of Illinois' largest regional public universities with diverse academic offerings.

But analysts also said its cash flow will continue to narrow because of enrollment declines, and cited its "relatively modest" reserves.

Northeastern's financial liquidity puts it in a better position to weather cuts than some of its peers, Moody's said, but that's offset by a decline in its operating performance and the state funding delay. The Chicago school, which has a large Hispanic population, is hoping that opening its first residence hall in 2016 will boost its market profile but early demand has been "weak," Moody's said.

Above is from:  http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2016-02-26/universities-given-credit-downgrade.html

Boone County Health Department to offer free food safety workshop

 

Posted Feb. 23, 2016 at 3:00 PM

BELVIDERE — The Boone County Health Department will host a free food safety workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. March 1 at Belvidere Moose Lodge No. 295, 575 Beloit Road.

The workshop will cover food safety, permitting requirements, setup and inspection expectations for temporary food stands in Boone County.

Registration is limited to the first 75 respondents.

To RSVP: 815-544-2951, ext. 2; info@boonehealth.org.

Former Rock Valley College director arrested on theft charge

 

By Jeff Kolkey
Staff writer

Posted Feb. 25, 2016 at 4:09 PM
Updated at 10:50 PM

ROCKFORD — Rock Valley College police on Wednesday arrested a former director of its disbanded Small Business Development Center over an apparent dispute involving a laptop computer.

Brian McIntyre, 54, of Rockford, was charged with the Dec. 21 theft of a Rock Valley College laptop. The Class 3 felony charge covers theft of property valued between $500 and $10,000.

McIntyre is the CEO of Thames Management Ltd., a consulting firm recently hired for $19,500 by the Rockford Housing Authority to conduct a feasibility study for a west side industrial laundry that could provide jobs and possibly wealth-building capacity for low-income residents.

McIntyre did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. He posted $500 bail and was released.

Rock Valley College spokeswoman Nancy Chamberlain said no information beyond a blotter entry was available.

It is unclear what steps, if any, were taken to recover the laptop before charges were sought.

Theft is a Class 3 felony punishable by probation or by three to seven years in prison.

Jeff Kolkey: 815-987-1374; jkolkey@rrstar.com; @jeffkolkey

Above is from:  http://www.rrstar.com/news/20160225/former-rock-valley-college-director-arrested-on-theft-charge

South Side Democrat Gonzales hopes to unseat Madigan in primary

 

 

A Democrat from the South Side is hoping to unseat one of the most powerful politicians in Illinois.

 

By Charles Thomas

Thursday, February 25, 2016 05:38PM

CHICAGO (WLS) --

In a Southwest Side shopping mall, Jason Gonzales continued his Democratic primary campaign for 22nd district state representative Thursday.
It is the seat held for the past 45 years by Mike Madigan, the long-serving Illinois House Speaker and arguably the most powerful politician in Illinois.

"It's very clear that Speaker Madigan is worried," Gonzales said. "It's time for a new representative who is going to fight for people in the district and bring their concerns to the forefront."
Gonzales says Speaker Madigan - who is in a bitter budget fight with Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner - has neglected the district, which is now predominantly Latino.
"That's what I see, Latino's are here and we gonna vote for him now," said Martin Zarate, 22nd District resident.
"I have a bachelor's degree from Duke. I have a master's degree from MIT in business and I have a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University," Gonzales said.

But Madigan's campaign has produced a cable television ad and mailed voters at least 30 pieces focused on Gonzales' credit card fraud convictions and jail time served as a teenager.
"I find it very offensive that he's actually going back over 20 years to dig up stuff and throw it back in my face. I paid the price and I turned by life around," Gonzales said.
A Madigan spokesman called Gonzales "a Rauner plant" financed by the republican governor's allies.
"It's not true. I've never met the governor. I am an independent Democrat," Gonzales said.
Alice Colon is a longtime Madigan voter who plans to do so again this year.
"Because he said he's going to help the minorities," she said.
Gonzales estimates the speaker - the state democratic chairman - has outspent his campaign by 30 to one. He compared the race to the biblical David and Goliath story.
"I'm David and certainly Speaker Madigan is Goliath. But we saw what happened to Goliath," he said.
There will be two other 22nd District candidates on the March 15 ballot. Joe Barbosa and Grasiela Rodriguez were unreachable for this story.
Gonzales has said the other candidates were planted in the race by Speaker Madigan to dilute the Latino vote.
The Madigan campaign has denied the allegation.

Above is from:  http://abc7chicago.com/politics/south-side-democrat-gonzales-hopes-to-unseat-madigan-in-primary/1219236/

Will the Plote case ever be decided?

 

It appears that a ruling “may” occur on May 9, 2016.  This case started in August 21, 2014.

For a possible review of the issues go to:  http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2014/12/county-seeks-injunctive-relief.html

One of the delaying items was the recuse of Judge Tobin, see:  http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2015/07/actions-by-chairman-walberg-may-affect.html

Chairman Walberg cause this, see:  http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2015/07/boone-county-prosecutor-says-county.html

 

Above is from:  http://www.judici.com/courts/cases/case_history.jsp?court=IL004015J&ocl=IL004015J,2014CH170,IL004015JL2014CH170D1

Cathy Ward speaks out on spliting the Planning Dept

 

 

Above is from the February 26, 2016 Boone County Journal which is also on-line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2016/Boone-County-News-02-26-16.pdf#page=1

BCJ speaks of special interest at work in primary election

 

Above is from the February 26, 2016 Boone County Journal , which is also available on line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2016/Boone-County-News-02-26-16.pdf#page=1

VFW Commander complains about VAC funding and Health Department

Above is from the Boone County Journal, February 26, 2016 and on-line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2016/Boone-County-News-02-26-16.pdf#page=1

Ford Motor moves away from fossil-friendly lobbying group

 

EV Culture Wins Again: Ford Ditches ALEC For EICC

 

February 24th, 2016 by Tina Casey

With an increasing focus on the EV market, The Ford Motor Company’s business model has become at odds with its membership in ALEC, the fossil-friendly business lobbying group backed by the Koch brothers. Sure enough, just last week Ford confirmed that its relationship with ALEC is no more. To reinforce its transition to a clean tech model, earlier today Ford announced that it will be the first auto maker to hook up with the Electronic Industry Citizen Coalition.

So, what is the Electronic Industry Citizen Coalition?

The EV Revolution and Electronics

All contemporary cars are loaded with electronics, and EV manufacturers in particular are leveraging a combination of electric drive, energy storage, data analytics, and mobile connectivity to push the electronics envelope even farther.

That all brings up a load of supply chain and lifecycle issues, so it stands to reason that an auto company moving in a corporate social responsibility direction would want to do something about that, especially if it has an interest in the EV market.

The Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition is this:

Founded in 2004 by a group of leading electronics companies, the EICC is a nonprofit coalition of electronics companies committed to supporting the rights and wellbeing of workers and communities worldwide affected by the global electronics supply chain. EICC members commit and are held accountable to a common Code of Conduct and utilize a range of EICC training and assessment tools to ensure continuous improvement in the social, environmental and ethical responsibility of their supply chains.

Pretty much all of the big players in the global electronics industry are among the group’s 110+ members, including Apple, Xerox, Toshiba, Sony, Microsoft, Logitech, IBM, Intel, Cisco, Best Buy, etc.

Along with the new addition of Ford, you’ll also find some of those names, including Apple and Microsoft, among the growing list of companies that have cut their ties to ALEC in recent years while earning high ratings from other sustainability groups.

When it comes to rating sustainability, it’s important to note that trade organizations can be vulnerable to some degree of criticism for lack of transparency among other faults, and the global electronics industry is particularly loaded with issues. Rivalries between trade organizations and different rating systems can also muddy the waters. However, setting industry-wide goals and standards is a critical first step, and EICC seems to have emerged as the leader in its category.

Ford And The EICC

Here’s what Ford had to say about its new relationship, in a press release earlier today:

Joining the EICC will strengthen Ford’s commitment to respect human rights and improve the basic working conditions at its suppliers’ facilities around the world. It also will enable Ford to further fulfill the promise in its corporate responsibility policy that guides the company’s code of human rights, basic working conditions and corporate responsibility and holds its suppliers accountable for meeting those standards.

So, there’s that. Ford notes that its supply chain focus slightly predates the formation of EICC, as the company began a formal auditing and training program in 2003. The advantage of joining a larger group is to gain additional leverage, among other pluses.

Apparently Ford has been an affiliate of EICC, and full membership required approval from the organization’s Board of Directors. Ford is now expected to do this:

…identify high-risk facilities of its own and its suppliers and conduct audits on at least 25 percent of those facilities. Ford also agrees to actively support the EICC and the goals of the organization’s Code of Conduct in its own operations, progressively implementing the EICC approach and tools in the spirit of the industry’s common goals.

On its part, EICC expects its stepped-up relationship with Ford to lead to additional members from the auto industry, especially considering the “growing convergence between the automotive and electronics industries,” as EICC puts it.

According to Ford, about 15 percent of its suppliers are already EICC members, so it looks like the company is getting a head start.

Ford, ALEC And The Looming EV Battle

The new EICC relationship is just the latest in a trio of sustainability related moves that Ford has undertaken in the past couple of months. The first occurred in mid-January, when the company announced a new partnership with LEGO, a brand that is front and center in the sustainability and renewable energy fields.

The unhitching from ALEC followed just a few weeks after that, and now comes the new commitment to EICC.

This has all been taking place while ALEC (and by extension, the Koch brothers) has been weathering some bad publicity over its connection to the Bundy family, the majority of whom are sitting in jail facing felony charges for threatening federal officers, and worse, over their instigation of armed standoffs in Nevada in 2014, and more recently at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.

While the Malheur episode was still unfolding, the Kochs also had to deal with some serious blowback over new solar net metering rules in Nevada. The onerous new rules are a big win for investor Warren Buffet’s NV Energy utility, but the Koch brothers ended up taking most of the heat due to their connection with ALEC’s broader anti-solar policies.

Also not helping the Koch brothers much is the resounding nyah-nyah-nyah issued over Twitter a few days ago by EV wizard Elon Musk to his 3.47 million followers.

The tweet was a simple “sigh” accompanied by a cartoon and a link to a Huffington Post article, which detailed rumors of a new Koch-funded campaign to undermine the EV market, supposedly getting under way some time this summer.

The headline was “The Kochs Are Plotting A Multimillion-Dollar Assault On Electric Vehicles.”

As of now the Koch brothers aren’t saying much about their designs to crush EV manufacturers like bugs, but if they really are thinking of taking on the likes of Elon Musk, Mark Fields, and Mary Barra (the person in the Bolt EV on her Facebook), we’re in for an interesting summer

About the Author

Tina Casey specializes in military and corporate sustainability, advanced technology, emerging materials, biofuels, and water and wastewater issues. Tina’s articles are reposted frequently on Reuters, Scientific American, and many other sites. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on Twitter @TinaMCasey and Google+.

Above is from:  https://cleantechnica.com/2016/02/24/ev-culture-wins-again-ford-ditches-alec-for-eicc/