THE ILLINOIZE: No flood of eviction cases yet...Bryant responds to Sun-Times...Griffin unloads on Pritzker
October 5, 2021
Good morning.
Someone told me yesterday baseball season is still going. I thought the season ended July 30.
So yeah, good luck with that, Cardinals and White Sox fans.
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Let’s get into it.
NO FLOOD OF EVICTION FILINGS YET
On the first day for landlords to file eviction actions against tenants in court Monday, it doesn’t appear there was a giant flood of cases filed around the state.
Coles County had 16 eviction cases filed Monday. DuPage County, with a million residents, had just 6.
It appears, though, there are numerous cases that were likely on hold around the state. Macon County Clerk Sherry Doty says over 260 eviction cases have been filed so far this calendar year, though just one was filed as of Monday afternoon. While evictions could move forward if income thresholds weren’t met or tenants were unwilling to seek state assistance, many typical cases hadn’t proceeded while the moratorium was in place.
Millions of state supported payments for landlords have been handed out thus far, though, there have been complaints about slow payments. Some charitable organizations, like Salvation Army in Chicago, have been handing out emergency rental assistance.
Obviously, nobody is legally getting kicked out of their home yet. The process requires a judge’s ruling and enforcement from a county sheriff’s office before someone can be removed from their home.
BRYANT RESPONDS TO BGA/SUN-TIMES
The Better Government Association and Chicago Sun-Times took a swing at Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) this weekend and, frankly, I’m not sure why.
On a small AM station in southern Illinois last week, Bryant told the host 75 % of Illinois Republicans are vaccinated.
“I’m still trying to get some of the folks that travel down that line who want to basically say that Republicans are anti-vaccine and anti-science to explain that to me, because I believe right now that 75% of Republicans have been vaccinated in this state,” Bryant is quoted as saying in the interview, which she doesn’t deny.
But we know it’s not factual, as less than 70% of all residents of the state have received the COVID-19 vaccine. She’s not stupid, she knows it was probably a misstep, too. But, here’s the thing: it was said in passing in the interview and it’s not hard to see she misspoke and the host moved on.
Instead, the BGA and Sun-Times made a federal case out of the statement.
We contacted polling experts, surveyed news coverage and reviewed state data but found no evidence to back up Bryant’s claim. We also left multiple messages with the senator’s district office seeking comment, which she did not return.
On the day Bryant made her claim, 62% of Illinois residents age 12 and older had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health data. If Bryant were correct, that would mean Republicans are outperforming the state’s average.
Polling experts? Really? Did you need an abacus, too?
I asked the reporter, Kiannah Sepeda-Miller, why they focused so much fire at Bryant. I’ll let you know if I hear back.
I spoke to Bryant yesterday and she said she did, in fact, misspeak.
“During the fast-paced interview, I made a remark regarding vaccination rates of Republicans offhand,” she said, surprising nobody except the BGA. “My point was that there is a large percentage of Republicans that I have spoken with who have disclosed they are vaccinated but feel it is a personal choice and not something they should be forced to disclose.”
Bryant has disclosed she and her husband are vaccinated.
Republicans face a gigantic credibility problem. Too many in Washington have sold their souls to the powers pushing misinformation and that has made its way to a party electorate more focused on personality than policy. And winning? Who gives a darn about that, we’ll just say we won and call the system rigged.
Terri Bryant is not some goon. Is she more conservative than your milquetoast moderate suburbanite? Duh. But she’s not the problem and one slip of the tongue certainly isn’t the problem.
When there are lawmakers out there pushing actual misinformation, maybe we should focus on them and not someone who misspoke on southern Illinois radio.
GRIFFIN TAKES AIM AT PRITZKER
Ken Griffin, the richest Illinoisan and a top GOP donor, took aim at Governor JB Pritzker yesterday during an interview with The Economic Club of Chicago.
The Tribune has more:
Griffin said during the height of the civil unrest in summer 2020, when more than 2,100 businesses across Chicago were damaged following the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer, he implored Gov. J.B. Pritzker to declare a state of emergency and deploy the National Guard.
“I told him to deploy the National Guard and he goes, ‘it won’t look good for there to be men and women on Michigan Avenue with assault weapons,’” Griffin told the Economic Club members in attendance and those viewing online. “‘If that saves the life of a child, I don’t care.’ And he doesn’t care.”
A Pritzker spokeswoman denied the accuracy of Griffin’s recounting of the conversation and responded to the criticism in equally blunt terms Monday afternoon.
“Ken Griffin is a liar,” Emily Bittner, a Pritzker spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement. “Gov. Pritzker is dedicated to the safety of this city and state, deployed the National Guard during the social unrest in the summer of 2020 and is making landmark investments in crime prevention.”
Griffin said Chicago’s days as the headquarters for Citadel may be numbered, with crime topping the list of reasons why the hedge fund is considering, like the Bears, an eventual move to another city. He said the firm isn’t “as here as we were” a decade ago, with other offices such as New York growing rapidly.
“There is nowhere where you can feel safe today, walking home at 9:30 at night, and you worry about your kids going to and from school,” Griffin said. “That’s no way for our city to exist. And it’s really hard to recruit people to Chicago, when they read the headlines.”
There are currently 1,150 employees in the Chicago office, the firm said Monday. As to how long Chicago remains the global headquarters for Citadel, Griffin issued a vague timetable and a clear warning.
“It’s probably measured in years, not decades, if we don’t change course,” Griffin said.
I’ve heard Griffin is high on Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) in the gubernatorial election next year. Judging by some of these comments, Griffin may be ready to pony up tens of millions against Pritzker next year.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to my old boss, former Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, who was inducted into the Lyons Township High School Hall of Fame this weekend. She’s one of the best.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS
Today- former State Representative Dennis Reboletti
Tomorrow- Sen. Mike Hastings
Thursday- Congressman Bill Foster, former Sen. Carl Hawkinson
Friday- Former Sen. John O. Jones, Jesse Jackson (80)
Sunday- former Sen. Ira Silverstein
Monday- Rep. Toni McCombie, Rep. Ryan Spain
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