Economy/Finances

Anti-Americanism - Banks - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois Policy Institute - Jobs - Liberals - Regulation - Republicans - Socialism - Stimulus - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

Ill. Policy Institute CEO Tillman Is Just Plain Wrong About ‘Occupy’

October 28, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute, penned an op ed in the Chicago Tribune touting what he claims is the common ground between conservatives and the Occupy Wall Street leftists who have trickled into the streets across the country. I hate to say it, but his op ed was puzzling and its base concept — that conservatives and these Occupy nuts should work together — is incredibly off base.

Before I get into Tillman’s points, though, let me say that I generally support the good works of the Illinois Policy Institute. I’ve covered many of its events in the past, I’ve worked closely with some of its members, and I’ve met Mr. Tillman many times at many events. I repost the Institute’s email blasts on my sites, as well.

I will continue with my support of the Illinois Policy Institute (don’t call them IPI because some other organization has that trademarked and they get mad) despite this disagreement with Mr. Tillman. They often do very good work.

OK, now that that’s out of the way… Tillman, my friend, you are soooo wrong!
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Ill. Policy Institute CEO Tillman Is Just Plain Wrong About ‘Occupy’”

Americans For Prosperity - Budget - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Elections - GOP - Government - Liberals - Pensions - President - Public Employees Unions - Regulation - Republicans - Scott Walker - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston - Wisconsin

Wisc.: Walker’s Union Reforms Are Working! (A Lesson for Illinois)

October 28, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Governor Scott Walker was the worst devil the unions could imagine. They targeted him and Wisconsin’s Republicans mercilessly earlier this year. Fortunately, the unions and their Democrat handmaidens lost most of these battles.

But now some results are being seem from the efforts to curtail the un-democratic, unearned power of Wisconsin’s government employee unions. A new effort by the MacIver Institute and Americans for Prosperity is showing the world where these policies have succeeded in making things better in Wisconsin.

This is a lesson for Illinois and every other blue state. We can fix our problems, too. But it means defeating entrenched, un-American union power and their bought and paid for Democrats.
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Wisc.: Walker’s Union Reforms Are Working! (A Lesson for Illinois)”

Anti-Americanism - Banks - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Chicago - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Jan Schakowsky - Liberals - President - Socialism - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Occupy Chicago Wants to ‘Collapse American Government’

October 28, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Retired Palatine teacher, Roger Fraser, who makes nearly $8,000 a month in pension benefits off the backs of the Illinois Taxpayer, says that he wants to “collapse American government.”

These people want to “collapse” this country. They want to destroy it and remake it as an alien, communist abomination.

This is why there should be no sympathy for these Occupy-Whatever idiots. They are not Americans. They hate America. Unlike the Tea Party movement, these Occupy people are anti-American to the core.

Remember, these are the sort of people that Democrats like President Obama and Representative Jan Schakowsky are falling all over themselves to support.
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Occupy Chicago Wants to ‘Collapse American Government’”

Banks - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Financial Reform - Government - History - House of Representatives - Jobs - Liberals - President - Socialism - Taxes - The Great Depression - Warner Todd Huston

The Rise of the Obamavilles

October 26, 2011 by

Remember back in the 30s when disgruntled WWI veterans and homeless Americans created shanty towns called “Hoovervilles“? They felt failed by an uncaring president in Herbert Hoover.

Well, with the Occupy-Whatevers have they created “Obamavilles”?

I’d say they have.

Anti-Americanism - Anti-Semitism - Banks - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Liberals - Socialism - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Another Stupid Liberal Assumption Dies: Top 1% NOT Made Solely of Bankers

October 26, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the favorite memes of these Occupy-Whatever events is that the “top 1%” is made up of those evil, rich bankers and Wall Street tycoons. This, they feel is why they need to “occupy Wall Street” in the first place, right? Wrong again.

Like most left-wing memes, this one is also horribly wrong. It turns out that it should have been Occupy a hospital instead of occupy Wall Street because it turns out that bankers and denizens of Wall Street barely represent a blip on the radar of the “1%.”

A report on CNN Money notes that the finance sector only makes up 14% of the folks that sit in that top 1% of the nation’s wealthy.

It turns out that medical professionals clock in at 15.7%, while lawyers represent 8.4%.
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Another Stupid Liberal Assumption Dies: Top 1% NOT Made Solely of Bankers”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Jobs - Liberals - PCism - Russia - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston - Western Civilization

Former Soviet Citizen Schools Idiots at Occupy Wall Street

October 26, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Morons at Occupy Wall Street have no clue what socialism is. But they advocate it.

Here we have a video of a man that was actually born in the USSR and suffered under that oppressive, socialist system confronting the clueless idiots of Occupy-Whatever.

This is the fantasy land that these Occupy idiots live in. It’s a land where even when confronted with someone that actually lived under the system these Occupy fools want to implement, when confronted with a guy that suffered the violence, and oppression that is socialism, well, they can only resort to name calling and unsubstantiated, illogical claims.
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Former Soviet Citizen Schools Idiots at Occupy Wall Street”

Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Jobs - Liberals - Ohio - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union’s Battle Against Ohio Heats Up

October 25, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On November 8, Ohioans will go to the polls to vote on a series of ballot initiatives, among them Issue 2.

A yes vote will support Governor Kasich’s collective bargaining reform (SB 5) to become law. A no vote would return power to the bloated, thieving unions to do hat they have always done: steal from the taxpayers. (I wonder if you can tell which side I am on, here? Ha, ha)

Unions have rolled into Ohio with millions of dollars for anti-issue 2 advertising, donations to politicians, and the usual corrupt bargaining behind the scenes that unions generally employ. Sadly, it looks like their big money has persuaded too many Ohioans to back the unions as polling shows Issue 2 is losing with voters.
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Union’s Battle Against Ohio Heats Up”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Campaign Finance - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Government - Jobs - Liberals - Lobbyists - President - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Broken Promises: From ‘No Lobbyists in My Campaign,’ to Hiring Financial Services Lobbyist

October 25, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Barack Obama made a big show in 2008 of attacking evil Washington lobbyists. He campaigned on “change we could believe in” and aimed one of those things to believe in at eliminating lobbyists from Washington. But, it’s just another lie from Obama, in the end.

Obama cruised into office with the claim that he’d have “the strictest ethics rules” against lobbyists of any president ever. Naturally, almost immediately he began to waive these “rules” to allow lobbyists into his administration.

This week, quite contrary to his loud proclamations against lobbyists, we saw that yet another lobbyist join Obama.
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Obama Broken Promises: From ‘No Lobbyists in My Campaign,’ to Hiring Financial Services Lobbyist”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Organizers Work 1 Day As Teachers, Get $100K+ in State Pensions

October 24, 2011 by 5 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Two union organizers that represent the Illinois Federation of Teachers were able to secure millions in state pensions by working one day as a teacher here in Illinois. This outrageous abuse of the state pension system is exactly why government unions should not be allowed to exist.

The Chicago Tribune has the story of Steven Preckwinkle and David Piccioli who took advantage of a loophole to enrich themselves off the backs of the taxpayers written into law just for them by pliant Democrat politicians.

The crony legislation enabled the unionistas to quickly get state teaching certificates, work one day as a substitute teacher, then count their years as union operatives to qualify them for pension benefits from the state.
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Union Organizers Work 1 Day As Teachers, Get $100K+ in State Pensions”

Anti-Americanism - Anti-Semitism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - Government - Liberals - President - Public Employees Unions - Socialism - Taxes - Terrorism - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Occupy Chicago Sign: ‘Dear Rich Straight White Dudes, F**K Off’

October 24, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Like the rest of the large cities in the US, Chicago is currently suffering with small pockets of Occupy protesters and their ever-present signs. And like every other big city these signs are often misspelled, sometimes profane, commonly anti-capitalist, occasionally anti-Semitic, almost always anti-American, not to mention merely ignorant of the facts. But one thing that is the same in every protest, at least in the media reportage of same, is that the worst of the signs go unseen by the general American news consumer.

Chicago blogger John Ruberry took his trusty camera downtown to the Windy City and captured some pretty representative signs the like of which were similar signs seen at Tea Party events would have made the nightly news programs for their outrageous messages.

For instance, there’s the one I note in the headline of this piece.

Now imagine if a Tea Party sign said something like, “Dear Gay Blacks, F**k Off.” The media would have lost its tiny hive mind over such a blatantly ignorant sign. It’s been two years of Tea Party protests and there’ve been few signs as blatant as the dozens seen at many of these Occupy-Whatever events.
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Occupy Chicago Sign: ‘Dear Rich Straight White Dudes, F**K Off’”

Alan Caruba - Budget - Business - Capitalism - EU - Europe - Foreign Countries - Jobs - Taxes

Kiss the European Union Goodbye

October 24, 2011 by

-By Alan Caruba

In Paris on October 15th, a group of finance ministers and central bankers known as the G20, representing major nations, gave the European Union until October 23red to find an answer to the financial crisises that are tearing apart the EU and its monetary structure.

Don’t hold your breath. If not now, at least in the foreseeable future, the EU will collapse for the oldest reason, national sovereignty and national self-interest.

If you visit Wikipedia and enter “European Wars,” it will kick out a list that’s several pages long in small print starting with the Trojan Wars, 1193-1184 BC. The Romans conquered everyone for a while. The Spanish tried to invade England. For a while Napoleon was invading everyone. There were the hundred year wars, thirty year wars, and wars for the hell of it. Suffice to say the Europeans have a long record of going to war with one another.
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Kiss the European Union Goodbye”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - Government - Liberals - President - RightPundits.com - Stimulus - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Appointee: Cash For Clunkers Was A Bad Idea

October 22, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Austan Goolsbee was once considered an up-and-coming light in the world of economics. Then he put himself into Barack Obama’s orbit and turned himself into a political hack with no principles at all. Now he’s trying to redeem himself by backing away from some of Obama’s “economic “fixes” that failed so spectacularly.

During an appearance on MSNBC, Goolsbee admitted that the Cash for Clunkers program and the home buyer tax credit passed in 2009 were “short term gimmicks” that did not help heal the economy…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.

Anti-Americanism - Anti-Semitism - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Constitution - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Hate Crimes - Jobs - Liberals - Socialism - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Suspected Terror Supporter Attacks Jews at Occupy Chicago

October 22, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Chicago’s RebelPundit came across some of those nice Occupy Chicago folks wishing good thoughts for all the kind participants at the protest… they kindly wished that Israel be destroyed.

Worse, one of the guys these Occupy-Whatevers allowed to speak is a suspected funder of Middle Eastern terrorists.

Just like the left, eh? Haters, racists, and anti-Semites galore.

Note also that a Chicago TV station was filming the event. Note also that said film was never aired in Chicago.

The “news,” you see, don’t want to discredit the Occupy-Whatevers as much as they can avoid it.
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Suspected Terror Supporter Attacks Jews at Occupy Chicago”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Jobs - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Arie Friedman Comments on Disappointing Illinois Jobs Report

October 22, 2011 by 1 Comment

From the Friedman for State Senate campaign…

“Illinois continues to lead the nation in jobs lost since Springfield Democrats raised the state income tax in January,” Dr. Arie Friedman, said Friday, commenting on the latest statistics released by the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Friedman is seeking the Republican nomination for the State Senate in the 29th District, which extends through southeast Lake County and takes in parts of Northfield and Wheeling Townships and a small section of Palatine in Cook County. The district’s senator, Susan Garrett, announced her retirement this summer.

“From the time those tax hikes on families and employers passed in January,” Friedman said, “Illinois’s employment picture has demonstrated shocking weakness. We led the nation with 24,900 job losses in the month of July and continue to lead in the overall number of jobs lost this year. Illinois has lost 92,785 jobs during the first nine months of 2011,” he noted.
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Arie Friedman Comments on Disappointing Illinois Jobs Report”

Budget - Business - Campaign Finance - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Paul Ryan - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Rep. Paul Ryan To Headline Roskam Fundraiser

October 21, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Representative Paul Ryan (R, Wis) will be headlining a fundraising event next week for Peter Roskam’s re-election campaign. Ryan is the Chairman of the House Budget Committee.

Rep. Ryan is best known for his A Roadmap for America’s Future, a budget proposal favored by many Republicans and conservatives. Ryan has become something of a rock star among conservatives.

Roskam is the Representative of the Sixth Illinois District and is running for reelection. No challenger has announced an effort to face him.

Only in his third term, Roskam rose quickly in the ranks of the GOP and is now the third in line of the House GOP leadership serving as the Chief Deputy Whip.

Tickets for the Oct. 29 cocktail reception and private dinner at Naperville’s Hotel Arista range from $100 (reception) to $2,500 (reception, dinner, photo with the congressmen and “preferential seating”) a piece.

For more information see Roskam’s campaign website: http://www.roskamforcongress.com/.
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Rep. Paul Ryan To Headline Roskam Fundraiser”

Atlanta - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Cities - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Georgia - Jobs - Liberals - PCism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

Bi-Racial Tea Party Group Harassed by GA Capitol Police, Occupy Wall Streeters Given Pass to Break Laws

October 21, 2011 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

There has been a lot of talk comparing and contrasting the Tea Partiers and these Occupy-Whatever people. But in Georgia we can see a stark difference. Tea Partiers are law-abiding citizens while the Occupy Atlantans are law breakers. Sadly, Capitol Police in Atlanta have sided with the Occupiers and against Tea Partiers.

At the very least the Capitol Police in Atlanta have definitely been treating these two groups unequally. These officers of the law have turned a blind eye to law breaking by the Occupy folks allowing them to do anything they want but did not extend that courtesy to those Tea Party groups that also protested at the Georgia Capitol House.
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Bi-Racial Tea Party Group Harassed by GA Capitol Police, Occupy Wall Streeters Given Pass to Break Laws”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - GOP - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Jobs - Randy Hultgren - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Hultgren Statement on September Illinois Jobs Report

October 21, 2011 by

From the office of Rep. Randy Hultgren (R, Illinois 14th District)…

Geneva, IL – U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today released the following statement regarding the September unemployment report released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

“Today’s report that unemployment has increased to 10 percent is a clear sign that the state’s private sector has lost faith in the tax-and-spend policies espoused by leaders in both Washington, DC, and Springfield,” said Hultgren. “At the state level, I encourage leaders to work quickly to address the ever-growing pension crisis, the budget deficit, and late payments to state contractors.

“In Washington, I urge Harry Reid and the Senate to pass their first budget in more than 900 days and for them to act on the more than a dozen pro-growth, pro-job bills that have been passed by the House. We must restore the confidence of the private sector so small businesses will begin to grow and hire once again. ”

http://hultgren.house.gov/

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Illinois - Illinois Policy Institute - Jobs - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Ill. Policy Institute: A Direct Encounter with Occupy Wall Street Protesters‏

October 21, 2011 by

From the Illinois Policy Institute…

I had a direct encounter with the Occupy Wall Street protesters as I was on my way home the other night. The Illinois Policy Institute’s office is a block north of their Chicago base at Jackson Boulevard and LaSalle Street, so I’ve been walking through the crowd almost daily as I go about my business. But I recently stopped and had a real discussion.

It was delightful.

I asked what it is they were upset with and why were they vilifying corporations, noting that their umbrellas, cardboard signs and the ink used to write their anti-corporation messages all were made by corporations.

Like others, I’ve seen the news reports about their supposed demands: a $20 minimum wage, forgiveness of all debt and a socialist-style health care system. As the leader of a free market think tank, it will come as no surprise that I do not support those solutions; they are not economically sound.
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Ill. Policy Institute: A Direct Encounter with Occupy Wall Street Protesters‏”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Jobs - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - RightPundits.com - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Wash. Post: ‘Blue Collar Whites Support OWS’ — But DO They?

October 20, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Greg Sargent of the left-leaning Washington Post is all a flutter over a new poll that he claims proves that blue collar whites support the Occupy Wall Street “movement.” But Sargent does not report the fact that the poll he cites is pretty misleading.

Sargent claims that the argument that the “theatrics” of these nutty anti-American protests is thought to chase away support from the average American citizen for OWS protests. But the new poll, Sargent contends, proves this wrong…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - Liberals - Socialism - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Occupy Wall Streeters: Communists, Anti-Capitalists And now Rapists?

October 20, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

We know that the Occupy Wall Streeters are extremists in nature and far outside the American norm. We know they are communists, they hate capitalism, they are against the U.S. Constitution, American history and character, and believe in all sorts of wacky, fringe stuff. But thanks to Occupy Cleveland, we now see that they are rapists, too.

Nice, eh?

A young female student attending the Occupy Cleveland protests told police that she was raped by a male protester who was assigned to the same pop-up tent as she by the idiots in charge of the Occupy event.
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Occupy Wall Streeters: Communists, Anti-Capitalists And now Rapists?”

Budget - Business - Congress - Free Trade - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Republicans - Robert Dold - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Dold Announces the Creation of an Economic Innovation Zone at Naval Station Great Lakes and Lovell Center

October 20, 2011 by

From the office of Rep. Robert Dold (Ill., 10th District)…

NORTH CHICAGO, IL – Today, U.S. Congressman Robert J. Dold (IL-10), Lake County Board Chairman David Stolman, members of Lake County Partners and Naval Station Great Lakes, announced a new project at Naval Station Great Lakes and Lovell Center that would create an innovation zone designed to address the high unemployment throughout the region.

“I am pleased to announce today that with the help of Lake County Partners, North Chicago will be at the center of an economic innovation zone,” said Dold. “This will help to address the high unemployment throughout the local community and be a resource in which local officials, businesses, and community leaders can come together and implement an effective strategy to bring jobs to North Chicago residents.”

Rep. Dold is a third-generation resident of the 10th District of Illinois. As a small business owner, he has faced many of the challenges confronting business leaders today and is using that firsthand experience in Washington to help find ways to create more jobs and strengthen the economy. For more information on his work in Congress, visit: http://dold.house.gov/

Conservatives - Elections - Government - Herman Cain - Illinois - Mitt Romney - Newt Gingrich - Republicans - Rick Perry - Rick Santorum - Ron Paul - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

Herman Cain Leading in Palatine Straw Poll

October 19, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A gathering of Tea Partiers in Palatine, Illinois held a straw poll of 38 attendees and Herman Cain came out on top. The group met to watch Tuesday’s GOP debate.

38 Republican primary voters attended a “viewing party” in Palatine, IL on Oct. 18, 2011 for the Republican presidential candidate debate in Las Vegas on CNN. Compare these results to the straw poll for a very similar group last week after the debate in New Hampshire. Herman Cain expanded his lead with this group. Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich remain close to each other, and Michele Bachmann picked up some support. Rick Perry continued to decline.

This poll of a small group of Tea Partiers may seem sort of meaningless. Maybe on its face it is but this poll seems to reflect what Tea Partiers and conservatives are feeling throughout the movement, so this is a pretty good snapshot of where we stand today.
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Herman Cain Leading in Palatine Straw Poll”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Ethics - Government, Ill. County - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Pat Quinn - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Reform Illinois Pensions Now!

October 19, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Springfield must reform pensions now or our children will pay.

According to Illinois Is Broke, “The 30-second spots, in English and Spanish, will begin airing on Tuesday, October 18th and are scheduled to run through the veto sessions, which begin October 25th. The television campaign will be supplemented with a billboard, print and radio campaign, timed to coincide with the legislative sessions. In addition to nightly newscasts, the spots will run during sporting events, and programming such as 60 Minutes.”

Connect with Illinis is Broke on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IllinoisIsBroke

Follow them on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/IllinoisIsBroke
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Reform Illinois Pensions Now!”

Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Jobs - Liberals - President - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

President Continues to Play Politics With the Economy

October 19, 2011 by 1 Comment

The GOP Senate’s video this week is about the bipartisan opposition to President Obama’s most recent stimulus proposal (#Stimulus2). Senate Republicans believe Congress should follow the bipartisan path it recently pursued when it passed the Colombia, South Korea, and Panama free trade agreements (#TradeMeansJobs) and focus on passing other measures that will free businesses to grow and create jobs.

Business - Chicago - DuPage County - Electric - Energy - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Kirk Dillard - Republicans - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

Citing Elmhurst Dillard Calls for Pressure on ComEd

October 19, 2011 by

From the office of Ill. State Senator Kirk Dillard (24th District)…

In a Friday, October 14, 2011 interview on WLS radio’s Don Wade and Roma Show, Illinois State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Westmont) outlined his concerns about the SmartGrid legislation being pushed by Commonwealth Edison.

Voicing concerns relayed to him by local citizens and elected officials, Dillard said on the radio station that the SmartGrid legislation needs improvement. “The status quo is not enough,” Dillard said. “Cities like Elmhurst, which is right in my area, have had severe power outages. We need reliability. We’ve got to do something and we need to look at our electrical grid. In some places it’s old and decaying, so the status quo is not acceptable.”

In response to a question about how Quinn thinks raising electric rates are bad for businesses but thinks a 66% increase in income tax is okay, Dillard said, “I don’t believe in guaranteed rate increases [for utilities] by the Commerce Commission.”

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Citing Elmhurst Dillard Calls for Pressure on ComEd”

Budget - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - Government - Liberals - Regulation - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Another California Tax Hike to Fund a Boondoggle Program

October 18, 2011 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

As a result of years of budget deficits and wasteful spending by the state legislature, California faces difficult budget challenges for the next ten years. This bad news is courtesy of a recent analysis of the state’s long-term debt obligations by state Treasurer Bill Lockyer (Download .pdf of Lockyer’s Report). The analysis adds to a growing list of bad fiscal news for California, a state already struggling under the nation’s worst credit rating not to mention suffering the highest unemployment in the country at 12%.

Even as California deals with this financial crisis, a career politician is pushing a ballot measure that would raise taxes by nearly $1 billion — but doesn’t allocate one penny to balance the state budget, pay down its debt, or to fund existing critical programs like education and public safety. This measure, the so-called California Cancer Research Act, would mandate a new bureaucracy with six political appointees that can spend tax money on buildings and salaries and benefits. This includes $16 million spent on overhead and $117 million on new buildings and facilities. These are no one-time expenditures as such spending will continue year after year.

The Golden State is already on the verge of bankruptcy, to be sure, and California can’t afford this kind of spending right now. Californians should expect their legislature to fix the deepening budget deficit and fund existing programs before starting new costly spending programs like this.
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Another California Tax Hike to Fund a Boondoggle Program”