Reboot Illinois? (Warning: A New Virus)
Groups like the Illinois Policy Institute, the Civic
Federation, the Civic Committee for the Commercial Club of Chicago, and other
corporatist assemblages have been loud and vocal supporters in the incessant
battle to strip Illinois’ public unions of work-place guaranteed benefits like
pensions.
Some use striking images like an Abe Lincoln with empty
pockets to emphasize their fearful messages.
Others provide mannequin-like beauties to answer questions with toothy
smiles on evening programs like Chicago Tonight. Others use strong-arm tactics like listing
the names of legislators to excoriate in double-page ads of supportive papers like
the Chicago Tribune. And some quietly tiptoe
in the back door.
November last year witnessed the launch of a brand new
for-profit media concern called Reboot Illinois. Reboot Illinois is the brainchild of Anne
Griffin, a woman hedge fund manager in a world comprised of men. Crain’s described Griffin’s pride in her “new
baby,” but also her wish to remain just a “quiet investor.”
Crain’s also interviewed the first editor and political
writer selected by Griffin to spearhead the project, Madeline Doubek, a former
Daily Herald editor. “ We intend to be the home and hub for people
to speak up and speak out and take back ownership of our government in Illinois,”
she explained to Crain’s (http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20121119/BLOGS03/121119797/anne-griffin-launches-reboot-illinois-today). Griffin specified through another spokesperson
that Ms. Griffin had no intentions of operating the day-to-day operations, but
will instead remain “a silent investor.”
What Griffin envisioned is an “online media site dedicated to citizen
journalism.” Sounds non-partisan
enough, but….
A quick look at
the media website under “About Us” begins to sound a tad shrill in its concerns
and not so clear about its ideology – except for taking back government for the
citizens. “We are paying more and getting
less. Illinois raised taxes by 67% in 2011, making it one of the most taxed
states in America. Yet, we have nothing to show for it. Pension costs are
crowding out essential services for the state, especially for the neediest. And
hardworking taxpayers simply can’t afford to pay more” (http://rebootillinois.com/about ).
I think I hear
the teakettle steaming?
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| Welcome to our getaway cottage |
And who actually
is Anne Griffin?
Well, Ms. Griffin,
who prefers to work in the background or shadows of her new campaign is
something of a financial marketing wizard, the head of “Aragon Global
management LLC, a multi-million dollar hedge fund that invests in
communications, financial and consumer stocks…” (Crain’s). According to Open Secrets, she and her
husband Kenneth, give nearly as much money to the National Republican Committee
and local Republicans as the Koch brothers.
In 2004, they spent nearly a quarter of million dollars in donations to
the Grand Old Party (http://www.opensecrets.org/bigpicture/topindivs.php).
In fact, her
husband, Kenneth is himself a billionaire hedge fund manager, founder and chief
executive of Citadel LLC. But they don’t
just trail David and Charles Koch; they also provide them both with money to
fund A.L.E.C. and the causes the Koch brothers support. They’ve given the Koch brothers over $1.5
million (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-02/business/ct-biz-0603-confidential-griffin-20120602_1_julian-robertson-digital-media-aragon-global-management
). You might imagine it’s not going to
be used to support pensions – either in the private or public sector. Neither would I.
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| Welcome to our forum. |
On April 24th,
Reboot Illinois is holding a “serious” discussion on pensions with the for-profit Daily
Herald at the Wojcik Center at Harper's College from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. According to the organizers, response has been
overwhelming, and the event had to be moved to Harpers College in Palatine, IL. There will be a rally outside the Wojcik Center from 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. by Northern Illinois Jobs with Justice. The Daily Herald editor
John Lampinen is “thrilled” to be working as partners with Reboot in developing
this forum. I expect Lampinen will be
the host and leader of questions. Certainly,
it will not be Anne Griffin, who just works in the background.
But one does wonder
what kind of questions might come from a group which spends so much time
complaining about tax issues and so, so, so much money on the Koch brothers.
Rep. Elaine Nekritz who promotes the Civic Committee's desire to cut away at most benefits without regard for constitutional protection in her bills) will be there. Tea Party Representative Tom Morrison (who believes there just shouldn't be such a thing as pensions at all) will be there. I want to wish IEA President
Cinda Klickna my best wishes as she wanders into this orchestrated forum. As Reboot
says, “But our questions aren't
the important ones. Yours are. Our role is to provide the setting and then get
out of the way. We look to you to lead the discussion”
I imagine providing the setting means pitchforks and torches?
John: Reboot Illinois' other investors include Lester and Jim Crown. Please check them out as well. We, and all our investors, are committed to a professional, nonpartisan operation.
ReplyDeleteEditorial content decisions are made by me and Executive Editor Matt Dietrich. We have more than 50 years' experience in award-winning journalism.
We understand why teachers and other public employees are frustrated by our state's pension problems. Through our forum with the Daily Herald and our ongoing coverage, we're hoping to help find a solution so that teachers will have retirement income in 20 years. Without change, that is unlikely. Please do check out our pension timeline here: http://rebootillinois.com/?infographic=2088 and our look at average pensions here: http://rebootillinois.com/?infographic=2166
Finally, I would note that we have featured guest views from across the political and government spectrum in Illinois. Thanks for this opportunity to comment.
Madeleine Doubek
Reboot Illinois
Thank you for your comments. Would Lester and Jim Crown be the same members of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago who engaged Sidley Austin to prepare an argument for addressing the debt crisis by arguing that a state's needs can trump the constitutional rights and promises made to public sector workers? If so, I concede your non-partisianshio, but not your bias. Indeed, I declare mine openly. Let's be honest, you promise an opportunity for teachers to have less retirement income in twenty years. You would have them believe that their pensions themselves are a benefit and not a promise made in contractual language in the Illinois Constitution. You, like the Civic Committee and others, would have them believe that the costs of current pensions overshadow the ability to pay for other services - not the actual problem: the debt incurred for years of non-payment. Look for answers to the revenue shortfalls in the state, Ms. Doubek. Look for another and more logical method of paying back what was stolen from public sector workers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your suggestions.
JD
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