2nd Amendment Rally at Northwestern University

Right to Carry Meeting in Chicago

UTATU Collective Presents:

A TOWN HALL MEETING on GUNS, VIOLENCE, AND THE RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE!
Wednesday, Mar. 3, 2010
7:00 to 9:30 p.m.

Northeastern Illinois University
Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies
700 East Oakwood Blvd., Chicago, IL

Right to carry is coming to CHICAGO this week. This should be interesting. It looks like even Richard Daley is having trouble keeping right to carry out in 2010. It’s only just begun, Dick!!!
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2nd Amendment Rally at Northwestern University”


Ill. Congressman Shimkus Says Obamacare is ‘Socialism’

-By Warner Todd Huston

WJBD radio of downstate Salem (just east of St. Louis) reported on the Marion County Lincoln Day Dinner at which appeared Congressman John Shimkus (R, 19th District).
who told the assembled crowd that Obamacare was “a step toward socialism.”

“I just wish we could start over. We are not doing this to say don’t do anything. But we are saying let’s get a clean sheet of paper and list where we agree and lets fix those. Then we can go again and list another series,” the Congressman told WJBD.

Shimkus says Congress also needs to deal with the huge national debt that has tripled in the past few years, rising to a level that draws questions to the soundness of the government. “We have to address entitlement programs, which means addressing social security, means testing, extending the retirement age, getting a better return on the money that you have available, addressing medicare and medicaid, Shimkus said. “This health care bill takes 500-billion dollars out of medicare. Now Medicare is already going broke, how do you sustain that?”

Shimkus was the Republican that walked out of Obama’s State of the Union address late last year and has been a stalwart anti-Obamacare advocate in Congress.
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Ill. Congressman Shimkus Says Obamacare is ‘Socialism’”


Republican reformation: honest competence

From the Office of State Senator Chris Lauzen, 25th District…

I deeply appreciate the landslide support that voters in the Republican Primary provided for me and our volunteers. It is a privilege to work for you, and I will do my best for you and your family.

The people I serve just want honest competence from their government. I have learned that constituents will forgive me for making mistakes, as long as I learn from them, and if they can trust that I won’t lie to them and won’t steal from them.
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Republican reformation: honest competence”


Roskam On White House Health Summit and Democrats’ Overhaul

“The public understands what’s in this bill and they’ve rejected it … the premise yesterday was ‘what’s it going to take for Republicans to vote for this bill that Americans don’t like,’ and we’ve said, ‘let’s start over and start with a clean sheet of paper.’”
Congressman Peter Roskam (R, Ill.)

On FOX News today with Jane Skinnard Peter Roskam said that Americans and Republicans remained firmly opposed to Democrats’ massive health care takeover plans, instead urging an incremental approach that focuses on costs as a way to expand coverage. Roskam participated in President Obama’s Blair House Health Summit yesterday and felt that Speaker Pelosi, Senator Reid and the President were not willing to negotiate honestly with the GOP.

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Roskam On White House Health Summit and Democrats’ Overhaul”


8th District Congressman Bean Holding Town Meeting Feb. 27

The folks at the Palatine Tea Party have alerted us to the fact that Congressman Melissa Bean will be holding a town hall to hear from her constituents on Feb. 27.

According to the Palatine folks, Bean will be moving around quite a bit on Saturday appearing at several stores throughout the day. It strikes me as sort of odd, but apparently she is touring four Jewel-Osco grocery stores and will be meeting in the aisles near the entrance to the stores. I guess she doesn’t expect too many attendees since she isn’t meeting at a sit-down venue but rather in the aisles of a grocery store.

Anyway, here is the schedule:
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8th District Congressman Bean Holding Town Meeting Feb. 27″


Ill. Policy Institute: Jake Gets Out of Jail‏

Going Nuclear
What a difference five years makes. Back then, when Republicans were toying with the notion of ramming a bill through Congress, it was a “naked power grab” and a constitutional crisis. Today, however, such a move is apparently okey-dokey. You can watch the painful evidence by clicking on the video above.


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Ill. Policy Institute: Jake Gets Out of Jail‏”


Why Conservatives Can Win this Year in Illinois

-By Zahcary S. Oltmanns

I am more confident now than ever that Conservatives can take back Illinois and in fact most of the country. Everything the liberals have done the past few years has failed. Sadly, America has suffered. As I go from event to event I am meeting average citizens that are tired of the direction America is heading. In fact, 52% of Americans do NOT want President Obama re-elected in 2012 according to a CNN poll. The healthcare plan turned out to be a total disaster for the Democrats and it has hurt them deeply. The stimulus package has failed as well and it was run very poorly. According to recovery.gov Illinois has been awarded $3,905,380,000 and with that money we have created just 11,280 jobs. So by doing the math the American tax payer is paying over $270,000 for each job that stimulus package has created.

I have said this a lot but I will say it again, Americans are no longer asking for fiscal responsibility, they are demanding it! No longer will Americans accept our elected officials spending our tax dollars recklessly.
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Why Conservatives Can Win this Year in Illinois”


Andrzejewski Calls on Illinois Republican Party to Reverse Rule

From Adam Andrzejewski…

Today, Adam Andrzejewski, founder of good government organization For the Good of Illinois and former Republican Gubernatorial candidate, called for the Illinois Republican Party to reform itself in the name of good government. “In the election of the Republican State Central Committee, County Chairman are allowed to vote vacant precincts. This allows them to benefit from vacancies, and creates a strong disincentive to build our party. If county chairman can cast the votes of the empty precincts- why do the hard work of filling them?”, Andrzejewski stated.

“While running for Governor, my campaign took the time to identify and help hundreds of new people run for precinct committeemen. Allowing County bosses to vote vacant precincts dilutes the vote of committeemen who actually do the heavy lifting of electing Republicans,” Andrzejewski continued, “Let’s welcome our new committeemen, respect our existing ones.”
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Andrzejewski Calls on Illinois Republican Party to Reverse Rule”


Infantilized Illinois

-By Dan Proft

If the fiscal crisis in Springfield continues we’re going to have to childproof the State Capitol.

Watching Chicago Democrats generically embrace spending cuts is like watching a baby learn how to walk.

They are not clear where to start or where they intend to go and they are in desperate search for affirmation from anxious onlookers that they are doing good.
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Infantilized Illinois”


Americans for Prosperity: A Message to Governor Quinn‏

Americans for Prosperity applauds Governor Quinn for opening an online comment portal offering the general public an opportunity to view and comment on the states budget dilemma.

On March 10, 2010 Governor Quinn will be making his annual budget address. Governor Quinn has made it clear that he believes the only way out of the states financial mess is to raise our taxes.

Americans for Prosperity strongly disagrees!
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Americans for Prosperity: A Message to Governor Quinn‏”


Republican Challengers in Chicago Unite for March 4 Fund-raiser

CHIGAGO – February 25, 2010 – Four Chicago-based Republican candidates will host a joint fund-raiser on Thursday, March 4 at 6:00 p.m. at The Stretch, 3485 North Clark St. in Chicago. Illinois state hopefuls David Anderson, Adam Robinson and Scott Tucker will join federal candidate David Ratowitz in a mass muster of support for their individual General Election campaigns.

Admission to the event is two-tier: $30 covers cash bar and appetizers; $60 includes appetizers and open bar from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The public is welcome; no RSVP is required.

Promotional opportunities are available for third-party organizations. Prospective event sponsors are asked to contact Caitlin Huxley, 312-841-0172 or CaitlinHuxley@gmail.com. Co-sponsors currently include Chicago Young Republicans and Illinois Log Cabin Republicans.
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Republican Challengers in Chicago Unite for March 4 Fund-raiser”


8th District: Joe Walsh Jumps in Fox Lake

From the campaign of Joe Walsh for Congress, 8th District…

Participates in Special Olympics Polar Plunge Charity Event

(Lake Zurich, Illinois) – February 25, 2010 –

Taking a break from his own campaign fund-raising, Joe Walsh, Republican candidate for Congress in the Illinois 8th, will be participating this Sunday in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge Charity Event to raise funds for the Special Olympics.
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8th District: Joe Walsh Jumps in Fox Lake”


Illinois Budget Now Online, Governor Wants YOUR Comments

SPRINGFIELD – February 24, 2010. Officials from Governor Pat Quinn’s Administration today announced that, for the first time in Illinois’ history, the public can actively participate in the state’s budgeting process. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) today launched www.budget.illinois.gov, a Web site that allows Illinois residents to provide feedback that will be used to shape the state’s fiscal year 2011 budget.
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Illinois Budget Now Online, Governor Wants YOUR Comments”


Bill Proposals Move Ill. Primary Back to March

-By Warner Todd Huston

Estimates of voter participation proved that the February primary didn’t garner much interest. With less than 30 percent of registered voters turning out to nominate those that will run in November, moving the primary to February was obviously a bad move. Of course, this year’s primary was moved up to February in a 2007 bill that was meant to give Barack Obama a boost in 2008. But several bills meant to move the primary back to its traditional third Tuesday in March schedule have been introduced in Springfield.

State Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D, Northbrook) wants the primary moved right back to its old date in March and has introduced a bill in the Illinois House to do so.

It was passed the committee unanimously and heads to the full House soon.
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Bill Proposals Move Ill. Primary Back to March”


Students Launch “Illinois Deserves Better” Organization to Combat Partisan Administrators

Students at the University of Illinois are announcing the official formation of a Registered Student Organization, the aim of which is to fumigate the Urbana campus of partisan and corrupt administrators. In reaction to a scandal wrought at the hands of Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Renee Romano and her staff in the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations (OIIR), ‘I Deserve Better’ is striving for a refreshed administration of integrity and mutual respect so that the campus may finally move beyond an era of clout. The group will advocate for the replacement of Vice Chancellor Renee Romano and Associate Vice Chancellor Anna Gonzalez and will call for a full review of their offices and financial endeavors. Those at ‘I Deserve Better’ believe that in a time of extreme economic hardship, when students and their families are asked to give more and faculty and staff are asked to work for less, that runaway administrative costs and malfeasance are exceptionally intolerable.
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Students Launch “Illinois Deserves Better” Organization to Combat Partisan Administrators”


Can Tea Party Help 8th District Candidate?

-By Warner Todd Huston


Republican Joe Walsh won his party’s nomination for the Illinois 8th District Congressional seat this February. He’ll face Democrat incumbent Melissa Bean in November. But as of right this minute he’s broke.

Mr. Walsh is fond of calling himself the “tea party candidate,” but with his empty campaign coffers this is an excellent time to ask the question: can the tea party groups that endorsed him help him raise money?
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Can Tea Party Help 8th District Candidate?”


Tammy Duckworth Says ‘No’ To Dem Offer of Illinois Lt. Gov

-By Warner Todd Huston

Former Representative Tammy Duckworth has told the Illinois Democrat Party that she would rather stay employed at the Veterans Administration than be Lt. Governor.

Can’t say I blame her.

Democrat Duckworth lost her seat in the House of Representatives to Republican Peter Roskam in 2006. In 2009, she accepted the position of Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

She’s smart to eschew the offer of the powerless and pointless position of Illinois Lt. Gov. If her desire is to help veterans she sure as heck can’t do that as the Lt. Gov.

Smart lady, for sure.
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Tammy Duckworth Says ‘No’ To Dem Offer of Illinois Lt. Gov”


Illinois School Choice—and the Institute—in the Wall Street Journal‏

In case you missed it, today’s Wall Street Journal carried an excellent column highlighting the efforts of the Illinois Policy Institute and the Rev. Senator James Meeks to promote a school voucher program—a program that will give families stuck in Chicago’s worst schools a chance for a better education and a safer learning environment.

The venue was a sold-out lunch put on by the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI). The result? Something new in Windy City politics: a powerful black Democrat reaching out to a free-market think tank to force reform on the city’s most hidebound institution—the Chicago public schools…

A few years back, Barack Obama named him someone he looked to for “spiritual counsel.” Now the man they call “the Reverend Senator” has done the unthinkable: He’s introduced a bill to provide vouchers for as many as 42,000 students now languishing in Chicago’s worst public schools. He tells me he thinks he can get enough Democrats on his coalition to get it through.

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Illinois School Choice—and the Institute—in the Wall Street Journal‏”


Brady Still Leading By 247 Votes — No Final Decision Yet

-By Warner Todd Huston

We are still waiting to find out who the heck will be our Illinois GOP nominee for Governor. Bill Brady still leads Kirk Dillard by 247 votes but it looks like we won’t know for sure until March 5.

One of the sad things abut this election, though, is that only 760,000 Republicans participated in the primary for governor. Unfortunately for the GOP nearly a million voters voted for the Democrat’s gubernatorial candidates (912,695 votes). This tells me that the GOP has less of a chance to win this election just on that basis alone.

So, we still wait.


It’s a Budget Crisis Says Ill. Government

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s doomsday, the end of the world… at least that is what our wonderful Illinois politicians are telling us about the state budget. They’re just going to HAVE to raise taxes, they say. Naturally, not a one of these drunken sailors are considering the real solutions: Cut spending and get rid of unions.

An obviously left-wing group calling itself the “Civic Federation” is making news here in Chicago for calling for massive tax hikes to cure the state’s budget woes. Yeah, that’s real “civic” minded of them, isn’t it?

Granted this group claims that they want public employees unions to pay for more of their own undeservedly rich healthcare benefits and they claim that cuts in spending are needed. But by calling for taxes to be raised, this proves these people really don’t care about solving the budget shortfalls, it only shows that they are just another left-wing tax raising group that will, in the end, be willing to look the other way while our criminal Illinois Pols pretend at budget cuts without ever really enacting any. We all know darn well that if these drunken sailors in Springfield get higher taxes their spending will simply increase accordingly.
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It’s a Budget Crisis Says Ill. Government”


Unfunded Mandates Bill Part of Larger School Funding Push

-By John Myers of Catalyst Chicago

In Government and Policy A downstate legislator is pushing a proposal to free schools from some of the state’s unfunded mandates as a way to ease the burdens of districts as they grapple with the current fiscal crisis.

HB 4711 would allow districts to ignore regulatory mandates that lack clear funding sources — with several notable exceptions, such as special education and the school lunch programs. One example: Requiring that two-way radios be installed on each school bus.

HB 4711 passed out of the House Education Committee on a bipartisan 13-5 vote Thursday, but it has a long way to go before it becomes law. Desperate district leaders support the idea, but teachers’ unions are wary of it, saying that it is too broad and unclear.
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Unfunded Mandates Bill Part of Larger School Funding Push”


Buffalo Grove Ponders Red Light Cameras Monday

-By Warner Todd Huston

These last weeks have been very busy for Barnet Fagel.

When the Buffalo Grove resident heard his town’s village board was going to discuss the possibility of bringing red light cameras to intersections within the Chicago suburb, he swung into action.

The 66-year old Fagel, a traffic researcher and a highway safety advocate with motorist advocacy group the National Motorists Association, is arguably this state’s number one expert on red light camera enforcement and also the industry’s strongest critic here in Illinois.

In the past two weeks, in between promoting and participating in a Valentine’s Day red light camera protest in Chicago, and multiple media appearances, Fagel has been busy preparing his fight against Buffalo Grove’s RLCs….

Read the rest at The Expired Meter.com
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Buffalo Grove Ponders Red Light Cameras Monday”


Ill. Policy Institute: Getting Rich…off Taxpayers‏

Every time the government gets bigger, someone’s getting rich…but it certainly isn’t taxpayers, entrepreneurs, and consumers. Goldman Sachs, GE, Pfizer, the United Auto Workers—the same “special interests” Barack Obama lambasted on the campaign trail—are profiting handsomely from the big government policies now dominating Washington.

Join us on Wednesday, February 24 for an evening with Tim Carney, Washington Examiner columnist and author of “Obamanomics: How Barack Obama Is Bankrupting You and Enriching His Wall Street Friends, Corporate Lobbyists, and Union Bosses.”

Date: Wednesday, February 24
Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
Place: 190 South LaSalle Street, 40th Floor, Chicago
Cost: $30 per ticket (includes drinks and appetizers)

LA Times columnist and bestselling author Jonah Goldberg calls Obamanomics “an indispensable field guide to the Obama years.” Join us on the 24th to learn more. Books will be available for sale and signing at the event.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Katie Truesdell at 312-346-5700, ext. 207 or katie@illinoispolicy.org.


Sam Adams Alliance: The Sammies April 16

Sam Adams Alliance is proud to announce that we will be hosting the Sammies April 16, 2010, at the Chicago Cultural Center with special guest Andrew Breitbart.

The last year has been one of the most active and visible for citizen leaders who support free markets and individual liberty. Join us for dinner, drinks, and conversation as we honor the very best at our third-annual awards show in downtown Chicago. Purchase your tickets today: http://thesammies.com/attend/.

WHAT: The Sammies
WHEN: Friday, April 16, 2010
WHERE: The Chicago Cultural Center / 78 E. Washington Street, Chicago, IL
WHO: Andrew Breitbart, and all of this year’s Sammies winners

PURCHASE TICKETS: http://bit.ly/csL0YQ


David Ratowitz: A Win in Illinois’ 5th CD Is a Win for Republicans Nationwide

From the David Ratowitz for 5th District Congressional campaign…

“It’s time that we made the Chicago Machine fight – and lose – on its own home turf.”

WASHINGTON – February 20, 2010 – U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz this week proclaimed his high-profile Illinois District 5 a bellwether of Republican success nationwide and his organization in ideal position to focus opposition resources close to home to limit Democrat victories elsewhere. “A win in Illinois 5,” Ratowitz said of the infamous district formerly represented by Rahm Emanuel and indicted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, “is a win for Republicans nationwide.”
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David Ratowitz: A Win in Illinois’ 5th CD Is a Win for Republicans Nationwide”


Public Employees Unions Destroying California

-By Warner Todd Huston

Mark Tapscot echoes our current theme here on the blog by reporting that California is once again in a disastrous budget shortfall and one of the biggest reason that this is so is the undue power of the recalcitrant public employees unions. Tapscot says that California cannot get out of its mess because, “the unions refuse to consider relaxing their death grip on California’s rapidly shrinking legion of tax payers.”

Tapscot thinks that California is coming to realize that the unions are going to have to be confronted in order to solve the spiraling budget woes, but I am doubtful. Looking at the mess from the outside would certainly cause one to draw such a conclusion, but inside the legislature at Sacramento one sees no hint that the unions are becoming the bad guys as they should be.

Still, I hope that Tapscot is right and the California can finally lead the country in a good thing by breaking the public employees unions and, hope of hopes, eliminating them.

And why are these unions so dangerous? Tapscot’s conclusion is a refrain we’ve been touting for years.

It’s not only that public sector unions are driving many state and local governments into fiscal insolvency by forcing them to accept contracts providing compensation benefits that far exceed those in the private sector for comparable work and that cannot be paid for without crippling tax increases.

We agree, of course.

Add this report to the mounting number of individuals coming to the same conclusion we came to here on the blog.
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Public Employees Unions Destroying California”


Walsh: Wow, Bean just doesn’t get it

From the Joe Walsh for 8th District Congressional campaign…

Republican Responds to Rep. Bean’s Daily Herald Interview

(Lake Zurich, Illinois) – February 20, 2010 – Joe Walsh, Republican candidate for Congress in the Illinois 8th, today said “Melissa Bean is amazingly out-of-touch with her constituents. She arrogantly dismissed the economic hardships most of her constituents are going through right now and she dismisses their anger and activism at speaking up against this government’s spending,” in response to Beans’ comments published Feb. 19 in the Daily Herald.
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Walsh: Wow, Bean just doesn’t get it”


Put Back Amendment: Support the Mike Madigan Retirement Act of 2010

Something extraordinary happened yesterday. The Democrat controlled State Senate led by Democrat John Cullerton discussed our state fiscal crisis. What was extraordinary about it is that they met in secret and locked out the press, the cameras and the public. You read that right, they dealt with state business (and likely their massive tax increase plans) in a backroom.

Despite our Constitution requiring the Senate to meet in the open and the intent of the Open Meetings Act to require it, they discussed the mess they caused and how they’ll take more of our money behind closed doors. They have no shame.

Democrat called it a “joint caucus” meeting, so he says it’s ok. I could put on a black cape and run circles under the rotunda and call myself Batman, that doesn’t make it true. But Democrats like Cullerton get away with word games because they have *complete* power in the legislature. So does Mike Madigan, and that is the problem.

How do you deal with a problem like Mike Madigan?
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Put Back Amendment: Support the Mike Madigan Retirement Act of 2010″