Gov. Pat Quinn spoke with reporters Tuesday about the need for pension reform in Illinois. He encouraged lawmakers to approve a plan, but he offered little specifics on what he would like to see. Lawmakers are down to the wire as new legislators will be sworn in Wednesday.
The embedded file will take you to the video from Blue Room Stream. Quinn walks into the room at 39:30, so you will have to skip quite a bit.
Quincy Mayor John Spring and Republican Senate candidate Randy Frese issued statements Tuesday regarding the recent visits of former gubernatorial campaign Adam Andrzejewski, Sen. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, and Sen. Sam McCann, R-Carlinville, in support of the Frese campaign.
Spring is a strong supporter of incumbent Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, who is seeking a fourth term.
Andrzejewski, who ran for the 2010 GOP gubernatorial nomination, is sponsoring an independent ad campaign against Sullivan.
Spring fired the first salvo Tuesday afternoon via an email sent from the “Friends of John Sullivan” email account.
“I’m disappointed to see Randy Frese bringing in outsiders and failed Cook County politicians to Quincy today to push more hollow rhetoric and distortions about John Sullivan,” Spring wrote. “More committed to their ideology than to actually getting results, extremists like these won’t work with anyone and thereby get nothing done. John Sullivan, on the other hand, is known for reaching across the aisle and working with anyone, regardless of party, to produce results for the people of western Illinois. The people of Quincy know John Sullivan and know the truth about his independent record, no matter what outsiders, busy lining up their next run for Governor, say.”
Frese supporters followed Tuesday night with an email from Kimber Becker, deputy campaign manager.
“This campaign is about creating jobs for the people of Western Illinois and protecting their wallets from Democrats in the General Assembly who think borrowing and raising taxes is right for Illinois,” Frese wrote. “I was proud to stand with two downstate Republican senators today, as well as a man who has led a charge to bring greater transparency to Illinois government. They understand the problems in Springfield today; they are committed to building a business climate that will grow jobs and making Illinois government responsive and responsible.”
“I’m disappointed the mayor felt compelled to not only condemn the message that they bring to the state and to western Illinois, but to also name call and revise the history of our current senator’s record of service. I will not engage in a campaign of mudslinging, but I will insist on focusing on the facts and the record. There is no evidence that Sullivan’s record reflects any effort at bipartisanship or independence. The facts remain that John Sullivan has supported higher taxes, pay raises for himself and massive borrowing, and the record remains that he serves in Senate Democratic leadership, dominated by the influence of Chicago Democrats, and receives more than 90 percent of his financial support from outside the district, as does Mayor Spring.”
In Illinois, we love Abraham Lincoln. Any local connections to the 16th president are highlighted in Quincy and other communities. This is old news. However, this is something different from the Illinois Office of Tourism. It is part of a special promotion. It actually left this history student speechless.
Speaking of Lincoln while the idea of “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” the book and movie had me cringing at first, I have to admit I want to see the movie after seeing the trailer. I should probably read the book as well. And for those of you wondering, I have never seen a “Twilight” film.
The comptroller in the northern Illinois town of Dixon was arrested Tuesday for allegedly stealing $30 million in city funds over a six-year period.
The Dixon Telegraph reported that Rita A. Crundwell was charged with wire fraud. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she used the money to support her “lavish lifestyle, including operating a horse farm.”
The complaint alleges that she used fraudulently obtained funds to make additional purchases, including a 2009 Liberty Coach Motor Home for $2,108,000, a 2009 Kenworth T800 Tractor Truck for $146,787, a 2009 Freightliner Truck for $140,000, a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck for $56,646, and a 2009 Featherlite Horse Trailer for $258,698. Between January of 2007 and March of 2012, Crundwell incurred charges of more than $2.5 million on her personal American Express credit card account, including more than $339,000 on jewelry alone, and allegedly used Dixon funds to pay the entire amount of charges, according to a press release from the office.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the city of 15,000 has an annual budget between $8 million and $9 million.
It is not uncommon for a public official to be charged with stealing money, but it usually isn’t anywhere near this amount. It makes you wonder how no one noticed it earlier.
Legislation in the Illinois House was defeated Tuesday that would have allowed communities to issue smoking licenses for a few select businesses.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, legislators voted 82-30 defeating the legislation to offer smoking licenses to bars, casinos, adult entertainment venues and establishments hosting a tobacco products convention.
The indoor smoking ban has been in effect since 2008.
The Illinois Municipal League released its legislative agenda last week giving a peek at what it will be pushing during session this year.
One of the top goals is to protect revenues that are shared with communities. Last year, a $300 million cut from the Local Government Distributive Fund that was floated would have meant a $1 million reduction of $3.3 million in revenue for the city of Quincy and a $500,000 cut for Adams County out of the $1.7 million it was scheduled to receive.
Other major point include restricting unions from negotiating staffing levels and sizes of police and fire departments, limiting arbitration awards to existing revenues, additional changes to public safety pensions, and to lower health insurance costs for police officers and firefighters who receive a disability pension.
Gerald "Jerry" Anderson holds a copy of the Bugle paper Oct. 19.
The Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy continues to celebrate its 125th Anniversary this year by hosting a Foundation Day Celebration today. It is truly important to honor our veterans every day of the year, so this is a great way to do just that by joining the residents on the beautiful campus for some fun, music and festivities.
The highlight is a parade on the grounds at 1:30 p.m. and my grandfather Gerald Anderson, who served in the Korean War and is considered somewhat of a young pup out there, will be participating with other residents, by riding in their electric chairs.
Schedule of events:
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Pvt. Joe Fifer & Mayberry Deputy Visiting Units.
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Special Dinner for residents only.
Noon to 4 p.m.: Federal Encampment, outside of Smith Hall.
1:30 p.m.: IVHQ 125th Anniversary Celebration Parade, which will include some residents. Parade will pass resident buildings in this order: Fifer, Elmore, Schapers, Markword/Somerville/Anderson, Fletcher and end in front of Lippincott.
2:15 p.m.: Brief program, cake ceremony and balloon release at Lippincott Hall.
2:30-4 p.m.: Musical entertainment featuring Miles Station at Lippincott Hall.
* In case of inclement weather, parade will be cancelled and the rest of the events will be moved into Lippincott Hall.
Jessica M. Martin-Cate
The White Sox specialty plate was unveiled Tuesday by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
The extra proceeds that are collected from the specialty license plates will benefit the Common School Fund.
The White Sox are the last of the five big teams in Chicago to receive a specialty plate, so no surprise that this came out. I’m not really sure why the White Sox plate came out after a team that hasn’t won a World Series since 1908, but White did play minor league baseball in the Chicago Cubs farm system. As one of the area White Sox fans, I know I’m in the minority on the timing of the plate. I am aware that there are more Cardinals and Cubs fans statewide. It is nice to see that the White Sox still have a shot at the playoffs this year … barely.
Legislation that would alter the way firefighters in Illinois is heading to the governor’s desk after moving through both houses.
House Bill 1576 sets up a statewide firefighter hiring list and makes changes to the testing process as well.
Quincy Mayor John Spring had traveled to Springfield to argue against the legislation with the Illinois Municipal League, though it originally breezed through the House. However, after amending the bill, opposition to the bill was dropped. Amendment language was agreed to by the Illinois Municipal League, the Associated Firefighters Association and regional municipal associations.
“Although we would still have to follow certain procedures that would be a part of this new laws, we can have more stringent (testing),” Spring said. The city would have to meet minimum requirements by the state.
The legislation allows a candidate from the hiring list be selected from the top 5 or 5 percent. It also would allow municipalities to create a preliminary eligibility list that would rank candidates on the written examination and the physical component before candidates would head to other parts of the examinations.
The amendment also allows hiring advertisements to be placed in a newspaper or posted on the Internet and eliminates the testing fee cap of $25.
Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford was in Quincy Friday speaking against any additional long-term borrowing. Here is a short clip of him speaking after the press conference on the state’s fiscal condition.
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