Who stands to benefit from a Chicago casino? The governmental bodies licensing them, of course. But would-be casino operators would get so little out of it that there’s little incentive to set up shop in the city, according to a just-released analysis. And someone has to be willing to open shop before the city or state sees any green. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s camps are talking about working with state lawmakers to renegotiate the tax structure to make it more worthwhile to all.
National and local Democrats are gathering in Springfield today for some early politicking ahead of Governor’s Day tomorrow at the Illinois State Fair. That includes a small reception that will bring together House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of Illinois’ Democratic congressional delegation. Tonight, J.B. Pritzker and first lady M.K. Pritzker are hosting a reception at the Governor’s Mansion. Expect Mayor Lightfoot to attend both.
In a few hours, Pritzker attends the fair’s annual Governor’s Sale of Champions — a livestock auction for charity. Waiting to see whether the billionaire Pritzker, a Democrat, will outdo his wealthy Republican predecessor Bruce Rauner, known for donning his finest pearl-snap shirt and writing fat checks at the event.
And according to Fox News, disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was close to being let out of a Colorado federal penitentiary when the Trump administration, which currently holds his fate in its hands, pulled back.
Welcome to The Spin.
Three takeaways from new casino report
Math — Investors may stay away away in droves because the tax structure legislators approved is “very onerous,” and the five South and West side sites the city floated would not draw enough tourists to bring in maximum revenue, the Tribune’s Dan Petrella and Ryan Ori report. The consultant is talking “pennies on the dollar.” Petrella and Ori break down the math and the big picture.
Downtown — The mayor had pitched five sites on the South and West sides, following a vow to build up communities that don’t see a lot of development. But as Petrella and Ori note, the “Union Gaming Analytics” report said none of the city’s proposed sites would attract enough tourists and recommended choosing a downtown location instead.
Win or lose —The state’s hired consultant writes this: “The current regulatory construct, namely the highest effective gaming tax and fee structure in the US, makes any casino project – regardless of location – generally not financially feasible.” The report also might sound hopeful to some: Chicago has an opportunity to create a “Las Vegas Strip style urban casino in a major metropolitan area.” You can read the report put together by the state-hired consultant here.
Mayor Lightfoot will be making the political rounds in Springfield today. While she had planned to be at the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ annual brunch featuring Pelosi as a special guest on Wednesday, the mayor has to return to Chicago for the funeral of a one-time colleague.
John Janicik, who like Lightfoot was a partner at the law firm Mayer Brown, died Aug. 8, according to the firm.
There’s plenty of politicking going on today. “She’ll still head down to Springfield tonight since it is a unique opportunity to meet with state and federal elected officials and advocate for our city,” said Dave Mellet, a spokesman for Lightfoot’s political operation.
That includes stopping in at the Pritzkers’ reception tonight and, likely, Pelosi’s gathering with Illinois Democrats, Mellet tells The Spin.
Bipartisan shows: Republicans and Democrats get their own special days at the fair, where long speeches and food on a stick rule. Governor’s Day, so-named for the party in the Governor’s Mansion, is tomorrow. Republicans Day is Thursday.
Will wealthy Gov. Pritzker outdo predecessor Rauner at state fair auction? The governor, a Hyatt Hotel heir, is expected to bid on a steer tonight at the annual Governor’s Sale of Champions livestock auction, according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Pritzker’s communications team was loath to answer any questions about it. Proceeds from the champion livestock auction go to 4-H and the Future Farmers of America.
Disclosure — As a member of 4-H too many years ago to count, I won second place at the Douglas County Fair (Nebraska) for my Snickerdoodles. They remain, as the kids today say, on point.
Pritzker vs. Rauner? In 2017 then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, whom Pritzker unseated last November, and a group of friends bid $104,000 — beating the $100,000 record bid. But the whole thing got mired in controversy when a financier in the group didn’t pay up immediately. Now a question looms over whether the group can officially lay claim to making a record bid, a title that had been stripped from the group in the mess of things, the Tribune reported at the time.
Kellogg School dean buys Bruce and Diana Rauner’s Winnetka mansion for $2.75 million – Read Bob Goldsborough’s piece in the Tribune here.
New law broadens access to medical marijuana, makes state program permanent — “Irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, osteoarthritis, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Neuro-Behcet’s autoimmune disease, neuropathy, polycystic kidney disease and superior canal dehiscence syndrome are among the qualifying conditions added by the new medical cannabis law, which took effect when Pritzker signed it Friday,” the Tribune’s Jamie Munks reports. To read the full story, click here.
States, including Illinois, sue Trump administration over rollback of Obama-era climate rule – Read The New York Times story here.
Blago pulled back from the brink of release?
Nearly a week after President Trump said he was “very strongly” considering commuting Blagojevich’s prison sentence, a new report suggests officials were about to cut him loose when they pulled back.
“Fox News reported that Blagojevich’s potential commutation was on hold at the White House,” the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt writes from Colorado. “The report said Blagojevich last Thursday had ‘made it to processing for his discharge’ from the federal Colorado prison where he’s being held.” But officials apparently put a brick on it. You can read Pratt’s story by clicking here.
Blagojevich family spokeswoman Mark Vargas didn’t respond to questions about the report. But he took to Twitter last night to release a statement amid that report, stating in part, “The family is grateful to President Trump, and they are hopeful that their 11-year nightmare might soon be over.”
Portraits from Iowa campaign: 21 Democratic candidates, a fundraiser and a giant flag
Speaking of state fair-related politics, Democratic presidential candidates continue to zig and zag their way across Iowa, whose caucuses early next year represent the first-in-the-nation primary. That includes glad-handing their way through the state fair in Des Moines and hitting up the “Wing Ding” in Clear Lake, Iowa, where candidates’ minuteslong pitches to voters can only be compared with speed dating.
Tribune photographer John J. Kim was in Iowa for the Wing Ding — a fundraiser — and offers this cool series of portraits of 21 of the 22 candidates. Beto O’Rourke canceled after the mass shooting in his hometown of El Paso, Texas. You can check them out by clicking here.
Gary mayor to become head of Chicago Urban League — Karen Freeman-Wilson, who became Gary’s first African American woman elected mayor of the Indiana steel town, lost her bid for a third term in this year’s Democratic primary. So when she wraps up her mayoral duties on Dec. 31, she’ll take the reins as the league’s president and chief executive officer, according to a news release from the organization, which advocates for financial, educational and social justice for African Americans. You can read the Chicago Urban League’s announcement by clicking here.
Field Museum CEO Richard Lariviere will retire in 2020 — He gave T. rex “Sue” a more prominent spotlight and, behind the scenes, stabilized the institution’s finances, the Tribune’s Steve Johnson reports. Read his story here.
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