BELEAGUERED GOV. BLAGOJEVICH’S spokesman, Lucio Guerrero, announced on Sunday that the governor would sign our tax incentive bill into law on Monday, and sure enough, he did!
By signing in such a timely fashion (i.e., not making the film industry), does this mean the disgraced governor wants clean his desk and sign bills before he leaves office, whenever and by whatever manner that may be?
Or was it an act of contrition for making us wait until late May this year and thus killing feature business for the rest of the year? Or has he soberly realized his responsibilities, albeit too late, to the citizens of Illinois.
It doesn’t really matter. He did it. We can start the New Year optimistic and re-energized that better times are ahead for the state.
BUT WILL THE GOVERNOR MAKE GOOD on the undelivered $8 million grant he promised to the Chicago Museum of Broadcast Communications? No grant and the bad economy have forced the MBC board to alter its plan to build a new museum home.
The dream is still alive, says founder/president Bruce DuMont, but is delayed for no one knows how long. Plans for renovating an existing building to house the museum had been in the works for three years.
DID YOU KNOW that Blagojevich aspired to being a movie star? Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn revealed this tidbit to a film group some years ago.
Blago also wanted the affection and money of Hollywood. Early into his first administration, he made a few trips to L.A. to woo Hollywood VIPs. At one breakfast meeting set up by former IFO director Brenda Sexton, he was so late that he arrived to a nearly empty room. Sexton made no L.A. Blago dates after that.
ACCOUNT LOSSES AND FALLING PROFITS are behind the shocking number of agency layoffs said to be happening yet this month and/or next.
We heard that Leo Burnett will lay off 180 people, or about 10% of its total staff and Element 79’s will downsize by letting 35 staffers go. The purported layoffs will be across-the-board, the top ranks to the lowest.
