Two Memories are Not Necessarily Equal

the one thing about living in the d.c. media market is that you get all the television ads aimed at congress. right now, it's all kavanaugh all the time.

the newest judicial crisis network ad -- the group that actually knows how to get what it wants on the bench -- is telling us that kavanaugh is "brilliant." but i wonder.

there is no way that kavanaugh and ford have the same memories about this. they did not go to the same schools. kavanaugh went to an elite boys school that has a culture of privilege and entitlement. he was 17 and she was 15. he may never have even known her name. i seriously doubt he can remember a single name of the women who rejected him romantically or sexually throughout his life.

but this event, as described by the victim, was an abuse of power. abuse of power borne from a culture of privilege and entitlement.

for ford, this event was consequential. it affected her life in ways both understood and mysterious.

for kavanaugh, this event was part of the norm. drunken debauchery was (and remains) a rite of passage for georgetown prep. study hard and play hard. why would he remember it?

the fact that he can claim that it did not happen not only exposes an arrogance, but a complete lack of empathy for the lessons of the #metooage. instead of doing what normal men have been doing -- asking themselves if they've ever been in a position where they took advantage of the women in which they have crossed paths -- kavanaugh has leaned on that culture of privilege and entitlement and ne'er given it a second thought.

which signals that he would be a horrific supreme court justice. he is lying to himself (for me, the worst of all lies). instead of being able to rise above a situation and give it an "independent look" (another one of the claims in the jcn ads), he demonstrates a profound bias towards that culture of privilege and entitlement.

ford's memory should be given preference because it lived in the absence of this profound bias.  kavanuagh's memory should be completely discounted. kavanaugh is not brilliant, he was sculpted. he has demonstrated no evidence of independent thought. rather, he represents a reprehensible past that we need to get away from...

bots included...

https://www.political-atlas.com/

If Maria Response was like Hurricane Andrew Response

After Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida, FEMA "awaited requests from the State of Florida. Unfortunately, the damage was so tremendous that State officials were unable to comprehend the damage and the needs of people in the disaster area. They couldn't ask for what they didn't know they needed."

Puerto Rico was in much the same situation after Hurricane Maria. But instead of learning the lessons from Hurricane Andrew (something that might have happened had FEMA been led by a more senior person with some connection to this administration), Trump drove the country to distraction.

Almost three weeks after Maria struck Puerto Rico, just 15 percent of the island’s electricity customers have power, according to numbers posted on a website run by the government of Puerto Rico. Half the island lacks phone service, and about 40 percent of households lack access to potable water.

Hurricane Andrew destroyed 65,000 homes, knocked out water, electricity and phones, and filled roads with heavy debris.  The devastation caused by Andrew prompted a full federal response.  By contrast, Hurricane Maria -- coming on the heals of Hurricane Irma -- caused "total destruction."  Even Trump described Puerto Rico as “absolutely obliterated.”

What would be happening now if the Trump Administration responded with the same kind of effort that the first President Bush employed after Hurricane Andrew:

• If Andrew is used as a guide, more than 845,000 homes in Puerto Rico could be totally destroyed.  Of course, it could be more.
• The president would have had a Defense Coordinating Officer assigned before the storm hit landfall.  A Joint Task Force would have been created for interoperations between services.  A Presidential Task Force would have been appointed when the extent of the crisis in response became evident.
• Military Areas of Operations would be assigned, and local assistance requests would have been coordinated through those (instead of using twitter).
• Instead of the 3 medical units (44th Medical Brigade and the medical units assigned to the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Division) mobilized for Andrew, Puerto Rico would be assigned 39 military medical units.

During Andrew recovery efforts, military engineers filled the gap until contractors, NGO relief organizations and local communities could mobilize to continue disaster recovery.  Instead of the 750 USACE personnel assigned to Puerto Rico, the US Army Corps of Engineers utilized 2,500 of USACE and 841st Engineering Battalion personnel, 600 Army employees and 4,000 contractor personnel to remove debris at the start of recovery efforts.  If Andrew is used as a guide, 32,500 USACE and Army Reserve engineers would be assigned to Puerto Rico by now.  Another 7,800 Army employees would be sent and 52,000 contractor employees would have arrived in Puerto Rico.  2860 dump trucks and 715 bucket loaders would be sent. 

Instead of the "six U.S. Navy helicopters and three U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey aircraft launched from the USS Kearsarge Amphibious Readiness Group," Joint Task Force Andrew utilized 120 DoD helicopters.  Another 1,014 USAF sorties were flown during Andrew recovery efforts.

In Puerto Rico, with 3.4 MILLION people affected, FEMA sent more than 1.3 million meals, whereas 1 million MREs were delivered for the 250,000 people left without homes after Hurricane Andrew.

No one should be bragging about disaster recovery efforts in Puerto Rico.  A competent administration would be trying to figure out how to respond adequately to the mess left in the wake of Hurricane Maria...

Are We Now Just Letting People Die?

Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on September 20, destroying the electricity grid and leaving many of its 3.4 million people desperate for food, water and gasoline. Since then, the American people have watched as the Trump Administration has fumbled its responsibilities in the worst disaster recovery response since the Federal Emergency Administration was created.

The incompetence of Donald Trump and the people in his administration has been made public, for all the world to see.

Three weeks after the storm, this administration is bragging about "14,000 federal workers on the ground in Puerto Rico," while continuing to bemoan how "logistically challenging" it is for them.

Incompetence always has an excuse. And we have all learned that Donald Trump is the king of excuses!

In 1992, I was one of tens of thousands of people involved in the Hurricane Andrew recovery effort. While there were legitimate criticisms of the Bush Administration's response at the time, it was magnitudes better than how this administration has chosen to respond.

Within FIVE DAYS the federal government and neighboring states had mobilized 20,000 National Guard and active duty troops to South Dade County. By this time in the Hurricane Recovery efforts, more than 20,000 troops -- primarily comprised of the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Divisions -- joined more than 6,000 National Guards troops in the recovery efforts to help with the 250,000 people left homeless in the affected areas. They joined another 1000 FEMA personnel, mostly temporary adjustors, in the effected area.

Let that sink in. Three weeks out from landfall of Hurricane Andrew, there were more than 26,200 guard and active duty troops in South Florida, and another 1000 federal employees, to help the 250,000 people left homeless. In total, "30,074 DoD and National Guard personnel were deployed to disaster locations in Florida."

That's one federal responder for every 8 people affected.

By contrast, Trump and his sycophants are bragging about one federal responder for every 243 people affected. They are calling this "a good news story."

Trump apologists keep trying to blame Puerto Rico for its incompetence. Yet under the 1988 Stafford Act (The law’s full title is the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988, P.L. 93-288), the federal government is supposed to get involved in disasters only if they are of “such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments.” The Congressional Research Service describes it this way:

Only after both local and state/tribal government resources have been overwhelmed, and the governor of the state has requested assistance, does the federal government begin to “supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering.

I doubt any honest person could argue that Puerto Rico does not meet that standard.

As a liaison between military efforts and the 40,000 out-of-area volunteers on the ground, there was a concerted effort to utilize all the resources made available for recovery efforts each and every day for months.  But the military did a lot of the heavy lifting.  Not only were there 30,074 military personnel, but "DoD provided much of the food, water, sheltering, transportation and medical care, even though the Federal Response Plan assigns those responsibilities to other agencies."

Why isn't Puerto Rico getting the same level of support?  Granted, there is a much, much greater need, but Puerto Rico isn't even getting Hurricane Andrew level of support at this moment (and it's been 3 weeks).  "Reporters on the ground in Puerto Rico have heard repeatedly that there was little sign of the government, or none at all, in the days after the storm hit the island."  Three weeks after Maria struck, "just 15 percent of the island’s electricity customers have power."

Moreover, the more than 70,000 people on the ground in South Florida were supplemented by Naval and Marine personnel who were stationed in ports close to the damaged areas.  Helicopters from the USS Sylvania delivered large amounts of food inland, making up most of the 850,000 meals delivered by military forces to victims of the hurricane.  Several Navy repair ships, with crews up to 1,000, used their engineering capability (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc.), and crews to re-roof and repair 43 South Florida schools.  The Marine Corps built two 2,500-person Life Support Center tent towns for displaced civilians.

We have heard of nothing similar in Puerto Rico.  The Navy has two amphibious ships off the coast of Puerto Rico (the USS Kearsarge and the USS Oak Hill), but it took public pressure from the Clintons to send the hospital ship USNS Comfort.  What is clear is that the Trump Administration is much more interested in taking credit for the relatively minor efforts to address the great needs of Puerto Rico after Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

America First seems like nothing more than an empty slogan as the Americans in Puerto Rico seem to be the last people this Administration intends to help.  Puerto Rico can't even account for all its dead because the island is trying to care for the living.  On an island of 3.4 million Americans, the Trump Administration wants to be hailed for providing 3,000 meals and 4,500 liters of water a day.  The Bush Administration was serving 35,000 meals a day for less than 8% of Puerto Rico's affected population.  The difference in response is simply staggering...

So I did my time...

I can't say that serving in the Obama Administration was the most fun I ever had.  Can't say that at all.  Nor can i say that it was the hardest work I've ever done.  Maybe the most frustrating.  Trying to pass a cybersecurity bill when no one wants to pay for cybersecurity is, well, hard. Trying to satisfy hundreds of generals and a hundred senators, that's insane.  I'd say I was proud of the work I did (which, I suppose, I am), but it would be more appropriate to say that I was proud to serve this administration...

No Local Post Offices on the Prospective Closing List

For the second year in a row, the USPS has proposed closing local postal facilities. The list for Illinois includes only two facilities in the 604xx zip codes. They are the Kinsman and Verona Post Offices in LaSalle County. The complete list for Illinois:

Office City Zip
CLARE CLARE 60111
ESMOND ESMOND 60129
HILLSIDE HILLSIDE 60162
KINSMAN KINSMAN 60437
VERONA VERONA 60479
LA GRANGE PARK LA GRANGE PARK 60526
LEE LEE 60530
MILLINGTON MILLINGTON 60537
WEDRON WEDRON 60557
NANCY B JEFFERSON CHICAGO 60612
CHINATOWN POSTAL STORE CHICAGO 60616
ENGLEWOOD CHICAGO 60621
OTIS GRANT COLLINS CHICAGO 60623
MARY ALICE HENRY CHICAGO 60624
OGDEN PARK CHICAGO 60636
FINANCE STATION U CHICAGO 60637
REV.MILTON R.BRUNSON STATION CHICAGO 60644
ROBERT LEFLORE JR. CHICAGO 60651
ASHBURN CHICAGO 60652
HAYMARKET POSTAL STORE CHICAGO 60661
RIVERDALE RIVERDALE 60827
BUCKINGHAM BUCKINGHAM 60917
CAMPUS CAMPUS 60920
CLAYTONVILLE CLAYTONVILLE 60926
ELLIOTT ELLIOTT 60933
EMINGTON EMINGTON 60934
GOODWINE GOODWINE 60939
IROQUOIS IROQUOIS 60945
PAPINEAU PAPINEAU 60956
STOCKLAND STOCKLAND 60967
WELLINGTON WELLINGTON 60973
WOODLAND WOODLAND 60974
CHANA CHANA 61015
ELEROY ELEROY 61027
HOLCOMB HOLCOMB 61043
KENT KENT 61044
LINDENWOOD LINDENWOOD 61049
NACHUSA NACHUSA 61057
NORA NORA 61059
SEWARD SEWARD 61077
BARSTOW BARSTOW 61236
BUFFALO PRAIRIE BUFFALO PRAIRIE 61237
ARLINGTON ARLINGTON 61312
BLACKSTONE BLACKSTONE 61313
BUREAU BUREAU 61315
CEDAR POINT CEDAR POINT 61316
COMPTON COMPTON 61318
DANA DANA 61321
DOVER DOVER 61323
KASBEER KASBEER 61328
LEE CENTER LEE CENTER 61331
LEONORE LEONORE 61332
LONG POINT LONG POINT 61333
MAGNOLIA MAGNOLIA 61336
MARK MARK 61340
MINERAL MINERAL 61344
NEW BEDFORD NEW BEDFORD 61346
RUTLAND RUTLAND 61358
SEATONVILLE SEATONVILLE 61359
STANDARD STANDARD 61363
TRIUMPH TRIUMPH 61371
TROY GROVE TROY GROVE 61372
VAN ORIN VAN ORIN 61374
WEST BROOKLYN WEST BROOKLYN 61378
BARDOLPH BARDOLPH 61416
BERWICK BERWICK 61417
BISHOP HILL BISHOP HILL 61419
CAMERON CAMERON 61423
CAMP GROVE CAMP GROVE 61424
CARMAN CARMAN 61425
CASTLETON CASTLETON 61426
EAST GALESBURG EAST GALESBURG 61430
ELLISVILLE ELLISVILLE 61431
FIATT FIATT 61433
GILSON GILSON 61436
HENDERSON HENDERSON 61439
LA FAYETTE LA FAYETTE 61449
LAURA LAURA 61451
LITTLETON LITTLETON 61452
LITTLE YORK LITTLE YORK 61453
MARIETTA MARIETTA 61459
NORTH HENDERSON NORTH HENDERSON 61466
PRAIRIE CITY PRAIRIE CITY 61470
RARITAN RARITAN 61471
RIO RIO 61472
SAINT AUGUSTINE SAINT AUGUSTINE 61474
SEATON SEATON 61476
SMITHFIELD SMITHFIELD 61477
SMITHSHIRE SMITHSHIRE 61478
SPEER SPEER 61479
DUNFERMLINE DUNFERMLINE 61524
EDELSTEIN EDELSTEIN 61526
KINGSTON MINES KINGSTON MINES 61539
LA ROSE LA ROSE 61541
LIVERPOOL LIVERPOOL 61543
TOPEKA TOPEKA 61567
BARTONVILLE BARTONVILLE 61607
ANCHOR ANCHOR 61720
ARMINGTON ARMINGTON 61721
ARROWSMITH ARROWSMITH 61722
BELLFLOWER BELLFLOWER 61724
COOKSVILLE COOKSVILLE 61730
CROPSEY CROPSEY 61731
DEWITT DEWITT 61735
KENNEY KENNEY 61749
LAWNDALE LAWNDALE 61751
SECOR SECOR 61771
SHIRLEY SHIRLEY 61772
SIBLEY SIBLEY 61773
STRAWN STRAWN 61775
UNIVERSITY STATION URBANA 61801
ALVIN ALVIN 61811
ARMSTRONG ARMSTRONG 61812
BONDVILLE BONDVILLE 61815
STATION A CHAMPAIGN 61820
CISCO CISCO 61830
COLLISON COLLISON 61831
DE LAND DE LAND 61839
DEWEY DEWEY 61840
INDIANOLA INDIANOLA 61850
IVESDALE IVESDALE 61851
LONGVIEW LONGVIEW 61852
MUNCIE MUNCIE 61857
PENFIELD PENFIELD 61862
ROYAL ROYAL 61871
BROCTON BROCTON 61917
HUME HUME 61932
LA PLACE LA PLACE 61936
METCALF METCALF 61940
MURDOCK MURDOCK 61941
VERMILION VERMILION 61955
EAGARVILLE EAGARVILLE 62023
FIDELITY FIDELITY 62030
HILLVIEW HILLVIEW 62050
KANE KANE 62054
LOVEJOY LOVEJOY 62059
NATIONAL STOCK YARDS NATIONAL STOCK YARDS 62071
OHLMAN OHLMAN 62076
PATTERSON PATTERSON 62078
PIASA PIASA 62079
ROCKBRIDGE ROCKBRIDGE 62081
ROSAMOND ROSAMOND 62083
SAWYERVILLE SAWYERVILLE 62085
VENICE VENICE 62090
WRIGHTS WRIGHTS 62098
FULTS FULTS 62244
HUEY HUEY 62252
MAEYSTOWN MAEYSTOWN 62256
NEW MEMPHIS NEW MEMPHIS 62266
RENAULT RENAULT 62279
ROCKWOOD ROCKWOOD 62280
BASCO BASCO 62313
CAMDEN CAMDEN 62319
ELVASTON ELVASTON 62334
FERRIS FERRIS 62336
KINDERHOOK KINDERHOOK 62345
LIMA LIMA 62348
NEW CANTON NEW CANTON 62356
NEW SALEM NEW SALEM 62357
PLAINVILLE PLAINVILLE 62365
ROCKPORT ROCKPORT 62370
TENNESSEE TENNESSEE 62374
TIMEWELL TIMEWELL 62375
WEST POINT WEST POINT 62380
MOUNT ERIE MOUNT ERIE 62446
YALE YALE 62481
CHESTNUT CHESTNUT 62518
CORNLAND CORNLAND 62519
GLENARM GLENARM 62536
LAKE FORK LAKE FORK 62541
OCONEE OCONEE 62553
PALMER PALMER 62556
TOVEY TOVEY 62570
WAGGONER WAGGONER 62572
ALEXANDER ALEXANDER 62601
ALSEY ALSEY 62610
BATH BATH 62617
BLUFF SPRINGS BLUFF SPRINGS 62622
BROWNING BROWNING 62624
CONCORD CONCORD 62631
KILBOURNE KILBOURNE 62655
MANCHESTER MANCHESTER 62663
NILWOOD NILWOOD 62672
CAPITOL STA SPRINGFIELD 62706
BONE GAP BONE GAP 62815
EWING EWING 62836
KEENSBURG KEENSBURG 62852
LOGAN LOGAN 62856
MAUNIE MAUNIE 62861
MILL SHOALS MILL SHOALS 62862
MULKEYTOWN MULKEYTOWN 62865
OPDYKE OPDYKE 62872
ORIENT ORIENT 62874
RADOM RADOM 62876
RINARD RINARD 62878
SCHELLER SCHELLER 62883
SIMS SIMS 62886
SPRINGERTON SPRINGERTON 62887
VERNON VERNON 62892
BELKNAP BELKNAP 62908
COLP COLP 62921
GRANTSBURG GRANTSBURG 62943
HEROD HEROD 62947
JACOB JACOB 62950
MILLCREEK MILLCREEK 62961
MILLER CITY MILLER CITY 62962
MUDDY MUDDY 62965
PERKS PERKS 62973

Rep. Will Davis on Education Funding

Chicago Heights getting nervous...

The Integrity Party has brought a lot of new people into the political scene in Chicago Heights. I usually call these people (political) virgins because it's not like what they teach you in school.

One of my candidates was horrified after Dave Gonzalez instructed a city worker to throw her out of city hall. "He was rude," she explained.

I've had to explain to these candidates, often more than once, that you don't take power out of the hands of those who have it graciously. You take power away by force. Especially when there is so much money at stake. Chicago Heights spends millions more than cities of a similar size. It employs more people than cities of a similar size. So it should be no surprise that it taxes its residents more than other cities of a similar size.

Not that it provides good (public) service for their dollar. I've been told by friends and supporters that I should be calling the police when we are threatened or we see things that shouldn't be. So this week I did.

But not a single police officer came to deal with the matter. No one.

This isn't unusual. And not just because Dave Gonzalez is forcing city workers to campaign on his behalf, apparently during working hours.

Yep, corruption costs someone money. And Dave Gonzalez sure has the house to show for it.

Tomorrow, 300 Hispanics from Cicero are supposed to arrive to help out Gonzalez. I assume he'll need the help. I think I was supposed to be surprised that 300 people were supposed to come down, but I already expected this. I've already duked it out with Gonzalez in a race in that area. And it will be an impressive show of force.

Of outsiders. But they have already had a slew of outsiders come in and knock on doors for them. Gonzalez has to have outsiders come in because he doesn't seem to be generating the kind of support in Chicago Heights that he expected.

Supposedly, last weekend, Gonzalez put up 1000 signs. But I don't know a single one that was placed in a yard of one of his supporters. Maybe he doesn't have any. Even some of the people who *they* mobilized to early vote claim they voted for Joe (one was a city worker!).

Like all politicians, Dave Gonzalez has an inflated view of himself. It's kind of pathetic, especially in this case. He has to hide from what is real, and project what is not. For example, Gonzalez has been telling other politicians that he has this race wrapped up and that he can mobilize this huge work force (presumably all the city workers that he's impressed into service illegally) but he's got to ship in hundreds of Hispanics to help him make "Latino Day" look good.

What a character.

Well, Gonzalez has already started to figure out that he doesn't have a strong grasp of politics. And he has an even weaker grasp of politics that is played at this level. A teenager could figure out what we are going to do. It's not rocket science, and it isn't a secret. So this upcoming week ought to be very, very interesting. But I'm having a *very* good time. Dave Gonzalez is an extremely rich oppo target and the only difficulty is in trying to decide which parts of his past and his hypocrisy I want to go after.

He's made it easy for me. For example, the city of Chicago Heights (ok, really Dave Gonzalez but they pretend that it is the city, so I will, too) has halted the provision of basic services to the 4th Ward (which is Joe Faso's ward), in the belief that they can blame Joe for their failure.

Which shows a basic disconnect from the residents in the 4th Ward (or just an assumption that voters are stupid). They know what is going on. This makes them more determined to get out and vote for Joe, not less likely. The only stupid person here is Gonzalez.

But we can pretend that he isn't an idiot. After all, he's bringing in 300 Hispanics from Cicero tomorrow. That ought to impress someone. Really. I mean, I assume...

Would you elect the brother of a Domestic Terrorist to be your mayor?

That's the question in Chicago Heights this week.

Dave Gonzalez sent out a mailer claiming drug dealers are Domestic Terrorists. Which is a odd thing to say about your brother, someone you let into your home, someone who acts in the community as a representative for you.

Perhaps Dave didn't see the irony. But others did.

So would you?

Would you elect the brother of a Domestic Terrorist to be your mayor?

I know I wouldn't. I can't imagine too many people who would.

I'm really starting to wonder if Dave Gonzalez understands politics. I mean, I'd expect him to throw his brother under the bus. Dave Gonzalez isn't exactly known for his loyalty to people. In fact, quite the opposite.

But emphasizing your relationship to Domestic Terrorism?

That's not smart. Not smart at all. Not if you want to be mayor.

Gregg Lunceford, candidate for 161 School Board

Sam Brown, running for Re-election in Matteson

Dave Gonzalez "unleashes" the dogs (is that code for something?)

It was an exciting day in Chicago today. Down here in Chicago Heights, the excitement is only starting to build. I just got a call telling me that a local gang leader walked into a Chicago Heights business today and told him that they were taking over this town. Dave Gonzalez has "unleashed the dogs." Not exactly sure what that means, other than it's a warning. I'm supposed to tell those opposed to corruption, drugs and gangs in Chicago Heights to back off. Or something.

It's almost like living inside a movie. I know that Gonzalez and his gang think that we should be afraid. Maybe they are, and they are projecting their fear on others. I can't really say. But what I do know is that Gonzalez clearly didn't grow up in the South, didn't experience race riots or drug wars. I had friends who had crosses burned on their lawns when I was a kid. We had a race riot (with the cowboys bringing their shotguns to school) when I was first in high school. I worked a special Congressional election in Miami in the middle of the 80s. Columbian drug lords thought nothing of shooting up the place.

So I'm having a hard time taking all the threats from the Heights seriously. Seriously.

Sure, Chicago Heights is the murder capitol of Chicagoland. And more than a few people have suggested that I should be afraid, very afraid going up against someone who is so connected. But, again, I grew up in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. So I understand perfectly that people with power (like Dave Gonzalez) don't give it up easily.

What I find so fascinating, though, is why anyone would think that an increase in gang tags or public bravado would help Dave Gonzalez. Sure, we have lots of Hispanic support for the Integrity platform, but I find it hard to believe that Dave Gonzalez believes it. And trying to intimidate Integrity volunteers? If they are anything like me, they will only get madder -- and more determined.

At the very time that people in Egypt and Tunisia have overturned tyrants (and one party rule) in their countries, it's really difficult to understand why Dave Gonzalez would think that he could succeed with these tired old tactics right here in the South Suburbs. He's got power (now), and he's determined to keep it. I understand that. But getting the gangs to do your dirty work? And that's supposed to help?

I dunno, but I think some politicians haven't entered the 21st century. Dave Gonzalez is at the top of that list. The real question is whether Chicago Heights is stuck in the past, as well...

Details of Saturday's Chicago Heights Meeting leak out

While I tried to attend Saturday's meeting at the Chicago Heights Country Club (I was told I could not enter, and then told that I'd have to leave the parking ), called by mayoral candidate Dave Gonzalez who mandated that all city employees attend or "face the consequences," I have gotten word back on some details.

City employees have been instructed to turn in contact sheets of 40 names by Friday. A vague threat was made about not turning them in, but Gonzalez is clearly trying to stay under the radar of the U.S. Attorney General's Public Integrity Section of its Criminal Division.

City Employees were told that they would be responsible for getting the names of their contact lists to the polls for Gonzalez, with a goal of perhaps half those names voting either by absentee or early vote.

Several Chicago Heights employees have complained to me about the stressful conditions they now work under. Gonzalez has placed apologists throughout the departments, and workers thought to be independent or non-partisan have received extra attention.

Again, it is illegal to condition employment at Chicago Heights' city hall upon political work for any candidate or party. It is interesting to me that while the County is moving away from openly violating Shakman, and I'd expect the city of Chicago to be less resistant to Shakman under a new mayor and city council, the South Suburbs is belatedly falling into a gray area -- openly violating Shakman and Rutan, but trying to obfuscate those violations. I'm not sure how the city -- well, the taxpayers -- of Chicago Heights can afford these corrupt practices, but until people stand up against the corruption, their tax bills will only get higher and higher.

If you are a Chicago Heights employee (or the employee of any city) who felt intimidated or forced to participate against your will, please call the Public Integrity Section at (202) 514-1412. You won't have to give your full name to express your concerns. They are eager to hear from you. I will follow up on this on Saturday, and afterwards...

Chicago Heights' mayoral candidate Dave Gonzalez crossing the Shakman line

I got word yesterday that Dave Gonzalez, a current vendor (he has some kind of contract with the city) and candidate for mayor in Chicago Heights, has called a meeting for this Saturday of *all* department heads and employees who work for the city. Department heads made phone calls -- on city time, using city resources -- demanding that employees attend this "mandatory meeting." According to one source, they were told that there would be "consequences" for those who didn't show up.

This is, of course, illegal. Municipal employees are protected by both Shakman and Rutan, according to election law expert Richard Means. Means was the lawyer who had an election overturned in Gary, IN and literally wrote the book on election law in Illinois.

According to Means:

Of course it is illegal to condition future public employment on political work for a mayoral candidate regardless of whether he is an incumbent or aspirant. Depending on the precise facts and how the threat was communicated and by whom, it is likely both a federal and state crime and a civil violation of numerous federal and state civil rights laws.

Many people associate Shakman with the City of Chicago and Cook County. But it also applies to Chicago Heights. Shakman strictly prohibits politically-based hiring, firing, promotions and/or other job actions for municipal positions where political considerations are not expressly exempt. Virtually every Chicago Heights employee contacted on Wednesday or Thursday at the bequest of Dave Gonzalez falls under the protection of Shakman (and Rutan).

Department heads, because they used city resources and workday to demand employee's participation, are particularly at risk. One explanation of Shakman [PDF] says that it:

prohibits the conditioning, basing, or knowingly prejudicing or affecting any aspect of employment of any person as a Governmental Employee (other than Exempt Positions), upon or because of any political reason or factor including, without limitation, any Employee’s political affiliation, political support or activity, political financial contributions, promises of such political support, activity or financial contributions or such Employee’s political sponsorship or recommendation is prohibited.

Further, it prohibits any employee (exempt or not exempt):

from knowingly inducing, aiding, abetting, participating in, cooperating with the commission of, or threatening to condition, base or knowingly prejudice or affect the employment of any County employee or applicant based upon political factors.

It is not Gonzalez, of course, who is likely to bear the brunt of additional Shakman litigation. The city of Chicago Heights would do so -- both financially and, additionally, to it's reputation -- of the possible Shakman violations.

In Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois, "The [U.S. Supreme] Court found for the petitioner, expanding the First Amendment protection against dismissal from low-level government positions based on party affiliation, which had been established in two earlier cases." In other words, municipal employees cannot be forced to participate in party activity.

I talked yesterday with people I know in the U.S. Attorney General's office about Saturday's meeting in Chicago Heights. Because of my involvement in the Obama campaign and the transition, I was aware that public corruption -- as seems to be manifesting itself with this week's incident in Chicago Heights -- is a key concern of the Obama Administration. I was referred to the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division within the department:

The Public Integrity Section (PIN) oversees the federal effort to combat corruption through the prosecution of elected and appointed public officials at all levels of government. The Section has exclusive jurisdiction over allegations of criminal misconduct on the part of federal judges and also supervises the nationwide investigation and prosecution of election crimes. Section attorneys prosecute selected cases against federal, state, and local officials, and are available as a source of advice and expertise to other prosecutors and investigators.

I was specifically asked to relay their phone number to anyone who felt they had been forced to participate in political activity (such as the meeting called for Saturday by Dave Gonzalez). If you are a Chicago Heights employee (or the employee of any city) who felt intimidated or forced to participate against your will, please call the Public Integrity Section at (202) 514-1412. You won't have to give your full name to express your concerns. They are eager to hear from you. I will follow up on this on Saturday, and afterwards.

We need to stem the corruption here in the South Suburbs. We can no longer simply overlook corruption just because that's the way it's always been. We're better than that. We *deserve* better than that...

Republican Thugs Try to Intimidate Olympia Fields state Senator

If you drove by 222 Vollmer in Chicago Heights, you'd have noticed that there were no political signs up -- despite the fact that it is the headquarters (and district office, on separate floors) of state Senator Toi Hutchinson. The office complex doesn't allow yard signs on its property and that's a condition that the campaign of Toi Hutchinson accepted throughout the campaign.

But Adam Baumgartner -- who's support is so thin that I've never actually met anyone who'd admit they are voting for him -- didn't care. He thought he had a right to do whatever he wanted, just as all kids do. I doubt his blind disregard for the law was intentional, he's simply too immature to realize otherwise.

Having said that, the lack of support for Baumgartner in Cook County might be frustrating him. Until this week, I had never seen a sign for him INSIDE his district. Every single one of them had been placed inside Rich and Thornton Townships, not the 40th district. Understand, the "volunteer" who Baumgartner was paying to put up signs didn't live near the 40th, so it's probably not that much of a surprise that they were placed in the "volunteer's" neighborhood.

But the fact that a Republican campaign wouldn't respect private property is a little dismaying. Even after being told that signs were inappropriate on commercial property and the public right of way, Baumgartner's "volunteers" persisted.

If you've reached the conclusion that they were trying to provoke a confrontation, that was an easy place to go. Facing a formidable opponent who a lot of people thought couldn't win in an election, Baumgartner's staff has to try for a hail mary. Plus, Republicans are embarrassed by the stunt of Tony Peraica and his campaign, so why not try to trap a Democrat into the same thing?

Except for that pesky violation of private property. Most Republicans claim to have high regard for private property, and especially that used by small businesses. But Baumgartner's staff has repeatedly violated that high regard. Again, it's very easy to conclude that he's just a kid, trying to put on his big boy pants, or recognize that his campaign staff has never been involved in a campaign before. So can we really hold them to the same standard we hold others?

I buried the lede. It happens. The first I heard of this incident, which Senator Hutchinson took to the Chicago Heights police, was from a staffer who was concerned about Toi's personal safety. In front of witnesses, Toi was threatened. Now Toi, being Toi, shamed the young men who were there, noting that it isn't that easy for African-Americans to advance and why would they want to be a party to preventing that? When I was told this over the phone, I could hear her mommy voice kicking in. Toi, being Toi, was trying to help these young men understand the law, understand respect for private property and learn something from the incident.

In the end, this is really about political intimidation. I worked for Ronald Reagan (in two presidential runs) and we didn't pull this kind of crap. In fact, I was in the (staff) trailer at the Detroit convention when Reagan told his people that he was going to ask George Bush to be his vice president, and talked about the difficulty of 1976 and how he had held his head up high, nowing that he'd done the right thing.

Screwing around with yard signs, trying to intimidate opponents (or voters) isn't a Republican thing, it's a thuggish thing. Toi was right, Adam Baumgartner should be ashamed. Maybe, someday, he'll grow up. Maybe not. But he's chosen to be a thug, to associate with thugs and exploit thuggish behavior. That's not why he's going to lose today, but it is why he should lose...

Bill Brady and his Indiana/Kentucky/Tennessee envy

It never occurred to me that anyone in Illinois envied Indiana. Here we are, with Chicago, the jewel of the Midwest, the gravitational force that draws people from throughout the region, and one of our gubernatorial candidates actually wants Illinois to be more like Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee???

I've heard of people being ashamed of their family, but I guess I had never witnessed someone being ashamed of their state. More to the point, why would anyone want to be like Indiana?

I get to see how bad Indiana is every single school day. I live in a school district of some renown close to the border, and one of the problems the district has is that people outside the boundaries of the district try to get their kids in it. So every morning, when the train comes, you see a line of kids walking from the train to school. Employees who are supposed to verify residency have told me that many of these kids who try to sneak into the school come from Indiana.

With Bill Brady wanting to cut a billion dollars from our public schools and make us "more like Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee" I have to wonder what schools *our* kids will be trying to sneak into under a Governor Bill Brady? Missouri's??? Mississippi's???

It's almost like Bill Brady wants to undermine public education -- and an economic legacy once the envy of the world.

There really is a difference in approach between the two parties, and it was made clear in last night's debate. Democrats are talking about building Illinois into a great post-Industrial power, not just in the Midwest but in the country. While the term silicon prairie is overused, Democratic candidates talk about investing in the state, expanding beyond the bizarrely single-sector focus on financial technology and welcoming development in future technologies, whether they would be classified as high tech or not.

But listen to the Republicans. They keep focusing on "small business," as if small business was the savior for all the jobs lost by the rusting away of the Industrial complex. Not only is that belief a pipe dream -- there isn't a single economist out there who would argue that small businesses could replace all the jobs lost by the de-industrialization of the Midwest -- it's defies reality.

Had Republican ideology been based in reality, it would have noticed that credit markets have been reducing loans to small businesses, especially the vital short-term loans that many small businesses use to cover expenses. St. Louis Fed economist Julie Stackhouse reports, “Businesses across the country report that credit conditions remain very difficult. In fact, the data on small loans made by banks show that outstanding loans have dropped from almost $700 billion in the second quarter of 2008 to approximately $660 billion in the first quarter of 2010.”

Republicans keep talking about jobs, but Democrats have been creating them by investing in Illinois and its people. And that's the difference. Democratic candidates like Pat Quinn, Alexi Giannoulias, David Miller and Robin Kelly want Illinois to be, well, MORE LIKE Illinois. They dream of a state that is, once again, not only the economic engine of the Midwest but in the driver's seat for the entire country, even the world.

These two difference visions for the future of Illinois expose another difference: that over the future of education in the state, and how much value we should attach to it. If Illinois' future is "small business" (whatever that is), then education isn't that important. You don't need a college degree to work in a small business (at least not the kind of small business that Brady or Rutherford are talking about). You probably don't even need a high school education. Brady's small business strategy backs up his intention of cutting state spending in public education.

But the Democrat's vision of an Illinois that is once again a leader in high technology and leading edge economic development requires a strong commitment to public education, through the post-grad level. It's a big gap: one in a future where Illinois is a world leader, the other where Illinois is, well, "like Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee."

When you think about Indiana, Kentucky or Tennessee, you don't think about economic engines or driving the world economy. You don't think of supercomputers or cutting-edge development. These are small states with small goals and small futures. And that appears to be what Republicans like Bill Brady and Dan Rutherford want: a small future for Illinois. A simple choice. A simple belief in our future. Or not. But I sure don't want to live in a state "like Indiana."

Alexi Giannoulias talks about the importance of 2010 Elections

Alexi Giannoulias returned to the South Suburbs to talk to voters about why this election is as important as any other. Alexi first talks about his work as Treasurer and his support for his Chief of Staff. He turns to his own race in part 2:

Implications of Daley's Decision in the South Suburbs

'OMG! Rich Daley isn't running for re-election! The fallout will reverberate all the way down to the South Suburbs!'

Sometimes people over-exaggerate Chicago's influence on the suburbs. Anybody who even considered the above (I paraphrased from a conversation I had yesterday, but don't recall the words exactly -- or possibly even closely) really doesn't understand what's been happening down here.

Alex Lopes, mayor of Chicago Heights, just died, leaving that city in turmoil. Doug Price argues that this is the only thought on the minds of the political elites in the Heights, and he's probably right.

Linzey Jones, long-time mayor of Olympia Heights, is moving on to the bench, and the village trustees are currently trying to figure out who (amongst them) will succeed him.

Lopez' death and Jones leaving politics may have as big an impact on the South Suburbs as Daley's retirement. Two big holes were already here to be filled, and we don't have a clue who's going to step up in the South Suburbs.

Well, that's not exactly true, but let me continue the thought. Because the impact of the 2008 campaign continues to reverberate in the South Suburbs, as well. Oh, we definitely have people whose sole political interest is in Barack Obama -- and more than a few who are waiting for the next Obama for President headquarters to open so they can go volunteer down there.

But there are even more people who first got involved in Barack's campaign who are eager to get involved in elective politics. And the sudden openings in Olympia Fields and Chicago Heights, as well as the attention devoted to the Big Opening in Chicago, will only spur their thoughts.

You can, however, get a glimpse of who is likely to step up and fill the power vacuum(s) in South Suburban politics. Toi Hutchinson is building a grassroots-driven campaign that is basically devoid of message but focuses on her biography. Which is also kind of sad, because Hutchinson may be one of the few politicians in Illinois who has Chris Christie-like credibility talking about the problems we face and the solutions needed to get us out of the hole we dug. Running a campaign on her biography is a safe choice -- except the fact that her district stretches all the way down to Iroquois county.

Toi's opponent (presumably) sought to take advantage of that choice by inserting the following into her Wikipedia entry: "Mrs. Hutchinson is an African-American Democrat in a 90% white district. Many Illinois political pundits believe she will lose re-election in 2010 to a white candidate."

That's utterly false -- not a single "political pundit" in Illinois believes that Toi will lose "re-election" simply because she's an "African-American Democrat in a 90% white district." (They forgot to add "largely rural" to that description.) Some have argued that it is a more conservative district than Toi personally is, but that doesn't have anything to do with her effectiveness in representing the people of her district!

I have long observed the difference between the right and the left on this particular question. The conservative movement has argued for decades that they can win virtually anywhere, if they can mobilize their activists and get their message out. It's one reason why over 100 Congressional Districts are "in play" in this general election, because Republicans have effectively recruited strong candidates who are waging strong campaigns just about everywhere. So why can't progressive Democrats win in "largely rural" districts, as long as they take care of the people's business? It's an ideological difference in assumptions that defies reason (but also a cultural peculiarity to Madigan-style politics where the party seeks out "the perfect candidate" for the district). Elections at this level are decided by personal contacts and message delivery.

Which brings me back to the void in the South Suburbs. It's probably less a vacuum than a changing of the guard. Mayor Jones moves on to a different career path, but Olympia Fields remains a rich pool of political talent, from which someone will no doubt emerge to replace him. They may even be able to replace him in regional politics and leadership. If not, someone else will. And Mayor Lopez' tragic death unleashes the undercurrents that had been bubbling up to the surface.

There still remains a tension in the South Suburbs between those who want to follow the "soak the taxpayers" model of government, with elected officials getting their's and not really worrying too much about the people's business and the sustainable model of governance where elected officials are careful of the people's money and try to improve their communities. We are still -- but less so -- influenced by the great city to our north. And that conflict remains. (One reason that Flossmoor has weathered the current economic storm is that we had strong reserves from which to draw on -- and save people's jobs. But you don't find village trustees making a mint, either, as trustees!)

This is likely to be resolved as more people get involved from outside the "regular" organization...

Alexi Giannoulias Fires Up the Vols

On September 28th, volunteers from all over the nation got together to knock on doors on behalf of Democratic candidates. Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois' Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Barack Obama, came to Chicago Heights to talk to its volunteers before heading out the door.

He was introduced by Sen. Toi Hutchinson. Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Brendan Houlihan also joined us.

Volunteers from this location ended up knocking on 1500 doors on Saturday. The enthusiastic send-off by Alexi Giannoulias didn't hurt. It is amazing how well Alexi connects with the volunteers and voters of Illinois. We received a terrific response from voters in reaction to Alexi's candidacy and his focus on jobs for Illinois!


You can donate to Alexi's campaign here or sign up to volunteer here...