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Quick Hit
by Josh Kalven
10:36am
Tue Mar 16, 2010
2 comments

Memo To AP: Quinn Has A "Backup Plan"

Today's AP article on Gov. Pat Quinn's WTTW appearance takes an odd angle.  The version that appeared in the Daily Chronicle is headlined "Quinn won't discuss backup plan" and reports: "Gov. Pat Quinn refused to say Monday whether he has a plan to avoid deep cuts in education if lawmakers resist his call to raise the state income tax."

During the Democratic gubernatorial primary, we criticized challenger Dan Hynes -- who was pushing a progressive income tax system as a solution to the budget crisis -- for not offering a "plan B" if legislators didn't go for his plan this spring.  But the current situation is quite different.  Unlike Hynes, Quinn is talking candidly about the specific types of cuts he foresees in lieu of an income tax increase.  You can disagree with what he's targeting; but you can't deny that it represents a "plan B." 

The AP's assumption seems to be that Quinn should provide a menu of revenue options that lawmakers can pick from.  What it misses is that those criticizing Quinn's plan aren't themselves offering any serious alternatives.  GOP gubernatorial nominee Bill Brady, for instance, won't even put his vague budget proposal in writing.  Where's the AP article on that?

Quick Hit
by Josh Kalven
6:15pm
Thu Mar 11, 2010

Our Studs

Last night, we were honored to receive a 2010 Studs Terkel Award.  You can read the Community Media Workshop's write-up here and find my acceptance remarks here.  Also, be sure to check out the video below, which was played during the ceremony and provides some nice background on the history of the award -- not to mention some great clips of Studs:

Quick Hit
by Adam Doster
1:02pm
Thu Mar 11, 2010

The View From Daley's Limo

Evan Osnos' profile of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley in the New Yorker painted a pretty rosy picture of the city Daley has run for almost 20 years. Too rosy, as Ben Joravksy notes. From his column in this week's Reader, in which he catalogs the civic problems that Osnos overlooked:

I'll just ask our visiting correspondents to reconsider the pervasive view that Chicago needs a temperamental tyrant who oversees a corrupt and inefficient regime in order to get anything done.

If we're talking about city services—collecting garbage, clearing snow—they were delivered every bit as well under Byrne, Washington, and Sawyer as they are today. As for the hard stuff, like creating high-paying jobs, eradicating poverty, making sure poor kids do as well in school as rich ones—on those matters Daley's as clueless as every other mayor.

Read the whole piece here.

Quick Hit
by Josh Kalven
12:02pm
Tue Mar 2, 2010

The Tribune's Cop-Out

In their editorial last weekend, the Tribune relied on studies from both the Civic Federation and Civic Committee in laying out a "no tax-hike" budget plan.  But Greg Hinz reports today that the directors of both organizations take issue with some of the editorial's assumptions.  Here's the response he got from the paper:

The Tribune's John McCormick, who wrote the editorial, noted that the piece was titled "A no-tax-hike option," and stated in its second paragraph that, "We haven't voted yes or no on this."  In other words, he said, it was just a discussion starter.

I'm sorry, but that is just incredibly lame.  If you read through the entire piece, it ends with a paragraph warning that an income tax increase would "perpetuate how Illinois now does business" and "give taxpayers today's state government at tomorrow's higher price."  It's pretty darn clear where the board stands on this issue.

PI Original
by Josh Kalven
2:05pm
Mon Mar 1, 2010

The Tribune's Faulty Fiscal Approach

State Budget

In a lengthy editorial Saturday, the Tribune editorial board laid out their own flawed plan to solve the state budget crisis over two years without a tax increase.

Quick Hit
by Josh Kalven
9:01am
Fri Feb 26, 2010

You Heard It Here First

Yesterday, we broke the news about a sneaky effort on the part of certain Illinois House Democrats that would make it harder for aldermanic challengers to get on the ballot in the 2011 Chicago elections.  This morning, the Tribune published a full article on the subject, as well as an editorial.

Quick Hit
by Josh Kalven
9:54am
Thu Feb 18, 2010
1 comment

The Tribune's Vague Prescription

In an editorial this morning, the Tribune blasts state lawmakers -- rightfully -- for their closed-door budget briefing from the National Council of State Legislatures yesterday, concluding that the lawmakers would "rather hide behind closed doors than publicly admit to what a dreadful mess they've made of state finances."  But the editorial board goes on to write the following about the budget crisis:

What are the prospects that these pols will — out of public view — divine fixes that are fair to people who rely on state services, fair to health and other providers that deliver those services, and fair to taxpayers who bear the burden for it all?

We appreciate the Tribune's call for transparent action from the General Assembly.  But what specific "fixes" do they propose?  And what is their definition of "fair"?  Without more detail, these editorials are meaningless. 

Quick Hit
by Adam Doster
9:58am
Wed Feb 17, 2010
1 comment

Congrats, Belleville News-Democrat!

A hearty congratulations to George Pawlaczyk and Beth Hundsdorfer of the Belleville News-Democrat. The two reporters were just awarded a prestigious Polk Award for their six-month series on the conditions at Tamms Correction Center. We've previously highlighted their reporting here, as well as the reforms the Department of Corrections has proposed as a result of the investigation. The prize is well deserved!

PI Original
by Adam Doster
11:15am
Mon Feb 15, 2010
41 comments

Maddow Fact-Checks Schock On Meet The Press (VIDEO)

Smackdown

Freshman U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock made his first appearance yesterday on NBC's marquee Sunday show Meet The Press.  His performance featured the expected litany of GOP talking points and false claims.  Thankfully, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow was on the panel to keep him in check.