Big John and Bill Cameron, from Connected to Chicago, discuss the political theatre that’s shown during debates, specifically the one between Rauner and Pritzker, and how you will only hear what they truly stand for in a personal interview. Going into Bill’s thoughts on Peter Roskam, Bill Daley, Toni Preckwinkle, and other mayoral candidates.
Listen to Bill Cameron on Connected to Chicago, Sunday nights at 7 pm. This weeks guest, Gery Chico.
Big John & Ramblin’ Ray are joined by Bill Cameron, host of Connected to Chicago to talk about the child-like nature of the first televised debate of this year’s race for Governor. After finding out what Rauner and Pritzker pay at the debate, John and Ray make sure to ask Bill what he pays for a loaf of bread and for his haircut.
Listen to Bill Cameron on Connected to Chicago, Sunday nights at 7 pm.
Diana Rauner joins Big John and Ramblin’ Ray to talk about the upcoming gubernatorial election. The First Lady of Illinois also touches on life since her husband took office, where Bruce stands on the upcoming mayoral race, and an incident with a deer.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has long been a political target of Gov. Bruce Rauner, but the governor ratcheted it up a notch Monday, saying, “I hope he’s been doing something illegal and I hope he gets prosecuted.”
Rauner’s comments came as reporters asked him about a lawsuit in which Madigan is accused of recruiting “sham” candidates to run against him for state representative in 2016 as a means of hurting opponent Jason Gonzales.
Rauner said Monday that he doesn’t know “much about the case itself,” nor does he know Gonzales.
“Never spoken with him, never had interaction with him. I do know that Speaker Madigan has a pattern of putting up sham candidates in many elections, not just this one,” Rauner said, before adding: “So I hope they get to the truth of it and frankly I hope clearly he’s been doing unethical things, I hope he’s been doing something illegal and I hope he gets prosecuted.”
Read more at WTTW.
Listen to raw audio of Bruce Rauner’s Q&A here.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi was raised in Peoria and attended Princeton and Harvard. Raja, influenced by Barack Obama, now represents the 8th District for Illinois. Can President Trump and his tax reforms be given any credit to the current economic recovery or was the ball already rolling from the Obama administration? Tax cuts have been helpful, but there is a strong possibility that Americans will be paying for these tax cuts for many years to come. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi sits on the Oversight Committee thinks the proposed GOP impeachment of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is just the newest in a long series of Republican attempts to undermine, discredit, and disrupt the Mueller investigation. Close to home, Rep. Krishnamoorthi is concerned about reports Heartland Alliance, which has been accused of abuse of children being sheltered there by the separation of immigrant families by the Trump administration.
In this week’s round table segment, Bill Cameron is joined by Ray Long of the Chicago Tribune, Greg Hinz of Crains, Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times, and Heather Cherone of the Daily Line. Topics discussed include: President Trump and his visit to southern Illinois on Thursday to tout his economic re-development and tariffs. Do these new tariffs help or hurt Illinois businesses and residents. 30% of the congressman’s constituents are foreign born, and he says that many of them are concerned about their future and the ability of others to immigrate into the country.
This week’s community spotlight segment is from Jennifer Keiper. Robert Mendez, Organizer, Illinois Peruvian American Medical Society. A group of Peruvian and American health care professionals and volunteers from Illinois make up the Illinois Peruvian American Medical Society, a non-profit organization that has and outdoor event coming up. 5k for Peru Committee Chairman, Robert Mendez, says the August 5th race, in downtown Chicago, helps raise funds for Doctors here in Chicago to go to Peru to offer medical services in impoverished areas. Mendez talks about the groups’ work and the need for volunteers.
Bill sits down with Peter Nolan. Peter is the author of “News Stories”. Bill and Peter discuss the book, Current Chicago politics and events, and also remember some of the most historically important news stories that have happened, which they both have covered in the news throughout the past.
In this week’s round table segment, Bill Cameron is joined by Greg Hinz of Crain’s, Ray Long of the Chicago Tribune, Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun Times, and Fran Speilman of the Chicago Sun Times. Topic’s include Lori Lightfoot announcing she’s running for mayor, The Mayoral Campaign overall, and How Historical Lincoln relics could be going to auction due to lack of financing for the presidential museum.
This week’s Connected to Chicago segment features Nick Gale and is with the Better Business Bureau about moving scams. The segment is with Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois.
Common complaints included damaged or missing items, bills that were higher than estimates, late deliveries and in some cases, goods held hostage for additional payments.
More than 35 million Americans move each year and movers are one of the top categories of companies searched on the Better Business Bureau website, bbb.org.
Bill Cameron sits down with mayoral candidate Troy LaRaviere. Troy explains how he is an award winning former CPS principal, and if elected mayor can transform Chicago Public Schools for the better. Bill and Troy also discuss the current issues of the day.
In this week’s round table segment, Bill Cameron is joined by Ray Long of the Chicago Tribune, Greg Hinz of Crain’s, Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun Times, and Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun Times. This week’s discussion is all things Trump. They discuss how President Trump recently pardoned Scooter Libby, the possibility of President Trump pardoning former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, and James Comey’s new book “A Higher Loyalty”. The talk turns back to local Illinois politics which include the approval rating of Governor Rauner and Illinois budget issues.
This week’s community spotlight segment with Jennifer Keiper features Mark Hamrick of Bankrate.com. Discussed is the government’s monthly jobs report. Mark Hamrick breaks down the employment numbers, discusses the strong and weak sectors, and why the numbers were not as strong as expected.
CHICAGO (AP) — An abortion-rights group says Gov. Bruce Rauner broke a campaign promise when he pledged last week to veto legislation to expand coverage for abortion and ensure the procedure remains legal in Illinois.
Personal PAC on Wednesday made public a questionnaire the Republican completed as a candidate for governor in 2014.
In it, Rauner said that if elected he would sign legislation to ensure access to abortion if federal law allowing it is overturned. Rauner also said Illinois should cover abortions for state employees and Medicaid recipients.
But a Rauner spokeswoman said last week he opposes a measure pending in the state Legislature. She cited “sharp divisions of opinion of taxpayer funding of abortion.”
Personal PAC President Terry Cosgrove says Rauner “deceived the voters of Illinois.”
Rauner’s political team didn’t immediately comment.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner is in studio with John and Ray to talk about the past few years as Governor and his desire to run for re-election.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Senate Democrats are critiquing the budget-cutting prowess of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s cabinet.
Committee chairmen decried Thursday the performance of agency heads who declined to specify in committee hearings this week where they could cut spending to balance the budget.
In a state Capitol news conference, the Democrats flashed a board entitled: “Budget Cuts Offered by Bruce Rauner’s Agency Bosses: $0.00.”
They grilled the agency chiefs after Republican Rauner announced opposition to the Senate’s “grand bargain” budget compromise last week. Democrats canceled votes on key pieces like an income-tax increase and Rauner’s coveted property-tax freeze.
Republican Sens. Jason Barickman of Bloomington and Dave Syverson (SEE’-vur-sun) of Rockford followed the Democrats’ presentation. They say the GOP is willing to negotiate and that there’s still compromise and collegiality in the Senate.
CAUSTIC SUBSTANCE-DEATH
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
By Nick Gale, WLS-AM 890
(CHICAGO) Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner makes his budget address today and it looks like he will follow the same notes as in years past.
He will address growing the economy, the same thing he’s been talking about since before being elected. He previewed today’s noon budget address in a FacebookLive segment Tuesday.
“We can’t have balanced budgets long term unless our economy is growing faster than our government spending is growing,” Rauner said. “That’s the key. We need to grow our economy, get more good-paying jobs in Illinois and that’s what were striving to achieve by changing our system.”
The state has been at a budget impasse since Rauner was elected, with Democrats blaming Rauner and Republicans blaming House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago).
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed a temporary extension of a corporate tax incentive program which has been criticized as expensive and too favorable to large businesses.
The Republican’s action on Friday extends through April the EDGE program — for Economic Development for a Growing Economy.
Rauner supports replacing EDGE with another proposed incentive program which would be less generous.
EDGE provides tax breaks to businesses that create and maintain jobs in Illinois.
Rauner backs a sweetener that gives companies credit for 50 percent of the withholding taxes from jobs created. EDGE gave them 100 percent credit.
Some lawmakers complain that EDGE is too expensive or benefits larger companies over smaller ones.
___
The bill is SB513 .
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
CHICAGO (AP) — Vice President-elect Mike Pence is scheduled to be in Chicago to raise money for the Republican National Committee.
The Indiana governor will speak at a luncheon Friday in downtown Chicago. Tickets start at $2,700 per person.
Among those listed on an invitation as members of the host committee are Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, state GOP chairman Tim Schneider and the Republican members of Illinois’ congressional delegation.
Rauner distanced himself from President-elect Donald Trump during the election, refusing to talk politics and even avoiding saying Trump’s name. Since the election he has said he wants to work with the new administration. He said he spoke with Trump by phone and they had a “positive” conversation.
Several groups say they plan to protest outside the Pence event.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner joins the show to talk about the lack of meetings between him and leaders in the Illinois House and Senate.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The top Democratic leaders in the Illinois Legislature say they will not attend a postelection meeting that Gov. Bruce Rauner called for Monday to discuss ending an epic budget standoff.
Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan’s spokesman issued a statement Sunday afternoon saying a scheduling conflict would prevent Madigan from meeting with the Republican governor and legislative leaders from both parties.
Democratic Senate President John Cullerton said later Sunday that he, too, would not attend. He said it would not be productive to meet without “a full complement” and that the meeting should be rescheduled.
Cullerton spokesman John Patterson had earlier said that the senate president would attend the meeting.
Illinois hasn’t had a budget in more than 16 months. That’s resulted in harmful spending cuts, including to social-service providers.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
(CHICAGO) Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has renewed his emphasis on finding waste in taxpayer-funded health care programs.
Rauner appeared Wednesday at a Chicago news conference to release a report from a task force he created to study the matter.
Established in April, the group has studied the best practices of agency fraud prevention units, the efforts of the federal government and other state governments and those in the private sector. But savings have been elusive so far.
The state has removed about 6,000 dependents from the State Employee Group Insurance Program for eligibility issues such as divorced spouses and adult children, which reaped $20 million in savings last fiscal year. The employee group insurance program covers most of the state’s employees, their dependents and retirees and costs taxpayers about $3 billion a year.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
(CHICAGO) Members of the Chicago teachers union have voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike. The union says 95 percent of it’s members voted to walk off the job in balloting that took place last week, and over 90 percent cast ballots.
No date has been set for a walkout, which would be the second teacher’s strike in the city in the past four years. By law, the teachers cannot go on strike until at least ten days after a strike date is set.
The teachers have been working under terms of their old contract, which expired last year. Negotiations are continuing on a new pact, after the Board of Education passed a budget that is heavily contingent on state funding which may not materialize amid the budget standoff between Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
The CTU House of Delegates is set to meet this Wednesday.
@ 2016 WLS-AM News
(CHCIAGO)Gov. Bruce Rauner labeled human trafficking a form of “modern day slavery” Sunday as he signed two bills targeting on a statewide level the crime of forced sexual exploitation.
“This is going to be a long-term battle,” Rauner said during an appearance at the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting. “But we have got to end this horrible crime, bring justice for everyone, stop — stop the abuse of our women and people who are vulnerable.”
Rauner then immediately signed a bill designed to bring together legislators, the director of the Illinois State Police and members of the Chicago Regional Human Trafficking Task Force. They will now form a larger task force that must figure out how the state can best combat human trafficking across Illinois.
The state’s task force is expected to deliver its findings and recommendations to the governor and General Assembly by June 30.
The governor’s staff said he also signed a bill that will provide medical assistance, starting in 2018, to foreign-born victims of human trafficking, torture and other serious crimes. That law will sunset June 30, 2019.
Sen. Karen McConnaughay, R-St. Charles, said the National Human Trafficking Resource Center has identified nearly 30,000 human trafficking victims in the last decade.
“We can no longer deny that innocent lives are destroyed every single day,” McConnaughay said.
© Copyright 2016 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
By John Dempsey, WLS-AM 890
(SPRINGFIELD, IL) Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has reversed himself, and now supports a temporary Illinois budget that would keep the state running through the summer.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Rauner’s Budget Chief Tim Nuding has written a memo calling on the state legislature to pass stopgap budget, an idea Nuding and Rauner rejected just last week.
The temporary budget would get the state through the summer and provide education funding to allow schools all over Illinois to open on time in the fall.
The state has been operating without a budget for the past year because of Rauner’s disagreement with Democrats over his so called business reforms. Rauner says the reforms would help the Illinois economy, while Democrats say they would weaken unions and hurt the middle class.
On Monday the legislature handed Rauner a major defeat by overriding his veto of a bill that would have given the City of Chicago more time to fully fund it’s pensions for firefighters and police officers.
Three House Republicans voted with Democrats to override the Republican Governor, including State Rep. David McSweeney of Barrington Hills, who told “The Big John Howell Show” on WLS that he cast his vote to prevent a massive property tax increase in Chicago.
“The last thing we need to do in this state is raise taxes again. The Mayor has already raised property taxes by $540 million dollars and yesterday, by voting to override the veto, I voted against another $225 million dollar property tax increase in Chicago.”
However Rauner has said while the bill may save Chicago taxpayers money in the short term, it will results in billions more to be paid in property taxes over the next 40 years.
@ 2016 WLS-AM News
(CHICAGO) Gov. Bruce Rauner and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel are trading barbs amid Illinois’ budget impasse with Emanuel comparing Rauner to Donald Trump while the governor tours the state.
Emanuel began the exchange Thursday by saying Rauner “is following the Donald Trump playbook of demonizing one group of people for his political advantage.” The remark was a response to Rauner comments Wednesday accusing lawmakers of wanting a “massive bailout” for Chicago Public Schools at the expense of other areas of the state.
Rauner on Thursday called Emanuel’s comments a “goofy personal attack.”
Rauner is in a nearly yearlong standoff with Democratic lawmakers over a state budget.
Public schools worry they won’t have funds for the next school year. Without funding, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools says the district won’t open.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
In a stunning move, the Illinois House on Monday voted 72-43 to override Rauner’s veto of the Chicago police and fire pension bill that had sparked a war of words between the Republican governor and Emanuel. The action came just hours after the Illinois Senate voted 39-19 to override the bill. It will now become law. It comes at the same time the legislature is struggle to come up with a budget.
Illinois State Representive Dave McSweeney joined John to explain why he broke with the party line to override Governor Rauner’s veto of the pension bill.
By John Dempsey, WLS-AM 890 News
(SPRINGFIELD) Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has reversed himself, and now supports a temporary Illinois budget that would keep the state running through the summer.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Rauner’s Budget Chief Tim Nuding has written a memo calling on the state legislature to pass stopgap budget, an idea Nuding and Rauner rejected just last week.
The temporary budget would get the state through the summer and provide education funding to allow schools all over Illinois to open on time in the fall.
The state has been operating without a budget for the past year because of Rauner’s disagreement with Democrats over his so called business reforms. Rauner says the reforms would help the Illinois economy, while Democrats say they would weaken unions and hurt the middle class.
On Monday the legislature handed Rauner a major defeat by overriding his veto of a bill that would have given the City of Chicago more time to fully fund it’s pensions for firefighters and police officers.
Three House Republicans voted with Democrats to override the Republican Governor, including State Rep. David McSweeney of Barrington Hills, who told “The Big John Howell Show” on WLS that he cast his vote to prevent a massive property tax increase in Chicago.
“The last thing we need to do in this state is raise taxes again. The Mayor has already raised property taxes by $540 million dollars and yesterday, by voting to override the veto, I voted against another $225 million dollar property tax increase in Chicago.”
However Rauner has said while the bill may save Chicago taxpayers money in the short term, it will results in billions more to be paid in property taxes over the next 40 years.
@ 2016 WLS-AM 890 News
By John Dempsey, WLS-AM 890 News
(CHICAGO) There’s a new report that says longtime Illinois Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin could possibly run for Governor in two years.
WTTW Channel Eleven broke the story quoting Democratic party and union sources who say Durbin would be a perfect candidate to challenge Republican Governor Bruce Rauner in 2018.
In a WTTW interview, Durbin did not entirely shoot the idea down, saying “I have a great job to be the senior Senator from this state, to be in Washington and help this state in a lot of different ways. I have no aspirations for any other office and I would beg the people who are doing all the speculation to cool it. Let’s focus on the immediate need to get a state budget.”
However Durbin also criticized Rauner for his role in the current state budget standoff. “I believe this Governor has a passion against labor unions, has a passion about lowering the wages of working people, and I just don’t agree with that approach at all.”
Rauner talked about the rumors this morning on “The Big John Howell show on WLS.
“I don’t pay any attention to rumors, you know, I’m just focused on doin’ my job, and gettin’ our state healthy again.”
Durbin is currently 71 years old but the Channel Eleven report says he’s growing tired of Washington after four terms in the Senate.
Durbin also was passed over for the top Democratic position in the U.S. Senate after Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid announced his retirement.
That job will now go to New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, and there is no guarantee Schumer would back Durbin in an effort by the Senator to keep his current number two position as Senate Democratic whip.
See the WTTW report here.
(CHICAGO) Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner won’t attend the Republican National Convention in July and won’t be endorsing Donald Trump, Rauner aides confirmed on Thursday, while not entirely disavowing the presumptive GOP nominee.
And it’s not yet clear whether Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger will make the trip to Cleveland, as she faces a challenge from Democrat Susana Mendoza this fall, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.
Rauner, who is embroiled in the state’s fiscal crisis, joins two of Illinois’ most endangered Republicans — U.S. Rep. Bob Dold and U.S. Sen Mark Kirk — in skipping the convention in an effort to distance themselves from Trump.
While Rauner has dubbed the presidential campaign’s rhetoric “appalling,” he has publicly stated — as the head of the state’s Republican Party — that he will support the nominee.
“I’ll do everything I can to work with that nominee,” Rauner said in March.
With Illinois in turmoil and crisis, Rauner would have had a hard time explaining why he’s in Cleveland as state finances are heading to the summer in a meltdown.
“As far as I am concerned, no elected Republican officials should be going to the convention until they take care of the unfinished business here,” said Ron Gidwitz, a Chicago business executive who is a major Republican activist and was a 2006 GOP candidate for governor.
Also on Thursday, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, the highest-ranking GOP official, said he’s not supporting or endorsing Trump — at least not yet.
(CHICAGO) A $600 million temporary funding fix for financially struggling Illinois colleges and universities has finally passed in Springfield after lawmakers delayed a vote Thursday. The House and Senate was expected to vote on it Thursday, but instead adjourned for the night.
Republican House Leader Jim Durkin told lawmakers Gov. Bruce Rauner will sign the bill. In a statement, Rauner said, “By passing this bipartisan agreement, lawmakers in both chambers put aside political differences to provide emergency assistance for higher education, ensuring universities and community colleges remain open and low-income students can pay for school. We are hopeful the General Assembly will build on this bipartisan momentum in the weeks ahead as we negotiate a balanced budget with reform for Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017.”
@ 2016 WLS-AM News
