Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: Fun with numbers
Next Post: Nominating petitions can be circulated starting September 5
Posted in:
* The Yvette Shields Memorial Fund is within distance of reaching its fundraising goal. If you haven’t yet contributed, please click here if you can. Many thanks. Also, Fran Spielman wrote a great obit that you should read. And here’s one of Yvette’s last stories…
Harvey, Illinois, is targeting an August settlement date in its long-planned tender exchange offer on its defaulted general obligation bonds.
The exchange that launched this week would allow investors to shed the bonds’ default status, resolve investor litigation, and give the fiscally troubled Chicago suburb more time to repay its debt.
The city posted the exchange offer Tuesday after resolving a series of complicated issues, from a Cook County revenue intercept and use-of-funds-on-hand to efforts to reach all bondholders, which include institutional and retail investors. The deadline to offer bonds for exchange is Aug. 1 and the city aims for a settlement date of Aug. 22.
The proposed exchange — which extends the final maturity date by two decades but offers features like a tax levy with a direct intercept and trust estate — is the cornerstone of the consent agreement the city struck with a group of 2007 bondholders. […]
The tax base has long failed to support the city’s debts resulting in litigation from bondholders, pension funds and Chicago over delinquent payments for treated Lake Michigan water. Harvey also has been slapped in the past with Securities and Exchange Commission sanctions.
Nobody else covered that development. There’s a hole in The Force.
* Coming on the heels of the Black vs. Brown city council battle over asylum seekers, this fight could be epic. Greg Hinz…
A test of power of sorts between Black and Latino Democrats appears to be shaping up in Cook County over who the party will slate for a seat on the Illinois Supreme Court.
Some top Latino leaders are backing Appellate Court Justice Jesse Reyes for the post, arguing it’s time that a member of their community serves on the high court.
But that appears to be a tough ask because slating Ruiz would mean dumping Supreme Court Justice Joy Cunningham, a Black woman who was appointed to the court last year to replace the retiring Anne Burke. And Cunningham is now seeking a full term.
The push for Reyes is led by U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. At a press conference last week, he and other leaders, including state Sen. Omar Aquino and Chicago Ald. Feliz Cardona, 31st, argued that Latinos have waited long enough for a member of their community to serve on the Supreme Court
* More fun with numbers…
Overall, Illinois ranked 45th, with its current 4.0% unemployment rate higher than all but four other states and Washington, D.C. Most other states are in the 2.8% to 3.8% range.
I just cannot get too excited about being two-tenths of one percent off the pace, especially since the error rate appears to be about a half a point each way at the state level.
* Press release…
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John J. Kim today announced a total of $14 million in funding to the Village of Dixmoor. A $10 million grant, made available through Gov. Pritzker’s historic Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan, will provide for construction improvements to rehabilitate the water distribution system, and restore reliable potable water within the Village. An additional $4 million in funding is being provided to the Village for lead service line replacement through Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan program.
“Every resident has a right to safe and reliable drinking water and functional infrastructure, and our Rebuild Illinois capital plan is investing across the State to correct those inequities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Today, I am proud to announce a total of $14 million in funding that will bring updated and reliable infrastructure to the Village of Dixmoor and remove lead service lines from their distribution system.”
“The Village of Dixmoor has been faced with the costly challenge of repairing their aging and deteriorating drinking water infrastructure,” said Director Kim. “With no repayment required from the Village, these funds will allow for the rehabilitation of the existing water distribution system to provide a reliable drinking water source to residents and proactively remove the public health threat caused by lead service lines within the community.”
The $10 million in grant funding announced today will be used by the Village to install Phase 2 pump station improvements, improve the existing ground storage reservoir, constructing a 750,000-gallon elevated storage tank, complete a Village-wide water meter replacement program, replace approximately 40 water valves and 12 fire hydrants throughout the Village, and replace approximately 10,500 feet of 6” and 8” arterial water main with new 12” water main. These improvements will reduce the frequency and impact of watermain breaks experienced within the water distribution system.
* NRCC…
Keyboard Warrior @ERICSORENSEN can't seem to ever log off or avoid unethical social media usage.
So the @NRCC was happy to present him with a custom keyboard as well as a copy of his recent ethics complaint.
Looking forward to your next tweet, Eric! pic.twitter.com/g7vWn1IhjJ
— Chris Gustafson (@chris_gustafson) July 24, 2023
* Illinois governors can’t just lower or raise sales taxes on their own, WCIA…
With the start of the school year just around the corner, parents in Illinois may be wondering if the sales tax holiday on school supplies will offer some financial relief this fall.
Last year, Gov. JB Pritzker lowered the state sales tax on supplies, clothing, and shoes by 5% for 10 days in August 2022.
However, the sales tax holiday was only approved for 2022 and will not be returning in 2023, according to an Illinois Department of Revenue spokesperson.
Also, this isn’t an election year (no snark tag necessary).
* Kissiar is a former youth pastor…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that a Vandalia, Illinois man prosecuted by his office was sentenced to 30 years in prison for possessing, reproducing and disseminating child pornography and indecent solicitation of an adult. The guilty plea and sentence are the result of an investigation Raoul’s office conducted into an alleged child pornography ring operating in Fayette County.
Ferrell Mason Kissiar, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of dissemination of child pornography, a Class X felony; one count of reproduction of child pornography, a Class X felony; two counts of possession of child pornography, a Class 2 felony; and one count of indecent solicitation of an adult, a Class 1 felony. Kissiar was sentenced to 30 years in prison by 4th District Circuit Judge Martin Siemer.
Two other defendants in the case pleaded guilty in May to charges stemming from their involvement in the alleged child pornography ring. Andrew Wehrle, 39, of Vandalia, and Amber Wehrle, 38, of Vandalia, will be sentenced on Aug. 8.
* Palate cleanser…
"The two-and-a-half-hour extravaganza was pure escape into an otherworldly existence, perhaps the closest we mere mortals will get to going to the moon," writes Selena Fragassi on Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour. https://t.co/TF2Ty60e5M
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) July 23, 2023
Go read Selena Fragassi’s story. It’ll transport you.
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* WTTW | Chicago Spent $126.5M on Police Overtime in 6 Months, an Almost 50% Jump Over Last Year: Records: It took less than five months for CPD to exhaust the $100 million earmarked for police overtime set by the Chicago City Council as part of the city’s 2023 budget, according to data obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request.
* Journal Courier | Goal of $10 million Illinois program is to provide air purifiers for daycares: The program is intended to help reduce the spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. Qualifying daycares will receive purifiers and a three-year supply of filters. Selection will be made from among those that apply online by July 31.
* WGEM | Pritzker’s Disaster Proclamation for derecho expands to more counties: Counties included in the proclamation are Coles, Cook, Edgar, Hancock, McDonough, Morgan, Sangamon, and Washington Counties and now includes Calhoun, Christian, Clark, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Logan, Macon, Monroe, Moultrie, Pike, Scott, and Vermillion.
* Sun-Times Editorial Board | Face it. Our private biometric information needs more protection, not less.: Privacy advocates and business interests spent much of the spring hammering out a revision of the law, and arrived at a deal privacy advocates weren’t thrilled with but felt protected the most important parts of the law. But then the business side walked away. Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, was so irked he said on public radio some business representatives had “punched us in the nose.”
* Center Square | Task force created to tell the tales of the Underground Railroad in Illinois: Not enough people know the history of the role Illinois played in the Underground Railroad to assist in relocating slaves to where they could be free, Tazewell County Clerk and genealogist John Ackerman said. […] Thanks to Ackerman’s advocacy and the lead sponsorship of state Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, the legislature passed Senate Bill 1623 to convene a 10 member statewide Underground Railroad Task Force to develop ideas about how to make this Illinois history better known. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the measure last month.
* NBC Chicago | Vice President Kamala Harris to visit Chicago Monday: According to White House officials, Vice President Harris will arrive at Chicago Midway International Airport and is scheduled to be a keynote speaker for the final day of the UnidosUS 2023 Annual Conference at McCormick Place.
* Tribune | Illinois saw cooler spring housing market as inventory remained tight and mortgage rates high: Illinois Realtors found that as of June, the median sales price of a home in the city limits was $355,000, up from $335,000 and $340,000 in May and April, respectively. It was $349,940 for the Chicago metro area and $291,946 statewide in June. That’s up from $330,000 and $275,000, respectively, in May, and $320,000 and $272,250, respectively, in April.
* AP | A UPS strike could be just around the corner. Here’s what you need to know: That leaves less than a week to come to an agreement before the current contract expires at the end of the day on July 31. The union has authorized a strike and Sean M. O’Brien, a fiery leader elected last year to lead the union, has vowed to do so if their demands aren’t met.
* Tribune | Former Northwestern football player files 4th lawsuit amid hazing allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse in school athletics: The hazing scandal that has rocked the school this month includes allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. The plaintiff in Monday’s lawsuit, 26-year-old former Northwestern quarterback Lloyd Yates, recently told the Tribune in an exclusive interview he has been haunted by nightmares and anxiety since he joined the Wildcats in 2015 and graduated in 2018.
* WBEZ | President Biden will establish a national monument honoring Emmett Till: Biden will sign a proclamation on Tuesday to create the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument across three sites in Illinois and Mississippi, according to the official. The individual spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House had not formally announced the president’s plans.
* NPR Illinois | UIS will offer some from Missouri, Iowa same tuition rate as Illinois residents: The pilot was approved Thursday by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. The aim of the move is to attract more out-of-state students, especially in higher-population areas that border Illinois. According to UIS officials, Spring enrollment was 4,107 – an increase of 363 students from Spring 2022. UIS total enrollment increased by 6.4 percent last fall to 4,198 students.
* NBC | Unions working at the 2024 Democratic convention promise no picket signs: It encompasses unions that do work around McCormick Place and the United Center, the sites of next year’s activities. Ten labor groups are signing the agreement, including the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, local unions for electrical workers, the Teamsters and the Service Employees International Union.
* Tribune | ‘A judge’s judge:’ Longtime Cook County judge Michael Toomin dies: Toomin, 85, succumbed to cancer a little more than six months after he retired in December after a decadeslong career that began on 26th Street as a lawyer and then judge after he was first elected in 1980. As a judge, he cultivated a reputation as a conscientious decision-maker and earned the affectionate nickname of the “Toominator.” By his own estimation, he oversaw some 600 murder cases and 400 or more jury trials.
* Sun-Times | Beyoncé delivers a powerhouse, out-of-this-world experience at Soldier Field concert: Beyoncé is the wave of the future. Her Renaissance World Tour proved as much as it descended on Soldier Field Saturday night for the first of two sold-out weekend shows. The 21⁄2-hour extravaganza was pure escape into an otherworldly existence, perhaps the closest we mere mortals will get to going to the moon.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 2:29 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: Fun with numbers
Next Post: Nominating petitions can be circulated starting September 5
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
I am sure the price of homes in the around great Chicago is higher but downstate I think it is a bargain compared to most places. I have looked at property and homes in Utah and the West they are crazy compared to Illinois. We do have some of the highest real estate taxes but that does not offset many desirable locations that home way beyond the prices of those in Central and Southern Illinois. There are exceptions but with them come none of the benefits of Illinois.
Comment by clec dcn Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 2:38 pm
==Go read Selena Fragassi’s story. It’ll transport you==
The Sunday night show was amazing and I read the story afterwards. Even though it’s about the Saturday show, it captured things well.
Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 2:51 pm
Are there any reliable sources for county level unemployment data? It would interesting to compare Chicago to other cities, or rural Illinois to other rural areas. I feel like that sort of information would be more helpful than just comparing state averages.
Comment by Homebody Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 3:09 pm
Taking a picture of the Capitol name plate for a political purpose. Classy NRCC
Comment by Gfalkes Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 3:11 pm
Hard to argue with the idea that it’s time for a Latino Supreme Court justice. But it’s also hard to beat a Black woman with an Irish name in a Dem primary for a judicial race in Cook County.
Comment by TNR Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 3:11 pm
TNR makes very good points
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 3:14 pm
Could I please get a primer or some background on the Rep. Sorenson / NRCC keyboard tweet?
Comment by The Truth Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 3:19 pm
=TNR makes very good points=
Agreed, but the black population is shrinking and the LAtino population is increasing. It is time for the Latino population to get their due.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 3:52 pm
Still nothing from Napoleon Harris about the hazing? It’d be great to know if he witnessed it when he was at Northwestern and what he thinks about the current allegations.
Comment by Torco Sign Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 4:03 pm
=== TNR makes very good points ===
You cannot ignore the legacy of Anita Alvarez.
I realize there are folks pushing for Jesse Reyes out there. I think he might be the only Latino on the appellate bench.
But like it or not, given the cozy relationship between many Latino elected officials and the FOP, reformers are pretty sceptical of any candidate that they advance.
Comment by Thomas Paine Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 4:05 pm
A competent minority party wishing to elect a Supreme Court justice would try to exploit this potential split by nominating a qualified minority candidate.
Thankfully, we live in Illinois.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 4:28 pm
Read the post about Ferrel Mason Kissiar. He’s compiled quite a rap sheet of charges including possession of child pornography, reproduction and dissemination. And , he was a youth pastor.
Might be time to change his name to Feral.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 5:02 pm
47th, you’ve been on a roll lately.
Comment by Keyrock Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 9:05 pm
to add to the ask for Sen. Harris, the latest lawsuit from Crump has some truly disturbing things in it. thoughts on it? what happened back in the day? have the kids morphed into something worse?
Comment by Amalia Monday, Jul 24, 23 @ 11:19 pm
I just received a fundraising letter from Eric Sorenson in my DMs on Twitter. I couldn’t believe it. (p.s. I don’t even live in that district.)
Comment by yinn Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 5:53 am
Since their party’s past presidential nominee was an even more prodigious social media user,I assume NRCC wants Rep Sorenson to join Truth Social? instead?
But Sorenson may indeed use the Tweet at clouds (or should it be X at clouds now?), since he’s a former TV weatherman, and still promises occasional weather tweet in his bio.
Comment by Goodson Oddman Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 10:00 am