Topspin A nonpartisan watchdog group is recommending that Illinois start taxing retirement income and study closing or consolidating university campuses to deal with its budget woes. Unveiled days before Gov. Bruce Rauner is scheduled to deliver his budget next week, a report from the Civic Federation also suggests expanding sales taxes to services like dry cleaning, landscaping, boat docking and internet access. The gas tax, it says, should go up, too, to pay for construction projects. While the state's finances have begun to stabilize in the months since lawmakers passed a major income tax hike over Rauner's veto, the group says tough choices must be made to fully dig out of the hole. To achieve that, the group recommends limiting government spending growth to 2.1 percent a year; reducing the amount of penalties the state must pay for falling behind on bills; applying Illinois income taxes to federally taxable retirement income; and expanding the sales tax. The Civic Federation also suggests placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot to allow for changes to the state's employee pension system; requiring Chicago Public Schools and all other districts to pick up the cost of teacher pensions; and streamlining government, including studying the possibility of closing or consolidating university campuses. Also on the group's list is establishing a rainy day fund and approving a major infrastructure construction program. It would be paid for by an increase in the gasoline tax, as well as congestion taxes and levies based on how many miles a vehicle has traveled. "Building political will to implement more painful tax and fiscal policies will be difficult, but it is necessary in order to secure Illinois' financial future," Civic Federation President Laurence Msall said in a statement. "Recent state-issued documents offered potential investors no assurances that Illinois will enact budgets in future years. This is troubling, as another impasse could wipe out any modest progress made in recent months and leave us with increasingly grim financial decisions." (Monique Garcia) What's on tap *Mayor Rahm Emanuel will speak at an energy efficiency conference and attend a 911 center media briefing on Chicago's response to the snowstorm. *Gov. Bruce Rauner will attend a chamber of commerce dinner in Carterville in southern Illinois. *Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth will visit the veterans home in downstate Quincy that was the site of the 2015 Legionnaires' outbreak. *Snow. Cook County courts and CPS are closed. From the notebook *"Civic-minded citizens" and IL-3: The Illinois Republican Party failed to find someone to run in the 3rd Congressional District, and it also failed to challenge the nominating petitions of the lone candidate who did. Those failures all but ensure that the GOP nominee will be Arthur Jones, a Holocaust denier and perennial candidate who'd been knocked off the ballot before. To hear the seven members of the Illinois congressional delegation tell it, however, the blame lies elsewhere. The GOP delegation put out a statement Thursday condemning Jones' views and candidacy. But the statement also noted the lack of "civic-minded citizens" coming forward to run for the seat (it's currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, and he's being challenged by political newcomer Marie Newman of LaGrange). Here's the thing in full: "The Illinois Republican Congressional delegation strongly and unequivocally condemns the racist views and candidacy of Arthur Jones in the 3rd Congressional District. This is not who we are as a party or as a country and we urge civic-minded citizens to get involved in the political process to prevent non-party extremists like Jones from hijacking nominations." It was signed by U.S. Reps. Peter Roskam, 6th District; Mike Bost, 12th District; Rodney Davis, 13th District; Randy Hultgren, 14th District; John Shimkus, 15th District; Adam Kinzinger, 16th District; and Darin LaHood, 18th District. *Raining on Trump's parade: Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Deerfield introduced a bill Thursday meant to throw cold water on President Donald Trump's proposal for a large-scale military parade in Washington. Schneider's "Preparedness Before Parades Act" would require the U.S. secretary of defense to certify to Congress that such a spectacle would not hurt the military's readiness or budget. The parade seemed "conceived only to pleasure the whims of the president," Schneider said. His bill comes after Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Wednesday blasted the prospect of a military parade, tweeting: "Our troops in danger overseas don't need a show of bravado, they need steady leadership, long-term funding and resources so they can stay safe while protecting and defending our nation." (Katherine Skiba) *A casino, Frank Sinatra and "Jaws": Comedian John Mulaney weighed in on Illinois' gambling laws during a recent appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Mulaney recounts his father taking him to the casino in Aurora to see Frank Sinatra in 1993, for his 11th birthday. "They basically tied a boat far enough away by rope that you could have legal gambling in the state of Illinois," Mulaney said. "You know the length of the roast on the chain in 'Jaws'? Those idiots with the roast? That's how far away the gambling boat was," he said. "But you could gamble, and it was a casino. And it's gone now, it didn't work. It was illegal." Of course, it wasn't illegal. And while the boat is gone, there is a casino in Aurora. *Quick spin: Cook County assessor candidate Fritz Kaegi was endorsed by North Side U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, Southeast Side Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza and Democracy for America, the organization foounded by former presidential candidate Howard Dean. *On the "Sunday Spin": Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson's guests are Kaegi; Tribune statehouse reporter Monique Garcia and Michael Golden, author of "Unlock Congress" who teaches government and democracy at Arizona State University. The "Sunday Spin" airs from 7 to 9 a.m. on WGN-AM 720. What we're writing *Rauner won't give "another nickel" to former ally Illinois Policy Institute.
*Facing lack of money, Kennedy says Democratic voters "quite capable of learning on their own." *Caught by a red light camera? The same violation could get you a ticket in one suburb, but not another. *DCFS worker beaten while on duty last year has died, officials say. What we're reading *U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments this month in major union case sparked by Rauner. *"Dibs" folding chairs, designed by artists, auctioned for charity. *John Mahoney was determined to avoid the spotlight. Follow the money *Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here. Beyond Chicago *The stock market drops again. *Shutdown drama continues in Washington. *Ben Carson's first year in Trump's Cabinet. *The Olympics get going. | 
