March 27, 2005

Section: Local State

Page: 1D, 3D

How heavy is Scott's Capitol clout?

AARON CHAMBERS Register Star Springfield Bureau

Rockford Register Star

SPRINGFIELD - When Rockford Mayor Doug Scott hits the Capitol to lobby for his administration's interests, he gets treated to open doors by two of the state's most powerful Democrats.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a friend of Scott's who served beside him when both were members of the House, and House Speaker Michael Madigan, the chamber's boss, take Scott's entreaties in face-to-face meetings.

Even Scott's critics agree that the Democratic mayor enjoys extraordinary access to heavy hitters at the Capitol. It's the results of those relationships that are open to debate.

Scott said his access to Blagojevich and Madigan, as well as other lawmakers, agency officials and lobbyists, is essential to his success as mayor and should be central to the Rockford mayoral election April 5.

He said he routinely used that access during his first term to attract additional state resources for Rockford. He even suggested that the city would suffer without it.

"I think the fact that I have those contacts has been very beneficial for Rockford," he said Wednesday. "And I think that without those, I think it will leave Rockford in a much more difficult position."

Scott's opponents agree that connecting in Springfield is an important part of the Rockford mayor's job. They even agree the incumbent has the maneuver down pat. But when it comes to the notion that Scott's access is irreplaceable, the agreement stops.

"Our duly-elected governor represents all of us, not just Doug Scott," said Larry Morrissey, the independent candidate for mayor.

"I think it is improper to suggest that somehow if Doug Scott is not mayor that folks like the governor and our U.S. senators and our state representatives won't still try to do everything they can for the people who elected them."

Moreover, both mayoral challengers take issue with how Scott has used his access.

"We can go with an outstretched hand every day or every week to Springfield," said Gloria Cardenas Cudia, the Republican candidate. "But after a while, there's going to be the question, 'What are you really looking for? What are the priorities?'"

Both Morrissey and Cudia oppose a Rockford casino. They suggest it was inappropriate for Scott, who lobbied for a casino license during visits last year, to dump so much energy into that quest.

"What's our big priority? A gambling casino?" Morrissey said. "When we have an opportunity to work with our statewide representatives in that fashion, lobbying, we want to lead with the right impression of what our priorities are."

Touting relationships

Both challengers argue that their connections to the Capitol are sufficient to launch a mayoral administration.

Morrissey said he enjoys healthy relations with Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford, as well as local GOP legislators.

He noted that two of his top aides used to work for U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan, and added: "I've got some very strong relationships at that level."

Trumpeting his own status as the nonpartisan candidate, Morrissey said Scott might actually be compromised by his political affiliations.

He accused Scott of shying away from a fight to squash development of a new airport in south suburban Peotone, as opposed to development of the existing one in Rockford, because the governor is now supporting Peotone.

"Having contact with the governor is only valuable when you're willing to push the community's agenda aggressively, even when it might differ with your friend the governor," Morrissey said.

Scott noted that he spoke out against Blagojevich's proposal to subsidize construction at the Peotone airport with public dollars.

He said Morrissey's "repeated calls for the mayor to shout at legislators and the governor on any number of issues shows his lack of experience in working with elected officials."

For her part, Cudia said she is just a phone call away from fellow Republicans.

"There is an extremely high value in having those relationships," she said.

"I bring those relationships to this as well because I have a great working relationship with our elected legislators from the area."

The value of access

Measuring the value of access is complicated. Does access prompt accomplishments that otherwise would not have occurred, or does it simply move them along more quickly?

When Blagojevich discussed the access Scott enjoys with him, he spoke in terms of awareness. He said Scott helped bring matters to his attention, thereby expediting action on his part.

The governor cited SwedishAmerican Hospital's effort to break ground on its $54 million health-care center in Rockford as an example.

The hospital originally planned to make its case before the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, which reviews hospital construction projects, in August.

The schedule was tossed when Blagojevich suspended the board amid a lawsuit alleging a suburban Chicago hospital was pressured to do business with certain politically connected firms to gain the board's approval.

The delay threatened to add at least $1 million to the cost of the Rockford project.

In an interview Thursday, Blagojevich said Scott pointed out that suspending the board prevented its consideration of noncontroversial projects like the one in Rockford.

"His point was, if you can just get it done and get it appointed, that would go a long way toward giving SwedishAmerican Hospital a fair shake for its decision," Blagojevich said.

In October, the board approved the SwedishAmerican expansion after Blagojevich reconstituted the board.

Stalled capital projects

Also clouding any assessment of access is budgetary deadlock that's plagued Springfield since last spring. While Blagojevich and Madigan agree on their favorite Rockford mayoral candidate, tension between the two Chicagoans has helped grind capital construction money to a virtual halt.

The governor and legislative leaders have been at loggerheads over the parameters of a capital construction plan, so no such program has been implemented under Blagojevich's watch. Hundreds of grants destined for Rockford and other communities are postponed indefinitely.

Last June, the Rockford Register Star reported that Rockford and surrounding communities got just 56.7 percent of "member initiative" grants committed under the names of the region's seven legislators.

Under a capital program launched under former GOP Gov. George Ryan, the last such program passed in Illinois, the state designated 287 grants worth $32.6 million but released only $18.5 million.

Blagojevich has twice pledged $1.6 million for EIGERlab, Rockford's high-technology manufacturing center on Fulton Avenue, but the money has not yet materialized. Neither has $2 million for Scott's proposed "Center of Excellence" in the old Barber-Colman factory on Rock Street.

Road funds also are in limbo. Until there's a capital plan, projects like the widening of Main Street through Rockford and building an interchange at Interstate 90 and Illinois 173 are on hold.

"Right now, I'm not sure what good a relationship with the governor does overall for anyone," said Sen. Brad Burzynski, R-Clare.

"I haven't seen major projects coming to the city of Rockford. I haven't seen a lot of money for infrastructure improvements coming to the city of Rockford because of that relationship."

Just being mayor

At least a portion of Scott's access would appear to result from being mayor of the third-largest city in Illinois. If Rockford's mayor was not a Democrat and did not have long-standing relationships with Blagojevich or Madigan, would he or she not enjoy the same opportunities to press the city's case?

"The Rockford mayor, if they call Springfield, they're going to get their phone calls answered," said Rep. Dave Winters, R-Shirland.

Scott disagreed, saying his access stems not just from his role as mayor of a major city.

"It's access because these people are people that I worked with, and I'm closer to them because I was a colleague," he said.

Scott has an unlikely cheerleader on this point: Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford. Syverson, also treasurer of the Illinois Republican Party, said Scott helped open doors when it came to dealing with officials within Blagojevich's administration or Democrats in the Legislature.

"His experience as a legislator and his relationships with Madigan and Blagojevich, plus other legislators, does help," Syverson said.

Dems back their own

Blagojevich said access for Scott is, in fact, a matter of friendship. He said he'd "like to think" that he'd take phone calls from the Rockford mayor regardless of his or her party affiliation, but that the nature of his "close, personal relationship" to Scott means phone calls get answered on the fly.

"If my brother calls, I get that call directly. When Doug calls, I get that call directly," Blagojevich said. "A lot of other calls, you tend to get it on a sheet at the end of the day."

Madigan, who also is chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, was less diplomatic. He implied the absence of Scott would be Rockford's loss.

"He's got a personal relationship with me," Madigan said. "So when he calls, I take his call. If I get a call from the mayor of Peoria, I may not take it; I may not return it. I don't even know who he is, the mayor of Peoria."

Contact: achambers@rockford.gannett.com; 217-782-2959