Progress Illinois

Barack Obama Speaks on Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
Barack Obama's foreign travels have put him squarely in the middle of the Israeli/Palestinian debate. When questioned by Arab reporters Tuesday about "the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land," Obama stressed that Israeli security would be a U.S. priority regardless of who is U.S. president in 2009. His visit to the Middle East has still raised the hope among some Palestinians that, if elected, he might bring fresh approaches to solving the decades-long conflict.

Conservationists Plead With Blagojevich Over Budget Cuts
Included in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's $1.4 billion in spending cuts is $14 million from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' budget. With only two days remaining for any chance of re-evaluating those cuts, a coalition of over "100 conservation, environmental and outdoor-recreation constituent groups" is calling on the governor to take a second look at how the spending reductions might affect the environment. Meanwhile, the governor's office has remained silent about how it plans to deal with the fallout from the widespread cuts.

Three Illinois Counties Declared Disaster Areas
Heavy rains and winds tore through Northwestern Illinois on Monday, damaging property, cutting off power to thousands, and prompting Gov. Blagojevich to declare Bureau, Henry, and Rock Island counties state disaster areas. That brings to 57 the number of Illinois counties declared disaster areas so far this year.

Cook County Votes to Maintain Tax Cuts
Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners took a final shot at repealing the county's sales tax increase on Tuesday. The move sparked a contentious debate over the need for the tax increase and the management of the county under board President Todd Stroger. Efforts to repeal the tax cut failed by a 7-10 vote. You can view the full roll call here.

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Obama World Tour a Political Success So Far
Barack Obama received a gracious welcome from the Iraqi government Monday, including from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose spokesperson reiterated his government's support for the Illinois senator's withdrawal plan. Obama also met with Gen. David Petraeus, the top American military commander in Iraq, to discuss conditions in the war-torn country.

Senators Seek Energy Compromise
A bi-partisan group of U.S. senators is developing legislation that would allow additional oil and gas drilling off American shores but would devote one-third of the royalties to alternative and renewable energy development. Sources tell The Hill that the compromise would keep drillers out of ANWR but would not seek to increase fuel economy standards.

Blagojevich Still State's Top Fundraiser
According to a campaign spokesman, Gov. Rod Blagojevich raised just under $2 million during the first two quarters of 2008, leaving the embattled governor with between $3.5 million and $4 million cash-on-hand. While that's much less than the $4.9 million Blagojevich raised during the first six months of 2004, he still has more in the bank than potential gubernatorial candidate Lisa Madigan, who reported $2.6 million in campaign savings.

Suburban GOP Members Lag in Fundraising
While they hope to stop the Democratic tide in the suburbs, several Cook County-area GOP challengers showcased by the House leadership raised meager funds in the first six months of the year. Even the House Republican leadership is struggling, finishing June with just over $111,000 on hand.

Chicago Homes More Affordable, Still Too Pricey for Many
Although Chicago area homes have become more affordable in the past year, tougher lending standards and a struggling economy mean that affordable housing is still out of reach for many middle-income buyers. According to Crain's, "prospects for income growth are slim given the shaky economy, limiting affordability gains."

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user pantagrapher.

Obama Visits Iraq
After pledging steadfast aid to Afghanistan in talks with President Hamid Karzai on Sunday, Sen. Barack Obama arrived in Iraq today for his first on-the-ground inspection of the country since launching his bid for the White House. Along with Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Obama will have met with both U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki before the day is through.

Al-Maliki Endorses Obama's Withdrawal Plan
Speaking to the the German magazine Der Spiegel on the eve of Obama's visit to the country, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki all but endorsed the Illinois senators' proposal that U.S. troops should leave Iraq within 16 months, calling it "the right timeframe for a withdrawal." The prime minister refined his comments on Sunday, but only after U.S. officials at the embassy in Baghdad contacted Maliki’s office to seek clarification on his remarks. The magazine stands by its interview.

Daley 'Not Mad' at Governor's Police Suggestions
Mayor Richard Daley said he was not insulted by Gov. Rod Blagojevich's insinuation that Chicago might need the assistance of the Illinois State Police to quell city violence. "No, I’m not mad at him," Daley told reporters Saturday. "I'm not upset with him. He said it. He has to live with those words." At least seven more people lost their lives to gun violence this weekend, including three men who were killed in shootings since Sunday night.

Illinois Programs Nervous About Budget Cuts
Although the major targets have been identified, the full scope of programs Gov. Blagojevich trimmed from the state budget is still unclear, meaning people and organizations who rely on money from the state may have a few nervous weeks ahead. "We'll have some hard decisions," said Dave Blanchette, spokesman for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Indiana Unemployment Also Growing Rapidly
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Indiana experienced the biggest jump in unemployment between May and June -- 0.5 percent. Indiana's unemployment level is now at 5.8 percent, a full point below Illinois.

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Huge Foreign Policy Team Prepares Obama for Trip
With daily e-mails and briefings, a 300-person foreign policy apparatus is preparing Barack Obama for his upcoming trip to Europe and the Middle East, which John McCain's communications director derided as a “first-of-its-kind campaign rally overseas." Like Obama, most of the advisers were early opponents of the Iraq War.

Gore Wants America Off-Grid by 2018
In a speech to an energy conference in Washington, DC yesterday, former Vice President Al Gore challenged Americans to abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within a decade and rely on the sun, the winds, and other carbon-free sources of power. To make it happen, he called for a national effort that mirrors America's quest to walk on the moon 39 years ago this month.

Republicans Press For Offshore Drilling
Meanwhile, Republicans continued to blast congressional Democratic leaders on their hesitancy to increase offshore oil drilling, blocking a House proposal that would expand oil and gas drilling without lifting a federal ban on new offshore drilling. A bipartisan group of five Republican and five Democratic senators are reportedly working to develop energy legislation that could gain enough political momentum to pass.

Illinois Unemployment Surges
The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced yesterday that the state's unemployment rate had risen from 6.4 percent in May to 6.8 percent in June -- well above the national average. This spike amounts to 6,100 lost jobs. Unemployment is at its highest rate in Illinois since June 1993.

Foster Heads to Border
Immigration is a major concern for his 14th congressional district constituents, so Rep. Bill Foster has decided to spend the next four days on a fact-finding trip to the U.S.-Mexican border. "I want to see firsthand how we are guarding our borders, meet the men and women who are doing the job, get their advice about what works and find out what resources they need to do their job better," Foster said in a statement.

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Obama Raises $52 Million in June
After a lackluster May in which he barely outraised his Republican opponent, Barack Obama netted $52 million in campaign donations in June, $30 million more than John McCain and more than twice the amount he raised one month earlier. Campaign manager David Plouffe told supporters the average contribution to the campaign was $68.

McCain Talks Education at NAACP
A day after Obama addressed the NAACP, McCain discussed his plans to improve education for children in black communities in front of the largely-African American audience. He also told the crowd that Obama's success has made McCain proud of the country.

Obama Amping Up Virginia Efforts
The Illinois Democrat's campaign announced Wednesday that it is adding an unprecedented 20 offices across Virginia, a sign that he plans to compete energetically in a state that has gone red for the past 34 years. The plan makes sense according to an AP analysis, which found that If Obama reached his goal of a 30 percent increase in black turnout, he could win Virginia and other Southern states.

House Restores Funding to State Programs in Symbolic Vote
Yesterday, the Illinois House voted to restore more than $400 million in state spending that they feel Gov. Blagojevich unfairly cut last week, including programs that provide counseling to drug and alcohol abusers. But since Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) may not call his chamber back to Springfield to act on the overrides, the move was largely symbolic.

Governor Suggests State Forces for Chicago Neighborhoods
As a way to quell what he's calling an "epidemic" of gun violence, Gov. Blagojevich said Wednesday he's holding discussions with his State Police and Illinois National Guard officials about what role they could play in Chicago. Blagojevich said the discussions were preliminary and he hasn’t talked to Mayor Daley about the issue yet.

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Quick Rebuke For President on Medicare
After President Bush vetoed a bill yesterday that would cancel a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors, both chambers of Congress immediately voted to override the President. It was the fourth time Congress has nullified a Bush veto in the last year.

Candidates Turn to Afghanistan
In major foreign policy speeches yesterday, both Barack Obama and John McCain turned their attention to the escalating war in Afghanistan, each pledging to send more troops to the country. But as the Washington Post reports, "the two offered sharply different assessments of the Iraq war and its impact on Afghanistan, with Obama saying Iraq is a distraction from the fight against terrorism and McCain calling it a proving ground for tactics needed to beat back a resurgent Taliban."

Obama Struggling To Close Race Divide
Despite the historic nature of Obama's presidential candidacy, Americans are sharply divided by race heading into the November election. According to a New York Times/CBS News poll, more than 80 percent of black voters said they had a favorable opinion of Obama compared to 30 percent of white voters. Meanwhile, nearly 60 percent of black respondents said race relations were generally bad, compared with 34 percent of whites.

Madigan Unveils Mini Capital Plan
In an effort to capture federal funds for road and mass transit projects, House Speaker Michael Madigan unveiled what supporters called a "little capital plan" yesterday that would generate $1.8 billion. An aide to Gov. Blagojevich ridiculed the proposal, which pales in comparison to the $34 billion plan the governor favors.

Aldermen Grill Weis Over Crime Spike
For seven hours Tuesday, aldermen took turns questioning Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis at City Hall, complaining about increased crime and warning that the top cop should avoid relocating officers from certain neighborhoods. Weis remained calm throughout his testimony, explaining the difficulty in holding down crime while making "Chicago even safer and restor[ing] public faith and public trust in the Chicago Police Department."

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Obama Talks Responsibility at NAACP
In one of the most historic speeches in the NAACP's 99 years, Barack Obama discussed the sacrifices of generations of African-Americans who came before him and the need for personal and parental responsibility. "Yes, we have to demand more responsibility from Washington and yes we have to demand more responsibility from Wall Street," he said, "but we also have to demand more from ourselves."

Bush Lifts Oil Drilling Ban
President Bush, hoping to turn the enormous public frustration about gasoline prices into political leverage, challenged the Democratic-led Congress to lift a similar congressional ban that's been in place since 1981. Democrats say new drilling won't have a short-term impact on the pump.

Obama to Meet With Palestinians in West Bank
During his trip overseas next week, Barack Obama will sit down with Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian leaders, giving an important diplomatic boost to the Palestinians at a sensitive time in peace talks. A few months ago, John McCain passed on meeting with the Palestinians during a brief visit to Israel.

Restoring Budget Cuts Difficult for House
House lawmakers return to Springfield today for a three-day session in which they’ll decide what programs to reinstate (and how to pay for them) following Gov. Blagojevich's $1.4 billion budget cut initiated last week. The Senate passed several ideas to raise revenue this fiscal year, which began July 1, but all have stalled in the House.

Top Police Brass Face Frustrated City Council
After a meeting Friday, Chicago Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th Ward) requested Police Supt. Jody Weis testify at his Police and Fire Committee today about what Carothers called “unprecedented” violence in the city and “all-time low morale” in the police department.

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Financial Crunch Hurting Local Banks
Smaller Illinois banks that serve local homeowners and businesses are hurting badly as a result of the mortgage crisis. These banks' low capital levels have left them relatively unequipped to absorb rising loan defaults. Many will either fail or be bought by larger financial institutions.

Governors Punt On Global Warming
The National Governors Association's centennial meeting will conclude today, but without reaching any nationwide agreement on how to reduce greenhouse gases. States that produce oil and coal created an obstacle to any consensus on the issue.

Blagojevich Proposes New Guarantee For Autism Coverage
Yesterday, Gov Blagojevich proposed requiring insurers to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Currently, only those with large insurance group policies are able to obtain proper autism coverage. Under the governor's plan, insurers would be forced to pay for as much as $36,000 for autism treatment for patients under 21.

Durbin Has $8.2 Million On Hand
Sen. Dick Durbin's reelection campaign reported Friday that he raised $685,000 during the second quarter, leaving him with $8.2 million cash on hand. His GOP opponent, Steve Sauerberg, is yet to file his most recent campaign finance report.

County Cuts Program For Poor Moms And Babies
The Cook County hospital board has cut $1.8 million in funding from a program that offers preventative care to low-income mothers and babies. The decision to make the cut was removed from the Cook County Board, leading Comm. Mike Quigley to remark, "I wish they would have told us."

Durbin Leads Sauerberg By 30+ Points
A Rasmussen poll released yesterday has Sen. Dick Durbin leading GOP challenger Steve Sauerberg, 61-to-27 percent. The poll also found that only 13 percent of respondents said Gov. Blagojevich is doing a good or excellent job, making him the "Least Popular Governor" according to Rasmussen rankings.

Madigan Says Tax Increase Possible Next Year
House Speaker Michael Madigan said yesterday that he opposes a tax hike to fund the state budget this year, but that he may be in favor of increasing taxes after November's election. The statement came as the House again rejected Gov. Blagojevich's proposal to expand gambling as a way to pay for his capital infrastructure plan. In response to the vote, Blagojevich told GateHouse News Service that the House had won a "skirmish" but not the "war."

Blagojevich Hits Critics with Cuts
A analysis of Gov. Blagojevich's cuts to the state budget indicate that he spared his own office by taking major funding from some of his political critics and their allies. The governor cut 25 percent funding for the office of Attorney General Lisa Madigan and 17 percent from Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn who said "this was done in a petty and vindictive way."

House Allows Construction Projects to Continue
While the budget standoff continued, House lawmakers did manage to fix a problem yesterday with legislation that had halted thirty-nine ongoing construction projects across the state. Once the measure is approved by the Senate, the construction can continue.

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Blagojevich Cuts $1.4 Billion From Budget
Gov. Rod Blagojevich cut $1.4 billion out of the state budget yesterday to correct a deficit he identified in the fiscal plan. The governor hopes that the General Assembly will approve some of his spending measures during the current special session to reinstate the programs he slashed. "The ball is in their court," he told reporters.

Amtrak Avoids Cuts
Despite threats to the contrary, one thing Blagojevich did not cut was Amtrak spending. The governor had earlier suggested that he might target trains "running between St. Louis and Chicago, as well as Carbondale and Chicago" as a way of saving money.

Blagojevich And Madigan: The Backstory
Much of the deadlock between the governor and the legislature has been attributed to an ongoing clash between Blagojevich and House Speaker Michael Madigan. Today the Daily Herald provides a brief analysis of why there is so much animosity between the two.

Jackson Apologizes To Obama
Rev. Jesse Jackson said his comments critical of Barack Obama's speeches about parental responsibility were "hurtful" and "wrong." Jackson had told a reporter, among other things, that he thought Obama was "talking down to black people." He later explained that he didn't know his microphone was on.

Federal Suit Challenges BP Whiting
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has filed suit against BP over the expansion of their oil refinery in Whiting, IN. The suit charges that the refinery's increased emissions will violate the U.S. Clean Air Act.

Water Shortages in Illinois' Future
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning has released its findings that Northeastern Illinois could be hit by severe water shortages as soon as 2050 if the state does not begin to plan for future population growth in the area. "In a worst-case scenario, water usage would increase as much as 64% from current levels, or to 2.4 billion gallons a day, triggering shortages," reports Crain's.

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