| |
|
|
| |
 Chamber Endorses New Direction for Economic
Development
Judy
Baar Topinka unveiled her first set of policy proposals last
week. In choosing jobs and economic development as the
issue, she sends a clear message to employers that making
Illinois more business
friendly will be a top priority for a Topinka
administration. Chamber President and CEO Doug Whitley
spoke in favor of the plan and Topinka's leadership at the
roll-out event.
The
plan was crafted with input from the Chamber and other
representatives of the business community. From the
Chamber's perspective, the plan emphasizes three
proposals:
- Replace the
Department of Commerce and Community Affairs with a new
public-private partnership that will be more responsive to
employers and focused solely on job creation. Rather
than answering to the Governor's re-election committee, the
new entity will report to a Board of Directors representing
employers. The agency will focus on high-value added
industries and will jettison programs currently run by DCEO
that have little or no relation to creating
jobs.
- Greatly improve
the state's incentives to help employers be successful in
Illinois. With
strong emphasis on stemming the massive loss of
manufacturing jobs in the state, the plan is a direct
departure from the Governor's campaign to eliminate as many
incentives as the legislature will allow.
- Address the high
cost of doing business in Illinois.
Specifically citing workers' compensations costs and the
high cost of out-of-control courts, the Topinka plan
recognizes that incentives and economic development agencies
alone will not make Illinois a jobs creation
leader.
Review
the full plan by visiting the Chamber's website at www.ilchamber.org. |
|
|
Top |
| |
|
|
| |
A
few days after President Bush spent two days in Chicago and assisted in raising $1.3
million for State treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, two additional
national GOP leaders flew to Illinois to lend their
support. Last
Tuesday, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the guest of
honor at a dinner fundraiser in suburban Chicago
for Topinka's gubernatorial bid. The dinner brought in
an estimated $100,000
In
addition to Bush and Giuliani, Senator John McCain pumped up
Topinka's campaign in the Metro-East area this past
Saturday. McCain
joined Topinka for a $1,000 per person luncheon in Fairview
Heights. Regarding the race,
McCain said, "Illinois
is the heartland of America. A lot of people are going to be
watching in November.
And we think it's winnable." Reports indicated that
the Saturday event was at least a "six-figure
draw".
A
recent Rasmussen poll of 500 likely Illinois voters conducted
the week of July 6th shows Blagojevich leading
Topinka 45%
to 34%. Other
recent polls conducted by national firms such as Zogby put the
race within single digits even after an onslaught of negative
campaigning by the incumbent. |
|
|
Top |
| |
|
|
| |
Late
last week yet another former state employee sued Blagojevich
and the administration for hiring improprieties. Maynard Crossland, the
former director of the IL Historic Preservation Agency, filed
suit seeking his previous position and back pay. Crossland contends in
papers filed in Sangamon County court that he was
forced from his job after refusing to fire IHPA employees
because they were Republican.
Crossland,
as part of the suit, alleges that aides of the Governor
visited shortly after taking office with an organization chart
with red X marks through various employees that they wanted
fired. Although
those positions are exempt from political hiring, they were
still to be let go because of their GOP affiliation. Crossland also
maintains that investigations into misappropriation of funds
were stymied because the allegations centered on the wife of a
state representative.
Blagojevich called the allegations, "absurd"
in responding to media questions.
|
|
|
Top |
| |
|
|
| |
Governor
Blagojevich likes to tell a quick, self-effacing story on the
campaign trail to break the ice. The way Blagojevich
tells the story is much like the game kids used to play, "Mad
Libs" where players filled in the blanks to complete a goofy
story. The "mad
lib" story, in this case, goes something like Blagojevich
this: "The other
day, I was in _______ (location in IL, preferably) and I'm
with ______ (name-drop a couple of other elected Democrats,
preferably national) and there is a little girl who is amazed
she is seeing these other officials. When the little girl
gets to me, she proclaims, "Look, Mayor Daley!" In this case,
Blagojevich always seems to think the Mayor Daley portion will
be funny anywhere in the state. True "Mad Libs"
players would substitute a local Democrat to appeal to
differing audiences.
The
Governor's over-use of this anecdote has now been picked up on
by the major media and Illinois bloggers. Having been questioned
about the story, Blagojevich's
staff says that while the context changes, the underlying
story is true and that such an event took place in Chicago. |
|
|
Top |
| |
|
|
| |
With
political control of the U.S. House at stake, money from state
and national donors continues to
roll into hotly contested congressional races in the
Chicagoland area.
Two of the country's top targeted races are occurring
west and northwest of the city. State Senator Peter
Roskam is trying to hold onto GOP control of Congressman
Hyde's seat with Iraq War vet Tammy Duckworth attempting a
Democratic upset in DuPage County. Meanwhile,
Congresswoman Melissa Bean is attempting to hold on to the
seat she won just two years ago. Businessman David
McSweeney is the Republican attempting to unseat the
one-termer.
Of
the four candidates, Roskam, Duckworth and Bean are all
reporting that they have shot past the $1 million mark with
just about three months left in the campaign. McSweeney is being
outraised by Bean but in the most recent quarter, McSweeney
raised about $150,000 more than Bean. National parties are
pouring money and assistance into both of these races as they
may become a barometer for the Presidential contest in
'08. |
|
|
Top |
| |
|
|
| |
This
week during the national conference of the American Trial
Lawyer's Association, the organization will decide whether to
change their name to assist in altering the public's
impression of trial lawyers. The ATLA has proposed
changing their name to the American Association for
Justice. The new
name, according to ATLA's president will "help
trial lawyers win in "the court of public opinion."" Lisa Rickard,
president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for
Legal Reform referred to the name change as "cosmetic
surgery." |
|
|
Top |
| |
|
|
| |
"Let's call
Illinois' "balanced budget"
what it really is - dishonest government. And it's a
bipartisan effort played by Republicans and Democrats going
back at least two decades.
The annual announcement is
always the same. "We have a balanced budget." That's because
the state's Constitution requires a balanced
budget.
The outcome hasn't changed - bills that would
put the budget in the red are not paid until the next fiscal
year. And the same thing happens at the end of that fiscal
year." Read
the whole thing... |
|
|
Top |
|
Forward
this email to a friend
|
