THE ILLINOIZE: Pending cash crisis for RTA...Griffin spends another $2.5 million on Supreme Court...Pritzker's tough talk on bars and restaurants...Travis Akin
THE ILLINOIZE: Pending cash crisis for RTA...Griffin spends another $2.5 million on Supreme Court...Pritzker's tough talk on bars and restaurants...Travis Akin
October 23, 2020
HAPPY FOOTBALL FRIDAY
You guys, there’s Illinois football tonight and I couldn’t be happier. Your Fighting Lovies will be at Wisconsin tonight at 7:00 P.M. on the Big Ten Network. A couple of notes that apply to what we’re doing here. First, the UI released a “hype video” last night, which, is apparently, what the kids call ‘em these days. The video focuses on the Black Lives Matter protests this summer and the pandemic that has impacted so many lives. The interesting thing is that Lovie Smith has made a point of keeping these young men socially engaged and has encouraged civic participation. I heard him say this summer every member of the team is registered to vote. Which is pretty cool. The team tonight has replaced the typical blue or orange “I” decal on their helmets with a black one.
If you’re a Northwestern fan, I don’t even know what to tell you. (I’m just having fun, chill out.)
Go Illini.
PENDING CRISIS FOR CHICAGO AREA TRANSIT
It’s about a 5-minute walk from my house to the closest Metra commuter rail station. Prior to March, there usually wasn’t a spot to be found in the parking lot on a normal workday. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit and offices were closed and many started a new work-from-home life, you’ll find fewer than 5 cars in the lot most days.
The Regional Transportation Authority, which distributes funding for Metra, Pace buses, and the Chicago Transit Authority, counts on fares for about half of its revenue. Combined ridership is down around 70%. For Metra alone, ridership is down around 90% from the year before.
RTA received $1.4 billion in funding from the federal CARES act in March, but RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard tells me that money will run dry by late February or early March.
Do you want the financial stability of your mass transit system ridden by 2 million people a year tied to Washington getting its act together?
Maybe only slightly more than Illinois getting its act together.
GRIFFIN GOES BIG…AGAIN
Billionaire Ken Griffin has once again shaken up Illinois Supreme Court contests just 10 days before the election.
A State Board of Elections filing last night confirmed Griffin contributed $2.5 million to Citizens for Judicial Fairness, the committee opposing the retention efforts of Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride. Griffin already gave the committee $2 million.
Citizens for Judicial Fairness has expanded from just a Kilbride-centric group. It is now on TV and sending direct mail opposing Democrat Judy Cates, who is in a heated battle with Republican David Overstreet for the Supreme Court seat covering southern Illinois.
Once I see the TV ad from Citizens for Judicial Fairness against Cates, I’ll tweet it here. You can see the latest anti-Kilbride ad here.
We’re going to be digging into the Overstreet/Cates race more next week. It’s getting ugly down south.
GOVERNOR’S STATE POLICE THREATS
Governor JB Pritzker made a curious comment in his Wednesday COVID-19 update news conference claiming he had “alerted” State Police to enforce his COVID-19 indoor bar and restaurant closures.
It got us thinking…
What does it mean for State Police to be “alerted” to something?
What kind of citations are being issued?
How much time and attention is being spent on these enforcements?
How many citations has ISP given out?
We asked all those questions to ISP and the Governor’s office. They haven’t gotten back to us.
Pritzker has further threatened bars and restaurants that defy orders and stay open that he’ll pull their liquor licenses.
He’s not playing around and clearly trying to scare bar and restaurant owners into compliance.
But NBC Chicago interviewed the owner of a DuPage County restaurant last night who said he’s staying open.
We’re here to say we’re open and we believe we live in a free country,” Ki’s Steak & Seafood owner Spiro Roumpas said.
REP. WEST BAILS ON MADIGAN
Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) told Rockford TV station WIFR he won’t be voting for House Speaker Michael Madigan in the next session. West is completing his first term in Springfield.
I didn’t have time to give him a call yesterday, but I wanted you to see the video.
BEST WISHES
Our best wishes, prayers, and thoughts with southern Illinois political strategist Travis Akin, who was involved in a pretty nasty accident on I-64 this week. It sounds like he’s banged up pretty good, but it sounds like he’ll be ok.
Travis and I worked on opposing sides of a congressional primary this spring and traded a few barbs, but that’s obviously just two guys doing their jobs in a tough race.
I hope Travis is up and at ‘em and back at it soon.