Illinois
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11:18 a.m.
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On WFLD's Good Day Chicago this morning, Rep. Danny Davis discussed his "exploration" of a run for Cook County board president in 2010. At the end of the segment, Davis said that, if he sits down with incumbent President Todd Stroger in the near future, he will try to dissuade him from running and tell him point blank, "I don't think you'd get elected." Watch it: ...
Progress Illinois - 11:18 a.m.
The Chicago Tribune has the breaking news: Tribune Co. has reached a deal to sell the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field to the Ricketts family, a source familiar with matter said this morning.The two sides finalized a sale agreement over the weekend and have forwarded the contract to Major League Baseball, the source said. Baseball owners must [...]...
Turning Left - 8:57 a.m.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez has spoken at length about the clout the payday loan industry wields on Capitol Hill. In fact, during a hearing before the House Committee on Financial Services (which he chairs), the Chicago Democrat admitted that implementing a 36 percent cap on all consumer credit transactions is " not possible " because of the industry's lobbying power. He further told the A...
Progress Illinois - 8:57 a.m.
With no state budget in place for the new fiscal year, many social service providers that receive public dollars are firing workers or scaling back programs in response to the uncertainty. Using news reports, we've so far identified 20 affected organizations from all corners of Illinois (click the pins on the map above for more details). Over the next week, we want to better measure t...
Progress Illinois - 7:44 a.m.
Quinn Sidestepping Madigan Gov. Pat Quinn is bypassing House Speaker Michael Madigan and other legislative leaders and lobbying lawmakers directly in hopes of getting his proposed income tax increase approved. After meeting with 27 female legislators Thursday, Quinn discussed the state's deficit with Sen. James Meeks on Friday. He will meet with more lawmakers from both chamb...
Progress Illinois - 7:20 a.m.
On Thursday, we highlighted numerous examples of non-profit organizations across the state cutting back on staff and services due to the uncertainty regarding the level of funding they will receive from Illinois' FY 2010 budget. Yesterday, Crain's further detailed the impact: The Chicago-based Carole Robertson Center, which provides early childhood care and education, laid off a...
Progress Illinois - Sun 9:25 a.m. - 5 clicks 
It was a bit rainy but that didn't dampen anyone's spirit at the Evanston 4th of July Parade. The first shot is just before the parade with Gov. Pat Quinn and DPOE President Daniel Biss getting their picture taken by Daniel's wife Karen. The second shot is a group shot taken afterwards. read more ...
IllinoisDemNet - Sat 9:08 p.m. - 7 clicks
Happy Independence Day! I'm going overboard filling out "pick your five" quizzes on facebook. One is "the 5 proudest moments in American history." Not easy, but here's what I came up with. Adoption of the Bill of Rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom Sit-down strikes during the great depression Creation of the National Park Service Election of Barack Obama...
Will Reynolds - Sat 11:43 a.m. - 5 clicks
Embedded video from CNN Video Believe me, I am beside myself trying to figure this one out. Why did Sarah Palin resign? Is this a strategic political move, or is this a move out of politics all together for a governor who craved headlines almost as much as Rod Blagojevich? Resigning and claiming that [...]...
Turning Left - Fri 9:44 p.m. - 8 clicks
Good stuff from the Sun-Times editorial board today : In the House, a more modest temporary income tax increase failed, garnering only 42 of 70 Democratic votes. [House Speaker Michael] Madigan voted for it but did little else to get it passed. Historically, Madigan has been a fiscally conservative guy, so to an extent his recalcitrance on a tax increase fits. And House members te...
Progress Illinois - Fri 12:39 p.m. - 3 clicks
Last night, MSNBC's Ed Schultz devoted a segment of his show to the story of Hartmarx Inc., which employs 4,000 Americans, including 1,000 here in Illinois. Last week, thanks to the tenacity of the company's workers and union leaders, the bankrupt company averted liquidation and was bought by a British private equity firm. Rep. Phil Hare, a former Hartmarx employee, appeared on the show to d...
Progress Illinois - Fri 8:27 a.m. - 9 clicks
The title of this entry is from the Declaration of Independence. But it resonates today in light of the United State’s occupation of Iraq: “He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.” And this, from the same document: He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies [...]...
Turning Left - Fri 12:49 a.m. - 6 clicks
From the Chicago Tribune: The Delhi High Court issued a landmark ruling Thursday decriminalizing homosexuality, a move that could bring more freedom to millions of people in this deeply conservative nation. The ruling said that treating relations between consenting adult homosexuals as a crime is a violation of basic human rights safeguarded under the Indian Constitution. The court [...]...
Turning Left - Thu 10:50 p.m. - 7 clicks
A few electoral updates ... Cook County Board President The Sun-Times Michael Sneed raised eyebrows this week when she published a rumor that Mayor Daley might support Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th Ward) over Todd Stroger in next year's Democratic primary for Cook County board president. WBEZ has the audio of Daley's response to Sneed's column: "I don't know where you get that. ...
Progress Illinois - Thu 3:17 p.m. - 4 clicks
It's tough to find good news in Illinois these days, but here's something satisfying to take into the holiday weekend. The Chi-Town Daily News' Alex Parker reports that the Chicago Department of Public Health has cleaned up the billing problems that almost resulted in the closure of several city-run mental health centers earlier this spring. As you may remember from Parker's big report...
Progress Illinois - Thu 2:10 p.m. - 11 clicks
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large: Charters Not Only Way To Fix Chicago Schools The Sun-Times editorial board calls the much-hyped education report by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago "an overly simplistic analysis of test data." Reaping What They Sow The credit card industry is raising...
Progress Illinois - Thu 2:10 p.m. - 6 clicks
Illinois Issues has an excellent article on the growing wind industry in Illinois that mentions the Sierra Club agreement with CWLP. One of the coal industry's most effective tactics is to create a sense of inevitability about their product. They present coal as the first, last and only realistic option. They point out the limited amount of energy coming from renewable sources as though...
Will Reynolds - Thu 11:28 a.m. - 13 clicks
In his address to a joint session of Congress on February 24, 2009, President Obama, at the very outset of his administration, promised to “root out the waste, fraud, and abuse in our Medicare program that doesn’t make our seniors any healthier.” In recent days, we have begun to see the President’s promise become a [...]...
RubberStampRoskam.com - Wed 9:46 p.m. - 3 clicks
Adopting a time-honored fictional precedent, the kids are being assembled to shield lawmakers from having to make HONEST choices rather than politically expedient ones. That minor blowhole politico I mentioned on Monday got a rude awakening this morning. ' target='_blank'>Regional Supt. Office/Home raided "Investigators from the Cook County state's attorney's office have closed the Suburban Co...
rawrahs - Wed 11:48 a.m. - 6 clicks
I was happy to see all the ads in the buses and El's for the 'Young Chicago Republican' Event that took place on Monday. It's always nice to see them supporting public transportation in this way. The write-up of the event from the Huffington Post had something that caught my eye. First: You are not alone. That was the message for the estimated 700 Chicago Republicans who packed in...
IllinoisDemNet - Wed 10:40 a.m. - 6 clicks
Senator Dick Durbin last April: "And the banks -- hard to believe in a time when we're facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created -- are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And they frankly own the place," he said on WJJG 1530 AM 's "Mornings with Ray Hanania." Progress Illinois picked up the quote. ...
Prairie State Blue - Wed 6:15 a.m. - 5 clicks
Panelists discussed policy issues, like health care reform, and how progressives should balance values, priorities and political strategy at the Hideout. ...
IllinoisDemNet - Tue 9:03 p.m. - 5 clicks
Dear Mr. President, Recently you discussed wasteful military spending with Senator John McCain, who pointed out that a new naval helicopter assigned to you might reflect wasteful spending. Examples like this, however, aren’t the only examples - even in the Navy. I am equally concerned about a past practice of having marginally, or perhaps even unqualified [...]...
WurfWhile - Tue 4:07 p.m. - 5 clicks
While I haven’t written much about it due to time, there’s been a tremendous amount of nonsense (polite term) going on with the College of DuPage (COD) Board of Trustees over the last few years. Trustees resigning because of board ineffectiveness and poor leadership with the incumbent trustee board chair investigated and sued because [...]...
WurfWhile - Tue 4:07 p.m. - 3 clicks
Matt Yglesias has an interesting piece about educational levels around the Great Depression compared to today that reflects on Paul Krugman’s pessimism about the economy and Ryan Avent’s optimism. The question is where will our economic recovery come from (and how soon)? I’m no economist, but my sense is we are not likely to recover [...]...
WurfWhile - Tue 4:07 p.m. - 4 clicks
Press release from U.S. Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin For Immediate Release April 9, 2009 DURBIN AND ILLINOIS DELEGATION ASK DOT TO SUPPORT REVIVAL OF ILLINOIS TRAIN CAR INDUSTRY [WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led the Illinois Congressional Delegation in asking [...]...
WurfWhile - Tue 4:07 p.m. - 2 clicks
Tonight Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal channeled the worst of Al Gore and Bert (of Bert and Ernie fame) in his GOP response to President Barack Obama’s economic address to congress. The contrast with Barack Obama’s speech made things even worse. Obama was gracious and addressed major issues with the maturity and importance that [...]...
WurfWhile - Tue 4:07 p.m. - 7 clicks
I called my Congressman, John Shimkus, on the day of the Waxman-Markey ACES vote . I know it won't change his mind but I won't allow him to claim that everyone in the district agrees with him. I received a quick, courteous email response on Saturday, June 27. He starts by stating his support for "renewable and alternative" energy (that's what they all say) "including solar, wind, nuclear, et...
Will Reynolds - Tue 12:48 p.m. - 6 clicks
On Friday, June 26, the House of Representatives passed the historic Waxman-Markley comprehensive energy bill by a vote of 219 to 212. H.R. 2454, formally titled the American Clean energy and Security Act of 2009 includes a market-based cap & trade global warming reduction plan designed to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 17% by the [...]...
RubberStampRoskam.com - Tue 7:23 a.m. - 2 clicks
Today we go a little off the direct health care and onto something that is essential to health care reform. How strong is President Obama in the eyes of the American public? We should by now have all come to......
49th Ward - Tue 4:54 a.m. - 4 clicks
This past Thursday, June 25, Peter Roskam spoke on the House floor in favor of an ammendment to H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. The text of Roskam’s press release is here. First off, I think Dan Conston got mixed up about what Roskam had to say: “This is an Administration that [...]...
RubberStampRoskam.com - Mon 10:25 p.m. - 5 clicks
I received a breathless email from Peter Roskam earlier today begging for contributions to his re-election campaign prior to the end of the second quarter this week. Roskam writes: Tomorrow marks the end of the second fundraising quarter, and the Democrats are waiting to see how much money I have raised. Potential challengers are weighing their options [...]...
RubberStampRoskam.com - Mon 2:54 p.m. - 3 clicks
Greg Hinz is reporting that the Urban League's Cheryle Jackson has formed a Senate exploratory committee . Per Hinz, Jackson, 44, will make her decision "within a couple of months." Meanwhile the Urban League will host its national convention in Chicago. ...
Prairie State Blue - Mon 12:43 p.m. - 6 clicks
Another big decision from Washington today in favor of a clean energy future: U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Last-Ditch Effort to Build Outdated Illinois Coal Plant Washington, D.C.--In a victory for clean energy, the United States Supreme Court today refused to consider an appeal by EnviroPower, LLC. The company was attempting to build a coal plant in Southern Illinois using o...
Illinois Sierra Club - Jun 29 - 4 clicks
The tribulations and trials of local, regional and state level organized, errr, legalized errr, crime POLITICS in Illinois are too fast, too furious for the average crook to comprehend. It's not accidental that the Marquee names hold advanced degrees in Law or Divinity or sometimes BOTH. Campaigns typically kick off with pomp and fanfare soundbites about "Makin' Stuff Better", "Fixin' Stuff", G...
rawrahs - Jun 29 - 6 clicks
On July 1, barring a budgetary miracle in Springfield, approximately 26 clients I assist with a variety of tasks from counseling to grocery shopping, doctor's visits, banking, hygiene and social outings, will lose 100% of the services they receive from the not-for-profit I work with. None of us have any ideas where they will find housing and assistence for the many tasks they ar...
DailyKos (Illinois) - Jun 29 - 6 clicks
In a nice piece in Newsweek Eleanor Clift drives home the point that health care reform is popular, the public option is popular with the public, but the real question is where does the public option actually stand in importance......
49th Ward - Jun 29 - 7 clicks
The Chicago Tribune has a fascinating article about a U. of I. jobs-for-entry scheme . It seems that you could get your favored student into law school if you were willing to hire enough marginal graduates at a good salary from the current class to help the U of I Law School look better on the comparables. ...
DailyKos (Illinois) - Jun 26 - 5 clicks
It passed! The most important energy and climate change legislation in American history passed the House and next stop is the Senate. Everyone in Congress claims to care about clean energy. Here's how the Illinois delegation voted when it mattered most. Yes -11 Bean Davis Gutierrez Halverson Hare Jackson Kirk Lipinski Quigley Rush Schakowsky No -8 Costello Biggert F...
Will Reynolds - Jun 26 - 5 clicks
Aaron Schock is a new Congressman, so even though his previous environmental record isn't very impressive, I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Soon we'll find out if he was serious about the windmills and promises to protect rivers that appeared in his campaign ads. It isn't looking good so far. Although Schock appeals to some as the kind of reasonable Republican his district his...
Will Reynolds - Jun 26 - 4 clicks
The House is currently debating the American Clean Energy Security Act, and IL reps are speaking up: Quigley and Rush spoke in favor. Quigley: "We’re often asked, ‘What’s our legacy here? What really matters about what we do?’ And I’d like to think it’s how our children and our grandchildren will react to what we did, and what we left behind." Rush - "we were able to improve the bill by n...
Illinois Sierra Club - Jun 26 - 2 clicks
In a recent New York Times article Illinois Congressman Tim Johnson said, "I've always through the whole process been open-minded, but I also wouldn't want to leave anybody with the impression I'm likely to vote for something when pretty clearly my constituents are not enamored with the bill," Johnson is considered a possible swing vote on the ACES climate change bill that will probably be vo...
Will Reynolds - Jun 26 - 3 clicks
It amazes me that some Congressmen are threatening to oppose the Waxman-Markey global warming bill ( ACES ) because it might cost farmers money. Central Illinois is lucky to have a leading scientist on the UN’s Panel on Climate Change. He gave a local interview on how climate change could impact farmers if no action is taken. Under a higher-emissions scenario, Illinois summers could be l...
Will Reynolds - Jun 25 - 3 clicks
In his latest attempt to distract 6th District residents from his absolute refusal to do anything to meet their real needs, Republican Congressman Peter Roskam has launched the “Medi-Fraud Blog” at his Congressional website. Aside from using your tax dollars to in another misguided public relations scheme to shore up his image in the district, [...]...
RubberStampRoskam.com - Jun 25 - 3 clicks
I was on my way to work this morning when I saw this Chicago Republicans ad in the subway: Link to Republican Ad. Click here and use their bandwidth As a proud citizen of the city that gave us our current president, this just made me laugh. The first thought that popped into my head was "Good! And let's keep it that way" In all honesty, its tough for Republicans in this cit...
DailyKos (Illinois) - Jun 24 - 3 clicks
So the latest wrinkle, from our buddy Rahm, in the Obama regime's ever downward spiraling efforts at health care reform are "non-profit cooperatives." So hey, I've got an open mind, just how is that supposed to work? If anyone here can imagine such a setup actually working, post it to the comments Bureaucracy expense reduction and economies of scale bargaining are the biggest reasons...
Prairie State Blue - Jun 24 - 5 clicks
It is TIME to not feel ashamed to live in "Crook County" anymore. It is TIME for the second largest County in the US to no longer be a punchline. It is TIME to start to roll back the hereditary monarchies (Stroger, Daley, Madigan, Hynes, etc.) in Illinois. It is TIME for progressives in Illinois to get full-on behind Toni Preckwinkle for President of the Cook County Board. Smart? Indeed - AB and...
Prairie State Blue - Jun 24 - 2 clicks
Jeff Berkowitz of Public Affairs reports today on Peter Roskam’s address to the Chicago chapter of the Republican National Lawyers Association. Roskam spoke to the group on June 22 at Svenson Law Offices in Chicago. (Svenson is a law firm with a specialty in defeating Workers Compensation claims by injured employees. ) According to Berkowitz, Roskam [...]...
RubberStampRoskam.com - Jun 23 - 5 clicks
The next Liberty Brew & View movie is " The Take " on Tuesday, July 21, 7:00pm, Capital City Bar & Grill, Springfield, Free. The short synopsis : In the wake of Argentina’s spectacular economic collapse, Latin America’s most prosperous middle class finds itself in a ghost town of abandoned factories and mass unemployment. Thirty unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory in ...
Will Reynolds - Jun 23 - 2 clicks
Every couple of weeks for the past 15 years or so I have gone to get my hair cut by a woman in Villa Park. I’ll call her Liz. She’d be mortified if I used her real name. Liz works in a small shop where she gets paid a portion a what she takes in [...]...
RubberStampRoskam.com - Jun 21
The New York Times has reported that the Sangamon County (which contains Springfield) State's Attorney will not charge Senator Roland Burris with perjury for his swown statements made to legislators prior to his being admitted to the Senate. In a written statement issued on Friday, Mr. Schmidt said that some of Mr. Burris’s statements in January before a committee of state lawmakers ...
DailyKos (Illinois) - Jun 21 - 3 clicks
I can't be the only one taken slightly aback by this newfound Iranian lovefest that is gurgling forth from the Wingnut fountain. They now see themselves reflected in the protesters? Really? It's that easy to embrace that which they've so stridently preached against in their own country? Without noticing the shallowness and hypocrisy of the transparent co-opting? They do this in-stride, with a str...
rawrahs - Jun 21 - 2 clicks
H.R. 2410 is another bill that came up while I was vacationing down south. Hence my tardiness.Here’s what happened. On June 10th, the Foreign Relations Authorization for F.Y. 2010 and 2011 came to a vote on the House floor. This is the measure that funds the State Department, the Peace Corps, and U.S. contributions to the [...]...
RubberStampRoskam.com - Jun 20 - 2 clicks
On Thursday, June 11th, while I was vacationing in secessionist Texas, our Republican Congressman Peter Roskam voted against H.R. 1886: Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2009, choosing to play political games at the expense of national security and the fight against terrorist groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The bill, introduced by Democrat Howard [...]...
RubberStampRoskam.com - Jun 19 - 6 clicks
