Article 2010-03-27T00:00:00Z By the Associated Press false OMAHA, Neb. - In the Midwest, January home sales plummeted 37 percent from December's figure, but sales were still up nearly 4 percent over the previous year, according to figures released Friday by the National Association of Realtors. There were 54,000 sales in the 11-state region last month, and the median sales price improved more than 2 percent, to $162,700. The Midwest sales figures were slightly weaker than the national ones. According to figures that are not seasonally adjusted, total home sales nationwide in January fell 33 percent compared with December totals, but they improved 7 percent on an annual basis. The median home price nationally gained nearly 3 percent, to $212,000. The tax credits available to home buyers - especially the $8,000 one for first-time buyers - continue to drive activity across the Midwest. "That's the only thing that has spurred the market in the last six months," said Jeff Smutek, a Realtor with Re/Max Crossroads in the Cleveland area. In Illinois, statewide total home sales in January 2010 were up 14.0 percent, totaling 5,483 homes sold compared to January 2009 sales of 4,809 homes, according to the Illinois Association of Realtors. The median price in January 2010 was $145,300, up 0.2 percent from $145,000 in January 2009. Sales fell on an annual basis in 11 of the 12 major Midwestern cities tracked in the Associated Press-Re/Max Monthly Housing Report, which was also released on Friday. Cleveland had the worst month with a 22 percent drop in sales, but the city that bucked the downward trend, Chicago, posted a 28 percent increase in sales. Median house prices increased in nine of the cities between 2009 and 2010, and even the three cities where home prices fell the declines were less than 5 percent. The AP-Re/Max report tallies sales by all real estate agents in a metro area, regardless of company affiliation. The report covers Chicago, Cleveland, Des Moines, Detroit, Fargo, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Omaha, St. Louis and Wichita. Chicago was the only city with a year-over-year sales increase in January. Chuck Goro, who manages Coldwell Banker's largest office in the Windy City said the market seems to have stabilized at a point where sellers feel good about what they're getting for their homes and buyers are willing to pay those prices. "The market is up in Chicago and everybody is excited," Goro said. Buyers in the Chicago area don't seem to be waiting for the April 30 tax credit deadline to approach, he said. Midwest home sales figures reveal mixed picture false 113309 DeKalb Daily Chronicle

Article 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z AP false CHICAGO (AP) -- Jury selection is getting under way at the trial of a millionaire Chicago real estate developer accused of bribing an alderman to push through a zoning change. Developer Calvin Boender (BOON'-der) is charged with showering $40,000 worth of home improvements on former Alderman Isaac Carothers in return for the rezoning of the Galewood Yards neighborhood. He also is charged with providing Carothers with free meals and sports tickets and funneling illegal campaign contributions to a Carothers relative. Carothers has pleaded guilty and is expected to be a government witness. Federal Judge Robert Dow says jury selection may take all day Tuesday. But he says lawyers could get to opening statements if jury selection moves fast enough. ?? 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy. Jury being picked in Chicago developer's trial false 113672 Alton Telegraph

Article 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z AP false CHICAGO (AP) -- Another former candidate for Illinois lieutenant governor has submitted an application to be the new Democratic nominee for the post. State Rep. Arthur Turner says he submitted his application Monday. He's been in the state legislature for more than 30 years. Former candidate Thomas Castillo has also applied. Turner came in second to Scott Lee Cohen in the February primary. Cohen left the race after beating five other Democrats. The Democratic Party is accepting applications from people who want to replace Cohen on the ballot. More than 200 applications have been submitted. Applicants include former comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi (RAH'-jah krish-nah-MOOR'-thee) and Sheila Simon, daughter of late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon. Turner submits application to be Ill. lt gov false 113674 Alton Telegraph

Article 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z BY MIKE FITZGERALD News-Democrat false State regulators should not only reject Ameren Illinois' plans for a $130 million increase in electricity and gas rates, it should force the utility to give back $6 million to ratepayers, representatives of the Citizens Utility Board and AARP Illinois said during a news conference Monday. "We want to stop Ameren from getting another rate hike," said state Rep. Eddie Lee Jackson, D-East St. Louis. Ameren Illinois -- which handles the distribution of power and gas for most people living in the metro-east area -- does not deserve a rate increase because it saw its profits more than double from last year -- from $51 million to $127 million, said Bryan McDaniel, a CUB spokesman. "So this is not a company that is hurting," McDaniel said. "It's greed. I mean, everyone wants to live better today than they did yesterday." "The shareholders' profit margin is increasing," Jackson added. "Based upon that, there is an increase?" Leigh Morris, an Ameren Illinois spokesman, defended the proposed $130 million rate increase as an attempt to recover the actual costs of operations and providing reliable service. Morris noted that Ameren Illinois -- which is legally separate from its corporate parent, St. Louis-based AmerenUE -- has tried to avoid the rate increase through a series of austerity measures, including an employee salary freeze, layoffs, deferred heavy equipment purchases and other cost cuts adding up to $55 million. The rate increase is "to provide the revenue needed to build, maintain, improve and operate the electrical system that we have," Morris said. The Illinois Commerce Commission is set to make its decision on Ameren's rate request in April. Ameren's rate hike proposal would affect more than 1.1 million ratepayers in central and Southern Illinois, and would include customers of AmerenCIPS-Metro East, Ameren IP and Ameren CILCO. Ameren last fall had originally sought a $226 million increase, but reduced that to $130 million. An administrative law judge on Feb. 25 recommended that Ameren receive an overall increase of $56 million. 'It's greed': Groups want to stop Ameren rate hikes false 113646 Belleville News Democrat

Article 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z BY MIKE FITZGERALD News-Democrat false U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin met Monday with leaders of Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties to hear their pleas for a proposed five-year delay in new federal flood hazard maps for the metro-east. If the delay is not granted, flood insurance rates for 150,000 residents and businesses in the Mississippi River flood plain could soar by January. Durbin met with Alan Dunstan, Mark Kern and Dale Wittenauer, the chairmen, respectively, of the Madison, St. Clair and Monroe County Boards. He heard concerns from the three about the push to fix the river levees in the region in time to stave off those insurance rate increases. Durbin is set to meet today at his Senate office in Washington, D.C., with the top administrators of the Federal Emergency Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Christina Mulka, a Durbin spokeswoman. "He's going to take (their) concerns to FEMA and the Army Corps," she said. Durbin, D-Springfield, the Senate assistant majority leader, has so far declined to endorse a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville, that would mandate at least a five-year delay in regions of the country where an active effort is under way to rebuild local levees. In a letter published Jan. 6 in the News-Democrat, Durbin explained his reluctance to sponsor Costello's measure in the Senate by stating that while he supports it, it "may need to be improved in order to fully protect metro-east residents and businesses." The FEMA maps are still set to take effect as soon as January -- despite the agency's disclosure in a letter to Durbin last month that the agency has no evidence to support public statements that local levees are functionally worthless and in danger of failing. This disclosure represents a contradiction of FEMA statements going back more than two years, during which time the agency indicated it possessed information provided by the Army Corps that the metro-east levees did not meet federal standards. FEMA has now dropped that contention, stating instead that it lacks information on the levees because local flood districts refused to provide it. "Well, as far as I can tell, FEMA never asked for anything," said Les Sterman, the chief engineer for the Southwestern Illinois Flood Protection District Council. "So our goal is to roll back the clock to restart that process." Meanwhile, the local flood protection district is weighing legal options for delaying the flood maps by at least five years, while finding the money needed to upgrade 64 miles of flood-protection levees to meet federal standards, according to Sterman. If the FEMA maps take effect as planned, "It's going to have an enormous impact ... an enormous chilling effect on economic growth," Sterman told a gathering of civic leaders Monday morning at a meeting sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Southwestern Madison County. The three counties hope to fund their part of the levee repair project with the combined $10 million a year in new revenue they are bringing in through a special sales tax that took effect in January 2009. The Army Corps of Engineers, however, has estimated the project cost will surpass $450 million -- with almost the entire cost borne to be by metro-east taxpayers. The three counties expect to bear no more than $180 million worth of the cost, while the federal government now says it has no money for the project until 2024. Durbin meeting with FEMA to talk flood maps Will relay metro-east leaders' request for a five-year delay false 113649 Belleville News Democrat

Article 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z Kevin Barlow false BLOOMINGTON -- State Sen. Bill Brady talked politics all day on Monday. During a fly-around tour of eight Illinois cities, the newly anointed Republican gubernatorial candidate from Bloomington talked shop with media outlets in Chicago and visited Rockford, Cahokia, Quincy, Moline, Marion, Peoria and Champaign. So by the time the day ended with a rally at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington, he said he just wanted to talk about friends and family. "What a way to end a great day," Brady told an audience of about 400 people in a packed ballroom. "I'm here with family, friends and supporters, and you don't know what that means. It's been an exciting day, but our purpose was to fly around the state to say thank you to those who helped us." Flanked onstage by members of his immediate and extended family, Brady told the crowd that he and his wife, Nancy, have been married for 27 years. It was as newlyweds that they decided to raise a family and go into a business in Bloomington. He said realizing that dream would be harder now, but he hopes to change that as governor. "In our state, we have a record deficit and lots of problems," he said. "But, I believe Illinois is the richest in terms of assets and opportunities. We are located in the center of the economic universe, and we have 13 million people here who are energized and educated. "We can pull out of this mess, but it's going to take sending the right people to Springfield." Brady personally thanked members of his family, including his mother, brothers, nieces and nephews. He also thanked his business associates and the volunteers who have helped his campaign such as Emily Brown, a University of Illinois student who attended Brady's stop in her hometown of Champaign and then drove to Bloomington to see the finale. "Today is such a great day because for the past month we have been sitting on pins and needles waiting to make sure that he was going to be the candidate," Brown said. "Tonight, it was a well-deserved celebration for Bill and his supporters." She was referring to Brady's 193-vote margin of victory in the Feb. 2 primary over state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, which was certified Friday by state election officials. For Logan County Economic Development Partnership Director Joel Smiley, it was also a business trip. Smiley took the opportunity to meet with Brady and his running mate for lieutenant governor, Jason Plummer, a construction business executive from Edwardsville. "It's really great to have this downstate connection," Smiley said. "We're doing great things in Logan County, and it helps to have someone who knows something about our area." Brady remained at the hotel well after his speech, greeting supporters and thanking them for their support. "It's so good to finish this day in Bloomington," Brady said. "There was no other choice in our minds. This is where it starts and where it ends." Brady ends statewide victory lap in Twin Cities false 113631 Bloomington Pantagraph

Article 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z Kurt Erickson and Chris Essig false SPRINGFIELD -- Even before Gov. Pat Quinn formally unveils his spending plan Wednesday, local government officials have been gearing up for a fight. Over the weekend, Quinn's budget chief, David Vaught, said the governor will outline a controversial plan to cut the amount of income tax revenue the state shares with municipalities in his budget plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The state would use the estimated $300 million to help close a gaping budget hole. But, cash-strapped cities and towns say they need that money too. Normal Mayor Chris Koos said the town could lose up to $400,000 at a time when officials already have cut workers, halted new programs and increased the local sales tax to cope with current budget shortfalls. Lincoln Mayor Keith Snyder suggested his community would face additional belt-tightening. "Any loss of additional revenue would require further cuts," Snyder said. While some mayors wouldn't speculate on how exactly they would deal with cuts in state aid, Pana Mayor Steven Sipes said his town may need to look into some kind of tax or fee increase to plug such a shortfall. Because Pana's property taxes are capped, city officials would have to consider water rate hikes or utility tax increases if more revenue is needed, he said. Layoffs are an absolute last resort because the town of 6,000 only has 45 employees. "It's going to be devastating," Sipes said. Vandalia Mayor Ricky Gottman would not say whether layoffs or tax increases would be necessary if the state cuts funding for municipalities, but both are last resorts. "We cut the budget pretty deep this year," Gottman said. School districts also are in Quinn's fiscal crosshairs. Vaught told the Associated Press that 17,000 school employees could be laid off under the governor's budget proposal. Ray Bergles, superintendent of the Silvis school district near the Quad Cities, said the state is already inconsistent in paying bills. "We're not getting money now anyway," said Bergles. Even without action by Quinn, Silvis is cutting 10 teachers and six other workers in the coming school year. The district also is cutting back on buying new school supplies and may have to increase class sizes. The district, however, will not likely increase property taxes, Bergles said. At the Du Quoin school district in southern Illinois, Superintendent Gary Kelly said the cuts being proposed by Quinn could result in layoffs because reducing spending in other areas likely won't be enough to cover the gap. "It's the worst financial time for K-12 education we've had in a very long time," Kelly said. State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, says he expects local governments to lay off workers and cut programs before raising taxes. "Property taxes probably aren't going to be increased in my district," Forby said. The governor's budget speech is set for noon Wednesday. Local officials gearing up to fight Quinn's cuts to cities, schools false 113632 Bloomington Pantagraph

Article 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z Kurt Erickson false SPRINGFIELD -- Tucked away in a corner of the Capitol is a warren of offices that used to be home base for Pat Quinn. For six years, Quinn camped out in that second floor space on the south wing of the Illinois Statehouse, serving as lieutenant governor under Rod Blagojevich - a position that carries few duties other than having to be ready to step up if the chief executive is unable to finish his or her term. After Blagojevich's 2009 ouster, it didn't take long for Quinn move into the much larger digs down the hall, leaving the lieutenant governor's office to stand virtually empty. On a recent tour of the space, visitors were greeted by the sound of the Capitol heating system, which still pours warm air into the offices. Desks had been hastily cleared in the aftermath of the exodus. One room contains a jumble of furniture. Computer monitors remain, but important paperwork and any personnel effects left by Quinn's staffers is nowhere to be seen. In all, there are six offices jammed into the small space, including a large, high-ceilinged affair that serves as the main meeting room for the lieutenant governor's team. The desk in that room was once former Gov. Richard Olgilvie's. The desk was brought into the office in 1991 when newly elected Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra walked into the space to find that his predecessor, George Ryan, had cleaned almost everything out. To accommodate other aides, there are five offices crammed into the area. There also is a tiny bathroom, a couple of utility closets and a kitchen. In all, the budget allows for about 30 people to work for the lieutenant governor. Some work out of other offices in the Capitol complex. Even the refrigerator serves as an example of the second-tier status of the office. It is dormitory-sized, large enough for a few lunches for those who might brown bag it. Also in the kitchen are two vacuum cleaners, although the mismatched carpeting in the offices could easily be tackled by just one. Whoever wins the post in November will have a chance - and, likely, the time -- to decorate the office as they see fit. In the past century, just four lieutenant governors have gone on to become the state's chief executive Winner of Lt. Gov's race will get virtually empty office false 113633 Bloomington Pantagraph

Article 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z Mike Riopell false SPRINGFIELD -- Created in an effort to keep the cost of electricity as low as possible, the Illinois Power Agency has only one employee and no one to handle its finances, a recent audit found. Mark Pruitt was tapped to run the agency almost two years ago, and he's remained its only employee ever since. In a new report, Auditor General William Holland found that Pruitt, a utility expert, had trouble with the accounting paperwork because the agency doesn't have an accountant. The Illinois Power Agency acts as a broker to ensure Ameren and ComEd buy the cheapest electricity available. That way, consumers pay less. Last year, the agency brokered a deal that resulted in the utilities buying cheaper power. Pruitt used consultants to help, and has a relatively tiny budget for a state agency at just more than $1 million. Pruitt said he's happy with the result of the power purchase last year, and expects to hire help soon to deal with the agency's other issues. He noted the state's budget crisis has slowed down the hiring. "We'll deal with this while the rest of the world's not on fire," Pruitt said. Pruitt said Gov. Pat Quinn has authorized him to bring some people on. "There's not a manual for setting up a new agency," Pruitt said. The audit also criticizes the agency for not having what it considers to be a fully functioning office. "Without having access to basic office equipment, the Agency is unable to maintain adequate records, such as copies of contracts and vouchers submitted to various agencies," the audit reads. "Additionally, the Agency cannot operate in an efficient manner." Pruitt works in Chicago's James R. Thompson Center and said he has shared technology resources with other agencies. "I'm just cheap," he said. "I'm willing to share my pads of paper." Pruitt's agency was created in 2007 after a months-long controversy over a spike in some Ameren and ComEd power bills. Some of the money from a $1 billion settlement with Ameren, Exelon and others, pays for the Illinois Power Agency's operation. David Kolata, director of the utility-watchdog Citizen's Utility Board, said he thinks Pruitt's doing a good job helping keep costs down. The fact that Pruitt remains alone in the agency is just a matter of bad timing, he said. "The creation of the IPA coincided with the fiscal crisis of the state," Kolata said. The state's Auditor General office does regularly scheduled audits of all state agencies. The full report can be found at http://www.auditor.illinois.gov/ Audit: Tiny state agency has only one employee false 113634 Bloomington Pantagraph

Article 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z Kurt Erickson false SPRINGFIELD -- The number of people hoping to replace Scott Lee Cohen as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor swelled to more than 200 Monday. Democrats began soliciting applications when Cohen left the race after allegations surfaced that he abused his ex-wife and held a knife to an ex-girlfriend's throat. Just as Cohen was a political newcomer, most of the applicants have little political experience. Mary Stonor Saunders of Chicago, for example, notes that she runs a company that sells high-end granola. Carol Qualkinbush of Evanston is a partner in a company that sells products aimed at controlling foot odor. "I am definitely not a politician but will hopefully bring an integrity that career politicians cannot often afford," Qualkinbush notes in her application. While there are smattering of candidates with previous campaign experience, some of the applicants are better known for what their parents did. The son of Joseph Hartzler, the federal prosecutor who oversaw the conviction of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, also has tossed his name in the ring. Alex Harms Hartzler, 25, is a Springfield-area native who now lives in Chicago. Why would he be a good pick? "I did not vote for Rod Blagojevich in 2006," he notes in his application. Others with family ties include Sheila Simon, the daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, who jumped into the race last week. Several of those who ran for lieutenant governor have not yet turned in applications to be chosen to run alongside Pat Quinn in the November general election. Included in that list are state Reps. Mike Boland of East Moline and Art Turner of Chicago. For now, there is no deadline for people to submit their names. There also has been no date set by the party to hold a meeting to consider which candidates they like or dislike. Party spokesman Steve Brown said the cattle call could go on for "some period of time." Some early entrants have already pulled out of consideration. Among those who have formally withdrawn their names was Bob Arya, a former television reporter who was an adviser to ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich. More than 200 apply to be Lt. Gov. candidate false 113635 Bloomington Pantagraph