• Rasmussen Poll: Topinka Closing Gap
• Blagojevich Continues to Dictate Rather than Govern
• Illinois Chamber Endorses McGlynn for Appellate Court
• Topinka Lays Out Jobs Plan, Governor a No-Show
• Leaders Call for Suspension in Gas Sales Tax
• Hiring Woes Continue to Plague Blagojevich
• State Rep. Mike Smith Takes a New Route for Re-Election
• Editorial of the Week: Chicago Tribune - Enough to Make you Sick

Rasmussen Poll: Topinka Closing Gap

The Rasmussen Reports tracking poll indicated last week that Topinka has decreased the polling gap with Blagojevich from 45-34 to 45%-37%.  Topinka, who has not begun airing TV ads, is now only nine points down while Blagojevich has remained mired in the mid-forties for months.  The Blagojevich campaign has been airing negative TV ads for months, at times spending over $800,000 a week for ads.  Only 48% of voters approve of Blagojevich and 25% have a very unfavorable opinion, according to the poll.

Top

Blagojevich Continues to Dictate Rather than Govern

Two weeks ago, Gov. Blagojevich decided for the second year in a row that allowing for public input and legislative oversight wasn't necessary to fund a personal pet project.  Last year, the Governor's office slipped in a $10 million appropriation for stem-cell research under a line-item entitled, "Research".  During this year's budget negotiations, members of his own party let it be known in no uncertain terms that a budget with even $1 of stem-cell research funding would not be allowed to pass.  "We thought we had an understanding that there would be no stem cell money within this budget,'' said Rep. Gary Hannig, a Litchfield Democrat and top budget negotiator. "We didn't want the stem cell research issue to become part of the budget debate.'' 

Unfortunately for legislators, Blagojevich doesn't see the need for the General Assembly if it means that his goals and aspirations will be stymied.  While there was technically no funding for stem-cell research in this year's budget, Blagojevich transferred $5 million from a human services budget to get the funding he desired. 

In addition to stem-cell research, Blagojevich announced last week that he will weigh into the national Plan B debate should the FDA decide not to allow the drug to be available over the counter.  The Governor insisted last week that he would issue an executive order allowing OTB sales of Plan B in Illinois if the FDA fails to act.  The Governor did indicate that if he is unable to enact such a move by executive order, he will initiate legislation during this year's Veto Session in November.

Top

Illinois Chamber Endorses McGlynn for Appellate Court

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce endorsed Steve McGlynn for the 5^th District Appellate Court last week.  The race appears to be a replay of the '04 Supreme Court race with business interests getting behind McGlynn and trial lawyers getting behind Bruce Stewart.  McGlynn was appointed to the Appellate Court by Justice Karmeier and Stewart is a Circuit Judge in Saline County.

Top

Topinka Lays Out Jobs Plan, Governor a No-Show

GOP gubernatorial nominee Judy Baar Topinka and Gov. Blagojevich were supposed to attend a joint appearance before the Metropolitan Planning Conference last week.  MPC has hosted such an event with the major candidates for the past several campaign cycles.  This year, Blagojevich decided to attend a meeting of a labor convention in Las Vegas.

During the event, Topinka outlined her plans to seek increased education funding, a state construction plan to include a dramatic increase in education construction and the need to enhanced urban planning.  When candidate Blagojevich appeared at the event during the '02 campaign, he indicated that he would seek a public construction program but during his tenure has not been able to convince the General Assembly to go along with his plan.

Top

Leaders Call for Suspension in Gas Sales Tax

Minority House Leader Tom Cross called for a suspension in the Illinois gas sales tax last week.  Illinois Republicans have been pushing for a special session to assist individuals and businesses with high gas prices.  "People are struggling to get to and from work and to get to school and vacations. We have a responsibility to ease that burden," Cross said.

The Blagojevich administration calls the demand a political ploy, although Blagojevich called on Washington to do something similar when prices were just cracking $2.00.  Gov. George Ryan did temporarily suspend the sales tax in 2000.  Cross indicates that such a suspension would cost the state about $100 million.

Top

Hiring Woes Continue to Plague Blagojevich

Another week, another round of allegations, lawsuits and "reformed" policies.  Last week, the political and pundit world was rocked by revelations that consummate insider Stu Levine had been wearing a wire for almost a year recording possibly revealing conversations about pay-to-play within the Blagojevich administration.  Levine has long been a GOP contributor but after the Blagojevich election in '02, Levine began contributing and cooperating with the new administration.  Levine was reappointed to two state boards by the administration, has been indicted on charges of extorting millions of dollars with firms attempting to do business with the state and is now, apparently working with the US Attorney's office.

The administration was again sued by state employees who contend their employment has been threatened because of politics and not poor performance.  Correctional employees Greg Gossett and Phil Atherton indicate that their work environment has lead to "extreme and severe emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment" because of their work environment.

Finally, the administration's legal counsel sent a memo to agency director's last week directing them to cease using internships to hire people who may not have recently graduated from college.  Blagojevich has been accused of using internships in hiring political friends to get around veteran's preference in hiring state employees.  The memo lays out new rules on how interns should be hired.

Top

State Rep. Mike Smith Takes a New Route for Re-Election

State Rep. Mike Smith wants to be a big loser - the biggest, in fact - and if he achieves that feat he could be a big-time winner.  Smith, D-Canton, who is running to retain his seat in the 91st District against Republican challenger Daryl Dagit of Pekin, said he will participate in the "Losers are Winners" program through Methodist Medical Center and the Journal Star.

Top

Editorial of the Week: Chicago Tribune - Enough to Make you Sick

"Political patronage is crippling public health care in Cook County. Good doctors are kept from doing their best work because of incompetence at the top of the system. And the Cook County commissioners who are supposed to oversee the nearly $1-billion-a-year health-care system don't have a clue about how to fix it. Not a clue.

That's what you can draw from a stunning assessment by health-care professionals who spent the last six months evaluating public health in the county.

It's rare to get such a frank, independent assessment of the chaos called Cook County government."  Read the whole thing...

Top