Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 7/23/2010
Katie Brady on Her Dad, Bill Brady
Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 7/22/2010
IL Review Meets Dave Lenkowski
Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 7/22/2010
Tony Peraica Cook County Update
Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 7/14/2010
Quinn the Fiddler
Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 7/13/2010
Quinn's Pay Raise
Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 7/12/2010
Cloudy Illinois
Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 7/12/2010
Chicago and Cook GOP Organization Gains Strength
Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 7/9/2010
Phone from Home with Illinois Victory 2010
Go to www.ilvictory.org and learn more about Illinois Victory 2010 and also how you can make Voter ID calls from the comfort of your own home. Identifying voters across Illinois and Cook County is one of the most critical things you can do right now to ensure Victory for our candidates in November. In a close elections, which we anticipate this fall, the groundwork we are laying now could very well be the difference for our candidates up and down the ballot.
For more information, email Jonathan Blessing at jon@ilvictory.org.
Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 6/7/2010
Stroger Admin Keeps Handing Out Taxpayer Money to Friends
Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 6/6/2010
I Give Republican Red – Red Cross Blood Drive
I Give Republican Red – Red Cross Blood Drive
- The Red Cross and RNC are teaming up to help communities across the country
- You can help save a life by giving blood or volunteering for 1 short hour to man the registration table
- To volunteer for just an hour to help save a life, contact Kathy Thomas, Chicago Event Coordinator, at:kt@kathythomas.net
- To give blood, make an appointment at: www.givebloodgivelife.org
o Put in the zip code 60606 and then they get another screen
o Click on Donate Blood Now on the upper right side, and put in the same zip code 60606.
o Look for June 4th, Harbor Group Management drive at 300 S. Wacker, Chicago and click on that.
o Contact Kathy Thomas, Chicago Event Coordinator, at: kt@kathythomas.net with any difficulties
Chicago Dems Attempt to Deny Ballot Access to Local Teacher
Special TIME
SENSITIVE Call to Action
Democrats
Take Your November Vote Away
The
Chicago Democrat Machine is at it again. This time they have chosen to resort
to convoluted legal shenanigans to avoid substantive debate this election
cycle. Our Republican candidate for State Representative of the 12th
District, Dave Lenkowski, has been challenged with a slew of trumped
up claims. Dave has complied with all of the most current election laws,
despite their misleading complexities. If this was anywhere other than
Chicago, Dave would be free to continue campaigning and discussing the ideas
and issues that will turn our state around.
Don't
let the Democrats cast your November vote for you. The Chicago Board of
Elections is meeting June 8th to rule on the case. Help us send them a
message that we are watching and the "Chicago way" will no longer
be tolerated.
Please
take a second of your timeTODAY to CALL AND EMAIL
the Chicago Board of Elections and "Ask them to rule in favor of
ballot access in the Dave Lenkowski/12th District case"
This
is what they bank on. The reason these people can get away with making
unjustified rulings is that they prey and depend on our apathy. It we don't
hold them accountable for their actions, then we are ultimately the ones who
suffer. Our state suffers.
Lenkowski is a 28-year-old high
school teacher from Chicago. He is running as an independent-minded candidate
who plans on restoring Illinois’ fiscal accountability, reforming the
education system, and creating an environment suitable for job growth.
Your
Hearing Officer's recent recommendation to strike Dave Lenkowski from
the ballot for the 12th District State House of Representatives' seat
represents a serious attack on the democratic process in Illinois.
Dave
Lenkowski submitted valid affidavits verifying that his signatures were
collected within the time limits set forth by your election code, yet
the opposition has submitted trumped up charges in order to call into
question the validity of these signatures.
·It is your responsibility
to rule in favor of ballot access in every case where the candidate has made
a good faith attempt to comply with your overly complex, constantly evolving,
contradictory and excessively cumbersome election codes. Especially in
cases like these where the candidate has succeeded, against all odds, to
comply with your codes, and has received the endorsement of the community to
run.
See
Sample Email Text Below:
Chicago Board of Elections Members,
I am extremely disappointed that your Hearing Officer ruled in
favor Michelle Rabb's objections to Dave Lenkowski's candidacy for the 12th
District's State House of Representative's seat. It is clear that, for
all intents and purposes, Dave has complied with your overly complex,
constantly evolving, contradictory and excessively cumbersome election codes.
Despite valid affidavits submitted to your Board proving that
Dave was in compliance with your regulations, your Hearing Officer has
decided to pass judgement to the contrary. All we as citizens ask is
that you rule in favor of ballot access in every case where it is within the
reasonable limits of the law to do so. To rule otherwise robs us of a
fair electoral process.
I am forced to ask you, what is the point of
your election codes? Is it to provide an easy-out for incumbents who
are too weak to run a fair campaign? Your Hearing Officer's recent
recommendation makes it appear that this is the case.
In your June 8th hearing, please closely scrutinize your Hearing
Officer's recommendation. You will see that the recommendation was
based on trumped up claims by Dave Lenkowski's opposition. Rule in
favor of ballot access and give the Chicagoans of District 12 a fair shake.
In hope of justice,
XXX
Posted by Communications Director in Uncategorized
on 6/1/2010
Adam Robinson Debuts New Web Ad In 7th Senate District Race
Brian Swift, the 2nd Ward Republican Committeeman, has tendered his
resignation. The Cook County Republican Party will be accepting
candidates to be considered for this position. If you would like to
inquire further, please contact our office at (773) 278-2467 or send your resume to info@cookrepublicanparty.com. Applications will be accepted through Monday, May 24.
Board of Review Chief Deputy Commissioner: "The property tax is a good tax..."
By Eric Peterson | Daily Herald Staff
Taxing bodies in and around Schaumburg Township Monday called on the Cook County Board of Review to issue the second installment of this year's property tax bills by the official deadline of Aug. 1 instead of delaying until 2011.
Board of Review Chief Deputy Commissioner Scott Guetzow said such late billing is inevitable due to delays in the system that aren't caused by his office. It's been 32 years since the county got the bills out on time, and the delays have been getting longer and longer.
Schaumburg Township Assessor John Lawson held a news conference Monday morning in which he was joined by representatives of several villages, libraries, park districts and school districts within the township.
These representatives spoke about the problems local governments will face from late payments of property taxes. Taxpayers also will suffer, they said, because they won't be able to declare their property tax payments on 2010 income tax forms if they aren't made until early next year, which is considered likely.
"Everyone in Cook County is affected over and over and over again by the lateness of these tax bills," Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod said. "It affects everyone's bottom line."
Schaumburg Township District Library Trustee Robert Frankel said that in the continuing poor economy, there are some taxing bodies running out of sufficient reserves to pay their bills. They then have to pay interest on tax anticipation warrants they use to meet bills while waiting for their money to arrive from the county.
Most of those present agreed it was within the Board of Review's power to take politics out of the process and meet the Aug. 1 billing deadline. They believe there's a built-in incentive to delay the tax bills so that they come out after Election Day in November, which should be overcome for the public good, they said.
"That's all we're asking," Lawson said. "Do what your job is."
Eric Herman, spokesman for Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan's office, said the Board of Review is backpedaling from a commitment it made to get through the appeal process within three months.
"We are committed to getting our work done by May 7," Herman said. "We have our people working overtime - literally."
But Guetzow said that even if the Cook County assessor compiled all the appeals by May 7, they wouldn't be received by the Board of Review until sometime in June due to procedural delays for such things as official publication.
A large number of appeals are anticipated this year because of the increasing disparity between assessed values and perceived market values, Guetzow said, referring to the decline in property values in recent years.
"The property tax is a good tax because it's not based on ability to pay but the value of the property," Guetzow said. "But it all starts with an accurate assessment," he said, suggesting that if the assessor did a better job, there would be fewer appeals.
In addition to asking the Board of Review to issue bills by Aug. 1, Lawson is also asking the U.S. Attorney to join the Cook County State's Attorney in its investigation of the Board of Review's procedures. He said he believes an independent agency should have a role when one county department is investigating another.
Posted by By Eric Peterson | Daily Herald Staff in Uncategorized
on 4/28/2010
Trust numbers 'rarely get this low,' survey sponsor says
By LIZ SIDOTI
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Can you trust Washington?...
Nearly 80 percent of Americans say they can't and they have little faith that
the massive federal bureaucracy can solve the nation's ills, according to a
survey from the Pew Research Center that shows public confidence in the federal
government at one of the lowest points in a half-century.
The poll released Sunday illustrates the ominous situation facing President
Barack Obama and the Democratic Party as they struggle to maintain their
comfortable congressional majorities in this fall's elections. Midterm prospects
are typically tough for the party in power. Add a toxic environment like this
and lots of incumbent Democrats could be out of work.
The survey found that just 22 percent of those questioned say they can trust
Washington almost always or most of the time and just 19 percent say they are
basically content with it. Nearly half say the government negatively effects
their daily lives, a sentiment that's grown over the past dozen years.
This anti-government feeling has driven the tea party movement, reflected in
fierce protests this past week.
"The government's been lying to people for years. Politicians make promises to
get elected, and when they get elected, they don't follow through," says Cindy
Wanto, 57, a registered Democrat from Nemacolin, Pa., who joined several
thousand for a rally in Washington on April 15 — the tax filing deadline.
"There's too much government in my business. It was a problem before Obama, but
he's certainly not helping fix it."
Majorities in the survey call Washington too big and too powerful, and say it's
interfering too much in state and local matters. The public is split over
whether the government should be responsible for dealing with critical problems
or scaled back to reduce its power, presumably in favor of personal
responsibility.
About half say they want a smaller government with fewer services, compared with
roughly 40 percent who want a bigger government providing more. The public was
evenly divided on those questions long before Obama was elected. Still, a
majority supported the Obama administration exerting greater control over the
economy during the recession.
'Rarely gets this low'
"Trust in government rarely gets this low," said Andrew Kohut, director of the
nonpartisan center that conducted the survey. "Some of it's backlash against
Obama. But there are a lot of other things going on."
And, he added: "Politics has poisoned the well."
The survey found that Obama's policies were partly to blame for a rise in
distrustful, anti-government views. In his first year in office, the president
orchestrated a government takeover of Detroit automakers, secured a $787 billion
stimulus package and pushed to overhaul the health care system.
But the poll also identified a combination of factors that contributed to the
electorate's hostility: the recession that Obama inherited from President George
W. Bush; a dispirited public; and anger with Congress and politicians of all
political leanings.
"I want an honest government. This isn't an honest government. It hasn't been
for some time," said self-described independent David Willms, 54, of Sarasota,
Fla. He faulted the White House and Congress under both parties.
In the short term, the deepening distrust is politically troubling for Obama and
Democrats. Analysts say out-of-power Republicans could well benefit from the
bitterness toward Washington come November, even though voters blame them, too,
for partisan gridlock that hinders progress.
In a democracy built on the notion that citizens have a voice and a right to
exercise it, the long-term consequences could prove to be simply unhealthy — or
truly debilitating. Distrust could lead people to refuse to vote or get involved
in their own communities. Apathy could set in, or worse — violence.
'Nothing wrong' with distrust
Democrats and Republicans both accept responsibility and fault the other party
for the electorate's lack of confidence.
"This should be a wake-up call. Both sides are guilty," said Sen. Claire
McCaskill, D-Mo. She pointed to "nonsense" that goes on during campaigns that
leads to "promises made but not promises kept." Still, she added: "Distrust of
government is an all-American activity. It's something we do as Americans and
there's nothing wrong with it."
Sen. Scott Brown, a Republican who won a long-held Democratic Senate seat in
Massachusetts in January by seizing on public antagonism toward Washington,
said: "It's clear Washington is broken. There's too much partisan bickering to
be able to solve the problems people want us to solve."
And, he added: "It's going to be reflected in the elections this fall."
But Matthew Dowd, a top strategist on Bush's re-election campaign who now shuns
the GOP label, says both Republicans and Democrats are missing the mark.
"What the country wants is a community solution to the problems but not
necessarily a federal government solution," Dowd said. Democrats are emphasizing
the federal government, while Republicans are saying it's about the individual;
neither is emphasizing the right combination to satisfy Americans, he said.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
By Bernard Schoenburg - State Journal Register
Bill Brady, by the way, was in attendance with his wife, NANCY, at the Chicago Cubs home opener Monday at Wrigley Field. They and former GOP state Sen. TOM WALSH, now a lobbyist, were the only familiar Springfield faces I was lucky enough to run into at the game.
A lot of people were scurrying about the concourse area when I ran into the candidate, and there was certainly no crowd around him.
“Let’s say we’re going to get better known in Chicago,” he told me later.
Still, he said, “I was surprised at the number of people who said, ‘Go get ’em, Bill.” He put that number at several dozen.
Bloomington, Brady said, is a split Cardinals-Cubs community.
“Half my family’s Cardinal fans,” he said. “My grandmother’s second cousin was (former Cardinals player and manager) RED SCHOENDIENST.”
But Brady himself played Little League and said the fundraising prize for teams he was on was always a trip to Wrigley Field. The Cubs thing stuck.
Brady said Walsh’s brother got the tickets, and Brady paid for his with private funds.
Democratic Gov. Quinn, by the way, is a White Sox fan. He went to that team’s home opener at U.S. Cellular Field.
“I’ve gone to many a Cub game,” Quinn said, including several in the heartbreaking post-season series in 2003. “I hope the Cubs and Sox play in the World Series.”
He said his father, grandfather and brothers are all Sox fans. “You gotta stick with the team you were born with,” Quinn said.
While on this baseball theme, it so happens that state GOP Chairman Pat Brady — a Cardinals fan — mentioned that he’s met some members of the Ricketts family, who now own the Cubs. In fact, one of them, PETE RICKETTS, is Republican national committeeman from Nebraska. “He’s a great guy,” Pat Brady said. “They’re all just kind of Midwestern, solid people.”
Bernard Schoenburg is political columnist for The State Journal-Register. He can be reached at 788-1540 or bernard.schoenburg@sj-r.com.
Copyright 2010 The State Journal-Register. Some rights reserved
Posted by Bernard Schoenburg in Uncategorized
on 4/15/2010
So What's a Nice Jewish Boy from Skokie Doing with Tea Partiers?
BY CAROL FELSENTHAL
Joel Pollak, 32, (graduate of Niles North, Harvard College, Harvard Law School), wants Jan Schakowsky's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The six-term liberal Democrat seems a good fit for her district, which covers parts of the north suburbs and Chicago's North Side, and she won in 2008 with 75 percent of the vote.
But this year promises to be different. Just ask Martha Coakley or Jon Corzine.
And Pollak, an Orthodox Jew born in South Africa, is a formidable young Republican.
His first 15 minutes of fame came a year ago, during a speech by Barney Frank at Harvard (above). Pollak asked the increasingly irritated Congressman, "How much, if any, responsibility do you have for the financial crisis?" Frank blustered and bullied, but Pollak, calm and articulate, persisted.
After college—"I was then a raving Democrat," he told me in a telephone interview—Pollak went to South Africa on a fellowship. He stayed to tutor in the impoverished township of Khayelitsha, continuing to believe that the role of government is to "transform the lives of the disadvantaged." He voted for Schakowsky, for Gore and Kerry for president, and, in 2004, for Barack Obama for the Senate.
After arriving at Harvard Law in 2006, Pollak moved right. The new Congress under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he says, had no agenda other than bashing Bush. And while Pollak claims to carry no brief for Bush, he admired the former president's "tireless" efforts in the HIV/AIDS battle in Africa. Pollak concedes to Obama the ability to articulate both sides of an argument, "but [Obama] always comes down on the wrong side, ... unwilling to take leadership, even when he knows the right direction." (Pollak volunteered for John McCain in 2008.)
Having secured the GOP nomination after running unopposed in the February primary, Pollak now boasts that an endorsement from Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard professor and Obama supporter, is in the bag. A formal nod will come later this spring, he promises, when Dershowitz, for whom Pollak worked as a research assistant, travels to Chicago for a press conference. (Dershowitz had not responded by post time to attempts to confirm the endorsement.)
Pollak is also getting support from local Tea Partiers, to whom he provided legal advice on stopping the transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to a state prison here.
Rep. Schakowsky refused an interview, but relayed the statement: "Tea Party-endorsed candidates don't share the values of the 9th Congressional District."
Last Thursday, Pollak drove to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to guest on Fox News' Hannity, which was broadcast from a bookshop.
Asked by host Sean Hannity to grade Obama on economics and national security, Pollak gave an "F" in both. Pollak also promised that he would push for the freshman class to sign what Hannity called "a new contract with America."
As for the healthcare bill, Pollak says the law will have to be "repealed" because it is "designed to fail." He and his wife—a South African of mixed race who grew up in Cape Town—have every incentive, he argues, to skip insurance and pay the fine.
While describing himself as "pro-life," Pollak adds, "I'm not running on social issues." Like Dershowitz, Pollak is vitally interested in Israel, and charges that Obama has "never had a serious commitment to protect Israel from the possibility of an Iranian nuclear weapon."
Win or lose, Pollak seems the sort of go-getter to give Democrats hives—alleviated somewhat by the fact that the foreign-born Republican can't run for President.
Posted by CAROL FELSENTHAL in Uncategorized
on 4/13/2010
Great remake of the Barenaked Ladies song... Worth the view! Can't believe the Democrats put this guy up. Make sure to share with your friends and repost on Facebook, etc.
Chicago - There's a political blame game underway between the retiring Cook
County Assessor and the Democrat who wants his job...
Assessor James Houlihan is accusing Joseph Berrios, a commissioner on the tax
Board of Review, of trying to delay the arrival of the new bad news tax bills
until after the November election.
"Delaying the bills is not only a cynical effort to hide from the voters, who
lose a chance to review these actions, but it significantly hurts local
municipalities and school districts at a time they're under significant economic
duress,” Houlihan said.
According to Houlihan more than half of Cook County homeowners will face a $600
increase in their taxes. The increase stems from the end of the cap on property
taxes which affect Chicago this year and the suburbs in the next two years.
Berrios accused Houlihan of playing politics with all the different taxing
bodies. He blamed Houlihan for delays in the process of determining of tax bills
and for wrongly assessing a large number of properties leading to a potentially
overwhelming number of appeals.
"These are absurd, outrageous and unfounded accusations by the Assessor, the
result of a desperate attempt to shield himself from the fact that his process
is behind schedule," Berrios said.
Berrios is the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party and an ally of
Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, with whom Houlihan has clashed over tax
issues.
Last Thursday, the Illinois Senate passed a bill that would offer tuition
vouchers to 22,000 elementary school children enrolled at the worst
performing schools in Chicago’s public system. The bill (SB 2494), drafted
by Democrat State Senator James Meeks (D-Chicago), enables families to use
these vouchers at any parochial or private school that admits their child.
At its core, this bill is about giving parents in neighborhoods with
perpetually failing elementary schools a choice in how their children are
educated. The result: parents get choices, kids get a better education, and
CPS is held accountable for their inability to deliver a quality product.
To call this bill a landmark would be an understatement. For years, Chicago
Public Schools have failed the communities in which these “bottom 10%”
schools operate. Should the bill pass the Illinois House, these 22,000
Chicago children – mostly from poor families – will have access to a better
education and the brighter economic future that improved schooling can
bring. Notably, these goals will be accomplished without spending one dollar
more in tax revenue than was already allocated by the General Assembly.
Said Meeks of the bill, "It was for the bottom 10 percent of failing
schools. Who could begrudge students in a failing school a chance to get out
if they want to get out?"
Who would deny 22,000 children and their parents the right to a quality
education?
Incumbent State Senator Heather Steans, that’s who.
Despite overwhelming and bipartisan support for SB 2494, Steans voted
against it, casting a vote for maintaining the status quo and for keeping
kids in failing schools.
With her “no” vote on SB 2494, incumbent State Senator Heather Steans has
turned her back on the 22,000 kids in these failing schools, and has instead
opted to side with the teachers unions in an attempt to preserve their
support. Steans has said that she voted against the bill because she claimed
it underfunded Special Education programs, but pardon us if we don’t believe
a word of it, Senator.
Why the skepticism over her reason for voting “no”? Could it be the $5,500
in campaign cash she received from the Illinois Education Association’s
political action committee? Or maybe the $3,500 in cash she pocketed from
the Illinois Federation of Teachers? Perhaps it was the $1,750 in
contributions given to her by her friends at the AFL-CIO? Or maybe it was
the $6,000 in contributions received from AFSCME?
Steans raked in $16,750 from teachers unions since 2008, giving her 16,750
reasons to vote against the 22,000 kids who are stuck in Chicago’s worst
elementary schools. That’s 16,750 reasons to tell parents, “tough luck,
folks,” while preserving the sources of all that campaign cash.
When he faced the ire of these same teachers unions after introducing this
bill, what did State Senator James Meeks do?He
mailed them their money back. All of it.That’s
called principled leadership.
What did State Senator Heather Steans do? She chose the unions over the
kids, and voted against school choice.That’s
called selling out.
If you believe, like I do, that parents - not a massive state bureaucracy –
are best able to choose the education that meets their child’s needs, then
join me and my fight for positive change and common ground reforms that
empower and improve our communities! Just head to www.ElectAdamRobinson.com
to get involved and show your support today. I can’t do this without you!
Onward,
Adam
Adam Robinson
Candidate for Illinois State Senate, 7th District
www.ElectAdamRobinson.com
Posted by Adam Robinson in Uncategorized
on 3/30/2010
Keats on Public Affairs
New Page 1
Roger Keats sits down with Jeff Berkowitz for a taping of "Public Affairs"
WASHINGTON -- When
historians recount the momentous events of recent weeks, they will note a
curious coincidence. On March 15, Moody's Investors Service -- the bond
rating agency -- published a paper warning that the exploding U.S.
government debt could cause a downgrade of Treasury bonds. Just six days
later, the House of Representatives passed President Obama's health care
legislation costing $900 billion or so over a decade and worsening an
already-bleak budget outlook.
Should theUnited
Statessomeday suffer a budget
crisis, it will be hard not to conclude that Obama and his allies sowed the
seeds, because they ignored conspicuous warnings. A further irony will not
escape historians. For two years, Obama and members of Congress have angrily
blamed the shortsightedness and selfishness of bankers and rating agencies
for causing the recent financial crisis. The president and his supporters,
the historians will note, were equally shortsighted and self-centered --
though their quest was for political glory, not financial gain.
Let's be clear. A "budget
crisis" is not some minor accounting exercise. It's a wrenching political,
social and economic upheaval. Large deficits and rising debt -- the
accumulation of past deficits -- spook investors, leading to higher interest
rates on government loans. The higher rates expand the budget deficit and
further unnerve investors. To reverse this calamitous cycle, the government
has to cut spending deeply or raise taxes sharply. Lower spending and higher
taxes in turn depress the economy and lead to higher unemployment. Not
pretty.
Greeceis
now experiencing such a crisis. Until recently, conventional wisdom held
that only developing countries -- managed ineptly -- were candidates for
true budget crises. No more. Most wealthy societies with aging populations,
including the United States, face big gaps between their spending promises
and their tax bases. No one in Congress could be unaware of this.
Two weeks before the
House vote, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its estimate of
Obama's budget, including its health care program. From 2011 to 2020, the
cumulative deficit is almost $10 trillion. Adding 2009 and 2010, the total
rises to $12.7 trillion. In 2020, the projected annual deficit is $1.25
trillion, equal to 5.6 percent of the economy (gross domestic product). That
assumes economic recovery, with unemployment at 5 percent. Spending is
almost 30 percent higher than taxes. Total debt held by the public rises
from 40 percent of GDP in 2008 to 90 percent in 2020, close to its
post-World War II peak.
To criticisms, Obama
supporters make two arguments. First, the CBO says the plan reduces the
deficit by $138 billion over a decade. Second, the legislation contains
measures (an expert panel to curb Medicare spending, emphasis on
"comparative effectiveness research") to control health spending. These
rejoinders are self-serving and unconvincing.
Suppose the CBO estimate
is correct. So? The $138 billion saving is about 1 percent of the projected
$12.7 trillion deficit from 2009 to 2020. If the administration has $1
trillion or so of spending cuts and tax increases over a decade, all these
monies should first cover existing deficits -- not finance new spending.
Obama's behavior resembles a highly indebted family's taking an expensive
round-the-world trip because it claims to have found ways to pay for it.
It's self-indulgent and reckless.
But the CBO estimate is
misleading, because it must embody the law's many unrealistic assumptions
and gimmicks. Benefits are phased in "so that the first 10 years of (higher)
revenue would be used to pay for only six years of spending (increases),"
ex-CBO director Douglas Holtz-Eakin wrote in The New York Times. Holtz-Eakin
also noted the $70 billion of premiums for a new program of long-term care
that reduce present deficits but will be paid out in benefits later. Then
there's the "doc fix" -- higher Medicare reimbursements under separate
legislation that would cost about $200 billion over a decade.
Proposals to control
health spending face restrictions that virtually ensure failure. Consider
the "Independent Payment Advisory Board" aimed at Medicare. "The Board is
prohibited from submitting proposals that would ration care, increase
revenues or change benefits, eligibility or Medicare beneficiary cost
sharing," says a summary by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. What's
left? Similarly, findings from "comparative effectiveness research" --
intended to identify ineffective care -- "may not be construed as mandates,
guidelines or recommendations for payment, coverage or treatment." What's
the point then?
So Obama is flirting with
a future budget crisis. Moody's emphasizes two warning signs: rising debt
and loss of confidence that government will deal with it. Obama fulfills
both. The parallels with the recent financial crisis are striking. Bankers
and rating agencies engaged in wishful thinking to rationalize
self-interest. Obama does the same. No one can tell when or whether a crisis
will come. There is no magic tipping point. But Obama is raising the
chances.
Posted by Robert Samuelson in Uncategorized
on 3/29/2010
Reckless Decisions, Questionable Relationships
Giannoulias Features Radical Left-Wing Activist at Campaign Press Conference,
Defends Him When Questioned
Key Questions for Alexi Giannoulias:
1. Did you know that David Borris was a radical left-wing activist who
opposed the Afghan war, Iran sanctions and Israel’s right to self-defense before
you invited him to be your campaign surrogate?
2. If you did not know, is it because you applied the same kind of vetting
procedures you employed while Chief Loan Officer at Broadway Bank?
3. Do you agree with Mr. Borris that all members of Illinois National Guard
should be withdrawn from Afghanistan?
4. Do you agree with Mr. Borris that Iran is only interested in peaceful
nuclear energy and that the United States should not pursue economic sanctions
against the regime?
5. Do you agree with Mr. Borris that Israel was wrong to declare Gaza a
“hostile entity” after months of continuous Hamas rocket attacks?
Background:
Yesterday, just five days after announcing his support for a state income tax
increase, Alexi Giannoulias held a press conference to highlight his support for
12 new federal taxes contained in the newly enacted trillion-dollar health care
bill.
Since non-partisan small business owners (and the National Federation of
Independent Business) know that the health care bill will raise costs, slow
growth and kill jobs, Alexi Giannoulias needed to find partisan surrogates to
advance his high-tax agenda.
Alexi Giannoulias turned to Hel’s Kitchen owner David Borris – a radical
left-wing activist who disagrees with President Obama when it comes to the
Afghan surge, Iran sanctions and Israel’s right to self-defense.
Last year, Borris signed a petition to withdraw all Illinois National Guard
from Afghanistan and Iraq.
In 2007, Borris signed a petition condemning Israel for actions taken to protect
its citizens from Hamas terrorist Qassam rocket attacks.
In 2006, Borris signed a petition opposing sanctions against Iran and stating
his belief that Iran was not developing nuclear weapons.
Posted by WTTW Chicago in Uncategorized
on 3/16/2010
Giannoulias family bank linked to fraud suspects
Posted by ABC 7 Chicago in Uncategorized
on 3/14/2010
Oak Park Republican Committeeman Vacancy
The Cook County Republican Party is currently seeking to fill the recent vacancy for Republican Committeeman in Oak Park Township. The Committeeman is appointed by Cook County Republican Chairman Lee Roupas, and will run until the next Township Committeeman Elections in the Primary Election of 2014.
If you live in Oak Park and are interested in learning more about, or applying for this important grassroots leadership role, please contact Jonathan Blessing at jon@cookrepublicanparty.com.
Deadline for resume submissions is Friday, March 19.
Illinois Republicans finally have a gubernatorial candidate, and for now at least he holds a 10-point lead over incumbent Democratic Governor Pat Quinn.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state finds State Senator Bill Brady leading Quinn 47% to 37%. Six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate, and nine percent (9%) are undecided.
The survey follows last week's announcement by the state elections board that Brady was the winner of the February 2 Republican Primary. He won by just 193 votes out of 750,000 that were cast.
Quinn, who is running for his first full-term after assuming office following Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment, also ran a very close primary race with state Comptroller Dan Hynes for the Democratic nomination. Just before the primary vote, a poll found Quinn trailing Hynes 43% to 37%.
Brady's numbers likely reflect at least a modest bounce from the news of his victory. Given Illinois' strong Democratic leanings, the race is sure to tighten in the days ahead.
The new survey finds Brady leading by 17 points among women but just three points among men. Voters not affiliated with either party favor Brady 59% to 18%.
Brady is viewed very favorably by 17% of Illinois voters, while only 11% view the Republican very unfavorably. Nineteen percent (19%) have no opinion of him.
Just 12% in Illinois view their governor very favorably, while 24% view Quinn very unfavorably. Only five percent (5%) have no opinion of Quinn.
At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with strong opinions more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.
Forty-three percent (43%) of Illinois voters approve of the job Quinn is doing as governor, while 56% disapprove.
Rasmussen Reports will release new numbers from Illinois' U.S. Senate race tomorrow.
Rasmussen Reports also has released recent polls on the 2010 governor's races in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
March 8, 2010
(CHICAGO) (WLS) --Now
that he's the official Republican nominee for
governor, Bloomington State Senator Bill Brady
hits the campaign trail.
Brady begins an eight-city tour across the state to thank his
supporters and launch his general election campaign. Last week, the
state election board certified the results of the primary race, giving
him a narrow victory over DuPage County State Senator Kirk Dillard.
"The late decision won't hurt me," Brady said. "One of the nice
things our polling data shows is, if I wasn't people's first choice I
was generally their second. So I think I've got a great ability to
bring, not just Republicans, but independents and Democrats together.
Our state's struggling. Families and businesses are worried about what's
going to happen tomorrow. They know we need to have a clean break from
the politics of the past and a plan for the future."
Brady will face Governor Pat Quinn in the November general election.
A month after the primary, the final tally for the GOP was announced.
Out of more than 750,000 votes, Brady and Dillard were separated by just
193 votes. Dillard conceded the race Friday. That's a winning margin of
two-thousandths of one percent.
Dillard said he would not challenge the results for financial and
political reasons. Political experts say unless Dillard had evidence of
specific miscounting or fraud, it's not worth asking for a recount. And
it's certainly better for party unity.
On his first official day on the general election campaign trail,
Brady greeted voters as they headed to their trains at Ogilvie Station.
"Bill Brady. I'm running for Governor."
His Democratic opponent Quinn has a 31-day headstart on the campaign
because it took that long for the state election board to certify
Brady's razor-thin margin of victory over Dillard. But Brady was already
taking shots at Quinn.
"We're moving forward. The governor has a lot of issues to address.
He's had a record $2.5 billion deficit in his first 12 months. He's
without a lieutenant governor," said Brady.
For his part, Governor Quinn said he's ready for the campaign to
begin, and the lines are already drawn. Quinn supports an income tax
increase to help dig the state out of a huge financial hole. Brady is
against that idea.
"He has in the past, his voting record has shown, that's he very
extreme when it comes to taking on issues protecting everyday people,"
said Gov. Quinn.
His former opponent says he is throwing his full support behind Brady
even though Dillard likely would have won if he hadn't had to split
Chicago-area support with three other DuPage County Republicans.
"I have to trust in the machinery that is out there. Could I overturn
it? Perhaps. But, in the end, is it worth it?" said Dillard, (R)
Hinsdale.
Brady is a conservative Republican who says the campaign will be
about jobs and reform and little else. His state party chairman said he
agrees.
"Everybody is focused on fiscal and economically responsible issues.
Those are the issues that people care about, jobs and fiscal issues, so
there is no real right or left in those, just right or wrong," said Pat
Brady, Illinois Republican chairman.
Political scientist Dick Simpson predicts a tight race in November.
"It's a situation where any single mistake could cost the election,"
said Simpson, UIC political science professor.
Governor Quinn is scheduled to present his state budget next week,
and experts say the focus on the state's fiscal crisis could work to
Brady's benefit in the campaign. But those political experts also point
out Brady is not very well known in northern Illinois.. And right now
that works to Governor Quinn's benefit.
Breakdown of votes
Of the four DuPage County candidates on the Republican ballot, one of
them, county board chairman Bob Schillerstrom, got over 7,000 votes.
Schillerstrom withdrew from the race before Election Day.
The election board video conference was held Friday morning with four
members meeting in Chicago and four members meeting in Springfield. Each
of the members signed the notice proclaiming the results, which also
indicate Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn won over his opponent, Ill.
Comptroller Dan Hynes, by 8,000 votes.
Brady received 155,527 votes. Dillard got 155,334. Among the other
Republican challengers:
Andy McKenna had 148,054
votes
Jim Ryan had 130,785
votes
Adam Andrzejewski had 111,030 votes
Dan Proft received
59,335 votes
and Bob Schillerstrom, who dropped out of the race, had 7,420 votes.
On the Democratic side, Quinn received 462,049 votes while Hynes, who
conceded the race, got 453,677 votes.
Posted by ABC 7 Chicago in Uncategorized
on 3/8/2010
Cook County Board Votes Against Repealing Sales Tax Hike
By David Schwartz, FOX Chicago News
Chicago - Fifteen minutes of drama at a Cook County Board
meeting erupted Tuesday afternoon when the sales tax debate was
reignited. It got white hot.
Commissioner Tony Peraica demanded an immediate vote on his plan
to repeal what's left of that infamous 1 percent hike.
"This is a tax that the taxpayers of Cook County are crying for
us to repeal,” Peraica said. “We can do the right thing here and
set ourselves on right path by allowing them to keep some money
in these extremely, extremely difficult times."
He got a vote taken. He also got an earful. Some other
commissioners do not like his style.
The repeal plan failed. Several commissioners said a lot more
budget planning needs to be done first. The vote was 11 to six.
One more note from the board meeting: Commissioners approved a
$108 million plan to renovate the building that used to be Cook
County Hospital. The plan is to turn the old building into
offices for the public hospital system.
Posted by By David Schwartz, FOX Chicago News in Uncategorized
on 3/3/2010
'Madigoons' Investigated: Where Does State Work End, Politics Begin?
Updated: Monday, 22 Feb 2010, 9:04 PM CST
Published : Monday, 22 Feb 2010, 8:13 PM CST
By Dane Placko, FOX Chicago News
Chicago - In the world of political warfare, Shaw Decremer
is a lieutenant. His troops: an army of state workers
commanded by house speaker Michael Madigan. Their enemies
respectfully call them "the Madigoons."
A FOX Chicago News investigation found scores of supposedly
full-time state employees, like Decremer, jumping on and off
the state payroll to practice politics for their boss.
We caught up with Decremer and asked him, "… are you a
political worker who happens to have a state job, or a state
worker just doing politics on the side?"
Decremer didn’t comment.
Election attorney Rich Means said both parties are using
their legislative staffs to build what is essentially a
shadow army of political workers parked on the state
payroll.
"What they really are, are political workers with side jobs
in the off season," Means said. "They keep them employed so
they'll be around for the next political season. And that
really does seem to me to be the tail wagging the dog."
FOX Chicago News examined three years of legislative payroll
records, and then compared them with political campaign
expenditures. We found 34 Democratic House employees under
the control of Speaker Madigan taking off from their jobs
for weeks, sometimes months at a time.
Graphic Artist Sarah Berkley took off five months to work
for the Democratic party -- controlled by Madigan.
Program Specialist Andrew Chusid earned $16,000 from
taxpayers before he skipped out for half the year to run
campaigns for his boss.
And Decremer, he's a research analyst for the state earning
$40,000 when he's working in Springfield.
But Decremer took off seven months in 2007, four months in
2008 and another four months in 2009. He has made more than
$40,000 from political campaigns.
His specialty? Challenging the petitions of candidates
Madigan wants off the ballot.
And with Illinois facing a $13 billion deficit, with all
these people bouncing on and off the payroll, it begs the
question--
"Is that a job we need in state government?”
Former Federal Prosecutor Patrick Collins chaired the
Illinois Reform Commission, which lost its battle to curb
the clout of the legislative leaders.
"Is that a job we need in state government? Because if it
can go unfilled for four or five or six months at a crack, I
can guarantee you there's a cheaper way to provide that
service to the people of the State of Illinois," Collins
said.
We wanted to ask the Speaker about how he uses the so-called
“Madigoons” to do both state and political work. He passed
us off to his spokesman.
"The major part of the Speaker's policy is to insure we
don't use taxpayer's money to do political campaigns," Steve
Brown, spokesman for Madigan, said.
Brown said Madigan works hard to dot all the Is and cross
all the Ts to avoid the scandal that happened to the
Republicans five years ago. The chief of staff for
Republican leader Lee Daniels went to prison after a federal
investigation found he was ordering staffers to do political
work on state time.
So to adhere to the law, Madigan grants his employees
virtually unlimited leaves of absence to do political work.
Only in Springfield could you find an employer so generous.
When asked why the state needs those jobs anyway, Brown
said, “Well because during the legislative session… it's a
busy time, there're long days."
Brown said the staffers work hard for taxpayers when the
legislature is in session. But aren't as needed at other
times
"Generally, in campaign season is the time the legislature
isn't in session, so the workload would be smaller to begin
with," he said.
But that's not what our investigation found. When the
legislature was battling Gov. Rod Blagojevich over a budget
stalemate in 2008, with plenty of work to do, nearly half of
Madigan’s staff was off the state payroll doing political
work.
Analysts, program specialists, legal assistants and even the
house photographer bounced on and off the state payroll. His
specialty is campaign mailings.
While on leave, those state workers collect paychecks from
political campaigns. We counted a total of $728,000 in
political pay the past three years.
"We've had so much in Illinois where politics drives our
government. I think it would be a good time for government
to essentially take the priority role,” said former
prosecutor Collins.
For now, the mixing and mingling of politics and policy on
Madigan’s staff makes it hard to figure out where one starts
and the other ends.
Our investigation found several Madigan staffers getting
salaries from political funds at the same time they were
collecting a paycheck from the taxpayer.
In 2008, Madigan’s Chief of Staff Timothy Mapes never left
the state payroll, earning $177,000. On the side, he picked
up an extra $14,000 in campaign money.
"Everyone worries about, 'Oh, are you forcing folks to do
political work?' That used to be a concern in the past more
than it is today. We've got people who love politics. They
may love politics sometimes more than they enjoy the
government side
of it," Madigan’s spokesman Brown said.
And that love of politics is what makes you wonder which job
is their real job.
