Government, Ill. County

Congress - Constitution - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Immigration/Immigrants - Liberals - Luis Gutierrez - President - Warner Todd Huston

Rep. Gutierrez Threatens Not to Support Obama Re-election Over Immigration

April 20, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Chicago area Congressman Luis Gutierrez has been harping on the immigration issue for many years and since Obama was elected he has stepped up that activism. Gutierrez wants complete amnesty and an open border and he’s been unhappy with the Obama Administration for its lack of movement on the issue. Now he’s threatening not to support Obama’s 2012 reelection bid over his stymied immigration bill.

Gutierrez has been desperate to get an amnesty bill through Congress but has been stonewalled even by other Democrats. In 2009 he tried it. At that time I interviewed Rep. Brian Billbray who said that Gutierrez was merely setting up the next major wave of illegal immigration with his bill.

Last year Gutierrez even tried to shoehorn gay issues into an immigration bill in order to get his failed ideas passed. He pushed hard for the DREAM Act but that failed, too.
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Rep. Gutierrez Threatens Not to Support Obama Re-election Over Immigration”

Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Computers - Congress - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Inernet - Jesse Jackson - Liberals - Socialism - Technology - Warner Todd Huston

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. Attacks Apple iPad

April 20, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Chicago area Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. is apparently as fickle as he is uninformed about economics and the Constitution both. In March we saw him praising the Apple iPad as technology so important that he wanted to have the federal government buy one for every American student. Only a month later he was calling the iPad a destroyer of American jobs. Talk about a whiplash inducing turn around.

In March, Jackson was pleased to announce a brilliant idea to put a provision into the Constitution that gives every student an iPad and a laptop computer. After a week of ridicule, Rep. Jackson doubled down on that plan saying that the iPad had so fundamentally altered education that it should be a right.

And now, only a month later Jackson has made a complete turnaround on the iPad calling it a destroyer of American jobs.
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Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. Attacks Apple iPad”

Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - GOP - Government - Health - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois Family Institute - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Medical Marijuana - Republicans - Tom Cross - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Going to Pot? GOP Leader Now Supporting Medical Marijuana Bill

April 20, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Illinois Family Institute is a bit worried over the sudden about face that House GOP Leader Tom Cross has made on HB 30, a bill that includes legalizing medical marijuana sales in Illinois.

On April 15, Fox News Chicago reported that Cross switched from a “no” vote to “yes” because he had talked to people who use medical marijuana, “including one man who is a disabled veteran.”

Cross said the key to the legislation is that it limits marijuana use to particularly painful diseases such as cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus and Crones’ Disease.

Cross told Fox that he supports the bill because it has “tight restrictions” on how medical marijuana can be used and sold.
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Illinois Going to Pot? GOP Leader Now Supporting Medical Marijuana Bill”

Elections - GOP - Illinois - Lake County - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

Keith Brin Announces Campaign for Lake County Circuit Court Clerk

April 20, 2011 by

Current Chief Deputy Thanks Sally Coffelt for her Faithful Service to Lake County

HIGHLAND PARK, IL – With Lake County Circuit Court Clerk Sally Coffelt announcing last week her intention to retire at the end of her term after thirty-two years in office, Keith Brin has announced his candidacy in 2012 for the seat currently held by his boss.

“It has been an honor to serve as Sally’s Chief Deputy,” said Brin. “She has served Lake County with honor and integrity, and has taught me the most important responsibility of an elected official is to serve the public. I intend to continue that tradition of public accountability.”

Brin, an attorney and business executive from Highland Park, has made technology the focus of his campaign. He has led recent modernization efforts in the department and intends to further improve efficiency and access in order to reduce costs and improve customer service. In addition, he has pledged to continue the Lake County tradition of fiscal discipline and transparency.
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Keith Brin Announces Campaign for Lake County Circuit Court Clerk”

Illinois - Illinois State Government - Republicans - Tom Cross - Warner Todd Huston

House Redistricting Hearings Underway Around State

April 20, 2011 by

From the office of Tom Cross, Ill. GOP leader…

A series of public hearings on the redrawing of Illinois House district boundaries are underway this week, including today in Aurora, East St. Louis and Elgin (see below for a list of locations, dates and times). The hearings will provide residents with a platform to provide testimony about the map’s impact on their community. If you are unable to attend, Twitter and Facebook updates from the hearing will be available through the U-Map IL Facebook page.

Illinois State

We are also making our mapmaking software, computer, census data and staff available for the public to draw their own maps. Call 312-814-2053 to set up an appointment.
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House Redistricting Hearings Underway Around State”

Budget - Chicago - Conservatives - Constitution - Cook County - Dan Proft - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - Liberals - Republicans - Tea Party

Remarks from the 2011 Chicago Tea Party Tax Day Rally

April 19, 2011 by

-By Dan Proft

Snow in Chicago in April. Some might view this as simply the unpredictability of Chicago weather. Others might attribute it to climate change. I, however, believe this to be a prophecy foretold: Rahm Emanuel has been elected Mayor of Chicago and Hell is freezing over.

Welcome tea partiers. To paraphrase our President, you are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration and the 100th birthday of Ronald Reagan, two Illinois sons who forever changed the world and our understanding of it with their simple but unyielding commitment to the idea that liberty is the birthright of every human being.

The leadership emanating from Illinois more recently hasn’t been quite to that standard. This is also the year we take note of House Speaker Mike Madigan’s 40th year of driving business and jobs out of Illinois. And this year is the 14th anniversary of Barack Obama’s first “present” vote in the Illinois State Senate.

But I have hope for change.
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Remarks from the 2011 Chicago Tea Party Tax Day Rally”

Budget - CNN - Congress - Conservatives - Cook County - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Joe Walsh - Journalism - Lake County - Liberals - Media - Media Bias - President - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s Media Passover: Rep. Walsh Takes it To The Media

April 18, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Joe Walsh (R, 8th District), a Tea Party backed Congressman from Illinois, slams the Old Media on why Obama has been allowed to present not one, but two budgets without the media saying a word about it.

Exactly right, Joe. If any Republican president had issued a budget that failed to win any support and then was forced to make a second run at it, the media would be talking about nothing else but “the president’s first failed budget plan.” The media would be repeating this drumbeat over and over until even the second budget would be DOA because the president would have been so undermined.

But in this case, Obama failed miserably with his first budget offering and has come back to the table with a second one and the media has been wholly silent on the first failure, giving Obama a total pass on the debacle and treated as if his second proposal is the only one he’s ever presented.
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Obama’s Media Passover: Rep. Walsh Takes it To The Media”

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Illinois - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

Tax Day Tea Party Now Even Bigger: Cain, Grover, Cisco – 4/18‏

April 16, 2011 by

The 2011 Chicago Tax Day Tea Party on Monday, April 18 at noon in Daley Plaza has grown even bigger. Businessman, tea party star and Presidential Candidate Herman Cain is now set to speak at the rally. Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform and one of the original authors of the Contract with America will also speak in Chicago on tax day. But that’s not all. We’ll also be joined by Cisco Cotto and Dan Proft from WLS AM-890.

Let us know you’re coming by registering here. You can also RSVP on Facebook here.

Herman Cain, Grover Norquist, Cisco Cotto and Dan Proft will round out an already stellar group of speakers, liberty leaders and regular people who are making a difference. The confirmed speakers at the event include:
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Tax Day Tea Party Now Even Bigger: Cain, Grover, Cisco – 4/18‏”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Republicans - Taxes - Tom Cross - Warner Todd Huston

Tax Freedom Day – Action Alert‏

April 16, 2011 by

From the office of GOP Minority Leader Tom Cross…

Congratulations! Today is the first day of 2011 that earnings you make can start going towards meeting the needs of you and your family. That’s right – we’ve worked the first 105 days of the year just to pay our federal, state, and local tax obligations for the year, more than a quarter of the way through 2011.

In recognition of this sobering fact, today is Tax Freedom Day in Illinois; a reminder of just how much we must pay in taxes each year before our hard-earned dollars can finally start working for us.
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Tax Freedom Day – Action Alert‏”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

April 15th Tax Rally in Springfield!‏

April 15, 2011 by

From the almost government shut-down to the tragedy in Japan, these are truly treacherous times. What makes them even more dangerous is the lack of leadership, wisdom, and courage and Washington and…in Illinois.

Even with a $1.6 trillion deficit, our Spender-in-Chief President Obama and the Democrats in Congress did not even want to cut $4 billion out of the budget. Meanwhile our debt increases $4 billion a day! (Here’s my article about Obama and the other “trolls” of the almost government shut-down in this week’s Washington Times). Top 5 Biggest Trolls of the Almost Government Shutdown

Back in Illinois, Pat Quinn breaks promise after promise, spends what he doesn’t have with hopes that he can just borrow it like a college kid with a credit card. Quinn has raised taxes 67%. He wants to borrow $110 million to buy 2500 acres in Peotone. He wants to borrow another $2 billion to pay off the state’s backlogged bills. What the heck?!

But we can do something to stop them. If we stand up. Together.
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April 15th Tax Rally in Springfield!‏”

Americans For Prosperity - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Jobs - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Act Now to Support Workers Comp Reform in Illinois!‏

April 14, 2011 by

From Americans for Prosperity – Illinois…

Americans for Prosperity has learned that one of the most comprehensive workers compensation packages (SB 1349) is moving through the State Senate at an aggressive pace.

It’s essential that lawmakers reform the workers compensation system in Illinois. Illinois’ system of workers compensation is one the most generous systems in the nation. For this reason and more, the cost factors of the workers comp laws in Illinois place our businesses and our state at a great disadvantage with other states.
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Act Now to Support Workers Comp Reform in Illinois!‏”

Americans For Prosperity - Budget - Chicago - Children - Conservatives - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - DuPage County - Economy/Finances - Education - Elections - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Wasteful Referendum Defeated in Suburban Lamont

April 13, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the election day success stories enjoyed by Americans for Prosperity, Illinois, occurred in nearby Lamont. A wasteful school referendum was defeated in Lamont and AFP was at the forefront of educating voters on the facts as they went to the polls.

Residents of Lamont had become tired of seeing their taxes go up every single year while the District constantly cried poor, so due to requests from residents, AFP – Illinois began an effort to understand exactly why the budget and the taxes for Lamont’s School District 113a have been constantly rising for every one of the last eleven years.

Upon investigation, AFP discovered that while revenues for the district have risen 50% over the last eleven years, the District’s spending has risen 77% during the same time.
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Wasteful Referendum Defeated in Suburban Lamont”

Budget - Chicago - Children - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Ethics - Freedom - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Liberty - Public Employees Unions - Regulation - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago School Accuses Parents of Poisoning Children

April 13, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The nanny state in the people’s republic of Chicago rears its ugly head once again where a school principal has accused parents of trying to poison their own children with “unhealthy” bag lunches. And so, in her infinite wisdom, Principal Elsa Carmona had banned all lunches brought from home. I guess it’s just a coincidence that the school gets more federal money for lunches served by the school, eh?

Little Village Academy Principal Carmona, you see, is better and smarter than the vile parents of the children for whom she is the keeper… at least she thinks she is, anyway. She has determined that kids are not getting healthy lunches from parents, so she’s decided that kids can only eat the bland pabulum she serves in her school cafeteria.
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Chicago School Accuses Parents of Poisoning Children”

Adam Kinzinger - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - FCC - Free Trade - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Inernet - Liberals - Net Neutrality - Peter Roskam - Policy - President - Republicans - Socialism - Taxes - Technology - Warner Todd Huston

House Votes to Curb FCC’s Internet Power Grab

April 11, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

We’ve been writing about Obama’s attempt to take over control of the Internet for some time, now, and there is at last a bit of good news on that front. The House of Representatives has passed Congressional Resolution, H.J. Res. 37 aimed at preventing the FCC’s wild, unconstitutional powergrab.

Chief Deputy Whip Congressman Peter Roskam was in favor of this move and released a statement that said:

The FCC’s decision to prohibit America’s Internet providers from managing content on their own networks is a colossal mistake that will hurt job creation and innovation in one of our most vibrant industries. These new regulations are a solution in search of a problem. America’s Internet companies – from large enterprises to tiny garage start-ups – are examples of what can happen when government stays out of the way. The Internet is an engine of innovation and economic growth essential to America maintaining its qualitative edge. Net Neutrality rules will only stifle competition, hurt job creation and provide huge disincentives to innovate – so I urge the FCC to rescind these rules immediately.

Likewise, Congressman Adam Kinzinger voted yes on the resolution.
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House Votes to Curb FCC’s Internet Power Grab”

Budget - Chicago - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Illinois - Illinois Policy Institute - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Ill. Policy Institute: Tax Day Rallies

April 10, 2011 by

From the Illinois Policy Institute…

The Illinois Policy Institute will participate in Tax Day rallies next week in Springfield, Peoria, Geneva and Chicago.

Since 2009, Tax Day rallies have been held across Illinois to raise awareness about out-of-control government spending, high taxes and unbalanced budgets. Now, more than ever, Illinoisans are feeling the pain from bad public policies that have emerged from Springfield.

With the 2012 election on the horizon, participating in a Tax Day rally is one way you can send a message to elected officials that you didn’t – and won’t – forget about the 67 percent tax hike passed this year.
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Ill. Policy Institute: Tax Day Rallies”

Budget - Conservatives - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - Government, Ill. County - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Republicans - Taxes - Tom Cross - Warner Todd Huston

IL House Repubs: Pay Cuts, Murder Registry and More‏

April 9, 2011 by

From GOP House Minority Leader Tom Cross…

10 % Pay Cut for Lawmakers Clears House

House Republicans this week helped pass legislation requiring lawmakers to take a 10 percent pay cut in Fiscal Year 2012 – a $1.2 million savings for taxpayers, said House Republican Leader Tom Cross.

“We must lead by example. We have been pushing tirelessly for state government to live within its means—when looking at reductions in our budget, we must look at ourselves-first,” said Cross.

Illinois state representatives and senators receive the fifth highest paid salary in the country. Only California, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan pay their legislators more than Illinois. The current annual salary for an Illinois legislator is $67,836; if HB 2891 becomes law, the annual salary will be $61,052.
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IL House Repubs: Pay Cuts, Murder Registry and More‏”

Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - SB600 - Senate - State Central Committee - Warner Todd Huston

SB35 (SB600), Republican Vote Reform Unanimously Passes Ill. Senate

April 8, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, we’ve been talking about this bill for years here on the blog, but SB35 has unanimously passed the Illinois Senate.

SB35 was formerly SB600 and this bill provides for Republicans in Illinois to at last be allowed to vote for the members of their own State central Committee, the body that plans policy and runs the state Republican Party.

Currently the Republicans that run the party are not voted onto the state central committee by the state’s Republican voters (though Democrats do vote their committee members onto their own state central committee). The folks that are so instrumental in setting the agenda of the Illinois GOP are appointed by their fellows, not voted onto the committee by the voters.

SB35 will return the responsibility of filling the committee to the voters like it once was.
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SB35 (SB600), Republican Vote Reform Unanimously Passes Ill. Senate”

Budget - Chicago - Children - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Teachers Pay Nothing or Little into Their Pensions

April 7, 2011 by 1 Comment

-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.

Business - Capitalism - Conservatives - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

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

April 7, 2011 by

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”

Children - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Foreign Countries - Home Schooling - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - PCism - Religion - Society/Culture - UN - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Legislature Violates U.S. Constitution to Implement U.N. Treaty

April 5, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Illinois State Senate will soon be considering State Resolution 92. This resolution would have the state recognize the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and force Illinois to observe its wholly un-American provisions. This move would, in fact, be illegal, but State Senator Kimberly Lightford (D, Westchester) thinks she has the power to obviate the Constitution anyway.

Lightford’s conceit is a perfect example of the arrogance of the left. This woman imagines that not only can she go around the president of the United States and deal with a foreign power of her own volition, but she thinks she can deal with this foreign power in violation of the law of the land. Imagine the arrogance.
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Illinois Legislature Violates U.S. Constitution to Implement U.N. Treaty”

Adam Kinzinger - Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Kane County - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Kinzinger Statement on the Government Shutdown Prevention Act

April 4, 2011 by

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”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Ethics - Government - Illinois - Illinois Policy Institute - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

The Joke is On Illinois Taxpayers‏

April 4, 2011 by

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”

Budget - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Jobs - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Roskam Statement on March Jobs Report

April 2, 2011 by

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/

Chris Lauzen - Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Republicans - SB600 - State Central Committee - Warner Todd Huston

Chris Lauzen: Direct Election of Republican State Central Committeemen

April 1, 2011 by

From the office of State Senator Chris Lauzen (R, 25th District)…


“You Decide . . . .” That’s what SB35 (the old SB600) is all about.

If you think it’s “OK” for Republican State Central Committeemen to give thousands of dollars and serious support to Mayor Daley, Governor Blagojevich, and other Democrat politicians . . . if you think it makes any sense at all to have Jim Oberweis, who has spent more than $10,000,000 to lose five (5) major elections, advising Republicans about how to win political campaigns . . . and, if you think it is in any way appropriate for the Republican State Central Committee to threaten Republican precinct committeemen with punishment for not supporting every single Republican candidate on the ticket, no matter how corrupt or opposed to the Illinois Republican Party Platform they are . . . do not support fundamental reform and change. No need to read further.

SB35 provides for direct election of Republican State Central Committeemen. Proponents want the right to vote for their leaders just like Republicans had for more than fifty (50) years, before Governor Thompson and his allies took it away through legislation. We want what Democrat primary voters have continued to enjoy.

If Republicans were in good shape in Illinois, I would say it doesn’t make any difference how we elect our leaders. However, Democrats have been slaughtering us with nine (9) years of corrupt or incompetent Governors and nearly veto-proof majorities in the State House and Senate. This gross mismanagement has led to a staggering 67% personal income tax increase, a redefinition of marriage in homosexual “unions”, constant threats to our right to self-defense, the obvious bankruptcy of our state through crippling spending and debt, and now the protection of murderers, terrorists and rapists from the death penalty.
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Chris Lauzen: Direct Election of Republican State Central Committeemen”

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Mayor Richard Daley - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago’s City Worker Union Members Get Free Chauffeur Perks

March 31, 2011 by

-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”

Budget - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Republicans - Taxes - Tom Cross - Warner Todd Huston

Ill GOP House News

March 31, 2011 by

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.”

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Joe Walsh - Lake County - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Rep Joe Walsh on a Gov’t Shut Down

March 30, 2011 by

Newly minted Republican Congressman Joe Walsh of the 8th Illinois District recently spoke to CBS News about the possibility of a government shut down due to the Democrat’s reticence to come up with their own budget policies.

It should be remembered that the Democrats never DID pass a budget in 2010 and the House of Representatives newly taken over by the GOP is playing catch up.

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Local Illinois City Manager Makes More Than EVERY U.S. Governor!

March 30, 2011 by

-By Adam Andrzejewski, CEO| For The Good of Illinois

Joliet City Manager is a $463,000 Whale

In 2008, the Joliet hired a new City Manager. His starting base salary was $189,000.

For 2011, the base salary increased to $196,500 and the City Manager out-earned every governor of the 50 states.

In addition to this lucrative salary, $7,500 of taxpayer money goes into a “deferred compensation” retirement plan. The deferred comp plan is in addition to what the taxpayers pay into his pension plan: $28,800 into Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) pension. Contractually, Joliet taxpayers are required to fund lucrative perquisites: $6,000 in estimated annual car allowance; an estimated $4,000 in continuing education, fees and costs to maintain the Managers’ personal law license; and an estimated annual $17,500 of taxpayer funded premium payments for life, health, and dental insurances.
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Local Illinois City Manager Makes More Than EVERY U.S. Governor!”

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Peter Roskam - President - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Washington D.C.

Roskam on MSNBC’s Daily Rundown: Senate Must Act

March 30, 2011 by

From the Office of Representative Peter Roskam (R, 6th District)…

38 Days Later: Senate Has Failed to Act:

“We’re 38 days away from when the House acted an d passed something over to the Senate and we haven’t seen any substantive Senate action in that entire time. So before the House is asked to come back and take another position, the Senate has to act, and we’ve seen absolutely nothing.”
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Roskam on MSNBC’s Daily Rundown: Senate Must Act”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Pat Quinn - Public Employees Unions - SEIU - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

While Illinois Citizens Lose Jobs, More Government Workers Get Union Protection

March 30, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

If this isn’t just the way the most corrupt state in the country works, there’s nothing that will show it. As the state of Illinois loses businesses and her citizens lose their jobs by the thousands, government workers in Illinois get richer and government unions are even adding members. Now there’s more government union members in Illinois than ever leaching off a dwindling base of taxpayers.

As the state sinks in red ink, government unions have grown to the point where nearly 97% of the state’s government workers have become unionized with better pay, more lucrative pensions, and richer healthcare than every other average citizen who is forced to pay the government union member’s exorbitant pay.

According to the AP, more than 10,000 state employees have joined unions. This is a four-fold increase over the previous eight years.
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While Illinois Citizens Lose Jobs, More Government Workers Get Union Protection”