Dillard Attacks Opponents on Ethics Questions Judgment

From the Kirk Dillard for Governor campaign…

(Lisle, IL) – Illinois Republican candidate for governor Kirk Dillard today challenged his GOP opponents on judgment and ethics, arguing he has the best record and the experience to make Illinois work again.

“With our state in crisis, we need someone who can exercise sound judgment,” Dillard told a City Club forum in Chicago. “It is vital that the voters closely evaluate every candidate to determine who has the ethical judgment and leadership necessary to turn our state around and balance the state budget without the need for a tax increase.”
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Dillard Attacks Opponents on Ethics Questions Judgment”


10th District: Peraica Endorses Dold

From the Bob Dold for Congress campaign…

Robert Dold’s message of bringing small business common sense change to Washington is resonating with voters across the district. Adding to the high-charged momentum that continues to build at the Dold campaign, Robert picked up a key endorsement Sunday from Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica, who endorsed Robert for his small business background and his ability to restrain reckless spending and create jobs in Washington.
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10th District: Peraica Endorses Dold”


The Left: Bending Over Backwards to Excuse Racism

-By Warner Todd Huston

A new book about the 2008 presidential election has made quite a stir with its revelation that Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) chose some, shall we say, unfortunate wording when referring to then candidate Barack Obama in some “private” discussions with reporters during the late presidential campaign.

In the book Game Change penned by John Heilemann and Mark Halprin, Harry Reid is quoted as saying that people supported Obama because he was “light skinned,” and because he exhibited no “Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” This implies that Reid thinks dark skinned Negroes cannot win election.

Before the quote was widely known, though, on Saturday Harry Reid rushed an apology to the press, one quickly accepted and downplayed by now President Obama. Both prepared to move forward as if nothing happened. Republicans have pointed to this as a fine example of a double standard. They recalled that Senator Trent Lott was hounded out of leadership in 2002 for making some complimentary remarks about Senator Strom Thurmond at his retirement party. Republicans have now gone on to call for Reid’s removal as Senate Majority Leader in a similar vein to Lott’s situation. Naturally Democrats have demurred from demanding that Reid step down and Republicans are calling this a classic example of the left’s double standard. It is clear that incidents such as this are used to destroy Republicans but similar incidents when involving Democrats are swept under the rug.
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The Left: Bending Over Backwards to Excuse Racism”


Interview With Randy Hultgren Candidate for 14th Congressional District

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last week I spoke to candidate for Congress Randy Hultgren (R, DuPage County) who would like to win your GOP nomination for the 14th Congressional District. The 14th District encompasses the cities of Elgin in the east, westward toward DeKalb, Dixon and Sterling and as far south west as Coal Valley. The shape of the district is like that of a gas pump handle with the nozzle headed westward.

Attorney and business owner Randy Hultgren is currently the 48th District State Senator elected to that position in 2007. In 1999 he was elected to the State House and served there until elected to the Senate. Hultgren has been involved in state politics for 20 some years.

On his website, Hultgren says he’s running for Congress because he believes “we need real conservatism in Washington,” and that he’s proud to call himself a “real Conservative.” (Website: http://hultgrenforcongress.com/)

I began my time with Senator Hultgren noting that the filed of candidates for the 14th District was once pretty large but that in the last month it has been winnowed down to two candidates: himself and Ethan Hastert, son of former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert. It is well known that the national party and folks like Newt Gingrich have announced their support of Hastert and I wondered what Mr. Hultgren’s reaction was to this fact.
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Interview With Randy Hultgren Candidate for 14th Congressional District”


Economic Recovery: Plight of the Fundamentals

From the David Ratowitz for Congress campaign…

The following is U.S. House Candidate David Ratowitz’s response to President Obama’s January 8 address on the U.S. economy and December job losses. Material can be reprinted verbatim or in part as needed.

Two months ago, the Democrat-controlled Congress told us that the recession was over. For 30 glorious days, the stimulated economy produced more than one new job for every 54,000 unemployed Americans. Then came December, when Americans, in a holiday spending frenzy fueled by low interest rates and a 48.6 percent surge in monthly Social Security and unemployment payments, created a better than expected shopping season. The result: 85,000 more jobs lost.
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Economic Recovery: Plight of the Fundamentals”


Getting Control of Congress, Permanently

-By John Armor

We are now experiencing a disconnect between national political leaders and the citizenry. Public support for congressional actions is low and falling, as are the president’s numbers. Public opposition to the health care bill, now passed in different forms in the House and Senate, is at 59% and rising.

In various ways, the people are strongly indicating that they think Congress is out of control and needs adult supervision. Particularly galling is the revelation that Senate leaders bought critical votes on the health care bill by dumping hundreds of millions in special benefits into states whose senators had withheld support — until they got their bribe.

In answer to the public outcry, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shrugs and says that any senator who “does not seek as much as he can” for his own state isn’t doing his job.
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Getting Control of Congress, Permanently”


2nd District: Isaac Hayes Says ‘Harry Reid Needs to Go’

From the Isaac Hayes for Congress campaign…

The following statement was released today by Rev. Isaac C. Hayes, the GOP nominee for Congress in IL-2, in response to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s racial remarks about Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign as a “light-skinned” African-American “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”:

“We will not accept a double standard. Sen. Harry Reid must go” said Hayes. “When Sen. Trent Lott’s was the Majority Leader, Sen. Obama called for him to step down. ‘The Republican Party itself has to drive out Trent Lott. If they have to stand for something, they have to stand up and say this is not the person we want representing our party.’ I call on president Obama to take this same position with a member of his own party. This is the second revelation in the past few months of questionable racial remarks from Sen. Reid and we will not continue to tolerate it.”

For more information, go to: isaac4honesty.com


Illinois Conservatives on FaceBook Getting Some Notice

-By Warner Todd Huston


The new FaceBook group called Illinois Conservatives is getting some more notice. Channel 17 in Rockford did a news piece on the group (see video here and here’s the written report that aired). We discussed the group last month.

These are a bunch of young guys that got together to start their FaceBook group in the hopes that they’d be able to serve as a place to go to find out what conservatives are running for office in Illinois. They have also started to endorse particular candidates and have been amazed to find that candidates are seeking them out for their endorsement.
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Illinois Conservatives on FaceBook Getting Some Notice”


Time: Conflating Big Spending With ‘Moderate’

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the tricks that the Old Media consistently uses to paint conservatives as walking on the dark side is to call Republicans who lean left “moderates,” while those who lean to the right are “right wing” or “hardcore” Republicans. This media-speak reserves the harsher words for conservatives and makes anyone on the right seem like an extremist, yet paints the center-left as being on the side of the angels.

It’s a subtle flavoring of rhetoric that leads the reader to a prearranged conclusion as opposed to a reporting of the facts. A recent Time Magazine article by Tim Padgett on the Republican primary Senate campaign between Florida’s Charlie Crist and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio is a perfect example of this.

To Time the primary fight between Rubio and Crist is apparently one of light versus dark, the evil extremist “right wing” siding with Rubio against the nice, “inclusive” moderates supporting Crist. But with this characterization, Time is misrepresenting the political battle between Rubio and Crist. Unfortunately for Time’s agenda, the argument in Florida between Rubio and Crist has little to do with moderates, inclusion, or big tent politics but has everything to do with economics. Rubio is a fiscal conservative while Crist, the incumbent governor, has been a profligate spender.
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Time: Conflating Big Spending With ‘Moderate’”


Crain’s Chicago: Earring Wearing ‘Journo’ Attacks ‘Tea-Baggers’ and Conservatives

-By Warner Todd Huston

Crain’s Chicago Business has just gotten into the business of indulging in foul, sexually charged name calling, apparently. Yes, you can mark Crain’s Chicago Business as only the latest news outlet to decide it’s funny to call conservatives “tea-baggers.” It’s a name that lefties have been tagging the movement with all winter, one derived from the sexually perverse homosexual practice.

This time it’s the self-assumed humorist and political columnist Greg Hinz who thought it was hilarious to call an Illinois gubernatorial candidate a “Tea-bagger.” In a blog post about candidate for Governor Adam Andrzejewski, Hinz broke out the funny bone and titled his offering, “Tea-bagger Andrzejewski goes for GOP gov’s gold.”

Now, without a doubt Greggie Hinz thinks he’s a laugh riot over at Crain’s Chicago Business. He must. After all, it is a laugh riot when a 60-something-year-old white, bald man wears an earring, isn’t it? (as can be seen in his blog photo) It must serve as his statement of “irony.” It’s his sign to those he meets that says, “Hey, dude, I’m a fun, funny guy.” Of course, it’s not really taken that way, sadly for Greggie. No, instead of being tragically hip, it’s just tragic. Speaking of hips, I hope this elder Crain’s jokester walks carefully on all this Chicago winter ice. We don’t want gramps to fall down and break his. And I hope Greggie walks carefully in those jester’s shoes with the curled up toes with the bells on them. It could be hazardous, ya know?
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Crain’s Chicago: Earring Wearing ‘Journo’ Attacks ‘Tea-Baggers’ and Conservatives”


Opponent Appears For Chris Lauzen’s 25th District State Senate Seat

-By Warner Todd Huston

25th District Senator Chris Lauzen (R, Aurora) has been opposed by establishment GOP types before and it looks like he’s again facing a go-along-to-get-along Republican challenger in his latest run for State Senate.

Sugar Grove Village President Sean Michels has thrown his hat in the ring against the veteran Senator from Aurora. What is his reason? He thinks that the 25th District needs someone to get along with the GOP establishment to “get things done.”

Michels told the Daily Herald that he felt that Lauzen couldn’t serve his constituents because he doesn’t work well with the party big boys.

Michels contends that Lauzen’s alienation from Republican leadership in Springfield costs the district in state money and in influence.

“He’s not effective in his own party,” Michels says, noting that after 17 years in office, Lauzen has no party leadership post.

As far as I am concerned that means that Michels wants to go along to get along, doesn’t want a senator that will fight the hard battles, wants a senator with no overriding principles, and wants someone that can just bring home the bacon to the district. Seems to me that Michels wants to practice just the sort of good ol’ boy politics that has been destroying the Illinois GOP for decades.

In the Herald interview Michels also said something that to me reveals his naivete and a complete inability to understand what a State Senator even does. Michels told the Herald that what prompted him to make this run is that he spotted a “bumpy stretch” of road near his home so he contacted a state representative who helped him get it fixed. He said that he wouldn’t be able to get this sort of help from Lauzen because Lauzen isn’t in bed with the GOP establishment — sadly, the Herald neglected to ask Michels if he even tried to contact Lauzen for help. Of course the absurdity here is that Michels thinks that a state senator’s job is to go about fixing potholes as if he were some city alderman!

While roads, bridges, and infrastructure do fall into the purview of the state senate, there is far more to the job than just fixing a “bumpy stretch” in a local road!
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Opponent Appears For Chris Lauzen’s 25th District State Senate Seat”


Chairman Brady, McKenna Owes the Ill. GOP Twenty-five Grand

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last April current gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna was the Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. At that time Party money paid for a poll to determine what the level of support was for the various Illinois Republicans that were considering, or might consider, a run for governor.

McKenna is now admitting that his name appeared on that poll at his own bidding and this was a violation of the pledge he took upon taking the GOP chairman’s seat. Like all other Chairmen, McKenna pledged to work for the party and not his own candidacy once he took the GOP chief’s role.

McKenna now admits that he directed that the poll include his own name despite that he pledged not to push his own candidacy while he was the GOP Chairman. Soon after the poll was conducted McKenna quit as party chief and then announced his own run for governor. This is all in contravention to his pledge to work for the party.

One month ago the state party decided to investigate McKenna’s action and today this tepid response was issued by the party:

The State Central Committee of the Illinois Republican Party has concluded that Mr. McKenna should not have done so without prior Central Committee approval and disclosure. Mr. McKenna had no intent to violate the spirit or the intent of the Party’s by-laws and he sincerely apologizes for having done so.

Well, maybe it isn’t completely tepid in that it actually happened at all. Brady should be given some level of kudos for even starting the investigation in the first place. That in itself is a step, no matter how small, away from the good old boy’s network that affords them license for every infraction or criminal action.

Still, I think Brady should have gone farther and demanded that McKenna repay the $25,000 the party spent on the poll back in April.

Andy McKenna is a prime symbol of all that is wrong with the Illinois GOP.
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Chairman Brady, McKenna Owes the Ill. GOP Twenty-five Grand”


Chicago Sun-Times Endorses Dillard for Governor

From the Kirk Dillard for Governor campaign…

Republican candidate for governor Kirk Dillard today welcomed the endorsement of the Chicago Sun-Times in his race for the GOP nomination.

“I’m honored to be selected among the field of Republican candidates running for the state’s highest office,” said Dillard. “I have long valued the Sun-Times for its editorial positions on issues of importance to Illinois. To receive its endorsement is a true honor.”

In its endorsement, the Sun-Times said of Dillard, “No other candidate comes close to matching his experience in the executive and legislative branches of state government, his knowledge of the back doors of power in Springfield, and his proven ability to build cross-party coalitions without abandoning core Republican values.”
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Chicago Sun-Times Endorses Dillard for Governor”


Andrzejewski calls on Legislature to restore Citizens’ right to a Secret Ballot

From the Adam Andrzejewski for Governor campaign (pronounced Angee-efski)…

“Attorney General Lisa Madigan argues in court that the citizens of Illinois do not have a right to a secret ballot.”

Adam Andrzejewski, Republican candidate for Governor, is calling on the state legislature to restore Illinois citizens’ right to privacy in the voting booth. In late 2007, the Illinois General Assembly passed an update to the election law that effectively undermines the Illinois citizens’ right to a secret ballot.
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Andrzejewski calls on Legislature to restore Citizens’ right to a Secret Ballot”


Comptroller: Dodge Launches State-Wide Campaign

From the Jim Dodge for Comptroller campaign…

In an effort to cut through campaign ad clutter, Jim Dodge, Republican Candidate for Illinois Comptroller has launched the first stage of an innovative campaign communication approach. This concerted statewide voter outreach is designed to direct voters to the campaign web site, www.jimdodge2010.com, and provide them immediate access to unfiltered information not only about Dodge’s background, qualifications and goals for the office but also the critical information about Dodge’s opponents that Republican voters must considered before voting.
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Comptroller: Dodge Launches State-Wide Campaign”


WYLL’s Sandy Rios Endorses Dillard

From the Kirk Dillard for Governor campaign…

Radio talk show hostess and commentator Sandy Rios today endorsed Republican candidate Kirk Dillard for governor. Rios said Dillard is the best Republican in the field of candidates vying for the GOP nomination on February 2.

“Kirk Dillard is my pick for governor,” Rios told her listeners on WYLL, AM 1160 in Chicago. “I care so much about what happens in this state and this race really matters. Kirk is good on the issues and has good relationships across party lines.”
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WYLL’s Sandy Rios Endorses Dillard”


8th District Dirk Beveridge: Announcing Endorsements

From the Dirk Beveridge for Congress campaign…

January 6, 2010…Barrington, Ill. Tomorrow, at the Lake County Republican Party Debate, Dirk W. Beveridge (48), Republican candidate for the 8th Congressional District, will formally announce endorsements he has earned from a coalition of job creators, industry leaders and entrepreneurs.

“Dirk understands business issues and job creation,” explains Ron Bullock, Chairman and Owner, Bison Gear & Engineering Corp. and 2009 Chair, Illinois Manufacturers Association.
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8th District Dirk Beveridge: Announcing Endorsements”


Patrick Hughes: Senate Candidate Calls for Term Limits

A Republican candidate for U.S. Senate is vowing term limits.

Businessman Patrick Hughes says the seat for which he is running has turned over regularly over the last two decades, but that’s not the norm. “What’s happened with this Senate seat is unusual, and maybe beneficial for the people of Illinois, but across this country and in Congress, it’s entrenched interests,” he said. “You know how difficult it is to beat an incumbent typically, and that just leads to people being in Washington for too long.”

Hughes says if he’s elected, he’ll work to enact term limits for everyone. As for himself, he says he wouldn’t serve any more than two terms.
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Patrick Hughes: Senate Candidate Calls for Term Limits”


Tea Party Debate Continued: My Reply to Steve McQueen of BigGovernment.com

-By Warner Todd Huston

In what I suppose is round three, I’d like to take a moment to reply to the criticism of my Tea Party article which was titled “Tea Parties: The Biggest Mistake We Could Make in 2010.” That criticism is penned by my fellow BG contributor, Steve McQueen whose piece titled “For Tea Parties, Bigger Is Not Better” I think missed my point. Worse I feel his piece helps the left to further splinter the right in a small way.

Certainly we on the right need an open and vigorous debate about what the Tea Parties are and how to make the best use of them, but we should have this discussion in the spirit of cooperative debate instead of the sort of isolated attacks employed by McQueen. What I mean is that if Mr. McQueen had some issues with my piece and questions about my meaning, the proper strategy would have been to email me and ask. We could then have had a debate, and perhaps joined together in a piece for BigGovernment.com that would clarify both our positions in the best effort toward harnessing the Tea Party energy to the best effect. Instead he rushed to print without a single attempt to contact me. This, I believe, only helps the left in that it gives the appearance of internal strife instead of a united front. After all, I would guess that Mr. McQueen and I are both after the same end goal of success of conservative principles in government and society alike.

In my piece I spoke of mistakes and this I think is another one of them. Too many of us Internet pundits are talking past each other and are too quick to look for that next “thing” that will get us noticed. Too often we are “Frumming” each other, in other words always attacking each other. Instead of seeking to find common ground so that we can build up our side we are sniping at each other.

Still, I think McQueen makes a few perfectly agreeable points despite that he so badly misconstrued my actual reason for writing my original piece. But like many out there that only read my provocative headline and didn’t bother to actually read the rest of the piece, McQueen assumed I was attacking the Tea Party movement itself. In fact, there is not one stitch of criticism of the actual Tea Parties in my piece. I have no complaints about them except in as much as questioning how we harness their energy going forward.
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Tea Party Debate Continued: My Reply to Steve McQueen of BigGovernment.com”


Illinois Panel Votes to ‘Close’ Thomson Readying it for Guantanamo Terrorists

-By Warner Todd Huston

This afternoon the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability voted 7-4 to formally close the Thomson Correctional Center. The next step could be to sell the facility to the federal government in order for Obama to deposit in the midst of Illinois citizens the dangerous terrorists from the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba detainee facility.

This decision is but a stepping stone toward the eventual sale of the prison to the federal government. The panel only serves in an advisory capacity so this decision does not finalize any deals.
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Illinois Panel Votes to ‘Close’ Thomson Readying it for Guantanamo Terrorists”


Wauconda GOP Organization Withdrawing Kelly Endorsement?

-By Warner Todd Huston

There had been a rumor going around that the Wauconda Republican organization headed up by Bob Cook was going to withdraw its endorsement of Bill Kelly for Comptroller over the revelations concerning the rather outrageous videos featuring Kelly that had been making the rounds. It was thought that some of the Wauconda folks had become embarrassed by the videos. Well the organization recently met yet the rumor mill swirled a different way afterward. After the meeting the withdrawal rumor was modified to one that said the organization was merely not going to put out any Kelly literature and would replace it with that of another candidate.

It is all pretty confusing. Is Wauconda withdrawing its endorsement of Kelly, or are they going to dump his literature in a sort of soft withdraw? I had questions so I gave Bob Cook a call and he settled the question for me, at least for now.
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Wauconda GOP Organization Withdrawing Kelly Endorsement?”


10th District Robert Dold: Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant

From the Robert Dold for Congress campaign…

Now that a new year is upon us and the February 2nd primary election is just 27 days away, the people of the 10th District will soon have the opportunity to bring change to Washington by electing a new Congressman who will stand up and fight on issues such as ethics and government transparency. As President Obama enables Congress to trample public interest by hiding behind closed doors during the final talks of the health care bill, it becomes even more evident that we need to elect Congressional leaders committed to open and accountable government.
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10th District Robert Dold: Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant”


Endorsements for Dan Patlak for Cook Cnty Board of Review Piling Up

Dan Patlak is the obvious choice for the suburban seat (once regarded as the automatic Republican seat) on the Cook County Board of Review. Not only is he the most qualified candidate but he has received the endorsement form almost every Cook suburban GOP organization and group. Here is his announcement of another few added to his column. (We here have also endorsed Patlak, by the way)
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Endorsements for Dan Patlak for Cook Cnty Board of Review Piling Up”


5th District: Twitterview with U.S. House Candidate David Ratowitz

From the Ratowitz for Congress campaign…

U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz (IL-5) is conducting a live Twitterview tomorrow (1/7). The event is open to both media and the public. Find out how David is leveraging the nationwide 2010 conservative comeback and advancing the freedom message in a high-profile, Chicago Machine stronghold like Illinois District 5.
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5th District: Twitterview with U.S. House Candidate David Ratowitz”


John Stossel Gives me a Shout Out

-By Warner Todd Huston

Usually I don’t give notice for every single time some news agency cites my work. If I did I’d be spending too much time doing it (no, that wasn’t too self congratulatory at all! Ha, ha). But here is one that I am sort of proud of.

On his new Fox Business blog, long-time TV libertarian John Stossel cited my piece on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s union woes today. In a post titled “Unions’ Next Victim: California” Stossel cited my Publius Forum piece published on Jan.5.

I have a ton of respect for Mr. Stossel even as I don’t agree with some of his more libertarian ideas (such as those on drug control and prostitution) but he is right on in so much. So, that being said (and why must they always say it, right John?) I was pleased to see Mr. Stossel citing my piece.

Also, I want to wish good luck to Stossel on his new job with Fox Business channel.


Dillard Blames Quinn for U of I Cuts Applauds Ikenberry’s Tough Decisions

From the Kirk Dillard for Governor campaign…

Republican candidate for Governor Kirk Dillard applauded University of Illinois President Stanley Ikenberry for taking immediate steps to stem the flow of red ink at the University by implementing tough budget decisions, including mandatory furlough days. Dillard noted that the state’s flagship university is in dire straits because Governor Pat Quinn and Democrat leadership have failed to balance the state budget and owe nearly a half-billion dollars to the school.

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Dillard Blames Quinn for U of I Cuts Applauds Ikenberry’s Tough Decisions”


Once Again Unions Find a Pliant Judge to do Their Bidding

-By Warner Todd Huston

In another example of why unions are antithetical to good government, a pliant, left-wing judge in California has ruled that the Schwarzenegger Administration cannot furlough state workers that belong to three powerful public employees unions.

Governor Schwarzenegger has been battling to cut his over spent state budget for several years now and one of the solutions to the problem that he lit upon was the idea that he might furlough his workforce. He would give these workers a few days a month off without pay and this would save the taxpayer’s millions. It is a good idea and one that real-world businesses are forced to employ all the time when things get tough.

But here come the state unions to prevent this simple cost saving measure even though it is common as dirt in the real-world sector.
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Once Again Unions Find a Pliant Judge to do Their Bidding”


Dillard: Ryan’s Blago Like Short Term Solutions

-By Warner Todd Huston

Kirk Dillard, one of the several GOP candidates for Governor, is taking issue with fellow candidate Jim Ryan’s prescription to ease the state’s budget crunch. Earlier today, Jim Ryan proposed that the state lease its tollways to a private company in order to reap a lump sum payment to fill in the holes of the current budget mess.

The tollway idea was among many ideas that Ryan proposed.

State Senator Kirk Dillard released a statement regarding lambasting Jim Ryan’s support of privatizing the tollway.
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Dillard: Ryan’s Blago Like Short Term Solutions”