Open Tollroad for Blago, Meeks and Public Schools
Revised slightly on Saturday at high noon
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"...a fourteen billion dollar payout to the Dems [the equivalent of a State Government Home Equity loan or "Garage sale"], to be divided up among elementary and secondary public schools, i.e., teachers salaries and new construction; some funding of state pension funds [possibly] and various and sundry pet projects of Governor Blagojevich, Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President Jones, Mayor Daley, Rev. Meeks and a few other..."
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Rev. and State Senator James Meeks [D-Chicago] has decided that he will not run for Governor this year. He made that unequivocal statement just before noon today at a packed press conference held before he was to speak at a Union League Club of Chicago Public Affairs lunch program. I rode up on the elevator with Senator Meeks and I can tell you he is a very personable, self assured politician and man of the cloth, and not necessarily in that order.
Rev. Meeks reached an agreement with the Governor this morning. This was a follow-up one hour meeting to their meeting of yesterday. Meeks said, “At the end of the four hour session yesterday, we nailed down a funding plan that I agreed with.” Senator Meeks said that the plan “has a way to bring underperforming students up to grade level.” Rev. Meeks is “most excited about accountability measures that will be in place.”
Meeks asked Governor Blagojevich. to call a special meeting on Tuesday “with House and Senate Education Committees; IFT, IEA, CTU [the teachers’ unions]; to…. spell out all the particulars of the Plan.” Meeks said that the Governor would get input from all of those people [later in the presser, Meeks specifically mentioned CPS CEO Arne Duncan had been invited to Tuesday’s session] and groups, including the Education Committees’ leaders on Tuesday and that the Governor would then meet with the Press on this coming Tuesday, spelling out the details to the Plan.
When Rev. Meeks and his elections attorney, Burt Odelson, met with the Governor again this morning, they became convinced that the plan would become law, said Odelson. Odelson did try to leave some wiggle room for Meeks by reminding everyone that Meeks had until June 26, 2006 to file the requisite 25,000 nominating signatures [and they would have filed 50,000] in case the support for the Plan was not there. See here, for a summary of the press conference that is similar to this post, but with some effusive words from attorney Odelson for the Plan and with some updated rumors about the revenue source for the plan. Rev. Meeks, speaking after Attorney Odelson, essentially said he did not need any wiggle room. Meeks said his attorney was trying to protect him but that he has made a final decision not to be a gubernatorial candidate this year:
Jeff Berkowitz: When will you make your final decision that you won’t run?
Rev. Meeks: “I have made my final decision that I am not a candidate [for Governor.]”
Meeks indicated that it is “safe to assume that,” that neither an income nor a sales tax increase is a part of the Plan. He also indicated that state issuance of bonds would not be required by the Plan, but that there could be some bonds issued for school construction.
Meeks said he did not talk to Senate President Jones and Speaker Madigan about this, but that Governor Blagojevich did. Meeks indicated the "majority of the Plan," could be passed just by Democrats.
In response to a question about the impact of his run on the two major candidates for Governor, if he had continued, Meeks made an argument that nobody, except maybe Rev. Meeks, believes:
Rev. Meeks: …”I was taking more votes from Judy Topinka than I was taking from Rod Blagojevich. I can make that poll available…”
Jeff Berkowitz: Do Republicans care more about your issues than Democrats? Is that what that tells you?
Rev. and Senator Meeks: It tells me that I took more votes from her than I did from him.
In light of the above, the four year Education Funding Agreement between Meeks and Blagojevich would seem to entail leasing the state tollway system [See here] to a private company, probably foreign owned, resulting perhaps in a fourteen billion dollar payout to the Dems [the equivalent of a State Government Home Equity Loan or Garage Sale], to be divided up among elementary and secondary public schools, i.e., teachers salaries and new construction; some funding of state pension funds [possibly] and various and sundry pet projects of the Governor, Speaker Madigan, Senate President Jones, Mayor Daley, Rev. Meeks and a few other key Democratic leaders. Perhaps a few Republicans will go over to the other side [as they did on the 10 billion dollar pension bond sale in 2003] for a big payday, if the Democrats decide they need a few Republican votes. Jones and Madigan can usually rent a few Republicans, if they need to. But, we will find out more about the Plan over the next few days, no doubt.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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"...a fourteen billion dollar payout to the Dems [the equivalent of a State Government Home Equity loan or "Garage sale"], to be divided up among elementary and secondary public schools, i.e., teachers salaries and new construction; some funding of state pension funds [possibly] and various and sundry pet projects of Governor Blagojevich, Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President Jones, Mayor Daley, Rev. Meeks and a few other..."
******************************************
Rev. and State Senator James Meeks [D-Chicago] has decided that he will not run for Governor this year. He made that unequivocal statement just before noon today at a packed press conference held before he was to speak at a Union League Club of Chicago Public Affairs lunch program. I rode up on the elevator with Senator Meeks and I can tell you he is a very personable, self assured politician and man of the cloth, and not necessarily in that order.
Rev. Meeks reached an agreement with the Governor this morning. This was a follow-up one hour meeting to their meeting of yesterday. Meeks said, “At the end of the four hour session yesterday, we nailed down a funding plan that I agreed with.” Senator Meeks said that the plan “has a way to bring underperforming students up to grade level.” Rev. Meeks is “most excited about accountability measures that will be in place.”
Meeks asked Governor Blagojevich. to call a special meeting on Tuesday “with House and Senate Education Committees; IFT, IEA, CTU [the teachers’ unions]; to…. spell out all the particulars of the Plan.” Meeks said that the Governor would get input from all of those people [later in the presser, Meeks specifically mentioned CPS CEO Arne Duncan had been invited to Tuesday’s session] and groups, including the Education Committees’ leaders on Tuesday and that the Governor would then meet with the Press on this coming Tuesday, spelling out the details to the Plan.
When Rev. Meeks and his elections attorney, Burt Odelson, met with the Governor again this morning, they became convinced that the plan would become law, said Odelson. Odelson did try to leave some wiggle room for Meeks by reminding everyone that Meeks had until June 26, 2006 to file the requisite 25,000 nominating signatures [and they would have filed 50,000] in case the support for the Plan was not there. See here, for a summary of the press conference that is similar to this post, but with some effusive words from attorney Odelson for the Plan and with some updated rumors about the revenue source for the plan. Rev. Meeks, speaking after Attorney Odelson, essentially said he did not need any wiggle room. Meeks said his attorney was trying to protect him but that he has made a final decision not to be a gubernatorial candidate this year:
Jeff Berkowitz: When will you make your final decision that you won’t run?
Rev. Meeks: “I have made my final decision that I am not a candidate [for Governor.]”
Meeks indicated that it is “safe to assume that,” that neither an income nor a sales tax increase is a part of the Plan. He also indicated that state issuance of bonds would not be required by the Plan, but that there could be some bonds issued for school construction.
Meeks said he did not talk to Senate President Jones and Speaker Madigan about this, but that Governor Blagojevich did. Meeks indicated the "majority of the Plan," could be passed just by Democrats.
In response to a question about the impact of his run on the two major candidates for Governor, if he had continued, Meeks made an argument that nobody, except maybe Rev. Meeks, believes:
Rev. Meeks: …”I was taking more votes from Judy Topinka than I was taking from Rod Blagojevich. I can make that poll available…”
Jeff Berkowitz: Do Republicans care more about your issues than Democrats? Is that what that tells you?
Rev. and Senator Meeks: It tells me that I took more votes from her than I did from him.
In light of the above, the four year Education Funding Agreement between Meeks and Blagojevich would seem to entail leasing the state tollway system [See here] to a private company, probably foreign owned, resulting perhaps in a fourteen billion dollar payout to the Dems [the equivalent of a State Government Home Equity Loan or Garage Sale], to be divided up among elementary and secondary public schools, i.e., teachers salaries and new construction; some funding of state pension funds [possibly] and various and sundry pet projects of the Governor, Speaker Madigan, Senate President Jones, Mayor Daley, Rev. Meeks and a few other key Democratic leaders. Perhaps a few Republicans will go over to the other side [as they did on the 10 billion dollar pension bond sale in 2003] for a big payday, if the Democrats decide they need a few Republican votes. Jones and Madigan can usually rent a few Republicans, if they need to. But, we will find out more about the Plan over the next few days, no doubt.
*****************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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