Chicago

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

Rep. Peter Roskam: High Taxes Have Consequences

March 31, 2011 by

-By Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam, GOP Chief Deputy Whip

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

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

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

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!”

Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Hate Crimes - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Pat Quinn - Police - Race - Warner Todd Huston

A Political Cover Up: Gov. Quinn’s Racist Security Man

March 29, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Several news sources have been working for days to get to the bottom of a story that might end up revealing that the head of one of Democrat Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s police security details was involved in a racist attack on several black students in downstate Carlinville. Worse, the story seems to be undergoing a political cover up as news agencies are being stymied in rooting out the details.

Several Illinois newspapers have already printed stories on the alleged incident, but to date no one seems to have been able to pin down all the details. But one thing is sure, Kenneth Snider, a trooper with the Illinois State Police, definitely and rather suddenly resigned from all his political jobs last week.

Until he resigned on March 23, Snider was the head of Democrat Governor Pat Quinn’s southern security force, a $132,000 a year state-paid job. Snider had other political jobs, too, until he resigned from all of them. Up to last week he was chairman of both the Carlinville school board and the Macoupin County Democratic organization. Macoupin County is just north east of St. Louis in Illinois’ south western corner.
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A Political Cover Up: Gov. Quinn’s Racist Security Man”

Budget - Census - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Illinois - Liberals - Mayor Richard Daley - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Mayor Emmanuel To Cut Number of Aldermen in Half! Self-Serving or Cost Savings?

March 25, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

For his first controversy, Mayor Elect Rahm Emanuel has floated the trial balloon of all trial balloons. He wants to fire half the city’s alderman and replace them with… no one. That’s right, he wants to eliminate half of the city’s aldermen. How’s that for chutzpah?

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Emanuel has had some private meetings with Chicago’s sitting aldermen and has point blank asked them what they thought of slashing the number of aldermen from 50 to 25 as a cost-cutting measure.

Naturally everyone knows that if this idea goes through, Emanuel will endeavor to save the jobs of all those aldermen loyal to him. That goes without saying. This would be Emanuel’s way of creating his own rubber stamp city council like the two Mayors Daley did for 60 years with their own bought-and-paid-for city council.
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Mayor Emmanuel To Cut Number of Aldermen in Half! Self-Serving or Cost Savings?”

Budget - Business - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Government - Illinois - Jobs - Liberals - Mayor Richard Daley - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Mayor Daley: Failed Mayor of Failing City?

March 25, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As his last year in office winds down, Mayor Richard Daley is hailed as one of the country’s most successful big city mayors. Yet the 2010 census reveals that the city lost 200,000 citizens, the city’s budget is millions in the red, and businesses are abandoning the city with alarming frequency. How this equates to success is anyone’s guess.

Steve Bartin who writes for newgeography.com, a website that tracks information about America’s demographic statistics, notes that there are only nine U.S. cities that have more than one million citizens and the 2010 census data shows that only Chicago lost population. Yet, as Bartin notes, stories across the Old Media can’t bestow enough kudos on Mayor Daley’s long tenure as Chicago’s mayor.

It isn’t just the loss of population that marks Daley as a failure, though.
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Mayor Daley: Failed Mayor of Failing City?”

Budget - Congress - Energy - GOP - Government, Ill. County - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Jobs - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Roskam Meets with IL-06 Based Company in Ghana

March 24, 2011 by

From the office of Peter Roskam (R, IL)…

Discusses economic development as part of African fact-finding mission

ACCRA, GHANA – Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-06) traveled to Ghana earlier this week, leading a fact-finding mission focused on trade, energy, and other economic and social issues in Africa. Monday in Accra, Roskam met with Oak Brook, Ill.-based Opportunity International, a leader in providing financial services to people living in extreme poverty in the developing world.

The group met with Teresa Effie Cooke, head of human resources at Opportunity International Savings & Loan, Ghana. Roskam is leading the bipartisan fact-finding mission, including Congressman Bobby Rush (IL-01), which is being privately sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
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Roskam Meets with IL-06 Based Company in Ghana”

Chicago - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Republicans - Transparency - Truth in Accounting - Warner Todd Huston

Legislation Calls for More Transparency and Accountability During the Illinois Budget Process

March 20, 2011 by

From the Institute for Truth in Accounting…

(Chicago, March 18, 2011) — State Representative Mike Tryon (IL-64th District) has introduced the Long-Term Accounting Act into the Illinois legislature. The Act calls for increased timeliness, transparency and accountability during the state budgeting process.

“Not knowing the long term consequences of the Illinois budget has put our state $100 billion in the hole,” said Sheila Weinberg, Founder and CEO of the Institute for Truth in Accounting, which assisted in the drafting of the bill. “We can’t determine the best plan to get us out until we are honest about how big the hole is.”
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Legislation Calls for More Transparency and Accountability During the Illinois Budget Process”

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

Rep. Peter Roskam: Want a Fresh Start?

March 18, 2011 by

From the office of Congressman Peter Roskam (R,IL)…

The American people gave House Republicans some very clear priorities last November, like focus on creating jobs, stop spending money we don’t have, and work to end the Democrats’ job-destroying health care law.

That is the message I heard from my district, and that is exactly what I am working on in Washington.

When the Democrats failed to pass a budget in the last Congress, House Republicans took the challenge of funding the government as an opportunity to begin our cost-cutting work. We voted to pass a long-term continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year – cutting $100 billion from the President’s budget request.
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Rep. Peter Roskam: Want a Fresh Start?”

Budget - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Taxes - Truth in Accounting - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Legislative Leaders Fail To Obey Budget Law

March 18, 2011 by

From The Institute for Truth in Accounting…

(Chicago, March 17, 2011) – On every third Wednesday in March Illinois’ House and Senate are required to adopt a joint resolution that is equivalent to a family deciding how much it will have available to spend in next year’s budget. The day was yesterday, March 16, and just like the past three years the legislators blatantly ignored the law.

“This law is in place because only after understanding your funds available can you decide how much to spend,” asserted Sheila Weinberg, founder & CEO of the Institute for Truth in Accounting. “This is the first step in budgeting. Our legislators need to follow this law and take Budgeting 101.”

The Illinois Constitution provides that the general assembly can only spend the “funds estimated to be available” for the budget year. State statute 25ILCS 155/4 requires the Commission on Government Finance and Accountability (CGFA) to submit to the legislature an estimate of that amount. The House and Senate may debate the accuracy of the CGFA figure, but the legislators must adopt some estimate of the funds available to be spend in the fiscal year 2012.
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Illinois Legislative Leaders Fail To Obey Budget Law”

Budget - Cook County Board - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - Illinois - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Cook County Board: It is almost Spring‏

March 17, 2011 by

From the office of Cook County Commissioner Timothy O Schneider…

Forest Preserve – The Chicago Conservation Leadership Corps

This program for high school students is the result of a great partnership between Friends and The Student Conservation Association. In the program’s inaugural year of 2009, we received more than 600 applications and awarded 56 internships.

The internship is a 6-week program that includes a stipend. Students learn about local ecology and get their hands dirty working on conservation projects. See below to download the application and fact sheet. Applicants should have an interest in conservation and doing physically active work outdoors. Click here to apply.
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Cook County Board: It is almost Spring‏”

Budget - Conservatives - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Peter Roskam - President - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Rep. Roskam: Remember We’re Still Cleaning Up the Dems Failure to Pass Last Year’s Budget!

March 16, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Wednesday afternoon I had a chance to talk to Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (R, IL) about the budget and these continuing resolutions (CRs) that the House is laboring to pass and he reminded me of a point that we are not discussing quite enough. The fact is that these CRs have become necessary because the Democrats spent all of last year not proposing and passing a budget at all!

The Democrats fiddled around for the whole of last year never passing a full budget. Now the GOP led House is trying to play catch up with these few sort term CRs so that they can get the full budget written and passed.

“No one wants to vote on short term CRs,” Roskam told me, “but this is where the Senate Democrats must come up with a plan. We’ve done our part and it’s their turn. But they have offered nothing.”
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Rep. Roskam: Remember We’re Still Cleaning Up the Dems Failure to Pass Last Year’s Budget!”

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

Roskam Previews Tomorrow’s Forum on Job Creation at House GOP Stakeout

March 15, 2011 by

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL), Chief Deputy Whip, previewed tomorrow’s Forum on Job Creation at today’s House Republican Leadership Stakeout. The video and transcript are below:

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Roskam Previews Tomorrow’s Forum on Job Creation at House GOP Stakeout”

Budget - Chicago - Congress - Conservatives - DuPage County - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

VIDEO: Interview With Chief Dep. Whip, Congressman Peter Roskam

March 11, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam (R, 6th District) has really climbed the ladder of leadership since the 2010 elections. He went from Congressman in the minority party in DC to the Chief Deputy Whip of the majority Republican Party riding the GOP wave that overtook the Hill last November.

Roskam is the go-to man for the budget debate. He handles this like an expert and, with his role of Chief Dep. Whip, is part of the leadership team. But I peg him as one of the best guys on that team where it concerns the budget.

Some of the things he’s talking about here are already in play, but the one thing I’d like to focus on are his comments on regulations and the idea of states trying to file for bankruptcy.
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VIDEO: Interview With Chief Dep. Whip, Congressman Peter Roskam”

Banks - Budget - Capitalism - Congress - Energy - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Libya - Mark Kirk - Oil - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

What Do You Think? Gas Prices – Caused by Libya? Boutique Fuels?‏

March 11, 2011 by

From the office of Senator Mark Kirk (R, ILL…

Gasoline prices are up 50 cents per gallon just this month, now averaging $3.65 in Illinois. Why are prices so high?

While much of the price rise is caused by instability in Libya, another cause is an obscure federal rule that mandates little gasoline monopolies in Chicagoland and Metro East, called the “Boutique Fuels Rule.”

The federal government divides the nation’s gasoline market into 17 separate zones, each with their own recipe for gasoline. While we can buy regular gasoline in Peoria, only “N RFG with Ethanol” is available in Chicago and in Metro East, we can only buy “7.2 RVP” gas. If one region runs short, it cannot borrow from another region – is it any wonder that gas costs 10 cents less per gallon in Green Bay?

This map illustrates the isolated pockets of the country where the federal government mandates the use of the complicated boutique fuel rule. This balkanization of fuel distribution leads to supply problems and high prices. Conversely, some say the regulation is necessary for compliance with the Clean Air Act.

Mark Kirk

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Roskam: Senate Continues The Status-Quo

March 10, 2011 by

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL), Chief Deputy Whip, issued the following statement after the two Senate votes on the Continuing Resolution:

“Today’s votes show a great contrast between those willing to do something meaningful for long-term job creation and those committed to Washington’s status-quo. House Republicans have already passed a serious proposal to responsibly fund the government while cutting back spending to pre-stimulus, pre-2008 levels. In contrast, Senate Democrats created a status-quo spending bill and then ‘drew a line in the sand’ against negotiating any more cuts. We need to find common ground to keep the government running while meaningfully cutting spending – it’s long past time Democrats settle their internal divisions and join the discussion with a serious proposal.”
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Roskam: Senate Continues The Status-Quo”

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

Roskam Celebrates Repeal of 1099 ‘Mistake’

March 4, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

“Well, this is all about removing the barriers of job creation – that’s the theme of this Congress. That’s where the over whelming amount of energy is going.

“If you think about it, the Democrats made a mistake last Congress didn’t they? They decided to rush a bill through, they decided that they were going to truncate hearings, they decided that they were going to write a bill in the Speaker’s office; and ultimately a bad process yielded a bad result because, low and behold, a draconian requirement was placed on small business.

“Everybody seemed shocked, and appalled, and surprised when they woke up and found that it was in there, with the exception of the small business community that said, ‘if you do this, it’s going to have an adverse impact on job creation.’
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Roskam Celebrates Repeal of 1099 ‘Mistake’”

Budget - Cook County - Cook County Board - Dan Patlak - GOP - Government - Illinois - Property Taxes - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Cook County Board Of Review Progress Report‏

March 4, 2011 by

From the office of Dan Patlak, Cook County Board of Review…

It has been two months since my swearing in on December 6th and I thought it would be appropriate to reach out to give you a progress report.

Following our victory in November, our first order of business was to assemble a staff that would have as its main focus, serving the needs of the residents of the 1st Board of Review District as well as all residents of Cook County. We have assembled a team capable of serving resident needs by bringing on board individuals with a variety of backgrounds, experience and education. Among our new hires is a former Township Assessor and Board of Review analyst, a certified residential appraiser, two law school graduates, a former County Commissioner, three MBA’s with strong business backgrounds and a CPA. We also have several individuals with strong technology backgrounds. Among our group, we have individuals who are fluent in Spanish, French, German, Greek, Polish, Hindi, Punjabi and Arabic to support the diverse needs of our taxpayer population.

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Cook County Board Of Review Progress Report‏”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Roskam On Senate Passing House Short-Term CR

March 3, 2011 by

From the office of Congressman Peter Roskam (Ill., 6th)…

WASHINGTON – Rep. Peter Roskam (IL-06), Chief Deputy Whip, issued the following statement after the Senate passed the House Republicans’ two-week CR that cut $4 billion:

“I applaud the Senate for passing the House Republicans’ plan to avoid shutting down the government while also cutting $4 billion in spending. With two extra weeks, the Senate now has more than enough time to debate and vote on the original seven-month continuing resolution that cut $100 billion – important cuts that begin to remove barriers to job creation. Since the Senate has now accepted the premise that we need to cut $4 billion over two weeks, they should easily support the seven-month CR which cuts spending at the same rate. My constituents have made it very clear they want Congress to tighten its belt, live within its means, and reduce spending and regulations to remove barriers to job creation.”

Roskam, however, says we aren’t done. In a recent Op Ed in The Hill Roskam wrote:
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Roskam On Senate Passing House Short-Term CR”

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

Village of Palatine More Than Doubles $100,000+ Employee Club

March 2, 2011 by

From the Palatine Tea Party…

(Palatine, Illinois) – The Village of Palatine more than doubles the number of Village employees making over six figures from 2009 to 2010. In 2009, using the Medicare wages and tips off the Village of Palatine employee W2’s 43 of 423 employees made $100,000+. In 2010, 88 of 418 employees are making $100,000+ for 2010.

For those 88 employees making $100,000+ for 2010 their average increase was 14.85%. Based on the economic conditions these increases appear questionable. These 88 employees have an average of 17 years of service with the Village of Palatine.
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Village of Palatine More Than Doubles $100,000+ Employee Club”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Liberals - Taxes - Truth in Accounting - Warner Todd Huston - Washington

Truth in Accounting Issues: Washington’s ‘Financial State of the State’ – True Tax Burden $31.7 Billion

March 1, 2011 by

From the Institute for Truth in Accounting…

Chicago (November 29, 2010) Today, the Institute for Truth in Accounting released Washington’s “Financial State of the State.” After an intensive review of the State’s 2010 audited financial report the Institute determined the State is in a precarious financial position because it does not have the funds available to pay $31.7 billion of the State’s commitments as they come due. Each taxpayer’s share of this financial burden equals $13,800.

Washington state law requires a balanced budget. “If governors and legislatures had truly balanced the state’s budget, no taxpayer’s financial burden would exist,” said Sheila Weinberg, founder and CEO of the Institute for Truth in Accounting (IFTA). She continued, “A state budget is not balanced if past costs, including those for employees’ retirement benefits, are pushed into the future.”
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Truth in Accounting Issues: Washington’s ‘Financial State of the State’ – True Tax Burden $31.7 Billion”

Adam Andrzejewski - Budget - Congress - Democracy - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Kinzinger Calls for Serious Efforts to Address the Budget

February 28, 2011 by 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last week I wondered aloud if Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R, 11th District) was going against his claims of being fiscally responsible when I saw his poor support of the budget cuts in HR1.

There were 22 budget cutting measures in HR1 and Kinzinger only supported 38% of those cuts. I found this odd for a guy that ran as a fiscal hawk. I have, however, had communication with the newly minted congressman over this issue and he has a logical explanation for not having voted for all the cost-cutting amendments.

First of all Kinzinger reiterated that he “strongly supports the additional cuts” that the freshman class in Congress is pushing. He remains an advocate of the cuts being pushed “behind the scenes,” too. But he feels that he wasn’t given enough time to fully understand the amendments in HR1 and he felt it wasn’t proper for him to vote on amendments he didn’t fully understand. In that case he only voted on the amendments he felt he fully understood.
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Kinzinger Calls for Serious Efforts to Address the Budget”

Chicago - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Ethics - Government - Illinois - Liberals - Warner Todd Huston

Emanuel’s First Political Scandal: Hires Ethics Challenged Team Member

February 27, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Rahm Emanuel hasn’t even officially set his first foot in the Mayor’s Office and he’s already had his first political misstep: He hired a transition team member that has ethics problems.

Last year Judy Erwin was forced to resign as director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education because she was caught using state offices and money to do campaign work for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Erwin was also found to have engaged in campaign fundraising for Obama while she was on the clock for her state job.
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Emanuel’s First Political Scandal: Hires Ethics Challenged Team Member”

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - GOP - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Roskam Statement on Short-Term Continuing Resolution

February 27, 2011 by

From the office of Congressman Peter Roskam (Ill., 6th District)…

WASHINGTON – Rep. Peter Roskam, Chief Deputy Whip, issued the following statement about the short-term Continuing Resolution that would prevent a government shutdown while also cutting $4 billion:

“House Republicans are showing once more that we’re fully committed to preventing a government shutdown while also ensuring Washington makes necessary spending cuts that will begin to remove barriers to job creation. After already sending the Senate a fiscally responsible Continuing Resolution, we will soon send a second short-term CR – one that also cuts spending and keeps the government running – and which gives the Senate more time to consider the original. The onus is now squarely on Senate Democrats to not force a government shutdown by passing this two-week resolution – a resolution that cuts earmark slush funds and programs that even President Obama supports cutting. Americans overwhelmingly want Washington to tighten its belts and reduce government spending, not preserve the status-quo.”

http://roskam.house.gov/

Budget - Chicago - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Liberals - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

Living Well on Taxpayer Funds

February 26, 2011 by

From the Palatine Tea Party…

(Palatine, Illinois) – Do school board members need to travel to national conferences in sunny California, stay in expensive hotels, and eat at high end restaurants in order to be well-educated board members? Dr. Chapman (currently a District 15 School Board member and former District 211 Superintendent) thinks overnight stays in $300 per night hotels in downtown Chicago are necessary.

“Part of it is convenience, part of it is the timing of the meetings,” said Chapman in 1998, as Superintendent of District 211. “The meetings start early in the morning, and in most cases, there’s some activity in the evening. The travel downtown and back seems simpler than it is.”

Somehow, tens of thousands of suburban residents, who pay taxes to support Chapman’s travel habits, manage to commute into the city every day.
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Living Well on Taxpayer Funds”

Budget - Chicago - Congress - Cook County Board - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Government - Illinois - Property Taxes - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Senior Tax Exemptions‏

February 26, 2011 by

From the office of Cook County Commissioner Timothy O. Schneider…

Cook County Assessor’s Office News

A new Illinois law requires that seniors re-apply for the Senior Citizen Exemption. The Assessor’s office mailed out nearly 300,000 applications containing both the Senior Citizen and Senior Freeze Exemptions to taxpayers who received a senior exemption last year.

The Senior Citizen Exemption provides tax relief by reducing the equalized assessed valuation of an eligible residence. This savings is in the form of a deduction on the second-installment property tax bill. Seniors receiving the Senior Citizen Exemption automatically qualify for the Homeowner Exemption, and do not have to apply for it separately.

Make sure you pass this information along to any Senior Citizen you know in Cook County. Click here to read more.
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Senior Tax Exemptions‏”

Aaron Schock - Budget - Campaign Finance - Chicago - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Republicans Donating to… a Democrat?

February 25, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

This is why Illinois politics is called “the combine.” It’s because all too often there doesn’t seem to be a whit of a difference between Republicans and Democrats — not always, but all too often. They even donate to each other’s campaigns. RepublicanNewsWatch.com has the latest examination of the sort of one-hand-washing-the-other-style of politics that has destroyed Illinois.

In this case it is the story of all sorts of Republicans donating many thousands of dollars to the campaign of Susan Mendoza, the liberal that ran (and won) for Chicago City Clerk.
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Illinois Republicans Donating to… a Democrat?”

Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Warner Todd Huston

Ill. State Sen. Rickey Hendon Suddenly Resigns

February 24, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In a surprise move State Senator Rickey R. Hendon of Chicago has announced that he is resigning his 5th District seat at the state capitol. Hendon has held his seat since 1993.

Hendon denies claims that he is resigning over any “federal problems,” but it is interesting that he should resign after information on people tied to him was demanded by a grad jury only last December.

The federal grand jury is investigating misuse of Illinois state grants as part of “an official criminal investigation.”
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Ill. State Sen. Rickey Hendon Suddenly Resigns”

Chicago - Cook County - Elections - Government - Illinois - Warner Todd Huston

Congrats to John Garrido’s 45th Ward Leading Vote Tally

February 24, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Alderman Pat Levar of Chicago’s 45th Ward served six terms on the city council but announced last November that his health was bad enough that he didn’t want to run for his seat again and would retire. This announcement started a mad scramble for someone to fill his seat.

The powers that be decided that Marina Yolanda Faz-Huppert, a union operative, would be the anointed one to take Levar’s seat. But the elections proved that those “powers” are not as all powerful as they must have imagined because Faz-Huppert ended up getting the lowest vote count among the leaders of a crowded field.

The biggest vote getter was Chicago Police Lt. John Garrido with John Arena coming in second and these top two vote getters will head to a runoff election on April 5th.
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Congrats to John Garrido’s 45th Ward Leading Vote Tally”