THE ILLINOIZE: Madigan's exit...Hotels and Restaurants beg for help...GOP wants reopening details...The 2022 campaign started this week...
February 19, 2021
Good morning.
If you haven’t heard, the 50-year political career of House Speaker Michael Madigan ended yesterday. The southwest side Democrat had been Speaker 36 of the past 38 years (Republicans had the majority from 1995-1997.) and established himself as one of the most powerful politicians in the history of Illinois.
You’re going to hear a lot about Madigan from his control to his campaigns to an apple a day to, yes, the ComEd fiasco.
It’s probably going to be weird to stand in the House Chamber in a few weeks and realize there’s no seat for Michael Madigan.
Madigan’s district on the southwest side of Chicago was once reliably Irish Catholic, but is now majority Hispanic. Though it appears Madigan, who controls the appointment of his replacement, will likely choose an Arab-American political ally for the job. We’ll try to have more for that on the website today.
Lots of Madigan for you, but other high quality news, opinion, rumor and innuendo, too.
Let’s do this.
THE MADIGAN CARICATURE
Look, everywhere you turn this morning, you’re going to read stories about the controversial, iron-fisted former House Speaker. Those things exist, for sure, but I don’t know Michael Madigan. Very few of you reading this newsletter know him that well, either.
It seemed like an opportunity to look back on who he is, what motivated him, and how he acted with the people who worked for him. Yes, these are all people who are going to be Madigan “loyalists,” but it doesn’t mean that their opinions and observations aren’t important. He’s the most significant figure in Illinois politics in the last 50 years, and maybe the history of state government. If my Republican friends don’t like that, the unsubscribe button is down on the bottom.
Here’s my piece this morning on Mike Madigan, the caricature, the apple, the motivations, and being “at peace.” Fill up your coffee cup before you read this one. It’s 2,500 words. Someone get me some magazine space.
HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS WANT MORE CAPACITY
The Palmer House (above) is my favorite hotel in the city of Chicago. I love the luxury, the architecture, and the feeling that you’ve just stepped into the “Roaring 20’s.”
Due to COVID-19 (and other financial problems), the Palmer House has been closed since March of last year. They’ve set a re-opening date for April, but who knows if they can really accomplish it.
We can’t lose one of the great gems of our state.
In a virtual Senate committee hearing Thursday, Michael Jacobson, President and CEO at Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association says hotel occupancy was down 84% in Chicago one week last month compared to 2019. He says struggling hotels don’t anticipate a recovery to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.
He says the state won’t even discuss expanded occupancy levels.
“We are so disheartened that the state has had such little appetite to discuss a short and long term strategy related to a gradual re-opening of our hotel operations,” Jacobson said. Even under Phase 4 of the “Restore Illinois” plan, meetings and events are limited to a maximum of 50 people, no matter what. And there are no increases in that number until Phase 5, when conventions and all other gatherings go back to normal. There’s no middle ground.”
The fact that there is no step-up between 50 people and a full Soldier Field makes zero sense. I hope the administration comes to the table with struggling hotel and restaurants.
Here’s my story on the committee hearing yesterday.
PRITZKER’S UNOFFICIAL CAMPAIGN LAUNCH
I have a new opinion piece up this morning.
Governor JB Pritzker’s live-to-tape combined State of the State and budget address wasn’t so much a budget speech. I mean, sure, he gave details about a budget proposal that the legislature will probably ignore as the Appropriations Committees ramp up (that’s not a Pritzker thing, that’s an every Governor thing.)
What Wednesday’s speech attempted to do was define his eventual Republican opponent as the boogeyman of state government who, like Bruce Rauner, is to blame for all of the state’s ills. It was his gubernatorial announcement speech, in essence. It was pre-produced (filmed Tuesday at the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds) with a bunch of b-roll wedged in to make it look like a campaign rollout video.
First of all, the setting of the speech was intentional. The Orr Building was field hospital during the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 and 1919. But, the Governor gave a speech in an empty room with no patients and no vaccine. Isn’t that the most evocative image to best explain the administration’s vaccine rollout?
But, we saw the playbook for the Governor’s 2022 campaign starting to peek through in that speech.
CONDOLONCES
Prayers to Illinois Department of Natural Resources Deputy Director Rachel Torbert and her family. Her husband, David, passed away earlier this week unexpectedly at the age of 36. They have a young daughter. I’ve known Rachel for many years and think the world of her and they’ve been on my mind for the past few days.
MEA CULPA
Listing birthdays on Tueday, I mistakenly referred to Sen. Tony Munoz as “former” Senator. Last time I checked, he is still a 100% real, current Senator. Thanks to all, like, 20 of you who called out my mistake.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Former State Rep. Ron Stephens is celebrating today.
Former Attorney General and GOP nominee for Governor in 2002 Jim Ryan turns 75 Sunday. Rep. Lamont Robinson celebrates Sunday. Also Sunday are former State Representative Laurel Prussing and former Congressman Phil Hare.
ONE LAST THING
Send me your tips, thoughts, comments, glowing compliments, and frustrations. Actually, keep the frustrations to yourself (kidding.) E-mail me anytime at patrick@theillinoize.com.
As always, we hope you’ll Like The Illinoize on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
If you like the content you’re receiving from us, we want to keep it free for as long as we humanly can. We have an online tip jar here if you want to help out. Even $5 or $10 help us offset costs for this operation.
More than anything, we ask that you share this newsletter with your friends, colleagues, neighbors, but probably not the QAnon guy down the street. Those guys give me the willies. All you have to do is click the button below.
Have a wonderful weekend.