IL-5: Feigenholtz Says Daley Should Release Full Wishlist, Quigley Touts Republic Windows Stand
As we noted earlier, the SEIU Illinois State Council (which sponsors this website) and the UNITE-HERE Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board endorsed Sara Feigenholtz in the 5th Congressional District Democratic primary this afternoon. At a press conference, Feigenholtz ...
As we noted earlier, the SEIU Illinois State Council (which sponsors this website) and the UNITE-HERE Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board endorsed Sara Feigenholtz in the 5th Congressional District Democratic primary this afternoon. At a press conference, Feigenholtz answered some questions regarding health care and the stimulus package. As you can see at the end of the following clip, she also urged Mayor Daley to exhibit "total transparency" about his infrastructure wishlist (rather than just the vague, partial list he released yesterday):
When asked about increasing state revenue in Illinois, Feigenholtz answered that "everything is on the table," adding that she had "advocated for a progressive income tax" for 14 years, as long as it is coupled with "a repeal of county sales taxes and strong revisions of property taxes."
Elsewhere in the press conference, Council President Tom Balanoff was asked about the split in the race between SEIU and the AFL-CIO (which endorsed John Fritchey). Balanoff pointed out that this isn't the first time they've been divided in a Democratic primary, citing the 2004 U.S. Senate primary. He also the AFL "should have not taken an official endorsement" in the race:
Meanwhile, Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley has a solid mail piece out highlighting the stand he took on behalf of the laid-off Republic Windows workers last December. Click the thumbnails below to see the full versions:
As we noted during the Republic Windows sit-in, Quigley introduced an ordinance requiring Cook County to end its financial relationship with Bank of America (one of the company's creditors) unless the institution agreed to cover the pay and benefits owed to the laid-off employees. The county had $368 million invested with the bank at the time. Two days later the company, its creditors, and the workers came to an agreement that ended the sit-in.
Comments
Even though my union has endorsed Sara Feigenholtz in this race I agree that Commissioner Quigley deserves a big shout-out for the position he took on the Republic Window crisis. I spoke witrh Mike over the weekend and by Monday morning ( in eqarly December) he had drafted a county ordinance taking Bank of America to task over their treatment of the Republic workers.
In contrast, John Frichey, who is a paid lobbyist for Bank of America and the Democratic Committeemen representing the ward where Republic Windows is located, made no public statement on the crisis and did not attend a press conference with some 30 other elected officials who were calling for legislative action to address the situation. Despite claims from his supporters that Fritchey has no "conflicts of interest" regarding his corporate clients and his legislative responsibilities perhaps this episode demonstrates differently...or at least raises concerns.
Can someone please go over with me real slow how Bank of America got to be the official pin cushion in the Republic Windows debacle? Not Republic owners and management? Not the mayor and alderman who drew up and approved a massive program of public subsidies with job commitments with enforcement so lax as to constitute a outright grant from taxpayers? A City administration and the unions who for years looked the other way as Republic renegged on their job commitment?
Three cheers to Rep. Feigenholtz for calling on Daley to release his wishlist. (Also, three more cheers for Commissioner Quigley for voting against the bond issue proposed earlier this week by Todd Stroger.)
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