Illinois

Congress - Elections - Health - House of Representatives - Illinois - Republicans - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

8th District: Maria Rodriguez To Host Townhall (Repub. Opposing Rep. Bean)

November 5, 2009 by

Maria Rodriguez, a candidate for the GOP nomination for the 8th Congressional District hoping to face Rep. Melissa Bean (D), will be holding a townhall meeting this weekend, November 7th.

The event will be held beginning at 3PM at Hackney’s restaurant in Lake Zurich.

Hackney’s
880 N Old Rand Rd Lake Zurich, IL 60047
(847) 438-2103

Rodriguez has recently begun her second term leading the Village of Long Grove and has an economics degree from the University of Illinois.

Rodriguez’ website: www.mariarodriguezforcongress.com

Chicago - Cook County - GOP - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

David Ratowitz Vows to Support State and Individual Sovereignty Rights

November 5, 2009 by

Illinois Congressional District 5 challenger signs Tenth Amendment Center Pledge

David Ratowitz, candidate for U.S. Congress to represent Illinois’ 5th Congressional District, today signed the Tenth Amendment Center’s 10-point pledge for prospective and current federal officeholders. The pledge aims to bolster support for the 1791 Bill of Rights component that affirms the U.S. Constitution’s principle of federalism, stating that, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”
 

“The reason that our founding fathers signed the Constitution and deliberately limited the power of the central government was to prevent just the sort of government-induced breakdown that we face today,” explains Ratowitz. “As a nation of free and independent citizens, we must choose elected officials who pledge to uphold the established laws of the land and honor local authority.”
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David Ratowitz Vows to Support State and Individual Sovereignty Rights”

Chicago - Congress - Conservatives - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - Republicans - Security/Safety - Senate - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Mark Kirk’s Yo Yo Campaign (Plus Did He Ask for Palin’s Support or Not?)

November 5, 2009 by

**Now with Updates**
-By Warner Todd Huston

Only a few months ago, Representative Mark Kirk voted for Cap and Tax… er, I mean Cap and Trade. Conservatives and Republicans in general lit into Kirk with a vengeance. Then he started running for the Senate and at a subsequent September 5 campaign stop he reversed himself and decided he wouldn’t support Cap and Trade.

Kirk is not a strong pro-life supporter, he is bad on the Second Amendment, Kirk is only middling on free trade, and he has drifted back and forth on sometimes support for Obama’s left-wing, big spending agenda in Washington.. though he is sometimes good on national defense. In all, Kirk is not quite as bad as N.Y. 23’s Dede Scozzafava, but he is no Illinois Dough Hoffman if you want a current analogy.

Now comes a November 4 report by the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza that Kirk sent a memo to Fred Malek attempting to get Governor Sarah Palin’s endorsement for his (Kirk’s) Senate run. Cillizza claims that this Kirk request shows Palin’s power and Kirk’s worries for his campaign.
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Mark Kirk’s Yo Yo Campaign (Plus Did He Ask for Palin’s Support or Not?)”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - GOP - Health - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - President - Republicans - Senate - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Supreme Court - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Pelosi Health Care Bill Raises Taxes $730 Billion

November 5, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

From the Mark Kirk Campaign:

On Thursday, I introduced the Medical Rights and Reform Act (H.R. 3970) – a centrist alternative for health care reform that lowers costs and expands coverage without raising taxes.

When Speaker Pelosi unveiled the final version of her government health care bill (H.R. 3962), she told us it cost less than $900 billion. Hours later, the Congressional Budget Office reported the bill would actually cost $1.05 trillion.

Take a look at the following list of tax increases we found inside Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990-page bill — nearly $730 billion in new taxes on individuals and small businesses.

Top Ten Tax Increases Included In H.R. 3962
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Pelosi Health Care Bill Raises Taxes $730 Billion”

Abortion - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Family - Health - Illinois - Liberals - Rights - Society/Culture - State Government - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Parental Notification for Abortions Delayed AGAIN! Call Springfield Now!

November 3, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

(Passed on from my friend Eunice Conn)

It took 14 years to get the Parental Notification Bill of 1995 passed in August(of this year) in Illinois. Then, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation decided to enact a 90-day “grace period” to give abortionists time to prepare for the new policy.

That grace period should have ended today (Tuesday, Nov. 3) but….well you know our Illinois Gov’t. They approved another extension.

Tomorrow, they will decide how much time they need.

If you are so inclined contact Gov. Quinn and urge him to instruct the Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation to end the delay.

Govern Quinn, Springfield Office : 217-782-0244

Governor Quinn, Chicago Office: 312-814-2121

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

Cook County Board President Race: Who’s In, Anyway?

November 3, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Here are the candidates as announced and filed running for Cook County Board President.

Republicans
John Garrido – Policeman and lawyer ( garrido2010.com/)
Roger Keats – Securities Industry (www.keatsforcook.com/)

Democrats
Dorothy Brown – Clerk of Circuit Court of Cook County (Friends of Dorothy Brown)
Danny Davis * – Congressman (www.davisforpresidentofcookcounty.com/)
Terrence O’Brien – President of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (www.obrienforcookcounty.com/)
Toni Preckwinkle – Chicago Alderman (www.tonipreckwinkle.org/)
Todd Stroger – Cook County Board President (strogerforpresident.com/)

Green Party
Tom Tresser – Community organizer, arts activist (www.tom2010.us/)
Sean Burke – Research and development
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Cook County Board President Race: Who’s In, Anyway?”

Anti-Americanism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Illinois - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago Aldermen: We Are More Important Than You Lowly Citizens

November 2, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Chicago’s alderman are mad and they aren’t above letting director of Administrative Hearings Scott Bruner know about it. You would be too if you had to mix with the great, unwashed masses like these poor, put upon alderman have been forced to do. Why, it’s unseemly, don’t you know?

As it happens Chicago’s aldermen are being forced to go through the metal detectors to gain entrance to the central headquarters for administrative hearings. It’s a travesty of what’s good and decent, they say.

Last week during the City Council budget hearings, director Bruner was chastised by Alderman Howard Brookins (21st Ward) and several other aldermen for being forced to go through the detectors.

“Why am I searched as an alderman and as an attorney?…I don’t want to be searched going through a city building. There’s only 50 of us and we all have gold badges,” said Ald. Howard Brookins (21st).

… Budget Committee Chair Carrie Austin (34th) was so “offended,” she warned Bruner what might happen if he fails to “take another look at your policy.”

“It’s not a matter of giving anybody any preference. But us that are aldermen—we are the ones who set your budget. If we’re the ones setting your budget maybe we’ll take an adjustment” downward, if the policy is not rescinded, Austin warned.

The Sun-Times piece reminds us of another recent incident where aldermen thought they should be afforded premium service.
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Chicago Aldermen: We Are More Important Than You Lowly Citizens”

Budget - Conservatives - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Big Wigs

November 1, 2009 by

Dan Proft whacks away at newcomer to the Governor’s race, Andy McKenna:

Andy, if the wig fits, wear it

Illinois is in a quiet state of crisis. I say a quiet crisis because through years of corruption and neglect, the conditions have been created for Illinois’ financial collapse. The day of reckoning has not yet come but the numbers clearly indicate that it is coming if evasive policy action is not taken.

When it comes and those left in Illinois are forced to confront $20 billion in structural debt and $80 billion in unfunded pension obligations, the consequences won’t be quiet at all. The cacophony will be heard in every business and every home in Illinois, its percussion will be felt by every family and it will resonate through generations.

This campaign has been beating the drum to call attention to the quiet crisis that has been cultivated by Chicago Democrats and ignored or papered over by go-along-to-get-along Springfield Republicans, and I will do so again.
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Big Wigs”

ACORN - Anti-Americanism - Business - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

ACORN’s Tangled Webs

November 1, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In one of our early postings we discovered how ACORN hides behind hundreds of different incorporated names and sets up dozens and dozens of LLCs and organizations that they hide behind in order to fool people into imagining they aren’t, indeed, doing business with ACORN. This is a story of one of those organizations, one politically active and actively attempting to undermine the trust voters have in the political system.

Some of you may have heard of the election in New York’s 23rd District where a liberal Democrat, a very liberal Republican, and a conservative Republican running on the New York conservative Party ticket all of whom are vying for the open Congressional seat there. Well, one of the organizations hip-deep in this election is a political group called the Working Families Party. Of course, the WFP is more-or-less a front for ACORN in New York and no political party at all.

The WFP is part and parcel to ACORN in New York. The “party” is run out of the ACORN offices at 88 Third Avenue in Brooklyn, its Co-chair is ACORN President Bertha Lewis, and one of its prime representatives is New York’s ACORN leader, Steven Kest. ACORN and the Working Families Party are inextricable. The two are one and the same.
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ACORN’s Tangled Webs”

ACORN - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Illinois - Liberals - SEIU - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

ACORN’s Defenders Not Remaining Silent

October 31, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As we at SayNoToACORN.com are fighting to help inform you about what you can do to impress upon our local and federal officials to distance themselves from ACORN, the other side — those that support the actions of ACORN — are also organizing. This fact proves that we cannot just sit idly by and hope that things go our way. We must act to make sure our politicians listen to us and defund this criminal organization. We must speak because our opponents definitely are.

Once again, Byron York reports on this story and he finds a webpage trying to cajole our lawmakers into increasing ACORN’s federal funding instead of eliminating it. York finds a site called defoxamerica.com that serves to both attack Fox News and advocate for increased funding for ACORN.

With Congress getting ready to pass a continuing resolution that might — or might not — extend the ban on federal funds for ACORN, there’s a new campaign urging lawmakers to restore federal funding for the community organizing group. The website DeFOX America, which is devoted both to attacking Fox News and defending ACORN, is asking readers to sign a petition urging Congress “to stand up to [Fox’s] McCarthyite tactics by voting against any unconstitutional legislation that singles out specific organizations. This includes the continuing resolution that cuts off Federal support to the national anti-poverty group ACORN.”

This webpage is being funded by an extremist, left-wing Hollywood filmmaker named Robert Greenwald.
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ACORN’s Defenders Not Remaining Silent”

Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - President - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Cook County Board to Level Playing Field With Presidential Power

October 30, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the reasons that Cook County is among the highest in sales taxes in the country is because Board President Todd Stroger has quite a bit of power in stopping his vetoes being easily overturned. Currently it takes four fifths of the County Board to override his veto and that executive power has for many years proven very hard to overcome. Now that long-time power might be coming to an end.

The Illinois House and Senate recently voted up a measure to repeal the four-fifths rule and replace it with a three-fifths rule.The bill currently sits on Governor Quinn’s desk awaiting his signature.

The County Board has 17 commissioners, and the legislation would reduce the number of commissioners needed to override a veto to 11, three lower than the current 14. County commissioners have previously mustered 13 votes to override Stroger.

Stroger visited the Capitol earlier this week to lobby the legislature to lobby against the bill.
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Cook County Board to Level Playing Field With Presidential Power”

Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Elections - GOP - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

5th District: Ratowitz Picked Nationwide ‘Freedom’ Fund-Raiser

October 30, 2009 by

“ThisNovember5th” mass fund-raiser boosts nationwide slate of limited government activists seeking elected office in 2010.

CHICAGO – October 28, 2009 – David Ratowitz, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Illinois’ 5th District, is among 19 conservative candidates taking part in a national donation drive on November 5. The candidates, hailing from points across the United States, are seeking office at local, state and federal levels, many for the first time. All have made formal platform commitments to cutting taxes, eliminating national debt and working for a more limited federal government.

“It is certainly an honor to have been selected to participate in this collaboration,” remarks Ratowitz. “Our campaign is enjoying a warm reception here in the Chicago area. It is encouraging to see similar enthusiasm from voters across the country.”
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5th District: Ratowitz Picked Nationwide ‘Freedom’ Fund-Raiser”

Congress - Cook County - Elections - GOP - House of Representatives - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

8th District: Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington

October 29, 2009 by

Eighth District Republican Congressional Candidate Joe Walsh was invited to Washington, D.C. on October 28 to meet with top GOP officials to discuss his campaign.

Mr. Walsh was invited to the nation’s capitol by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Chief Deputy Whip for the GOP in the House and Recruiting Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. In his role as Recruiting Chairman, Rep. McCarthy is tasked with identifying qualified Republican candidates who can defeat incumbent Democrats in November 2010.

While in D.C., Walsh met with Illinois Representative Peter Roskam and Indiana Rep. Mike Pence.

Walsh is running for the Illinois seat currently held by Rep. Melissa Bean.

Joe Walsh’s campaign website at www.joewalshforcongress.com.
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8th District: Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington”

Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - Mayor Richard Daley - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago’s Tax Informing Rats

October 29, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Mad at your job? Torked at your neighbor? Snoop around in their tax info and if you find something damning… REPORT THEM! And the kindly folks down at Chicago’s City Hall are happy to help with their new tax rat program.

The Sun-Times reported that Daley’s Rat Line program could be added to the 2010 budget.

Mayor Daley’s tough-times, 2010 budget includes a first-ever “Tax Whistleblower Program” expected to include cash bounties for informants who deliver the goods on unpaid business taxes.

The cash reward would be a percentage of the amount recovered, but specifics are still being worked out. The dreaded employee head tax and lease tax are just two of the most frequent targets for tax cheats.

What the heck, eh? It worked for the Soviets and the East Germans in keeping their citizens in line, didn’t it?

Daley is telling us in his own inimitable way that, “Vee haf vays of making zure you pays das taxes, zitizens.”
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Chicago’s Tax Informing Rats”

ACORN - Barack Obama - Budget - Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - SEIU - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Any Minute Congress Could Re-Fund ACORN

October 29, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Earlier I noted that we need your voice to keep the pressure on our representatives to keep government funds out of the hands of the criminal organization ACORN. Today Byron York posted another reminder of this salient fact in his headlined, “Will Congress’ Defunding of ACORN Expire Saturday?”

York concludes that it is unlikely that ACORN funding will be restored on Saturday, but the simple fact of the matter is that it could be. Either this Saturday or during the very next budgeting process, ACORN funding can be easily slipped right back into a budget any time Congress feels like it’s safe to do so.

You see, Congress works by writing continuing budget resolutions — or CRs — several times a year. These CRs delineate Congress’ budget and can be added to or subtracted from at each and every session. Currently the defunding of ACORN is an idea whose time has come. But there can easily come a day when Democrats think no one is watching any longer and slip the ACORN funding right back in to any future CR.
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Any Minute Congress Could Re-Fund ACORN”

Chicago - Conservatives - Constitution - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - House of Representatives - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Efforts for Reform: The Put Back Amendment

October 29, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrezejewski and several other key leaders joined Main Street Campaigns in endorsement of the Put Back Amendment ( www.PutBackAmendment.com) on Thursday, October 29, 2009.

“The people of Illinois have waited long enough for reform. Voters are tired of legislative loopholes and political practices that lead to unfair policies and corrupt our government,” said Main Street Campaigns Executive Director Will O’Brien, a Democrat.

“The time has come to give Illinoisans the chance to truly change and reform the infamously corrupt system we have had for far too long,” said John Bambenek, author of the amendment and Main Street Campaigns Political Director.

The amendment will feature four needed reforms to clean up state government, including:

  • Term Limits
  • Seven-Day Public Viewing of All Legislation
  • End Gerrymandering
  • Equal Ballot Access

View the amendment at www.PutBackAmendment.com.
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Efforts for Reform: The Put Back Amendment”

Chicago - Conservatives - Cook County - Elections - GOP - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Former Ill. GOP Chair McKenna Announces Bid for Guv

October 29, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, he’s done it. Yesterday former State GOP Party Chairman Andy McKenna formally announced his bid to snare the GOP nomination for governor.

McKenna has launched his campaign with a video he is calling “Hair Today,” a slam on former Governor Rod Blagojevich’s well-known, finely-coiffed hair. The ad also highlights the governors that have ended up in prison for their corruption.

Yucking it up, for sure.

Ask me, McKenna is no solution to Illinois’ troubles. As the past GOP party chairman, McKenna presided over the loss to the party of every major state office and he led the party to a new level of irrelevancy in the Land of Lincoln. And the way he’s handled this campaign is already suspect.
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Former Ill. GOP Chair McKenna Announces Bid for Guv”

Anti-Americanism - Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Illinois - Islam - Islamofascism - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Terrorism - Warner Todd Huston

2 Chicago Men Charged With Terror Plot

October 29, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Fox News is reporting that two men from Chicago are being charged by the FBI for planning terror attacks against overseas targets.

David Coleman Headley, 49, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, were charged in separate complaints filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Headley told FBI agents that the initial plan called for an attack against the newspaper building in Copenhagen, but he later proposed just killing the paper’s cartoonist and former cultural editor, according to an FBI affidavit released Tuesday.

These charges came after an Islamic slaughterhouse operation in Kinsman, Illinois was raided by federal officials. The meat business is owned by Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

Headley was arrested at O’Hare airport where he was to meet with Pakistani terrorists. Headley has an extensive record of travels to Pakistan and told Joint Terror Task Force officials that he had received training from the terror group Lakshar-e-Taiba.

Rana is charged with funding Headley’s travels and plans.
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2 Chicago Men Charged With Terror Plot”

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

Chicago Alderman: The Dope Sheet

October 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Chicago Reader launched a very useful and interesting site with a map of Chicago’s city wards that links to each alderman’s bio and other information.

All you have to do is click on your ward and voila, you are taken to a page about your alderman.
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Chicago Alderman: The Dope Sheet”

ACORN - Anti-Americanism - Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - Republicans - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Durkin and Connelly move to overturn Quinn’s EO 09-15

October 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Review has some great news on the Gov. Quinn/ACORN/SEIU front. As we’ve discussed many times here, Gov. Quinn authored Executive Order 9-15 that tried to unionize in-home healthcare workers that get a stipend from the state to care for their own family members. I’ve been working with Americans for Tax Reform to sponsor an investigation into the millions of state dollars that end up with the unions and ACORN. Our effort can be seen at SayNoToACORN.com.

It looks like several state pols have finally taken notice of Gov. Quinn’s stealth sop to unions and ACORN and are sponsoring a resolution to begin the process to stop it. Illinois Review takes it from here….
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Durkin and Connelly move to overturn Quinn’s EO 09-15″

ACORN - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - SEIU - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Why do We Need YOUR Voice Against ACORN? Because Gov’t Cannot Be Trusted!

October 28, 2009 by 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Not long ago I posted a piece with news that the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) had decided to cut off its association with the Association for Community Activists for Reform Now (ACORN). I also reported that the RIS and several other Federal agencies had stopped their dealings with ACORN, essentially defunding them of federal dollars.

But that was then…

On October 22 Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D, Calif) was sadly successful in getting an amendment passed in the House Financial Services Committee that would allow ACORN to become an official government actor in setting regulations for financial institutions.

You read that right. Rep. Waters thought it would be a great idea to give federal power to an organization that has repeatedly broken multiple state election laws in nearly every state in the union and an organization that has been guilty of covering up the embezzlement nearly five million dollars of its own funds by one of its highest ranking members.
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Why do We Need YOUR Voice Against ACORN? Because Gov’t Cannot Be Trusted!”

Chicago - Cook County - Elections - House of Representatives - Illinois - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

17th State Rep Race: Phil Collins Celebrates Endorsements

October 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Chicagoan Phil Collins, a candidate for the State Rep seat from the 17th District, is reporting that he’s garnered a few endosements for his candidacy.

  • Randy White, a Hancock Co. commissioner and lt. gov. candidate
  • Raymond True, the Chairman of the Republican Assembly of Lake Co.
  • Bob Cook, the President of the Wauconda Park District Board and Chairman of the Wauconda Township Republican Organization
  • Rosanna Puldio, the founder and director of the Illinois Minuteman Project and a congressional candidate, in the 5th District
  • Frank Napolitano, a Bartlett village trustee

A pretty good haul of endorsements for Phil. Good Luck with the race.

Phil Collins Campaign Website

Collins’ FaceBook page

Abortion - Chicago - Conservatives - Cook County - Elections - GOP - House of Representatives - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Ill. Repub. Assembly Endorses Candidate That Quit Weeks Ago

October 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Illinois Republican Assembly proudly announced today, October 27, that it is endorsing DuPage County resident Peter Breen in his race for the Illinois House seat in the 41st District.

Great.

One problem: Breen quit the race on October 6.

The IRA was enthused by Breen’s candidacy because he “has been involved in pro-life issues to enforce the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995.” I was also heartened to hear of Breen’s positions and with his role as the executive director of the Thomas Moore Law Society I also felt he was an attractive candidate.

Unfortunately, we won’t get a chance to vote for Mr. Breen… at least not this time. Breen announced on October 6 that he has decided not to give up his work with the Thomas Moore Law Society and is, therefore, abandoning his campaign for the 41st District House seat. He explained why on his campaign blog:
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Ill. Repub. Assembly Endorses Candidate That Quit Weeks Ago”

Budget - Business - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Ill Policy Institute: Let’s Stop Gov. Quinn’s Massive Tax Hike

October 27, 2009 by

A message from John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute:

With Governor Quinn’s $3.2 billion tax hike now in the dustbin, everyone claims it was always headed for defeat. But last spring, it was a different story—legislators, activists and the media all said the tax hike was a “done deal.”

Not so fast. First, we issued our report, “Who will really pay for Governor Quinn’s tax hike?on television, on the radio and in the papers.
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Ill Policy Institute: Let’s Stop Gov. Quinn’s Massive Tax Hike”

Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - House of Representatives - Illinois - Joe Biden - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

(11th District) Kinzinger Asks How Much VP Biden’s Visit for Halvorson Fundraiser Cost Taxpayers?

October 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Republican Candidate for the 11th District House seat Adam Kinzinger is still trying to find out how much Vice President Joe Biden’s August 20 appearance at a Democrat fundraiser for Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D) cost the taxpayers for police protection and city services.

Along with Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica (R), Kinzinger, a U.S. Air Force pilot, has filed several Freedom of Information Act requests with Chicago and Cook County to discover the costs of Biden’s fly-by visit at least to those two municipalities.

Police interrupted travel from the airport, cleared city streets, monitored protesters and helped the vice president’s motorcade of unmarked squads and the Secret Service snake through Chicago’s West Side and South Loop.

Biden took care of other business while here during the August 20 visit, but the chief reason he came was for the Halvorson fundraiser. Kinzinger wants to know how much Halvorson’s fundraiser cost the taxpayers?
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(11th District) Kinzinger Asks How Much VP Biden’s Visit for Halvorson Fundraiser Cost Taxpayers?”

Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Journalism - Judges - Liberals - Media Bias - State Government - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Why Is Cook County AG Looking Into Students Studying the Wrongly Convicted?

October 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The work of the Medill Innocence Project has already led to the exoneration of 11 inmates in Illinois. In 2000 Governor George Ryan cited the Medill Innocence Project of Northwestern University as one of the reasons he suspended the death penalty in the Land of Lincoln. It has yet to be fully reinstated.

The Medill Innocence Project has recently set its sites on the case of Anthony McKinney, convicted of murdering a security officer in 1978. The students of the Project feel that they have successfully proved that McKinney was wrongly convicted and have also succeeded in getting a judge to review the case.

One might think that thanks and accolades should be the student’s reward for their efforts to repair justice in Illinois. But for some reason Cook County prosecutors have subpoenaed the grades, grading criteria, class syllabus, expense reports and e-mails of the students of the Project. You heard that right. Prosecutors seem to be investigating the students!
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Why Is Cook County AG Looking Into Students Studying the Wrongly Convicted?”

Congress - Cook County - Elections - GOP - House of Representatives - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

7th District: Joe Walsh Campaign Hires Media Consultant

October 26, 2009 by

Jamestown Associates Boasts Impressive Campaign Win Rate

Lake Zurich, IL — The Joe Walsh for Congress campaign has hired Jamestown Associates of Princeton, New Jersey to provide consulting and media services in Walsh’s race for the 8th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Melissa Bean.

Jamestown Associates is responsible for more primary wins for Republican candidates than virtually any firm in the country, including a 7-way 2008 primary in New Jersey CD07 and a primary against an incumbent in Maryland CD01. Jamestown will be providing strategic counsel to the Walsh campaign as well as producing television, radio, direct mail, and Internet advertising.

Candidate Walsh says of his new advisors, “I am absolutely thrilled to be working with the team at Jamestown Associates. Like the rest of the 8th District, I’ve had enough of business as usual in Washington, and the folks at Jamestown understand our message and have produced some incredibly compelling messaging. I’m convinced that they can do what it takes to make sure our “had enough!” message is heard and delivered in a meaningful way in this race.”
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7th District: Joe Walsh Campaign Hires Media Consultant”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Illinois - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Lawmaker Gets ‘Tax Villain’ Award

October 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Senator James Clayborne wants to raise the Illinois State Income tax a whopping 67 percent on the citizenry and 33 percent on businesses. It amounts to thievery by the state and has earned Clayborne the title of “Tax Villain” for the month of October from the watchdog group National Taxpayers United of Illinois.

In this day when Illinois is almost bankrupt from its profligate spending, Clayborne wants to give this irresponsible government even more of the taxpayer’s money to waste. Of course, the out-of-control spending isn;t Illinois’ only problem.
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Illinois Lawmaker Gets ‘Tax Villain’ Award”

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

Mayor Daley’s Empty Property Tax Rhetoric

October 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Paul Kroenke wrote a great piece on the empty bravado of Mayor Richard Daley and his populist claims that he won’t raise property taxes. Kroenke pretty much shows that because of the tax zones that Daley has set up across the city, he really can’t raise property taxes even if he wanted to do so.

Back on October 14, Daley played the populist by claiming that he was ruling out property tax hikes.

“You can’t [raise property taxes] … That would hurt people tremendously,” Daley said.

“You can only take so much. People are being laid off on a daily basis. People are getting cut back. They don’t have the money anymore. Government has to look at itself and find out what they can live with and what are their priorities. Simple as that.”

Don’t you feel all warm and fuzzy inside already?

It’s not an easy story to relate because of how convoluted the legal situation is, but Kroenke does fairly well putting it all out there. What the final take seems to be is that Daley has created what are called Tax Increment Financing zones across 30% of the city where property taxes are frozen at current rates for a 24-year period so, as it turns out, he can’t raise property taxes there anyway.
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Mayor Daley’s Empty Property Tax Rhetoric”