JOHN TILLMAN, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute, apparently can?t restrain himself from dreams of being a political consultant ? a Republican political consultant.
That must be why Tillman decided to advise GOP members of the General Assembly on what he sees as a winning strategy.
But his views also raise questions about why members of the institute?s staff, which continues to bill itself as a ?nonpartisan research organization? ? though paid for by dollars that often come from places we don?t know ? find themselves in front of TV cameras and are treated as above-it-all observers.
Tillman stressed to me, via email, that his memo was from him personally, that nonpartisan organizations can have a point of view, and that the institute does not participate in campaigns and thus hasn?t done anything to violate its nonpartisan status with the IRS.
Leaders of 501(c)3 organizations are not prohibited from ?free expression on political matters ... speaking for themselves, as individuals,? he said.
The Illinois Review, a conservative website, published Tillman?s memo recently. The review said the document was sent to all Republican members of the legislature on Jan. 30.
Among Tillman?s recommendations:
* ?Bipartisanship should only be attractive to the GOP when the Democrats are adopting elements of GOP policies, not when the GOP signs onto Democrat policies that move our state in the wrong direction and gives them the political cover they seek (and thus makes it harder to beat them at election time).?
* ?Being a partner to improve Democrat policies on the margins is a failing strategy. Being a partner to ?share credit? for passing a failing policy proposal does not help you build from the base back to the middle ? it weakens you with the base and with funders.?
* ?(House Speaker MICHAEL) MADIGAN and (Senate President JOHN) CULLERTON fully understand the seductive nature of ?having a seat at the table.? This is why they constantly talk about bipartisan solutions. ... By partnering with them on their agenda it mutes the GOP?s ability to rally its base ? and then make a case to independent and swing voters. ??
Among the ?strategic imperative? goals Tillman then lists are limiting spending growth to a specific percent per year. ?The Democrats are spending our state into oblivion,? Tillman wrote. ?Government workers cannot be put ahead of the poor and disadvantaged or our children?s education, so they too will have to face the truth that promises made by union leaders and politicians from the past cannot be kept.?
Other ?imperatives? are to ?Make the Democrats own the bad choices and only partner and offer bipartisanship when the Democrats join on policy solutions from the platform above,? and ?Go big and bold? with initiatives.
?This strategy is an approach that can break the death spiral of decline of the GOP in the General Assembly and make the ground more fertile for 2014,? Tillman wrote.
I?m not saying some of Tillman?s arguments can?t be made, but to put them in such party-power terms, it seems to me, leads to questions about the organization he leads. Why would he, for example, want to hire anybody at the institute who doesn?t want to advance the GOP?
Tillman told me it?s always been clear that the institute?s mission is ?to make Illinois No. 1 in economic growth by advancing free-market and liberty-based public policy solutions. There is nothing wrong with pursuing our mission through that lens.?
Tillman?s salary, reported on public tax forms because of the institute?s nonprofit status, was $176,000 in 2010, and the return also listed an additional $17,040 in ?Estimated amount of other compensation from the organization and related organizations? in 2010.
The policy institute, through a website and reports, tweets and articles, provides a drumbeat of bad news about state government, unions and other targets.
Tillman previously has been involved in political action committees, though he later got out of those groups, and then was involved with a nonprofit corporation that made tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to candidates in the 2012 elections.
In 2011, after an ?investigative reporter? for the policy institute did a story that contained incorrect information, Tillman said the institute?s goals didn?t match up with that kind of ?investigative capacity.?
With gears switched, the institute last year hired a ?journalist in residence.?
The institute now has 24 staff members in Chicago and five in Springfield.
Much of the institute?s funding is still secret, though The Center for Public Integrity last week published a story at publicintegrity.org about a group called Donors Trust that has contributed nearly $400 million to free-market causes. The Illinois Policy Institute was listed as receiving between $100,000 and $500,000 from the group.
It?s good that more information is coming out about organizations that are trying to sway public policy.
Finance report updated
The Sangamon County Democratic Party?s campaign finance report for the last three months of 2012 was recently amended to reflect some reporting changes.
As originally submitted to the State Board of Elections, it showed an expenditure of $8,000 for ?Election day ? pollwatchers.? The amendment moved that $8,000 to the total for non-itemized expenditures.
Only expenditures of more than $150 have to be itemized on the form, and party treasurer JUDITH JOHNSON said none of the payments reached that level. She also said not all the $8,000 was used, so some was returned to the party?s fund.
The amendment also showed $8,200 in non-itemized in-kind contributions. Johnson said that involved some volunteer work and food. In all, the party raised $44,978 during the quarter, spent $41,198, and ended the year with $11,639 in the bank.
During the same period, the Sangamon County Republican Party raised $35,094, spent $69,310 and ended with $14,295 in the bank. Since then, the GOP has taken in more than $30,000 in donations of $1,000 or more, including $13,700 from the Sangamon County Republican Foundation.
Among the payments was $2,500 from BRUCE RAUNER and DIANA RAUNER, who bought two tables at last week?s Lincoln Day Dinner, said party chair ROSEMARIE LONG. Bruce Rauner, chairman of a Chicago-based venture capital firm, has said he might be a GOP candidate for governor in 2014.
The Lincoln Day event was actually loaded with potential candidates. At the dais were state Sen. BILL BRADY of Bloomington, the 2010 candidate for governor; state Treasurer DAN RUTHERFORD; and U.S. Rep. AARON SCHOCK, R-Peoria. Schock and Brady each spent $1,250 for a table of 10 at the event, while Rutherford spent $625 for a half table.
With about 500 people at the Lincoln Day event, the GOP certainly took in plenty more. Long said the party paid $15,000 for MICHAEL REAGAN, a son of late President RONALD REAGAN, to speak at the event. Long said she?s heard from many that his speech made for a ?delightful evening.?
Frerichs looks statewide
State Sen. MIKE FRERICHS, D-Champaign, is considering a run for higher office.
?A lot of people have encouraged me to look at a statewide office, and I?ve been talking to people, listening to people, and seeing what ways I can be of help to the state,? he said.
A member of the Senate since 2007, Frerichs, 39, just won a four-year term in that body. He?s chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee.
An email to supporters uses the phrase ?Standing tall for Illinois.? Frerichs is 6 feet, 8 inches tall.
A Yale University grad, he?s a former member of the Champaign County Board and was Champaign County auditor.
Bernard Schoenburg is political columnist for The State Journal-Register. He can be reached at 788-1540 or follow him via twitter.com/bschoenburg. His email address is bernard.schoenburg@sj-r.com.
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