23 Questions. BGA releases the answers from all six candidates (and yes, we’re including Rahm) to our 2011 Mayoral Questionnaire. Find out how each mayoral contender feels about cutting the size of City Council and more–and take the questionnaire yourself.
Fuggetaboutit! Governor Pat Quinn’s reaction to a new radio ad released by his New Jersey counterpart, Chris Christie, to attract business to the Garden State. “Had enough of outrageous tax increases?” the ad asks. Quinn’s answer, according to the Sun-Times: “We don’t need some guy from Jersey (48th in business climate) telling us how to do things in the land of Lincoln.”
Take that pension and… eliminate it. The Daily Herald says IL Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) files a bill that would end pensions for new lawmakers because the state can’t afford them and part-time legislators don’t deserve them. Franks says he’d like to go after the pensions of current legislators (him included) and state employees, but that’s probably not legal.
And speaking of pensions. Illinois Statehouse News reports the Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into allegations that Illinois officials may have submitted false and/or misleading pension information in an SEC filing for a possible pension bond issuance. Round up the usual suspects.
Warring watchdogs. Activist Kathy Posner’s blog highlights a staffing battle (featuring “poaching” charges) between the Illinois Auditor General and the head of the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission. Too many watchdogs with too much time on their hands?