Election Day is passed, yet mudslinging lingers on like an unflushed toilet

It was the issue of the November 2018 election cycle for governor – J.B. Pritzker had had toilets removed from a mansion he owned so that, technically, it was no longer a home anyone could legitimately reside in.

PRITZKER: Tax question won't wither away

That move enabled Pritzker to appeal his property taxes and get refunds of some of the money he paid for 2012, 2013 and 2014 – and also to make himself eligible for property tax breaks on what he had to pay in 2015 and 2016.

BUT AN INSPECTOR General’s report for Cook County contends those reductions were based on fraudulent affidavits filed on Pritzker’s behalf.

All of which came up during the election cycle, but to no avail. There weren’t enough voters inclined to take this charge seriously who were willing to vote for now-former Gov. Bruce Rauner. Pritzker won!

But it also seems that back around October of last year, the Republican members of Illinois’ congressional caucus (seven then, five now) wrote a letter to the U.S. Attorney’s office for northern Illinois insisting that the whole thing was a “scheme to defraud” Cook County taxpayers.

They claimed in their letter that charges of fraud and perjury would be warranted. Which may well be their opinion.

BUT NOW, IT seems that attitude just won’t wither away. For WBEZ-FM reported Wednesday that the U.S. Attorney’s office is confirming that they’re doing an investigation of the matter.

Rauner unable to make issue stick, … 

Which is news because federal investigators hadn’t said anything until now about this issue, and they are admitting that their investigation is still active. Although it also seems this is an investigation that isn’t about to result in criminal charges any time soon.

Although I don’t doubt that the conservative ideologues who were eager to spew this story last year are more than satisfied. Because this legal action means they can keep the allegations alive!

Heck, Illinois Republican Chairman Timothy Schneider issued the statement claiming that Pritzker has set a record, of sorts. He’s only been governor for 101 days, and he’s already got a bullseye on his back – courtesy of the U.S. attorney’s office.

… can federal officials find something new?

OF COURSE, THEY also made sure to distribute photographs they have of Pritzker with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich – trying to create the impression amongst the most politically-gullible that the current governor is just like the guy currently in the middle of serving a 14-year prison sentence out in Colorado.

Although these are allegations that I can’t help but think reek of partisanship.

For even in that letter from last autumn (which the Capitol Fax newsletter published again on Wednesday), the members of Congress admit they were reacting to newspaper accounts from last year.

The only people willing to say this is a “scheme to defraud” are the Republican partisans themselves. Almost as though they crafted the charge, and are now trying to claim that someone is upholding it – even though nothing as of yet has been proven,

MAYBE IF ONE is inclined to believe that not being a Republican amounts to an act of criminality in and of itself, then this has legitimacy. Otherwise, it’s going to take a lot more in the way of evidence to prove something illegal occurred here.

SCHNEIDER: 101 Days, he points out to us

Personally, I’m surprised to see these Republican-types trying to claim that Pritzker is doing something wrong for trying to take advantage of financial maneuvers to give themselves tax breaks. Isn’t that usually the Republican ideal – trying to reduce one’s tax debt by as much as they can?

Maybe the reason that President Donald Trump is fighting the idea of his own tax returns being disclosed is that we’d learn of so many measures on his behalf that anything Pritzker may or may not have done will turn out to be chump change, by comparison.

But the bottom line seems to be that the issue of Election ’18 about toilets is going to continue to linger on. Almost as though somebody deposited a load in the toilet bowl – and is refusing to flush. How rude!

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EXTRA: Aye from guv; nay from right

I’m sure progressive-minded people (or those who don’t view a woman’s ability to carry a pregnancy to term as her only purpose in life) will be pleased with Gov. Bruce Rauner.
 

RAUNER: 100,000's of critics?

On the bill approved this spring by the General Assembly related to abortion, the governor acted on Thursday – saying he’ll sign it into law. Which is consistent with a written pledge he made back when he was just a gubernatorial candidate.

SO ALL THE rhetoric the “left” was prepared to douse Rauner with related to him being a liar will fizzle out. Although I’m sure many of those people will have many other reasons to bash him about as he tries to get himself re-elected to a second term as governor in the 2018 election cycle.

But as for the “right,” Rauner may well have brought a whole lot of rhetorical hurt upon himself. Rauner made his pronouncement at about 3:14 p.m. Thursday. By 3:24 p.m., the rancid rhetoric denouncing Rauner already was flooding its way into my e-mail box.

Illinois Republican Chairman Tim Schneider said he was “disappointed” along with “frustrated and saddened” by Rauner’s actions that permit Medicaid monies to help cover the cost of an abortion, while also erasing rhetoric that some believe would have altered Illinois law in the future to make abortion a potentially criminal act.

But while Schneider said he doesn’t want the issue to become politicized, state Rep. Peter Breen, R-Lombard, issued a statement saying, “I can no longer support” Rauner for re-election because of this bill.

CITING A LIST of areas in which Breen says Rauner is incompetent, Breen said, “the only unique feature left in Rauner’s favor is that he writes big campaign checks. For Republicans whose elections require those contributions, I understand their reluctance to be critical of Rauner.”

But Breen says there are “hundreds” of GOP elected officials and “hundreds of thousands of Republican voters” who sympathize with him and will turn on the governor.

 

BREEN: So says the rep from DuPage

Also feeling the need to speak out was Republican state attorney general hopeful Erika Harold – who said she disagrees with Rauner on this issue, but agrees with him on many others.

She also made her own pronouncement that “I will enforce all of the laws of the state.” Which has Democratic operatives on Thursday already mocking her for thinking that she has any authority to be selective about what laws are enforced.

OF COURSE, THIS is all in addition to the typical anti-abortion activists, such as the Illinois Right to Life group, which said it was "devastated and heartbroken" by Rauner's actions. "Advocates throughout Illinois can feel only betrayed and deeply saddened for the thousands of additional unborn babies' lives that will be lost each year due to Gov. Rauner's action," said President Rosemary Hackett.

So we're not even within one year of Election ’18, and some will speculate that Rauner has already ensured his ultimate defeat. Although others will be skeptical enough to think that the Democratic Party field of candidates is incompetent enough to blow it come Election Day.

All of which is enough to make me wonder how masochistic one needs to be in order to subject themselves to a political campaign in this modern day and age.

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Did Cook County sales tax hike become political equivalent of Sox/Cubs brawl?

The Cook County Board narrowly voted in favor of President Toni Preckwinkle’s proposal to boost the county’s share of sales taxes, and I couldn’t help but notice the breakdown among how county commissioners voted.




PRECKWINKLE: She got her (or Stroger's) tax hike

All of the African-American and Latino members of the county board supported the idea, along with certain white members who had one thing in common with their non-white colleagues.

THEY WEREN’T FROM the North Side or its surrounding suburbs.

It would seem that Madison Street, the informal dividing line between South and North sides, also applied here. Forget about any support for the increase of the county sales tax from 0.75 percent to 1.75 percent on the North (supposedly more affluent) side of the city.

South of it, it would seem that political people were in line with the thought expressed by Commissioner Stanley Moore, who said that while he doesn’t like a tax increase, he is showing his “faith” in Preckwinkle’s judgment that she’s not guiding the county into a political sinkhole.

It is a potential sinkhole for him, since his county district includes neighborhoods such as South Chicago, the East Side and Hegewisch, along with suburbs such as Calumet City and Lansing that are located directly on the Illinois/Indiana border – where local governments tend to think the sales tax is something meant only for state government to use.

JUST THINK OF how low the Illinois sales tax would be if there weren’t local and county governments staking their own claim to it. Seven percent, to be exact – instead of the 10.25 percent it will be now.

If anyone is likely to feel a direct blow to their political futures for supporting this, it is Moore – who only got onto the county board when he was appointed to replace William Beavers following his indictment and conviction on charges related to his desire to use campaign contributions while gambling at casinos.


MOORE: Will his 'faith' come back to bite him?

I suspect that for Robert Steele (whose mother had a stint as county board president), Jerry “the Iceman” Butler and Deborah Sims, the same faith was a factor, as it would be for Jesus Garcia (how would Rahm have used this against Chuy if the mayoral campaign were still ongoing?) and Luis Arroyo.

As for white commissioners, John Daley of the Bridgeport neighborhood is a political establishment type who likely was consulted before the sales tax hike was even introduced.

WHILE JEFFREY TOBOLSKI of McCook and Joan Patricia Murphy of Crestwood also come from parts of the county that align with the South Side.
 

DALEY: Wound up backing Toni

The only Sout’ Sider, so to speak, who didn’t back Preckwinkle was Elizabeth Gorman of suburban Orland Park, although she was a Republican who had consistently said she would vote against a tax hike – and wound up being the lone abstention on the grounds that she’s quitting her political post next week to take a better-paying job outside of politics. Just like there's always a lone South Sider or two who winds up  going goofy and rooting for the Cubs.

Whereas all the opposition to the tax hike came from the North Side and suburbs.

Even from people like Bridget Gainer and John Fritchey – both of whom are people with urban constituencies that usually think highly of Preckwinkle and her Hyde Park ways. As are Richard Boykin of Oak Park and Larry Suffredin of Evanston.

THEN, THERE ARE the Republicans who naturally would oppose anything that Preckwinkle would put forward – particularly if it was an idea identical to something they dumped all over former County Board President Todd Stroger for.

SCHNEIDER: Voted the party line

Do you know how badly Tim Schneider, who also is Illinois Republican Party chairman these days, would be castigated by his GOP colleagues if he were to back this proposal – no matter how badly the county needs the revenue?

The same likely goes for Peter Silvestri of Elmwood Park, a former mayor, and Gregg Goslin of Glenview, a former legislator. I’m sure some will argue it is a matter of a more affluent North Side not needing to rely on government as much.

Although I’m wondering if it would be easier on all of us to have our South Side vs. North resolved on the ball fields each summer – it certainly would be a lot cheaper on our pocketbooks!

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10, 9, 8, 7 …

We have one week go to before Election Day, and yes, I do feel like I’m sitting in a seat atop a rocket of old, with the countdown going into the final seconds before blastoff that will signal the beginning of a new era of government.

So to speak!

THESE FINAL SEVEN days will literally be a countdown for many of us who would like to see this election cycle with all its inherent nonsense come to an end.

But I’m wondering if we’re really going to see a sudden end to the silliness come Nov. 4. We’ve been hearing the reports of tales of voting machines that somehow are malfunctioning in ways that turn all ballots cast into votes for Democratic Party candidates.

There also have been reports of how Republican operatives and their attorneys already are preparing for the areas where they suspect there might be grounds for legal challenges – so they can swoop in first thing Nov. 5 to file lawsuits challenging the elections results.

Are we going to get an Illinois encore to the electoral nonsense of the 2000 campaign cycle?

NONE OF US will ever forget how we didn’t learn until early December that George W. Bush had managed to hold on to an electoral college lead in Florida that gave him a presidential victory – even though it was undisputable that a majority of voters nationwide wanted Al Gore to be president.

It wouldn’t be exactly the same in Illinois since we pick governors and other statewide office holders by popular vote. But based on the temperament he has displayed thus far, I would fully expect Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Rauner to be the kind of guy who would refuse to concede no matter what the facts are.

And to challenge in court to the bitter end, no matter what the public sentiment will be.

Now I’m not claiming Democratic government officials aren’t capable of the same thing. Let’s note that Gov. Pat Quinn himself in 2010 went out of his way to declare victory in both the primary and general elections – so as to create the early impression that he was the winner and that any late-night changes were some sort of plot to deprive him of office.

BUT IT’S SOMETHING about the tone with which Rauner used to constantly tell Quinn face-to-face during debates that he was going to lose. I believe Rauner will find it beyond belief that someone willing to spend so many millions of his own money could possibly come in second place on Election Day.

I couldn’t help but notice the Illinois Republican Party statement issued Monday concerning problems with absentee ballots cast in Rock Island County.

“The Illinois GOP will continue to monitor this process to ensure full transparency and fairness in absentee voting,” said party Chairman Tim Schneider “We remain deeply concerned by reports of early voting machines calibrated in a way that switches people’s votes from Republican to Democrat – similar to reports out of Cook County just last week.”

Already trying to plant thoughts in our heads that somehow, the election tallies we’ll learn a week from Tuesday are not to be believed.

ALTHOUGH I WONDER if part of the motivation is the fact that the Cook County clerk’s office said Monday that nearly 50,000 people had used early voting centers last week to cast ballots.

At that rate, suburban Cook County will far exceed the 83,871 votes cast at early voting centers in the 2010 general election cycle – the one where suburban Cook and Chicago proper put together so many votes for Quinn that he beat Republican challenger (and rural Illinois preference) William Brady.

And yes, two of the top five early voting centers in terms of the number of ballots cast (in Orland Park and in Matteson) are likely to produce overwhelming majorities of votes for Democratic candidates.

That may well explain why it took Rauner until Monday afternoon before he made his first south suburban campaign appearance – at the Metra commuter train station in Flossmoor.

HE NEEDS TO spend his time building up large vote margins in other parts of Illinois so he can be close enough that a post-Election Day legal operation could be enough to put him over the top; if need be.

While Quinn engages in e-mail binges – such as his Monday message letting us know we need to be on “the right side of history” when it comes to support for a minimum-wage increase.

So that the governor would have such a large voter margin that a lawsuit challenging election results would be seen as an act of desperation.

And the rest of us can parachute down from atop that electoral rocket and return peacefully to our usual routines.

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