Jim Dey: Ambitious Dems dream of someday filling Durbin's shoes

Jan. 20—It's time once again to dive in to another round of quick takes on the people, places and events that were being talked about over the past week:

Who's next?

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin isn't up for re-election until 2026, and that's quite a ways off.

But he gets increasingly long in the tooth, ambitious Democratic wannabes are thinking about how nice it would be to succeed him.

That's why Chicago Magazine's Edward McClelland recently published, "The 10 Pols Who Could Succeed Dick Durbin."

Included on the list but given a marginal shot for that lofty post is onetime Champaign County politician Mike Frerichs, now of the Chicago area.

He's the current state treasurer stuck in political limbo because there are so many other more prominent Democrats looking to move up and so few top tier spots open.

Durbin just turned 79, and he's the Democrats' majority whip in the Senate. That gives him clout.

But no one lives forever, and the odds are good that he might be willing to give up his post in another four years.

McClelland said the No. 1 Democrat in line for the Democratic Party nomination is Chicago-area U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who has a $13-plus million war chest.

Others high on the list are Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who's positioning himself for a move up, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.

Frerichs came in at the No. 9 slot, McClelland quoting Springfield political analyst Kent Redfield as describing Frerichs as "the weakest of the state constitutional officers going into 2022."

Just for apparent laughs, McClelland included a Republican on the list — Peoria-area U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood filled the No. 5 slot.

With Illinois solidly under Democratic control and the Illinois Republican Party going through a self-inflicted and seemingly endless nervous breakdown, it's hard to imagine any Republican having a chance to run even a competitive race statewide.

That's why the hungry and ambitious are eyeing Durbin's slot as well as the governor's office — not to mention each other's posts — for possible advancement.

In the money

Illinois Playbook recently reported that Frerichs has $798,000 in available campaign cash, Stratton $295,000, Raoul $941,000, Giannoulias $1.6 million and Mendoza $579,000.

Flat tire fallout

Last week's column included a "bit" about a political fight on the county board and the subsequent vandalism to the car of a fighter on the winning side — Champaign County Auditor George Danos.

That disclosure didn't go down well with some board members, who Thursday questioned Danos about the incident.

"I don't like seeing things played out in the press," said Republican board member John Farney.

He said Danos' email to political associates explaining what occurred "almost implied board members did this."

"I don't like being lumped into something like that," Farney said.

The board recently rejected a proposal to eliminate the elected offices of coroner and auditor, with Danos leading the charge.

Danos said "after that contentious meeting," his car "suffered vandalism which prevents me from traveling for the holiday." The incident occurred at Danos' home.

Farney wondered why Danos "didn't come to board members first" with news about the vandalism, although it's unclear what they would have done about it.

Danos, who reported the incident to police, said he was "absolutely" surprised by the chilly response he received. He said some board members appeared to be more upset "about the revelation of a crime rather than the crime itself."

Revolving door

Another Champaign County Board member — Democrat Kyle Patterson — is resigning his seat effective Feb. 5.

He recently was appointed to fill the vacant post of township supervisor for the city of Champaign.

Dope boom, bust

Pleased Illinois revenue officials recently reported record sales — more than $1.6 billion — of recreational marijuana in 2023.

That included a "5% increase from licensed adult-use cannabis sales in 2022," according to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

The only bummer in the report is that sales to out-of-state customers declined by 14 percent, a decline attributed to lower prices in neighboring states that have legalized marijuana. The decline in out-of-state customers was offset by an increase in sales to Illinois customers.

The revenue numbers represent another triumph for Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who made marijuana legalization a top priority after his election in 2018.

Increased legal marijuana sales in Illinois and elsewhere — which coincide with a strong black market — also are allegedly contributing to increased cases of mental illness, particularly for young people who smoke the weed.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that "more teens who use cannabis are suffering from psychosis."

The Journal quoted statistics indicating "rates of diagnosis for cannabis-induced disorders are more than 50 percent higher at the end of November than in 2019."

Mental health risks are highest for users between 16 and 25.

One emergency room physician said the active THC ingredient in today's more potent cannabis is "attacking young brains," laying the groundwork for mental health problems that can last for a lifetime.

The governor and legislators dismissed public health warnings about cannabis legalization. Fixated on anticipated revenue increases in tax revenue, they approved a statewide sales program that is still in its implementation stage.

What's playing in Peoria?

There's scandal brewing, and it's located in the most unlikely of places: WTVP, the local public television channel.

There are pending investigations by police and the attorney general's office into "questionable, unauthorized or improper" spending that led to staff layoffs to save money and a mass resignation of the board of directors.

The story broke last fall after an audit provided "insights into the expenditures and uses of funds at WTVP that were questionable, unauthorized or improper."

"We believe that such expenditures have been stopped and are closely reviewing every proposed or recurring expense the stations makes," the station's executive committee said in a statement.

The revelations forced the board to cut its operating budget by $1.5 million — one-third of its budget — because of "steep financial losses in 2022 and 2023."

Earlier this month, 11 members of the station's board, including President Andrew Rand, resigned from the board.

Rand was replaced by John Wieland, CEO of the MH Equipment Co. Seven other new people also joined the board.

Wieland expressed optimism about the station's future, according to the Peoria Journal-Star, because "the board can secure grant funding that has been withheld by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting" and secure new funds from donors.

Improper spending has been attributed to two former station executives, the president and finance director.

The station's former president — Lesley Matuszak — was found dead at her home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sept. 28, one day after she resigned from her station post.

Meanwhile, an outside group called the "Friends of 47" has been complaining publicly about a lack of transparency involved in the transformation. (WTVP is Channel 47.)

Well-deserved raises?

Public pensions for convicted and charged politicians keep going up, but for how long?

Federal investigations into the state's most powerful pols have darkened their lives. But the news hasn't been all bad.

They're still benefiting from taxpayer largess.

The Chicago Tribune's Ray Long recently reviewed the issue and came up with some information taxpayers will have to choke down.

Timothy Mapes, a former top aide to former House Speaker Michael Madigan, saw his annual pension increase to $154,000 a year.

He was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in the Commonwealth Edison bribery conspiracy case, and he's scheduled to be sentenced in February.

He may — or may not — lose his pension on account of his conviction.

As for Madigan, he's continuing to collect his pension of $153,400 a year, and will continue to do so unless and until he is convicted in the ComEd case. It's scheduled to increase to $158,000 in July 1.

Madigan now faces an Oct. 8 trial originally scheduled for April. He won the delay because the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing a crucial legal issue involving the interpretation of the federal bribery statute.

That case arises out of Indiana, but the court's ruling could have a dramatic impact on Madigan.

Finally, Ed Burke, the longtime powerful Chicago alderman who was recently convicted of using his public official for financial gain, is receiving roughly $8,000 a month. He'll forfeit his municipal pension as soon as he is sentenced in mid-June.