Illinois Channel

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Good morning. This is John McCain, speaking to you at the end of another week filled with troubling news about our economy. On Tuesday, Americans also had a chance to hear my opponent and me debate our very different plans to meet the crisis.

We've had two debates now, with a third coming this Wednesday night. And I can't shake the impression that Barack Obama is trying so hard to exploit America's financial crisis that he hasn't really focused on how to solve it. He keeps talking about the past, too -- although in a very selective way. He leaves out certain details, like the part about how he was taking campaign money from the same executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac who were causing America's financial crisis.

At the time, I was the one who called for tighter restrictions on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that could have helped prevent this crisis from happening in the first place. Senator Obama was silent on the regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and his Democratic allies in Congress opposed every effort to rein them in. But that doesn't prevent him from talking now as if he'd seen and warned about the coming crisis all along -- like some voice in the wilderness who went unheeded. Far from warning executives from Fannie and Freddie about their reckless conduct, he not only took their money but added them to his team as advisers.

As I said in Tuesday's debate, in this time of crisis we must go to the heart of the problem, and right now that problem is a housing crisis. Under my orders, as president, the Secretary of the Treasury will carry out a Homeownership Resurgence Plan.

It's a simple idea. Take some of the money that Congress has already committed to fixing our financial system and use it to give millions of homeowners a new mortgage and a fresh start. No default. No bankruptcy. No foreclosure. No deteriorating neighborhoods. The United States government will support the refinancing of distressed mortgages for homeowners and replace them with manageable mortgages.

It's critical that we stabilize mortgages, or else the housing market won't stabilize and homeowners across our country face troubles even greater than they face now. The housing market faces distortion by a glut of low-priced, foreclosed homes. And this would lead to a crash in the value of the number one asset of a majority of Americans. With so much on the line, the moment requires that government act -- and as president I intend to act, quickly and decisively.

As we help homeowners to avoid the worst, moreover, we must also act to protect investors -- especially those relying on their investments for retirement. Current rules mandate that investors must begin to sell off their IRAs and 401Ks when they reach 70 and one half. Those rules should be suspended, so that investors aren't forced to sell their stocks at just the time when the market is hurting the most.

The response from Senator Obama to my Homeownership Resurgence Plan was typical of his response to the entire crisis. First, Senator Obama tried to claim that it was really his idea. But if anyone believed that claim, they didn't believe it for long because the very next day Senator Obama and his campaign attacked my plan to stabilize mortgages. He claimed that the cost of the plan would place a burden to taxpayers -- this from the same guy who plans to increase federal spending by 860 billion dollars. In reality, the money will come from funds already committed under the rescue package passed by Congress. The funds aren't new, but the priorities will be when we put the financial strength of our government back on the side of working families.

My fellow Americans, Washington is on the wrong track, and even greater financial troubles lay ahead if we don't act quickly. The tax-and-spend policies of Barack Obama will only make matters worse. But if you give me the chance, I'm going to set it right. You don't have to hope that things will change when you vote for me. You know things will change, because I've been fighting for change in Washington my whole career. I've been fighting for you my whole life. That's what I'm going to do as President of the United States. Fight for you and put the government back on the side of the people.

CHICAGO – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today tapped Tom Jennings, a long-time Illinois Department of Agriculture employee and current Acting Director, as Director of the agency.

“Tom has worked for the Department of Agriculture his entire career and knows the agency and its responsibilities as well as anyone,” said Governor Blagojevich.  “His 30 years of experience as a front-line employee, agency administrator and Acting Director are tremendous assets and I’m pleased to announce that he’s accepted this appointment.”

Jennings began his career at the Department as a grain warehouse examiner in June 1978 after graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in agricultural economics.  He has served as Acting Director of the agency since March of this year.

“Agriculture is a rewarding and challenging industry which employs a quarter of the state’s workforce and is critical to the economy here in Illinois.  We are a leading producer of crops such as corn and soybeans and also a leading producer of livestock.  In addition, we are one of the top states for exports, making agriculture a key component to the bottom line here in Illinois,” said Jennings.  “I am honored to be named to this position and I would like to thank the Governor for this tremendous opportunity.”

Prior to his most recent stint as Acting Director, Jennings was the Department’s Assistant Director.  He also has served as the Department’s Chief of Staff, Manager of the Division of Agriculture Industry Regulation, and Bureau Chief of Warehouses.  He is a board member of the Illinois Propane Education and Research Council, a past member of the Agri-Business Committee of the Illinois CPA Society and current chairman of the Fertilizer Research and Education Council.

Jennings is a life-long resident of Springfield.  He and his wife have two children and are actively involved in a small farming operation raising cattle, horses, forage, and row crops.

SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Tim Bivins (R-Dixon) says legislation to restore funding for human service workers, state parks and historic sites has been sent to the Governor, who has 60 days to act; however, at least one vendor has been notified that a southern Illinois park will close.

            “We are facing a ‘good news, bad news’ situation. On Oct. 6, the Senate sent the Governor legislation – Senate Bill 790 and Senate Bill 1103 – that would restore funding for human service agencies, state parks and historic sites. The Governor has 60 days to act on that legislation,” Bivins said. “However, at least one vendor at Wolf Creek State Park in southern Illinois received an Oct. 2 notice from the Department of Natural Resources that the park would be closing.”

            The 45^th District Senator said the closing date for state parks and historic sites is Nov. 30, but the Governor has until Dec. 6 to sign, veto or change the legislation.

            “There are still several opportunities for mischief by the Governor. He could drag this out until after the parks and historic sites close. He could sign the legislation then refuse to release the funds. Or he could change the legislation, which would require lawmakers to return to Springfield again to act on his changes,” Bivins said. “Illinois citizens must keep the pressure on the Governor to do the right thing.”

            Information about how to contact the Governor and petitions opposing the Governor’s cuts are available on Sen. Bivins’ Web site at http://bivins.senategop.org or by calling his Dixon office at 815-284-0045.

            On Sept. 23, Sen. Bivins delivered petitions with more than 8,000 signatures, drawings and banners from elementary school students, and letters from northwestern Illinois citizens to Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s office in the Capitol. Blagojevich was not in his office so Sen. Bivins gave the letters to Deputy Governor Bob Greenlee.

            The Senator has hosted four public forums about the budget cuts – Sept. 10 at the Oregon Coliseum in Oregon, Sept. 17 at Geneseo High School in Geneseo, Sept. 24 at the Old Market House in Galena, and Sept. 30 at the Highland Community College Campus West Campus in Elizabeth. Representatives from the Governor’s Office, the Department of Natural Resources and the Historic Preservation Agency were invited to attend all the forums but did not attend any of them.

            Sen. Bivins credits the strong outcry by citizens across northwestern Illinois for the Senate vote Sept. 23 to restore the funds. The House of Representatives voted Sept. 10 to restore the funding.

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“Over the last two years, Congress has made great strides in equipping the VA with new resources to take on the challenge of caring for all veterans including those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Durbin.  “We've promised these brave men and women that if they take an oath to defend America, we'll stand by them when they come home.  We have a responsibility to make sure they have access to the best education, health care and services available.”  

Key issues identified by IAVA in the Congressional Report Card included funding for the following: veterans’ health care; Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles; expanded and enhanced veterans’ benefits; and a strong Post-9/11 GI Bill that provided comprehensive education benefits for veterans.  There were a total of nine votes on these issues in the 110^th Congresses and Durbin scored points on each of them including two additional points for cosponsoring the Post-9/11 GI Bill. 

            Durbin recently announced Congress’ approval of his legislation to help National Guard and Reserve members who are struggling financially to receive bankruptcy assistance upon returning from deployment.  The National Guard and Reservist Debt Relief Act – currently awaiting the President’s signature – will exempt service members from the strict entry criteria they might face when seeking bankruptcy protection. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D, IL-9) is the lead sponsor of this measure in the House of Representatives. 

A copy of the 2008 Congressional Report Card can be found at the following link: http://www.iava.org/documents/legislative_agenda_08.pdf

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CHICAGO – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today acted on legislation that will allow the courts to admit a statement from a witness who was intentionally murdered by the defendant if they determine the murder was to prevent the witness from testifying against the defendant. With support from the bill sponsors, advocates and prosecutors, the Governor used his amendatory veto power to give the act an immediate effective date.

Governor Blagojevich took action at the request of the bill’s sponsors. Without the amendatory veto, the legislation would not take effect until June 1, 2009.  The General Assembly will now need to act to accept the amendatory veto and so that the voices of the silenced victims can be heard immediately. The General Assembly is expected to act next month.

“Too often, victims of domestic violence cry out for help, but those cries aren’t heard. In the most tragic cases, victims are murdered by their abusers when they reach out for help, and they are silenced forever. Now the voices of those victims will be heard in the courtroom and justice can be served,” Governor Blagojevich said.

Senate Bill 2718, sponsored by Senator A. J. Wilhelmi (D - Crest Hill) and Representative Careen M. Gordon (D - Coal City), and initiated by Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, is designed to eliminate the incentive for criminals in Illinois to kill witnesses in an attempt to prevent them from testifying at trial. The legislation allows prosecutors to enter into evidence the relevant statements from witnesses who were killed.

“This legislation will clarify the rules of evidence in Illinois and will prevent defendants from escaping justice by murdering witnesses,” State’s Attorney James Glasgow said. “Prosecutors at the federal level, as well as in other states, have been using this rule of evidence for years to secure convictions against dangerous criminals.”

The new law will allow a judge to decide at a pretrial hearing whether the court will consider a hearsay testimony. At the pretrial hearing, a judge will determine if the defendant murdered the witness and the murder was intended to make the witness unavailable for testimony, if the unavailable witness’ statements are reliable, and if justice is best served if the statements will be admitted into evidence.

For the statement to be admissible, the trial court judge must make specific findings that each of the following criteria has been met:

·         Specific intent by the defendant to make the witness unavailable by murdering the declarant.

·         Reliability of the statement.

·         The interests of justice will be best served by the admission of the statement into evidence.

“The ability for one to testify against a perpetrator of a crime is an instrumental element of our judicial system. Criminals should not benefit when they try to stifle our system of justice by murdering a key witness. I want to thank Governor Blagojevich for supporting this bill and giving those who can no longer be with us a voice,” said Senator A.J. Wilhelmi. 

This new law is supported by the recent Supreme Court decision of Giles v. California which upheld the common law doctrine called “the forfeiture of wrongdoing,” which states that the defendant forfeits his/her rights under the Sixth Amendment to confront the witness if the defendant has caused the witness to be unavailable. Senate Bill 2718 codifies the common law doctrine to make it enforceable in Illinois. This doctrine has been made into law in more than a dozen other states, including Maryland, California, Connecticut, North Carolina, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont and Hawaii.

“I am proud to sponsor legislation that allows the court to hear testimony from those that criminals have tries to silence. This law will help bring a bit of peace to victims’ families and assist prosecuting attorneys in convicting those who would kill in order to prevent a witness from testifying against them,” said Representative Careen Gordon.

“In order to bring justice, courts need to be able to hear the testimony of key witnesses. Unfortunately in Illinois, courts could not hear from many victims of domestic violence, because their spouse murdered them to keep quiet. I thank the Governor for standing up for these victims of domestic violence,” said Barbara Shaw, Director of the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority.

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New Durbin Ad Makes it Clear He is Willing to Exploit our Troops for His Own Political Gain

Steve Sauerberg, M.D. - "Dick Durbin, who has been unwilling to stand up for our brave men and women in uniform in his role as a United States Senator, has stooped to shamelessly exploiting our troops for his own political gain.  This is cynical election-year politics at its worst."

(Lombard, IL) - Today, Republican Senate nominee Steve Sauerberg, M.D., sharply criticized Senator Dick Durbin for a new television ad running as part of the Senator's campaign for re-election.  "Dick Durbin, who has been unwilling to stand up for our brave men and women in uniform in his role as a United States Senator, has stooped to shamelessly exploiting our troops for his own political gain," said Sauerberg.  "This is cynical election-year politics at its worst." 

"Time and time again Dick Durbin has failed to stand up for our troops.  It's incredible that Dick Durbin, the same man who compared our troops to Nazis on the floor of the U.S. Senate, pronounced the surge a failure before it began, and would not denounce the slandering of General Petraeus, would now attempt to use our troops as election-year gimmicks," continued Sauerberg.  "One slickly crafted campaign commercial cannot make up for a life-time of failing our men and women in uniform."

Beverly Perlson, founder of the pro-troop group "The Band of Mothers," echoed Sauerberg's criticism. "As the mother of a soldier who has served four deployments in the war on terror and was awarded the Bronze Star, and as the founder of an organization dedicated to supporting our troops, I can say - without hesitation - that Dick Durbin's record on issues concerning our military and their families is one of the worst in the entire Senate.  He says one thing and votes another, and we will not forgive or forget that."

"When I am representing Illinois in the United States Senate, I will remember that supporting our troops is a full-time job.  I want our troops and their families to know that I will always stand up for them," concluded Sauerberg.

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Judge Rules in Favor of Illinois Citizens Coalition, Declares Ballot Unconstitutional

Lt. Governor, Chicago Bar Association joined ICC lawsuit; group pleased situation will be remedied in a yet-to-be determined manner

Chicago, IL – The following is a joint-statement released by Bruno Behrend and John Bambenek, co-founders of the Illinois Citizens Coalition, regarding a ruling issued today in Cook County Court:

“Today’s ruling in Cook County Court that calls on the Illinois Secretary of State and the Illinois State Board of Elections to implement revised language into the November ballots – specifically, rewording the question for the Constitutional Convention – is a victory for Illinois voters.  As the Illinois Citizens Coalition, we maintain that our primary goal this Fall is to show Illinoisans why it is necessary to open a Constitutional Convention.

We have a huge mountain to climb – just today a court of law identified faulty language on the ballot as related to the Con-Con question and conveniently no entity was identified as being responsible for that faulty language.  That point alone shows that the foundation in Illinois is broken and that the powers that be are willing to compromise the ability of voters to have a free and fair election. 

Too few have too many powers and the only way to fix the system is to rebuild its foundation.  We sincerely thank Lt. Governor Pat Quinn and the Chicago Bar Association in helping us advance this matter and we look forward to November when Illinois voters vote yes!”

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is drafting legislation to cap the amount of money attorneys and investigators receive for food, travel and hotels when working on capital litigation cases and to monitor individuals suspected of abusing the fund.

Giannoulias is also pushing for the creation of an independent panel to review and sign off on expenses deemed excessive or improper.

“Litigators and investigators should not get a blank check from taxpayers when it comes to trying these cases,” said Giannoulias, who intends to convene a group of lawmakers and professionals to discuss legislation as well as guidelines and parameters. “We need to standardize the charges and limit excessive and inappropriate costs so that the state and taxpayers aren’t robbed in the pursuit of justice.

“The state must balance two primary concerns,” Giannoulias added. “It must curb these abuses and ensure that money in the fund does not run dry, but it must also ensure that any action taken does not discourage the best and brightest legal minds from working on these cases.”

The proposals, which will be introduced to the General Assembly in January, are designed to hold personnel who litigate death penalty cases and bill the state’s Capital Litigation Trust Fund to the same reimbursement standards as state employees. Doing so would put an end to high-end dinners, first-class flights and other luxury charges that litigators and investigators charge the fund for reimbursement.

Under Giannoulias’ plan, meals would be capped at $28 per day and mileage at 50 cents per mile. Hotel rooms would be capped at $60 to $140 depending on location, and only standard coach airline flights would be eligible for reimbursement. These rates would apply unless an exception is requested and permitted. The rates would be reset each January when the hourly reimbursement for court-appointed defense attorney is reset according to the Consumer Price Index.

While the proposed legislation would not take effect until fiscal year 2009, Giannoulias will ask Illinois judges to voluntarily institute the caps come November to give his staff time to effectively communicate the proposed changes to judges statewide.

In addition, Giannoulias wants the authority to appoint a five-member panel of lawyers and judges which will review and sign off on expenses deemed extraordinary by a judge or when the court costs exceed a specific amount. The panel’s findings will set funding precedents and be incorporated into judge training statewide.

“This panel will provide a secondary review – essentially a backstop – in case excessive expenditures slip through the cracks,” Giannoulias said.

The Capital Litigation Trust Fund has cost the state more than $40 million since former Gov. George Ryan instituted a death penalty moratorium in 2003. The Treasurer’s Office administers the fund but has no authority to deny payments once approved by the courts.

Giannoulias’ proposals come in the wake of a recent St. Louis Post-Dispatch investigation that highlighted abuse within the fund. Reporters found that investigators, defense professionals and prosecutors have taken advantage of the fund that has few limitations on how much can be billed and what is covered under reimbursement.

The Capital Litigation Trust Fund was created in 1999 by the Illinois General Assembly to provide defense counsel and prosecutors access to sufficient resources to cover the costs of litigating death penalty cases.

The bipartisan legislation, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2000, was prompted by the overturned convictions of 13 individuals whom the courts determined had been wrongly accused or convicted of capital crimes and sentenced to death row.

As a result, the state sought to ensure that a lack of financial resources would not deny a death penalty defendant access to competent counsel and the ability to mount a credible defense. The fund also provides money for prosecutors, helping to defray the high costs of death penalty cases.

After a single case depleted the non-Cook County appointed defense counsel appropriation in fiscal year 2002, the Legislature amended the Capital Crimes Litigation Act to demand greater fiscal accountability from attorneys litigating death penalty cases. Court-appointed defense attorneys are now required to submit a budget and an itemized accounting of work performed in a death penalty case.

However, a Capital Punishment Reform Study Committee report published in May 2008 states that abuses still exist. Among its findings: The Capital Litigation Trust Fund acts as an incentive for prosecutors to pursue the death penalty – simply to shift the cost of the trial from county to state coffers.

“Working with judges, we can act immediately to standardize many of these costs, but more reforms will be necessary to eliminate the arbitrary and subjective approval of other types of expenses,” Giannoulias said.

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today applauded the Senate’s passage of legislation honoring the life of Army Specialist Jacob Lowell by naming the New Lenox, Illinois Post Office after him.  On June 2, 2007, Lowell was killed in Gowardesh, Afghanistan as he was protecting his Army convoy.  After the attack, the Army credited Lowell’s heroism with saving the lives of 15 other service members.  He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with “V” for valor and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.   

Lowell was a 2003 graduate of Lincoln-Way Central High School and a student at St. Xavier University.  He enlisted in 2005, and was assigned to the 1^st Battalion, 503^rd Infantry Regiment, 173^rd Airborne Brigade in Italy.   

The legislation will name the Post Office on Vine Street in New Lenox, Illinois, the “Jacob M. Lowell Post Office Building.” 

“Spc. Jacob Lowell gave his life in service of our country and in the protection of others,” said Durbin.  “Naming this post office after him is a fitting celebration of the life of a true American hero.” 

 “Spc. Jacob Lowell served his country honorably and bravely, and will always be remembered for his extraordinary heroism,” said Senator Obama.  “I am proud the Senate passed this legislation, which will honor his service and that of so many service members who have lost their lives protecting their fellow Americans in combat.” 

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Chairman José E. Serrano of the subcommittee said that the letter “is a first step towards resolving the troubling issues and allegations brought to light at our hearing. Public access advocates believe that their programming is being unfairly treated as the cable television market becomes more competitive. Our constituents must have the same opportunity to watch public access programming as other channels. We look forward to the FCC’s analysis and will continue to monitor this situation.” 

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September 30, 2008 

The Honorable Kevin J. Martin

Chairman

Federal Communications Commission

445 12th Street SW

Washington, DC 20554

Dear Chairman Martin: 

As you know, the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government held a hearing on September 17, 2008 on public, educational, and governmental (PEG) access to cable television.  The subcommittee appreciates the participation of the Commission’s Media Bureau Chief, Monica Shah Desai, at this hearing. 

We recognize that there are considerable changes occurring in cable television, including the transition to all digital transmission and the entry of new competitors and technologies into the market.  We believe that these changes can deliver improved cable television for millions of viewers.  However, we also believe that PEG television is essential to our communities as an outlet for free speech, local information and opinions, and emergency communications.  Changes in the cable environment should not lead to a diminishment of the accessibility of PEG channels to these same viewers. 

The subcommittee heard several concerns relating to PEG at the hearing.  These concerns include:   

·        Some cable operators are moving PEG channels to new locations on the channel dial, including moving them into digital locations up to the 900 channel block.  Witnesses expressed concern that this places PEG channels well away from the basic tier of channels and may require some consumers to rent or purchase converter equipment to view PEG channels. 

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