By Steve Rhodes
“Debt-ridden Roseland Community Hospital’s doors will remain open, at least for the next two weeks,” WBEZ reports.
“Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is giving the Chicago South Side hospital $350,000 in temporary emergency help, which allows Roseland to meet its payroll through June 17. The hospital had asked for $7 million.
“Quinn’s office has said Roseland needs a viable plan amid mismanagement. The money is conditional: Independent financial experts will review the budget and the hospital must hire an independent chief restructuring officer.”
*
“[Resigned CEO Dian] Powell told the Tribune on Wednesday that the governor’s office pressured board members to push her aside in favor of new leadership. She said she developed a comprehensive plan that aimed to save about $8.4 million and presented it to officials from Quinn’s office, but never heard back from them.
“Further, she said, Roseland began building the adolescent behavioral health unit before she became CEO. Although Powell was the hospital’s board chair at the time, she said the decision was made by former CEO Earmon Irons Jr. with a promise from [state Sen. Emil Jones III] to fund the project with $3 million from the state.
“‘If there was bad judgment, bad management, it happened with (Irons), who used operations money based on what the senator had promised,’ said Powell, who acknowledged the hospital did not have anything in writing guaranteeing the commitment.”
*
Soup sandwich.
A Very Special Session
“Gov. Pat Quinn today called lawmakers back into special session June 19 to deal with the public employee pension shortfall after another rating agency downgraded Illinois’ credit rating,” the Tribune reports.
I sure hope Shirley gets that message to Mike.
*
Michael Madigan may miss the special session because he doesn’t have a car. Or a bus pass. Or permission from his doctor. Plus, his dog ate his pension plan. And he only had one copy. Because he wrote it by hand. And doesn’t know how to work a copy machine.
Wet Debt
“Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday downgraded Illinois’ general obligation credit rating by one notch – to the lowest rating in the state’s history – following a move earlier this week by Fitch Ratings,” Reuters reports.
Worse, the Outfit also downgraded Illinois to one kneecap and a nine fingers.
Billy Boy
“Former White House Chief-of-Staff Bill Daley has a history of flirting with running for governor and U.S. senator only to back off in the end, but he said Thursday he’s ‘not teasing this time,'” the Sun-Times reports.
So he’s running?
He’s not saying yet. Which is sort of a tease.
*
If he’s not teasing this time, does that mean he was teasing all those other times?
*
I sense he’s trying to force Lisa Madigan’s hand. I’m not sure it can be forced.
Local Music Notebook
Including: The Return of Robbie Fulks & The Duet Nobody Asked For (Hint: It Involves Taylor Swift).
Chicago Woman Hates Being So Pretty
And the Chicago Museum of Broadcoast Communications runs out of ideas. In Local TV Notebook.
Emily’s Brain Scoop
A YouTube success story.
–
The Beachwood Tip Line: Gluten-free.
Posted on June 6, 2013