Ill. Reps. Roskam and Kinzinger on Troop Funding Bill

Two of Illinois’ Congressmen have released statements on the Troop Funding issue that has arisen with this looming government shutdown. The White House has claimed that our soldiers — many of whom are currently at war — won’t get paid.

Congressman Peter Roskam, 6th District Representative and the Chief Deputy Whip of The House Republicans, and Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, he of the 11th District, have each released a statement on the paying of our troops.

Congressman Peter Roskam

“A full 47 days after the House first passed H.R. 1 – and a year after House Democrats failed to even introduce a budget – the House has once again acted to keep the government open, cut spending, and fund the troops for the rest of the year. It is astonishing that President Obama is threatening to veto a bill to fund our troops – without stating a single policy objection – particularly when our troops are now in three different foreign conflicts. I’m disheartened the White House and Senate Democrats are putting politics ahead of funding our troops and keeping the government open. We owe it to our troops to make sure they are getting paid when in harm’s way.”

http://roskam.house.gov/

Congressman Adam Kinzinger

Today, on the 47th day since the House passed H.R. 1, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) spoke out in support of the Troop Funding Bill which would fund the Department of Defense through the remainder of FY2011, while cutting $12 billion in federal spending and keeping the government running for one week so a long-term solution will be reached, avoiding a government shutdown.

“As a military pilot, I have friends serving our country who are wondering if they’re going to get paid if the government does shutdown. I say, ‘Ask Harry Reid; we’ve tried to make sure you continue to get paid.’

“I’m disappointed by the news that our Commander-in-Chief has threatened to veto this legislation that would ensure members of the military receive their paychecks and avoids a government shutdown. I urge the Senate to stand up for the men and women who put their lives on the line and make certain they receive funding while making real spending cuts.

“I was sent here to cut spending and make government efficient and effective, not just in the short term, but in the long run for our children and grandchildren. I don’t think it’s any secret that we cannot continue down this reckless trajectory. We’ve kicked the can down the road for too long and now, there’s no more road left.

“It’s time to tackle the spending to ensure the fiscal soundness of this country for future generations.”

http://kinzinger.house.gov/


Roskam and Kinzinger Applaud House Passage of Energy Tax Prevention Act

Bill prevents EPA from instituting job-crushing energy taxes

Congressman Peter Roskam, Chief Deputy Whip, and Congressman Adam Kinzinger have issued statements after the House passed the Energy Tax Prevention Act, 255 – 172, to block the EPA from imposing cap-and-trade by regulation:

Congressman Peter Roskam

“I applaud the House for blocking new job-crushing energy taxes on families and employers. Americans have already overwhelmingly rejected a national energy tax by cap and trade, and the EPA’s proposal is just a back-door effort to accomplish exactly that by regulation. Unilaterally regulating greenhouse gases would increase energy costs in every home and every business, meaning higher bills and less jobs. It would cripple manufacturers – job creators – who use roughly one-third of our nation’s energy. For my manufacturers in the western and northwestern suburbs of Chicago, I’m glad the House acted to stop this job-crushing regulation.”

http://roskam.house.gov/

Congressman Adam Kinzinger

“Twenty-one months ago, Washington Democrats forced passage of the controversial cap and trade legislation through the House of Representatives. While cap and trade failed in the Senate, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is still attempting to enforce a backdoor cap and trade system on the American people.

“Today, the House approved the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011. Without this legislation, we are simply stepping to the side while the EPA imposes a cap-and-trade agenda which could mean even higher gas prices, increased utility rates, manufacturing jobs being sent overseas, and hampering our overall economic recovery.

“The Energy Tax Prevention Act is an effective, bipartisan approach to stop the EPA’s cap and tax agenda. It takes necessary steps to protect jobs and restores the Clean Air Act to its original purpose by repealing action already taken by the EPA to impose a bureaucratic climate change agenda.

“Manufacturers and energy producers at the local and national level, such as Edison Power in the Eleventh Congressional District and the National Association of Manufacturers, have made it clear that the Energy Tax Prevention Act is necessary in order to curtail the EPA’s overreaching regulations and create the certainty job creators need to grow their businesses and get more folks back to work here at home.

“Congress must focus on removing these regulatory obstacles in order to create long-term economic growth.”

http://kinzinger.house.gov/


BREAKING, BIG Upset: Prosser Finds 7,000 Votes in Wisconsin??

-By Warner Todd Huston

OK, folks, it seems that Waukesha County has discovered a computer error in its vote count which gives Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser 7,000 new votes. This completely changes the game to wipe out the 200 some lead that challenger Kloppenburg had giving Prosser a big win.

Now, I am a big, big advocate of quashing voter fraud so I have to say that I think the state of Wisconsin better look at this VERY closely. The state better make 100% sure that this is a legal outcome, here.

Don’t get me wrong, I am loving the idea that Prosser won this election. But the fact is that the county that these new 7,000 votes were found in is a GOP controlled county and I just can’t rest on this until we are sure this is right.
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BREAKING, BIG Upset: Prosser Finds 7,000 Votes in Wisconsin??”


Left-Wingers Have the Cash To Constantly Beat Conservatives

-By Warner Todd Huston

As some of you may remember I have been covering the anti-vote fraud efforts of True The Vote, a program created by the Texas-based King Street Patriots. They recently sent out a fund raising letter that almost immediately drew the notice of left wingers intent on destroying their anti-vote fraud work. This immediate response by the left really highlighted how unprepared conservatives are to fight the left’s juggernaut machine.

The King Street Patriots (KSP) have raised several thousand dollars to fund their anti-vote fraud program, certainly. But, as everyone knows, when running an organization — especially a politically oriented one — money is always in short supply.

Catherine Engelbrecht, the head of the KSP, has told me that they’ve rarely resorted to asking for money in fundraising letters, but sent one out early this week to raise much needed cash. Engelbrecht told me that only hours after the letter went out to her supporters the left-wing website American Independent posted a story about the letter.

The quick jump on the fund raising letter by the left shows some major differences between the left and the right in political activism.
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Left-Wingers Have the Cash To Constantly Beat Conservatives”


Obama’s Bribes to the Wash. Post and CBS

-By Warner Todd Huston

In a blow to the autonomy of the media it has been discovered that employees of two Old Media outlets are the happy beneficiaries of hundreds of thousands of federal dollars from an Obamacare slush fund. CBS and the Washington Post have both taken large payments from Obama’s Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP), with the Post getting $573,217 while CBS has received a whopping $722,388.

Matthew Boyle reported that the news of the media giants taking federal cash was revealed at a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee last week.

The question here becomes one of disclosure. Will CBS and the Washington Post put disclaimers on any story they relate about Obamacare? After all, if we see a positive story about Obamacare from the Washington Post or CBS might we assume the stories are so positive because employees of those media organizations know they could be the beneficiaries of thousands of dollars in federal cash? Might we assume that these Old Media employees might fear that any negative story might put that largess at risk?
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Obama’s Bribes to the Wash. Post and CBS”


Illinois Teachers Pay Nothing or Little into Their Pensions

-By Larry Snow

Illinois teachers qualify for a full 75 percent pension after working only 27 years. Most adults work for 27 years before they turn age 50.

Democrats want retail and construction workers to think that the majority of Illinois teachers are seriously paying into their pensions. The truth is, ordinary workers are made to do this for them, big time.

First, teachers have no Social Security taken out of their paychecks. Ordinary workers get hit with a 6.2 percent deduction for Social Security. It’s a deduction they have to pay federal and state income taxes on. Democrats gave teachers a huge loophole of not paying income taxes on any of their pension deductions. This enormous no-tax handout to teachers amounts to billions of dollars each year.

Over 51,000 of the total 132,502 teachers in Illinois contribute nothing from their K-12 paychecks into their pensions. Illinois law says it is to be 9.4 percent.

About an additional 32,000 teachers pay little into their pensions. It is 1.81 percent to be precise for these 31,956 teachers. Paying less than 2 percent is little unless you want to bamboozle ordinary working people into thinking the opposite…

Read the rest at ChampionNews.net.


Roskam Awarded Highest Honor by U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

From the office of Congressman Peter Roskam (R, ILL, 6th District)…

Roskam honored for his Leadership on Behalf of Job Creators

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-06), was recently awarded the “President’s Award” by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Roskam accepted the award at the Hispanic Chamber’s Annual Legislative Summit on March 30th.

Roskam was honored for his work on behalf of job-creators, including his leading advocacy for fundamental tax reform, cutting Washington’s spending and debt, and his tireless efforts to pass the three free trade agreements being stalled by Democrats – no-cost job creation.
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Roskam Awarded Highest Honor by U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce”


Republicans Urge Fiscal Responsibility, Energy Policies That Create Jobs

This video was shown to GOP senators Tuesday highlighting the fight for responsible spending policies and the need to create an environment in which private-sector job creation can flourish. Democrats, on the other hand, continue to balk at any attempt to seriously address our nation’s spiraling debt. Senate Republicans continue to fight burdensome energy taxes that would cripple our nation’s businesses and drive up the cost of energy for American families.

courtesy of the Senate Republican Conference.


From Nat’l Journal, One of the Most Biased Reports Seen in Some Time

-By Warner Todd Huston

Once in a while a purported news report is so biased that it simply must be highlighted. Today’s award for the most biased report goes to National Journal for its left-slanted piece on Obama’s warning to the House GOP that he will veto any budget that cancels his FCC attempt to take control of the Internet away from private industry.

In his very first paragraph for the National Journal, Josh Smith dives straight into the left side of the pool — and in at the deep end yet — by accepting the left’s premise of what the FCC’s net neutrality regulations are meant to do.

The White House threatened on Monday to veto any bill from Congress that would scuttle new rules aimed at keeping internet access free and open. (My bold)

Keeping the Internet “free and open”? That is the left’s fanciful contention of what net neutrality does, sure enough, and National Journal parroted that line as if it is a truthful, straightforward description of what the rules do.
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From Nat’l Journal, One of the Most Biased Reports Seen in Some Time”


GOP Hopefuls Support Cuts to Planned Parenthood Funding

-By Warner Todd Huston

Remember, President Obama is an advocate of infanticide…

The pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony List has announced that nine potential GOP presidential candidates have signed on to a call for Congress to defund the abortion mill organization Planned Parenthood.

The pro-life group has statements from Rep. Michelle Bachmann, Governor Haley Barbour, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Gov. Sarah Palin, Rep. Ron Paul, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Gov. Mitt Romney,and former Senator Rick Santorum all saying in one way or another the Planned Parenthood should be defunded.

Abortion is certainly an issue that shine a light of stark differences between Republicans and President Ogbama. Obama is solidly for abortion. In fact, he is a supporter of infanticide as his own words have clearly shown.
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GOP Hopefuls Support Cuts to Planned Parenthood Funding”


NEA: We Are One. We Are Everywhere. We are at War!

-By Larry Sand

National Education Association declares war, but finding allies could be difficult

It’s hardly a secret that the National Education Association is an organization that has had its political way for the past 35 or so years. However, voters are fed up with the union’s attempts to keep a failing public education system from being reformed and having massive debt foisted on them in the form of public employee pensions. In November, the populace voted flinty governors and no-nonsense legislators into state houses all over the country.

Clearly NEA, to maintain its hegemony, must now combat the reform fires that are spreading wildly from sea to shining sea. But according to teacher union watchdog Mike Antonucci, the megaunion is indeed going to war with not as much money as they once had. “… after some 27 years of increases, NEA membership is down in 43 states. The union faces a $14 million budget shortfall, and the demand for funds from its Ballot Measure/Legislative Crises Fund is certain to exceed its supply. Even the national UniServ grants, which help pay for NEA state affiliate employees, will be reduced this year.”

So, what will the war look like?
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NEA: We Are One. We Are Everywhere. We are at War!”


Top Worst State Budgets: Unions Have Put EVERY State’s Budget In The Hole

-By Warner Todd Huston

When you or I overspend our family budget and end up not being able to pay our bills a few things happen, all of them bad. At best we do without luxury items, at worst a bank comes and takes our cars away, our homes away, or, worse yet, we go hungry. When government unions spend government budgets into a black hole of trouble what happens? Apparently the citizens are expected to lose more of their own money for the comfort of government union members and to assist big spending Democrat politicians to keep indulging a wild bacchanalia of spending.

The worst mess that states are in is because government unions have been handed luxurious and unsustainable pensions and healthcare plans by those very Democrat politicians that unions have paid off to do so. Again all at the expense of the suffering taxpayers.

Maddeningly, these city, county, and state workers end up making far more than the poor citizens forced to pay for those government union member’s high living and comfortable retirement benefits while the citizens do without.
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Top Worst State Budgets: Unions Have Put EVERY State’s Budget In The Hole”


Kinzinger Statement on the Government Shutdown Prevention Act

From the office of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R, 11th, Illinois)…

Washington, D.C. – Today, on the 41st day since the House passed H.R. 1, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) spoke out in support of H.R. 1255, urging the Senate to cut $61 billion in government spending.

“Last year, when our friends on the other side of the aisle had the Majority in Washington, they failed to do the most basic thing — pass a budget. No budget was passed because they didn’t want to have to make the tough choices that would hurt them in re-election. Instead, Washington Democrats kicked the can down the road and passed a Continuing Resolution.

“As a result, the American people spoke up in November. They said the big, bloated, bureaucratic government is crowding out the free market.
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Kinzinger Statement on the Government Shutdown Prevention Act”


Union Chief Tries to Steal Civil Rights Movement

-By Warner Todd Huston

A few weeks ago AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka used the Civil Rights movement as a comparison for his union work. He wanted his audience to imagine that unionism is somehow just like the struggles for equality under the law that African Americans sought in the middle of last century. This is a disgusting attempt by Trumka to steal the mantle of Civil Rights for his money-grubbing, union thuggery.

In Washington D.C. early in March Trumka tried to glom onto Martin Luther King’s legacy and apply it to union efforts to grab luxurious healthcare and pension benefits from businesses and taxpayers alike.

“April 4 [is] the day on which Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life for the cause of public collective bargaining,” he pompously said.

Not only is this simply incorrect factually it is an outrage to say that King gave his life defending unions. We all know that King fought for the basic human rights of an entire people in a nation that had cast them into second-class citizen status, not for rich pensions, unduly high wages, and free healthcare.
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Union Chief Tries to Steal Civil Rights Movement”


Indiana Democrat Fleebagger Compares Himself to Our Soldiers

-By Warner Todd Huston

There is nothing worse than some self-interested politician acting as if his partisan political agenda makes him serving his country just like our brave soldiers at war. But here we have it from Indiana’s 69th District Democrat Dave Cheatham, one of the Hoosier State Reps that ran off to Illinois to avoid doing his job at the state capitol.

But what is worse than this cretin claiming that his running off to Illinois to stay at a resort hotel for a week on the taxpayer’s dime is somehow just like being a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan is the fact that the union thugs in the audience applauded for this politician, heartily agreeing with the whole misconception!

Representative Cheatham (and isn’t it just right that his name has CHEAT in it?) was at a union meeting with Indiana’s union-sold teachers in attendance when he told the audience that he was just like our soldiers when he ran off to Illinois. Disgustingly, the teachers in attendance gleefully clapped for the man’s conceit.

So, here you have it, Representative Cheatham saying that his running off to Illinois to sit in a resort hotel is “just like” our soldiers going off to Afghanistan.
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Indiana Democrat Fleebagger Compares Himself to Our Soldiers”


The Joke is On Illinois Taxpayers‏

From the Illinois Policy Institute…

Happy April Fools’ Day, indeed! While last Friday was meant to be a fun day for trickery, sometimes it seems like every day in Illinois politics is April Fools’ Day. Over the past three months, there has been an abundance of foolish policies and every time the joke is on taxpayers: the largest tax hike in state history, $1.7 billion in spending increases and a proposed $8 billion in borrowing. The only way to stop all this foolishness is by taking the message that there is a better way to one person at a time. One conversation, one phone call, one letter, one email: that’s how we will save our state. But we need your help! Our message is appealing and our solutions are real. The people of Illinois are ready to pursue a better path; they just need a little nudge from you!

Help us fight foolishness in Illinois. Forward this info to ten people today!
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The Joke is On Illinois Taxpayers‏”


The Big BPA Lie – The BPA File, Part Three

-By Alan Caruba

When I began this series about bisphenol-A, BPA, I instituted a Google Alert for Internet posts that mentioned it. From January through March it generated a report each day filled with notifications of newspaper, magazine, and Internet posts all denouncing BPA has a hazardous chemical that threatened the health of everyone from infants to adults.

More than one thousand posts were reported. Virtually all spread false information.

Such things do not happen by accident. They are the result of a concerted effort to defame BPA and they are indicative of a massive public relations effort. Serendipitously, on March 2nd the National Review published an article by Jon Entire, “Don’t Rush to Ban Chemicals” that revealed how public opinion is manipulated by the use of dubious “scientific studies” and the way most people, unschooled in science, do not realize that “one part per billion” of any substance poses no risk at all.
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The Big BPA Lie – The BPA File, Part Three”


Roskam Statement on March Jobs Report

From the Office of Rep. Peter Roskam, (R, ILL)…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL), Chief Deputy Whip, issued the following statement after the Department of Labor released their March jobs report:

“These numbers continue to show that our economy is moving in the right direction but not recovering nearly fast enough. For the millions of Americans still out of work, today is just one more painful reminder that Washington’s rampant borrowing and spending has grown our debt, but not jobs. Yet even as the borrow, tax, and spend policies severely hurt our economy, Senate Democrats continue to put politics ahead of policy – refusing sensible spending cuts – and rooting for a shutdown.

“That spending mentality, coupled with a constant drive to raise taxes, is a recipe for sustained economic disaster. It’s evident in Illinois where major employers – most recently Caterpillar and Jimmy John’s – signal that Illinois’ new job-crushing tax increases may force them to relocate to better business environments. We can’t expect the private sector to create jobs when faced with the highest corporate tax rate in the world, a $14 trillion national debt, and the constant threat of new Washington regulations and taxes. That’s why Republicans are focused on removing barriers to job creation by stopping Washington from spending money it doesn’t have, and implementing policies like fundamental tax reform, no-cost free trade agreements, and reform of harmful bureaucrat-driven regulations.”

http://roskam.house.gov/


Indiana Makes Great Strides in School Choice, Pro-Life Legislation

-By Warner Todd Huston

While everyone has been focusing on the Nazi signs being carried by “teachers” in Wisconsin, Indiana’s fleebaggers have finally come home and the state’s legislature has gotten down to business. The result has been some great conservative victories for school choice and pro-choice legislation.

Hoosier Access has the finer points and details, but I’ll give an overview of two great pieces of legislation that passed down at the state’s House in Indianapolis.
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Indiana Makes Great Strides in School Choice, Pro-Life Legislation”


Wisconsin Union’s Boycott Likely Illegal

-By Warner Todd Huston

Government union members of AFSCME Council 24 are circulating letters to local businesses in southeast Wisconsin threatening them that if they don’t come to immediate and vocal support of government unions the businesses will be targeted for attack.

The union says it won’t be satisfied with statements of neutrality, either. An AFSCME spokesman told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that only full-throated support would keep the union from attacking businesses.

The union told businesses that if they didn’t put a sign in their store windows proclaiming their support of government unions, then the union would target the business. “Failure to do so will leave us no choice but (to) do a public boycott of your business. And sorry, neutral means ‘no’ to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members,” the union said in its letter.
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Wisconsin Union’s Boycott Likely Illegal”


Compromised Wisc. Judge Rewrites Stop Order For Union Law… Again

-By Warner Todd Huston

Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi has gone back to her order to stop Gov. Scott Walker’s union bill and rewritten it in an effort to assist unions and Democrats (including her Democratic Operative son) continue to ride the gravy train at the expense of the taxpayers.

Sumi, whose entire family seems to be up to their necks in union business and Democrat Party politics, issued an order to stop Walker’s efforts to curb the ability of government unions to demand outsized benefits immediately after the bill passed the Wisconsin state legislature.

The state, however, published the bill on schedule and the legislature began to implement it this week.
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Compromised Wisc. Judge Rewrites Stop Order For Union Law… Again”


Against All Energy Anywhere

-By Alan Caruba

One of the great afflictions of the environmentalists—Greens—everywhere is a profound lack of understanding of the role that energy plays in whether a nation prospers or just limps along, barely keeping the lights on.

A classic case is the communist paradise of North Korea that is almost completely dark at night while just across the 38th parallel, South Korea is ablaze with light, energy, and a thriving economy.

Dedicated Greens don’t really like any kind of energy whether it is nuclear, provided by burning coal, from natural gas, oil or from hydropower. They think that wind power is trouble-free and cost effective when it is neither. They feel the same way about solar power. Both are deemed acceptable because they don’t “emit” anything. This viewpoint is not merely naïve, it is profoundly stupid.
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Against All Energy Anywhere”


‘Taxpayer’s Champion’ Censured By Grayslake School Board

-By Warner Todd Huston

Some residents of Northeast suburban Grayslake have called Michael Carbone the “taxpayer’s champion.” But the Grayslake School Board does not ascribe to such accolades. In fact, members of the board have censured Mr. Carbone for allegedly attempting to access a password-protected school district computer without permission.

Carbone has described himself as “a watchdog for the parents and children” but it seems he is also concerned with the school district’s finances. The incident that has drawn the ire of the other board members was when Carbone tried to find out if any Grayslake teachers had called in sick so that they could attend the union rallies up in nearby Madison, Wisconsin.

Carbone told the Chicago Tribune that Superintendent Ellen Correll said 18 teachers were absent, a number Carbone says is low.
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‘Taxpayer’s Champion’ Censured By Grayslake School Board”


Chicago’s City Worker Union Members Get Free Chauffeur Perks

-By Warner Todd Huston

Let’s say your job is as a traveling salesman or a construction worker and you work at different locations throughout the year. Wouldn’t it be nice to get your own free chauffeur service to get back and forth to work? That way you could just drive yourself to one location a day and then have your chauffeur take you back and forth to your work site. Nice, huh? Well, apparently that is what’s going on in Chicago for city worker union members and taxpayer’s are paying $18 million a year for this union perk.

According to an investigation by Inspector General Joe Ferguson, at least 200 city truck drivers only duty is to drive other city workers back and forth to work sites. Outside of that one duty, these truck drivers sit and do nothing for the rest of the day as they wait for workers that are actually working to finish their jobs. These “workers” are essentially paid chauffeurs.

Ferguson recommended that one of the city workers actually involved in working at the work site could drive the trucks instead of having highly paid union members sitting around while other workers actually worked.
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Chicago’s City Worker Union Members Get Free Chauffeur Perks”


Mich. Teachers Assoc. Features Photo of Gov. Snyder as Devil on Facebook Page

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has a devil of a story. It appears that the Michigan Education Association was hosting a photo of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder replete with bloodspatters and occult symbols making the governor out to be the devil. (See image below)

The Mackinac Center alerted the MEA about the offensive image that had been on the page since March 11 and the teachers group claimed they had no idea it was there and did not put it there themselves.

How it is that such an image can for days be on the MEA’s official Facebook page and the organization not knowing it is rather absurd.

“We do monitor our page — unfortunately, we missed this one (items move down the Facebook feed pretty quickly, so if we miss it, it can get buried fast),” Pratt said in an email. “We’ve deleted the item. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.”

Remember, folks, THESE are the sort of people “teaching” our children!

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Mich. Teachers Assoc. Features Photo of Gov. Snyder as Devil on Facebook Page”


Rep. Peter Roskam: High Taxes Have Consequences

-By Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam, GOP Chief Deputy Whip

Note: Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman will testify before the Ways & Means Trade Subcommittee today.

Illinois and other states have recently made headlines for their declining populations. Whether they realize it or not, what states like Illinois are learning the hard way is that over-taxing and over-regulating has consequences. And Illinois is now learning that one painful consequence is job loss.

Caterpillar, a Fortune 500 company that employs 23,000 workers in Illinois, currently finds itself dealing with a new tax increase in an already over-taxed state. Their CEO, Doug Oberhelman, sent a warning shot on March 21st with a letter to Illinois’ new Democrat Governor Pat Quinn:
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Rep. Peter Roskam: High Taxes Have Consequences”


VIDEO — Who’s More Responsible: Charlie or Washington?

Who is more fiscally responsible: Charlie Sheen or Washington? Duh! Charlie the Warlock. Washington spends $30 million, the same as Charlie’s salary, in less than five minutes. Now that’s a fastball… At least Charlie knew not to spend more than Two and a Half Men was paying him.

Courtesy of Bankrupting America.


Ill GOP House News

From Ill. GOP House Leader Tom Cross…

Years of advocating for fiscally conservative and responsible budgeting by members of the House Republican caucus finally seems to be resonating with leading Democrats in the House. Wednesday, House Republican Leader Tom Cross testified alongside House Speaker Michael Madigan before the House Elementary and Secondary Appropriations and the General Services Appropriations Committees on legislation they are co-sponsoring that reinforces the concept that the state cannot spend more money than it takes in.

House Bill 3639, House Bill 3697, and House Bill 116 require the state to fully fund the public pension systems in FY12 and House Bill 117 which passed the Public Safety Committee, requires the state to allocate $2.137 billion to pay debt service on bonds.

Cross_Madigan_HB117 from Illinois House Republicans on Vimeo.

The House also passed on Wednesday a bi-partisan, House Resolution 158, which specifies that any revenue the state receives exceeding $33.2 billion, the estimate adopted in House Resolution 110, should be used to pay down bills. This estimate is $2 billion less than the Governor proposed spending in his FY12 budget plan.

Last week the House passed House Resolution 156 establishing the percentage of general revenue funds each appropriations committee would have available to work with as they develop their budgets.
The allocation is as follows:

  • Elementary and Secondary Education – 28.742%
  • General Services – 5.158%
  • Higher Education – 8.761%
  • Human Services – 50.631%
  • Public Safety – 6.978%

“This series of legislation is putting the legislature on the right path to passing a state budget that is balanced and does not exceed what we can afford – that helps ensure the tax increases passed in January will be temporary,” said Cross. “It also provides schools, human service providers and others with some certainty knowing how much money will be available as they prepare their own budgets. That is something they haven’t had for years with the Democrats’ lump sum budgets. It’s good to see our persistence is finally paying off and we are going to continue to hold the Democrats’ feet to the fire to reduce spending and balance the budget.”