A hardcover copy of Obama's Dreams From My Father is right now selling for $255 on eBay. Another was purchased using it buy-it-now for $250...

Wish I had bought two copies three months ago instead of just one, heck I might even vote for Obama if I had a bookshelf of them.

OneMan

La Shawn Barber's Corner Barack Obama Goes To Boston: Another perspective on the keynote....

From the Obama blog Canvassing Training in DuPage: "Canvassing Training in DuPage ".. for Democrats, who would have thought this even remotely useful four years ago. Kids, it looks like a brave new world where the collar counties are where things are going to be decided. It Bush fails to win DuPage county, it is going to be interesting.

OneMan

From the Leader:

"CHICAGO -- Rumors are swirling that the IL GOP State Central Committee may come out of next Tuesday's meeting in Chicago with not only a candidate for U.S. Senate, but a new party chairman.
Steve McGlynn, the current IL GOP co-chairman, chuckled when the scenario was presented to him this afternoon that he may emerge from Tuesday's meeting as the new state party chairman. Sources say that an attempt to replace current chairman Judy Baar-Topinka may be in the works. Topinka has taken harsh criticism from the conservative wing of the party for what many consider the mishandling of the Jack Ryan situation. "

-- Yep 97 days before the election is the time to swap out the party chair...

Jeff Maurone: Metanoya: More on My Dinner with #1 on the Forbes Way off the normal political topics, but an blog entry from an intern at Microsoft and his dinner at Bill Gates house. Interesting read, it would be cool to be that rich but having to live with that level of security would really suck.

OneMan

I am seeing more hits in part because this old post is showing up in the top 10 on google for Obama bio..... Cool.

From the Daily Herald:

"BOSTON - Rod Blagojevich was standing outside the famed Union Oyster House earlier this week when, suddenly, a chant of '2008, 2008' floated his way from a nearby crowd.
A group of Boston guys out barhopping wandered across what they think could be presidential material walking their streets during the Democratic National Convention.
'I'd vote for the hair. The guy's got great hair,' said Matt Zelek, 42 of Boston, in between chants."

-- I think that sums up Blagozo's qualifications.I suspect he is seething at all the attention Obama is getting.

I got an a news flash from Crains with a quote that Obama's web site raised $60,000. Wow....

Archpundit has some interesting things to say about Obama.  I have to agree with him on one important point (I am paraphrasing).   A large part of the reason Obama is getting a 'free pass' is because we don't have a candidate running against him.  A few bloggers asking questions is not going to get it done.

Let's get a Senate candidate and lets get it on....

OneMan

I had someone offer a fairly interesting (besides for the smack on me at the end) rebuttal to my posting about Obama's plan for adding teachers to America. Here is the Original along with the rebuttal.  Take a look, I plan on having my response done in the next couple of days.   It obvious some thought was put into their response.

OneMan

It's offical Jacks Out. Bummer, but it was going to happen.  So lets get a freakin candidate in there to run against Obama.

OneMan

Rick has some Audioblog postings up today about the DNC, including some technical details on the hits the Obama Blog was taking right after the keynote.  Also about the number of comments and the nature of the comments they were seeing.

I also read the comments and the one thing that stuck me about some of them was how people were visualizing Obama a President in 2008 or more often in 2012 (after two Kerry terms, shudder).  Ummm folks why not let a guy do more than win a primary, server in the Illinois state senate for 7 years and give a very good speech before making him your leader.

I have said it before and I will say it again, I would love to know how many of these people know where Obama specificly stands on issues, not just his biography.

Eloquence in speaking does not nessesarily equate into even good leadership.

OneMan

Senate leader questions Madigan's loyalty: "BOSTON -- The infighting and back-biting among Illinois Democrats boiled over Wednesday as state Senate President Emil Jones angrily suggested that House Speaker Michael J. Madigan -- the state party chairman -- was at the wrong national convention.
'Is the speaker planning on going to New York for the Republican convention?' Jones asked reporters."

-- Yeah that's the ticket Emil, start causing tension within the party instead of riding the Obama wave of love.... Emil Jones Democratic Party chair, now that's an idea.

Some more thoughts about Obama, first however I would like to link to  Random Act of Kindness and his thoughts on Obama's speech.

I guess my issue with all of this is he seems to be getting a free pass from the media and the Republican party in this state. It's seems to be all giddy chatter about his background and his life and not much about how he would do and what he would fight for as a senator.

For example as I was driving home yesterday I kept hearing NPR refer to Obama as a law professor, he is a senior lecturer  (see the bottom) not a professor, there is a difference and NPR should know that. 

I would love to hear some more talk about where he stands and what he stands for and less talk about what his background is.

• I would like to know if he feels that government should help others have the same opportunity to attend a great prep school (with vouchers or tax breaks). The same opportunity his family was able to provide him. I want to understand why most of the legislation he mentions on his Education Page was not actually passed, and for those parts that didn't pass, why didn't he re-introduce them in this session in Springfield?
• I want to understand what this means Barack Obama believes health care is a right for everyone, not a privilege for the few, Throughout his legislative career, he has made affordable health care a priority. Is he talking access to health care or that the government should pay for healthcare?
• If he feels the move in Chicago to force big box retailers to pay a 'living wage' of $10.50 an hour is a good idea?
• How does he feel we should manage the peace in Iraq, how we should respond to issues with North Korea?
• What he will do to help schools in rural areas in this country, he seems to have programs to help urban schools.

Since the media doesn't seem to be asking these questions, I guess it's up to bloggers. Be they me or the gang at The Obama Truth Squad .

I don't think Obama is a bad person, people I trust have really nice things to say about him as a person. I think he has a different view of how to solve problems than I would like in a US Senator.  I like to think I don't have a burning hatred of Democrats or even a dislike of Democrats.  Everyone has a vision of what a better world would look like, I think we just a have a different view of how to get there.

OneMan

Howard Dean just finished, now we get to watch the Dems get down to the Pointer Sisters.

Larry King just refered to Obama as a 'young man'.  Isn't Obama over 40?  I guess that's young to Larry.

Some guy talking about Obama referred to him as the son of imigrants, dude that would be imigrant. Also yet another person refering to him as a Young Man.  Also Bob Dole just pointed out that the Republican's have already sent a African-American man to the Senate. CNN keeps using the phrase 'young man'.  Bob Dole also pointed out the Republican party in Illinois is in 'Disarray'

I am a little bumed they didn't use that slow-jam song from his primary campaign to introduce him. 

Lost some of my comments here somehow, so some of the stream of thought is now gone. Sorry...

He used the following? "We worship an Awsome God" very Republican of him.

He just started about the bit about taking care of the troops and how reservists are treated.  Very good, he might have something here because I agree with him on that.  I think that could be a very sucessful theme for Obama.

Those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters.... Yeah because only Republicans Spin. 

Have to give it to him, he did a very good job.

Hearing Teddy talk about the 'Politics of favoritism'  is rather ironic.  Also someone should help pronounce words in particular the word Suburb, also the song 'Still the one' is an interesting choice.

OneMan

Hey I see I am getting more hits today, might be for a whole host of reasons. Including obeying keynote address to the Democratic National Convention.  Since you may be reading about what a cool dude he is I figured you would want to see how his bills did in the last session down in the state house.

Here ya go.  If you are looking at the list and wondering what Sine Die session means, that means the legislation died at the end of legislative session.  Lots on Sine Dies near his name.

Just so out of state readers understand real power in both houses of the Illinois Legislature lies with the Four Tops (The House Majority Leader, The House Minority Leader, The President of the Senate and the Senate Minority Leader).  If the House Majority leader does not want your bill to go anywhere in the house, it will not go anyplace.

OneMan

 

They may have a senate candidate soon and it doesn't look like it is going to be OneMan.  We shall see however.

In the mean time, lets all get ready to see how Obama does at the convention. The way the media is building Obama up, if he does anything less than heal sick children half way into his speech it is going to be a disapointment.  Really before we get all misty eyed about what a great guy Obama is, remember is a state senator, not that there is anything wrong with that.  But not even a leader within his party in the state senate. A guy who couldn't get much of anything about education even passed while he was in the state senate.

More to Come.

OneMan

ABCNEWS.com : Dems Wary as Republicans Boost Nader: "Consumer advocate Ralph Nader's quixotic presidential campaign says it submitted about 5,400 signatures to get on the Michigan ballot, far short of the required number of 30,000. Luckily for him, approximately 43,000 signatures were filed by Michigan Republicans on his behalf, more than meeting the requirement."

-- We just want everyone to have a chance to get on the ballot...

Kendall gets $1.2 million for Hoover Scout Camp: "YORKVILLE Kendall County took a $1.18 million step toward purchasing the Hoover Outdoor Educational Center this week when it received a major grant from a state nonprofit organization.
After several inspections, the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation pledged the sizable donation to buying some of the property on Fox Road west of Yorkville."

-- Remember the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, Blagozo tried to grab 125 million out of it until the courts said, No.

Thomas Roseser: Illistrates why he still doesn't seem to get it.

"The other day, the Chicago Tribune seemingly took out an editorial contract on Franks. You remember the Trib: the ethics cop that insisted on telling us about Jack Ryan's personal sex life and that Blair Hull once struck his ex-wife on the shin to stop her from kicking him -- big disclosures affecting government as we know it. Now the Trib attacked Franks because it says he mixed his two occupations: lawyer and lawmaker. In a citizens' legislature, lawmakers shouldn't be full time on the public purse. But the Trib misrepresented some facts and ignored others. It says he 'pressured the heads of the Departments of Revenue, Public Aid, Human Services, Aging and Commerce and Economic Opportunities to write letters to the Health Facilities Planning Board urging approval of the $81 million project for one of his clients.' It accuses Franks of trespassing the line between private and public business. And because Franks represents a largely GOP constituency, it is almost a certainty that the editorial will be used as a political circular.
If the Trib were as astute in its editorial writing as it is diligent in uncovering prurient divorce details, it would have examined Franks' letters to the board members written on his law firm's stationery, specifying that he was advocating for his client. Franks never spoke or met with any board members: the Trib doesn't mention this. And the Trib's editorial didn't tell its readers that the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board unanimously rejected the proposal on Dec. 21, 2003. Finally, after the medical center hired the Chicago law firm of Gardner, Carton & Douglas, the board approved the plan 5-4 on April 21."

No, the problem is not that he has a work life outside of the legislature, is that has a member of the state house his legal activities as an attorney should not involve lobbying for something.  Do you really think they picked his firm to do this despite the fact he is in the sate house or because he is in the state house.   This whole 'Well I am doing this as an attorney not a legislator' argument is bull. The well he did it but they still voted it down argument is also bull.

The release of this stuff may be a Blagozo hit on him, fine I can buy that.  But what part of 'I am elected offical so I should avoid the appearance of impropriaty' does everyone seem to fail to understand.

It's time for Fanks to go.

OneMan

Zorn is out in Boston and he has the same idea that my brother had, why not pick an unknown to run for Senate. For example OneMan, then again I don't think I am who Zorn had in mind. 

My thoughts on who will be the candidate.

1) Borling   :needs to seems less grumpy, gravatas might work however 
2)Jack  : I am starting to have tin-foil hat thoughts.
3) OneMan
4) Oberweis

Via Klau's tins... Barack will be on Face the Nation on CBS and Meet the Press on NBC.  Also Rick will only be at one day of the DNC conventions (bummer). 

Should be fun to watch, perhaps they will ask him about his education stuff.

OneMan

Yet again I need to give a shout-out to the:: Tom Cross blog. They seem to get it. While you are at it, why not go help create the Perfect Storm and get at least one Bozo out of the state house.

Go over there, sign up, give some money, share some love.

OneMan

SJ-R.COM - Rodeo contract apparently settled: "Officials of the National High School Finals Rodeo and the state of Illinois appear to have found common ground for bringing the rodeo back to Springfield in 2006 and 2007.
'It appears we have worked out our problems,' Will Hill, president of the National High School Rodeo Association, said Thursday.
Illinois Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke 'told me that we could work out language that was mutually agreeable,' Hill said. 'He was very committed to making it happen.'
Gov. Rod Blagojevich pledged Thursday to do whatever is needed to bring the rodeo back to Springfield. Later, his deputy chief of staff said Hartke and rodeo officials had met earlier this week in Gillette, Wyo., and worked out contract differences."

-- Hey Rural Illinois, your schools may stink and I want to tax farmers and all othe 'rich' businessmen back to the stone-age, but I care more than just about Chicago, see I got you the Rodeo back, ye-ha....

OneMan

Dillard says no to race against Obama: "State Sen. Kirk Dillard is out and Jack Ryan still isn't.
Dillard said Thursday he is not interested in replacing Ryan as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate because his time is better spent serving state government, heading the DuPage County GOP and raising his two young daughters."

-- Looks like it might be time for OneMan to answer his party's call.

Al Salvi or John Cox   --remember death is not an option.

OneMan

The Obama blog has an open thread on what he should say. It is an interesting read, some intelegent thoughts, some shrill complaining and a few common issues. I would suggest he not be the universal health care guy. If Americans wanted universial health care, we would have it by now.

OneMan

ABC 7 Chicago is reporting there may be a budget deal. They also have this picture

That had this caption: Illinois republicans celebrated the overtime record with a Blagojevich doll nicknamed the “Overtime Governor.”

I would like to think they wouldn't have used Jimmy Newtron boy genius as the Blagozo doll. I would think Patrick from Spongebob would have been a better pick, harmless and kind of slow.

OneMan

Over at theleader they are reporting that there is a push to get Henry Hyde a prime time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention.

-- Sort of the anti-Obama when it comes to charisma and likeability. Why not have Hyde-Ashcroft-Cheney all speak on cranky white guy night. That will provide an image of a vibrant GOP.

OneMan

Yet another medical facility on hold since Blagozo can't even appoint a board that can run without issues.

"A $16 million expansion project for Herrin Hospital remains 'in limbo,' says Phil Schaefer, vice president of business and strategic development with Southern Illinois Healthcare.
Schaefer said Monday that ever since the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board in Springfield in April filed an intent to deny SIH's request for a Certificate of Need required for expansion, there has been no movement with the project."

Really a 5 member board is the answer. With even fewer members no will try to pedal influence.... Yeah Right.
OneMan

The Register Star reports on an exchange between Blagozo and a Reporter:

"A: No, I don't want to know that. I don't want to know that stuff. So, once in a while, you'll see that those things happen. I don't think that those things should be at all considered when you make a decision like that. At the same time, those that are involved in the political process, if they have expertise and know-how, how do you then say that they shouldn't be there?"

I find the 'I don't know nothin about no donations' defense to be quite entertaining. Read the whole story.

OneMan

The same story as the one referenced above has an interesting nugget about the Health Alliance debacle. Remember that one where the state changed the rules during the evaluation process of state health plans that seemed to help one connected plan over the others..

"Meanwhile, another health-care related issue involving the state has drawn the attention of federal investigators. A spokeswoman for Health Alliance, a longtime health insurance provider for state employees, said Friday that federal agents had questioned officials from the firm. The spokeswoman said Health Alliance was not being investigated."

It will be interesting to see if/when the first indictments (SP?) of someone in the Blagozo administration will come and for what little fun fest it will involve. Health plans, health facilities, something else entirely? Guesses anyone. I say 5 months on the facilities thing.

OneMan

What a surprise one of Blagozo's facilites appointies has someties to one of his big fundraisers

"A Winnetka podiatrist selected by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to a serve on a powerful state health-care oversight panel is a partner in a real estate venture with a top Blagojevich fundraiser and counselor who recommended her appointment.

The podiatrist, Fortunee Massuda, was one of several members appointed by Blagojevich last year to sit on the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board after the governor won legislative approval to overhaulits membership. Aides to Blagojevich said the appointments were made solely on the basis of professional credentials.

Massuda's connection to Antoin Rezko, the Blagojevich fundraiser and adviser, was not publicly disclosed when the governor appointed her to the board last Aug. 12. In a written statement to the Tribune, Rezko said he recommended Massuda to the administration 'on the basis of my respect for Dr. Massuda as an outstanding health care professional and a person of great integrity.'"

-- Read the story, is anyone surprised. Again however I am sure that all of this is just a co-inc-i-dence. There is no way that there is any sort of inside guy stuff going on in the Saint Blagozo team... Perhaps Blagozo can find some children with foot problems to use as a backdrop for a press conference to point out somehow this isn't his fault.
 
OneMan

Obama's Kane Fair visit shows little sticks to him:

"No doubt Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama has yet to discover how to walk between raindrops.
After pumping a few hands and congratulating the owner of a coal-black champion steer at the Kane County Fair on Saturday, however, Obama grabbed the 1,275-pound animal's lead and lit off down a dung-littered dirt alley, guided it into a stable and emerged with his shoes still shining."

-- He may be really smart and nice and all of that, he is also too liberal. Lets not fold the tent up and just let him have it. Could be have a someone run against him for senate, please...

Now for my smart comment: Obama grabbed the 1,275-pound animal's lead and lit off down a dung-littered dirt alley, guided it into a stable and emerged with his shoes still shining." Perhaps a reporter or two just licked them clean for him... Could we please see something in the mainstream media about his voting record in the state senate?

OneMan

OneMan

The trib agrees it is time for the board to
go:

OneMan

So no Ditka, oh well.
Here is my list

Dr. B
Jack!
Oberweis
Field

Limited blogging until Saturday night, going to be doing some stuff.

OneMan

'Democrats are shaking in their boots':
Interesting stuff in this one including the nugget that Virginia Sen. George Allen is coming out to talk to Ditka about what a senate run would entail.

"Ronald Smith, a west suburban retiree who has been on the committee for 26 years, wants to make sure Ditka passes the vetting process.
'If he comes out clean as a whistle, he's my favorite candidate right now,' Smith said. 'Even Mike Ditka -- as much as we all love him -- we have to make sure everything is on the up and up.'
But Smith isn't so sure all of Ditka's dirty laundry will hurt him.
'I remember that time when some guy was harassing him, and I think he hit the guy with a wad of gum,' Smith said. 'I'd just love to see him hit Teddy Kennedy upside the head with a wad of gum.'"

-- With you there on the gum thing. OneMan

The Trib is on top of theHospital board story again today. Take a look at the story but here is a snipit.

"But the industry connections can raise questions about votes.

For example, Malek is on staff at Joliet's Provena St. Joseph Medical Center, which has opposed pending applications to build new hospitals in the southwest suburbs.

Massuda is on staff at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago.

Another member, Annamarie Carey York, is executive director of an Aurora outpatient ambulatory surgical treatment center partially owned by Edward Hospital. And Beck, the panel's chairman, is a close friend of Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar, who is pushing for a new hospital in his town.

Board members said they abstain when they think the relationship poses a conflict."

-- I have a wacky idea, how about we just get rid of the board entirely and let the market rule. Also am I the only one who thinks a smaller board of 5 is going to lead to just more people trying to lobby since there will be fewer targets?

OneMan

My Senate thoughts....

1) Dr. Andrea Grubb Barthwell
2) Ditka
3) Jack
4) Oberweis
5) Field.

OneMan

Ok, so it might be Ditka, I suspose he provides us with something like a chance. However I am still going to miss the image of Obama and Jack debating the issues Lincoln Douglas style accross the state. I thought that had a lot of value. Two people looking at the same issues and offering arguments to why their solution is the best. We spend to much time pointing out why the other guys idea is dumb and not nearly enough time on why our idea is better. I had faith that Obama/Ryan was going to provide that. I don't see that happening with Obama/Ditka.

Then again what do I know, I am most likely the only Republican in the state listening to Sir-Mix-A-Lot (Jackback off of Mack Daddy) right now.

OneMan

So we have Blagozo saying on a consistant basis that he was unaware that these people he was appointing to the board had recently given his fund money. I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt to the gov. that he has some staff guy who fills these roles.

Here are some different posibilities of what may or may not have happened.

A) Blagozo and his staff were all blissfully aware that these two had given as much as the did when they did. It was just a happy occourance that they happened to have given him a lot of money on the same day. Yeah, right.....

B) Blagozo was blissfully unaware that these people gave him money and some staff guy had to fill the slots and looked for people to ad based off of who had given significantly to the campaign recently.

C) Blagozo was aware that these two had given him money and with imput from others involved in finacing his campaign they were appointed.

D) Someone told these people that if they made a donation they might end up on a board or something (I would like to think even the Blagozo people would not be that stupuid, remember kids you never know who is wearing a wire in this whole show).

OneMan would put his money on B, but that is just a guess. I think it is going to take a US Attorney putting someone under the lights to find out if anything fishy was going on.

OneMan

Chicago Tribune | Blagojevich defends hospital panel picks: "Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday defended his naming of two medical specialists to the beleaguered panel that oversees hospital construction, saying the two were 'highly qualified' for the posts and large campaign donations they made to him had nothing to do with the appointments.

The governor said he had been 'unaware' that Kankakee neurosurgeon Michel Malek and Winnetka podiatrist Fortunee Massuda each gave his campaign account $25,000 just 18 days before he named them to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board last year."

-- Well I would suspect someone on your staff was aware, if so who and if so when?

OneMan

Chicago Tribune | Ditka 'getting excited' about Senate run: "
'I'm getting excited about it,' Ditka said in an interview."
-- Aww what the heck. Draft Ditka

Yet another Journal facility: held up by..
"The governor's recent crackdown on the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board likely will postpone a resolution to the controversial proposal for a new surgery center in Coles County."

-- Yet more people who have to wait for local heathcare resources because of Blagozo's boobery.

Still more on the Health Facilities Board.

Today's trib is reporting that on the same day Blagozo appointed Michel Malek he also appointed Winnetka podiatrist Fortunee Massuda who is the CEO Ankle and Foot Clinics of America who gave 25K on the same day to Friends of Blagozo as Michel Malek did. But again Blagozo that the contributions to his campaign fund have nothing to do with the appointments to the board. To see who people named Fortunee Massuda from Illinois have given to at the federal level go here (note yet again money given to two US Senate candidates in IL: Washington and Obama).
Directly from the Trib article

At the time, Massuda also managed the clinic at the William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, which is owned by a North Chicago medical school also entwined in the investigation of alleged extortion linked to the hospital panel.

Also from the Trib

While records show Malek has made contributions to candidates for federal office, the electronic database of the Illinois State Board of Elections, which lists all contributions over $250 to state and many local candidates over the last decade, reflects only one donation by Malek. That is the $25,000 check to Blagojevich last year

Here is a link to the Trib article.

So to sumarize todays latest.
We now have to members of the board who on the same day before their appointments either directly or via entities they are CEO of gave 25,000 to Friends of Blagozo.
According to the Trib one of these two was also managed a clinic at a Podiatric School that was part of a Medical school that had board members in common with the facilities board and the board of the medical school.
And as always Blagozo claims that there was no relationship between the donations and the board appointments.

Nothing to see here, move along: I really hope the Trib starts to tie all of this together.
OneMan

WEEK.com: LDC Plan In Question: "
A plan to re-open part of Lincoln Developmental Center is in question following accusations of corruption on the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board.

Governor Rod Blagojevich suspended actions by the board this week.

The board had been scheduled to meet next month in Chicago.

On the agenda, a proposal to build a forty-bed center for the developmentally disabled on the LDC site."

-- Yet more problems because Blagozo can't properly fill a board.

Since they were nice enough to ask using words like Felicitations (yes I had to look it up) I am providing a link to the Keep Jack petition. I would like Jack to stay our candidate, I don't think it is going to happen, but it would be nice. I think at this point it's going to be...Andrea Grubb Barthwell.

OneMan

Since no one else seems to be asking issue questions about what Obama is proposing besides me. For example you can find 11,000+ entries in Google on Barack Obama good looking but less than half that many on Barack Obama National Defence.

He has recently proposed something called Working Families Savings Accounts, best I can tell if you make 50,000 a year or less half of your contributions up to 2,000 to a 401K or IRA would be matched with a tax credit. He talks about paying for this with some sort of refence to a CEO pension tax shelter reform (some more detail would be nice).

Ok, now for some questions?

First for people who make 50K a year can already take a streight deduction on the IRA contribution and a 401K pay-in is done before taxes so it is not taxable, so this is basically an extra benefit for people who make 50K a year and under?

Second set of questions: Is the 50K a hard break that is 49,995 you get an extra 1,000 from the federal government $50,005 a year you get nothing? Is this only for full time employees? That is for example if my child works someplace and puts money into an IRA can they get the tax credit, or my spouse who works part time? Is there going to be a household income level that causes a block of the benefit?

If it is graduated, where does the graduation start?

Third set of questions: If he thinks it is a good idea that a tax credit be given, how about instead of a tax credit the government just puts the money in your account? So instead of putting 2K in a 401K and getting a 1K tax refund at the end of the year how about putting that money into the 401K or the IRA for them? Isn't that actually a better approach?
Fourth: It seems the next logical step to this is to let me invest some of my Social Security money into the market.
OneMan

Go here to see what the now delayed Swedish American Hospital in Rockford expansion would look like. Thanks for the delay Blagozo.

The Lincoln's Challenge Academy program sounds like a good idea and has been around for a while. However according to the News Gazette all 150 employees were told this past spring they had to re-apply for their positions as new canidates were considered.
Interestingly enough the same News-Gazette story points out...

The only new applicants considered were those whose resumes had been forwarded to the academy by Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office.
According to the Illinois National Guard, the jobs were not posted on any state Web sites, and employees were told that they could only reapply for their own jobs. They were not able to apply for promotions at the academy.

-- Yeah, if anyone can figure out who is qualified to work with at-risk youth it Blagozo's staff. There is a place for patronidge, this is not one of them. For more read this story as well.
OneMan

See I told you that the shutdown of the facilities board was going to have an economic impact. From the Rockford Register Star

"The planned fall groundbreaking of a $40 million hospital expansion is in jeopardy after Gov. Rod Blagojevich froze the activities of the state board that must approve the project before it can begin.SwedishAmerican Hospital's four-story cardiac center would be built on its downtown campus and employ up to 400 construction workers for up to a year.
The project was scheduled for review by the nine-member Health Facilities Planning Board at its Aug. 18 meeting in Springfield. Construction was set to begin in September."

-- So a major construction project in Rockford, an area already hard hit economicaly is on hold because Blagozo couldn't appoint a health facilities board that would last even two years without scandal. The shutdown sounds nice, yet another reformulation sounds nice, however it is going to have a real negative impact, not only in the healthcare field but in construction trades and other areas.
Remember kids, this was Blagozo's board. He appointed all 9 members. Don't fall for his usual trick of blaming others. This is his fault.
OneMan

Blagojevich appointed doctor days after contribution: "Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed a Kankakee neurosurgeon to the state's embattled Health Care Facilities Planning Board days after the physician made a $25,000 contribution to the governor's campaign fund, state records show.
The governor was unaware of the $25,000 contribution to Friends of Rod Blagojevich when he named Dr. Michel Malek to the board and therefore could not have been influenced by the hefty donation 18 days earlier, spokeswoman Cheryle Jackson said."
-- Yeah, I am sure it was just a co-inc-i-dence. What kind of huckleberrys do his people think we are. Yeah why tell the guy that someone just gave him $25,000.

It would appear that he has only given to one person at reportable levels in this state, guess who.

He was named to the board on August 12th, 2003.

However on the federal level it looks like he gave Obama 10K (see entry B) on 06/30/2003 and $500.00 on 9/15/2003 see entry C, not bad for a guy who it looks like gave to Bush in 2000. There was also a Dr. Michel Makek with a Chicago address that gave to Bush in October 2003. To see all of the federal giving of Michel Maleks in Illinois go here.

Also isn't the board suposed to be made up of Republicans and Democrats, if so how do you figure out what party these guys are from if they give to both so much?

OneMan

No Steve, perhaps we will have to go with Kathuria... Wonder how the speaker feels about him?

OneMan

As the Sun Times reminds us.
"The board had been composed of 15 members until the Legislature last year downsized it to nine, requiring a mix of Democrats and Republicans. Levine, Beck and Weiner were reappointed by Blagojevich, who filled all remaining seats with new faces."

-- Has anyone figured out the econimic impact of this shutdown of the board. Since this board approves all sorts of changes to medical facilities, not just the construction of new hospitals.

What are the short and long term impacts on the construction trades in this state as expansions and new facilities that would have been approved are most certainly will be put on hold? Not to mention the availability of health care in the state? Seems to me these are questions the media should be asking as well.

At the end of the day this is still Blagozo's board.

OneMan

Lets talk Education with Obama. For his education plan please go here.

Now lets take a look at the plan.

Barack Obama has outlined a plan to create National Teacher Academies that will place 25,000 new teachers in high-need public schools over five years. One hundred academy schools will be created around the country. Each year, 5,000 men and women will be recruited for teacher resident positions. Each resident will commit to a six-year contract -- one year training and five years in probationary schools, those where less than one third of its students tested at grade level.

-- Ok first lets look at some estimated costs off using his numbers and some other numbers.
5,000 @ $30,000 = $150,000,000 (Student Salaries)
5,000 @ 7,000 = $ 35,000,000 (Student benefits) See here the benefit number is based off of teachers in Madison WI in 1984 (so I think I am low).
5,000 @ $2,000 = $ 10,000,000 My guess as to how much it would cost in admin per student.
5,000 @ $2,000 = $ 10,000,000 My guess as how much the Masters courses they would be expected to take will cost.
2,500 @ $5,000 = $ 12,500,000 My guess at the mentoring costs (see the next paragraph)

My best guess $215,500,000
For $268,000,000 you can send 5,000 students to NIU for 4 years, tuition, room and board and expenses.

Other costs:
According to the AFT in 2001 his 30K pay (see below) to learn to teach would be higher than the average starting salary in all but 12 states and higher than the national starting average. So I guess you would have to raise the amount a starting teacher makes to at least 30K, I have no way of guessing the costs.
Other issues with paragraph 1 besides the costs: Each state has different requirements to allow a teacher to become certified, is he proposing that these be overridden at the federal level?
Also keep in mind 5,000 a year / 100 academy schools means one school in the program will on average have 50 of these people each year. So it would appear that the only place you could even think about putting an 'academy school' is in a large urban district. Do most grade schools have 25 classrooms in use during the school day?

In return, residents will receive an academic stipend of $30,000 a year and a full year of classroom training. Each classroom in the training academy will have a master teacher and two residents. The residents will receive master degree courses from a local university that is partnered with the academy, and, by the end of the year, will receive teacher certification. Master teachers will receive added compensation for the hours they spend at the end of the school day providing professional development to the residents.

-- If you look at research done on the Teach for America program you will find that teachers in that program (like Obama's plan) 22.9% of the teachers would leave teaching as soon as possible or when something better comes along. This was a much higher percentage than the novice teachers who followed traditional certification paths. To see the research go here. It's only an 8 year commitment if you go to West Point and for that you get 4 years of free college.
Do you want your kids taught by someone who has to be there to meet a commitment?

After the first year of training, residents - who will then be certified teachers - will be placed in teams of 10 to 15 in schools that are currently on probation, those where fewer than one third of its students tested at grade level. The new teachers will be paired with mentor coaches to provide counseling at their new schools.

So a school would get a host of new teachers, again sounds like this will only work in large urban schools in large urban school districts.

So you the federal taxpayer will be expected to subsidize large urban school districts.

-- Overall issues I have with this
It puts the Feds in the teacher certification business, that standard should be up to the states.
Will help large urban school districts almost exclusively. It fails to address teacher shortage issues in smaller poor school districts. Poor rural districts that are too small to absorb 10 to 15 teachers will be out of luck.
Recreates infrastructure and expense to meet a need that can be met by existing schools that train teachers.
Will create a set of teachers who may be in the field only because it turns out they couldn't find anything else to do with their communications degrees.
OneMan

Daily Herald: Suburban Chicago's Information Source: "Gov. Rod Blagojevich declared a moratorium today on all activities of the state's embattled Health Facilities Planning Board, which has been the focus of a federal investigation and conflict-of-interest allegations.
Blagojevich communications director Cheryle Jackson said the moratorium would effectively cancel the board's planned Aug. 18 meeting and all other board activities.
'This moratorium will remain in place until the board is reconstituted or until there are new appointments,' she said by phone from the governor's Springfield office.
'If for some reason the legislature does not pass ... legislation to replace the board members, then we will ask each of the board members to resign,' Jackson said."

-- Lets remember kids, he freaking apointed the current members and we just re-wrote the law that created the board last year!

Over at the Leader they have this for us to enjoy today
"GUEST OPINION: Barack Obama, Race Man".

As I think I understand the writers points:

Media has been really nice to Obama: Ok, I agree with that.

Some columnist for the NYT said people want to vote for Obama because he is black and if you said the same thing about whitey voting for a white candidate you would be in big trouble: I live near a city where candidates for judge change their last names to sound Irish. It happens dude, get over it.


It also has this point...

According to another fawning, if brief, profile in The Economist, “He has worked hard to reach across racial lines, but his core support comes from blacks and white urban progressives, and he has pinned his primary hopes largely on the Chicago area.” The anonymous Economist editorialist also indulged in some cheap race-baiting: "Are Illinois voters ready for this? In a city with deep Irish roots, a local commentator suggests that he might do better as O'Bama."

-- So ergo he must be bad because of where is core support comes from?

He is in favor of afirmative action: Ok, finally a view that Obama has (not someone writing about Obama has) that the writer disagrees with.

Another snipit:

According to the Supreme Court, police are legally permitted to use deceit, in order to trick suspects into confessing to crimes, but some members of the public, particularly among blacks, oppose such tactics. And while some supporters of videotaping all interrogations have claimed that the practice is necessitated by the history of Chicago police coercing confessions, those same advocates believe that there is no such thing as a true, voluntary confession, at least not by minority suspects. (Advocates' ultimate goal is to get ALL confessions, at least all by minority suspects, thrown out of court.) Those who support the videotaping of interrogations hope that juries will be so disgusted by detectives’ use of deceit, that they will acquit the guilty, or that detectives will be so handcuffed by public race-baiting, as to be rendered impotent.

-- Or as I would suspect some would argue that a videotaped confesion may in fact make it hold up better in court. Also there has been a history or confessions being beaten out of people. Why not videotape the process that take that argument out of the picture.

Also remember this state has set more people free from death row than we have executed. Obviously something is messed up about that, if videotaping confessions helps that then good.

Another One

Obama’s “reform” of the juvenile justice system is designed to protect violent, young, black (and, to a lesser degree Hispanic) felons from having to pay for their crimes. But why would someone who is so lax with violent, young felons be so draconian with men convicted of domestic violence? For one thing, such legislating -- like his support for unlimited abortion rights -- burnishes Obama’s feminist credentials with white, female progressives. For another, such legislation primarily targets white men. “Domestic violence” is largely about locking up unruly and violent white husbands. (Violent wives get a pass.)

Yeah because putting a 13 year old in jail is the answer. Remember you can be charged as an adult from a fairly young age in this state. Is the answer to put these kids in jail?

So it's ok to hit your wife? Shouldn't you go to jail for that? Is that your point. Also only white guys hit their wives. Dude, there is a reason cops don't like answering domestic calls (watch COPS sometime).


What OneMan would like to see.
Someone make some intelegent arguments about why Obama's positions on the issues and the stands he has taken in the past are bad for Illinois without bringing up the following.

The fact the media is giving him a pass

Race

I think it can be done and I am the man to try and do it. Watch this space.

OneMan

From Fran at the Leader: "I don't know what type of sex Judy does or does not practice in her bedroom (or elsewhere, for that matter). However, I do believe that it is our right as Republicans to know, because what she does privately now affects the party's public policy and who she leads the party to support."

-- No Fran, it is none of your business, my business or the state parties business. Also are you implying something?

While we are at it lets go with everything someone does in the bedroom. Does person perform act X or Y with their partner, in what form and position? Have they watched Real Sex on HBO in the last 5 years. Have you seen a person and thought you would like to have 'relations' with them.

Even if the answers to any of these questions were relevant and they are not, it is still none of anyone's business. It's moments like this I think about becoming a libertarian.

OneMan

From a Crain's article that is not on a public web site.

The governor's largest air travel donation $73,000 came from the shuttered Sportsman's Park in Cicero, which let him use a six-seat corporate jet to campaign around the state in the fall of 2002, according to Sportsman's lobbyist Edward Duffy.

"The governor's people would call and say they'd like to use the jet," Mr. Duffy says. "It's easier to lend them the plane than to come up with additional cash," he says, adding that the governor "hasn't done anything" to push the tax credits Sportsman's wants through the General Assembly.

-- Free air travel from an operator of one of the most regulated businesses in the state. No there is no conflict there at all. Sounds like business ausualll to me Blagozo. "Hey we would like to use the jet", by the way we may end up appointing your regulators but there is no pressure.

OneMan

Blogger has been buggin the last few days, so I will try to post and with some luck you the home viewer may get to actually see them.

$1 million conflict of interest on hospital board?: "A top state hospital regulator, Bernard Weiner, and his son have collected more than $1 million in commissions by selling insurance to hospitals Weiner oversees, records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show.
Weiner, 72, has repeatedly voted on requests from hospitals that help put money in his pocket as an insurance broker.
Weiner says he sees no conflict of interest because he judges hospital projects solely on merit. 'If it's a successful project, you vote for it,' Weiner said. 'If it's not, you don't.'

--- Read the entire story it has a lot more details. So it sounds like his defense is 'Trust me'. That's great why are we even asking questions? This guy seems to have tight connections to George Ryan, however remember this the Blago appointed the entire board when the law creating the board was re-written last year.

OneMan

One of the guys who left the Health Facilities board leaves Another board as well.

"A multimillionaire businessman and major political donor embroiled in the controversy surrounding investigations into a state health board has stepped down from a second state panel that oversees billions of dollars in retired teacher investments, according to the governor's office.

Stuart Levine, who earlier resigned from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, quit the board of the Teachers' Retirement System on Friday, said Cheryle Jackson, the spokeswoman for Gov. Rod Blagojevich."

-- Not a surprise. To quote John Kass 'The first guy on the bus gets the best seat'.

OneMan

John Kass ask what about Bob Kjellander for senate. I may get to see one of the 19 who make the call a little bit later today. Doubt if I will get any insight but if I do I will pass it along.

OneMan

Found a new blogchillinois and here is his first entry.

"Is that a Ronald Reagan bobble-head in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?"

-- He has a link to me, so I think I will return the favor.

Chicago Tribune | 5 who lost to Jack Ryan step forward to replace him: "Sources in the GOP said candidates seeking to replace Ryan include boutique dairy owner James Oberweis, who finished second behind Ryan in the primary; state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin), who finished third; retired Air Force Gen. John Borling, who finished sixth; Norm Hill, who finished seventh; and Chirinjeev Kathuria, who finished in the eighth and final spot."

-- How about Kathuria.... That would be cool.

Gidwitz says no to running for U.S. Senate: "Republican Ron Gidwitz, the former State Board of Education chairman frequently mentioned as a replacement for Jack Ryan in the U.S. Senate race, said Thursday he's not interested in a spot on the ballot."

-- So take him off the list.

Pantagraph.com - News - Governor missed part of '94 special session 07/02/04: "SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich has vowed to keep state lawmakers in Springfield until a budget compromise is reached.
But in 1994, the governor, then a self-described 'backbencher' in the Illinois House, was himself absent when a similarly contentious budget-related special session was under way over the Fourth of July weekend.
House records showed Blagojevich was recorded as 'absent' on the roll call for the first five days of the 1994 special session."

Confronted with the information about his 1994 absences, Blagojevich said Thursday he was back home in Chicago at that time, tending to his late mother while she was undergoing treatment for lung cancer.

"I remember that. I remember that very well, like it was yesterday," Blagojevich said. "My mother stayed with my wife and I for a while and both of us cared for her for that period of time, which was several days."

While that likely would have allowed Blagojevich to have an excused absence from those 1994 special sessions, the records don't show he was excused.

-- Well come on it was in Springfield and we know how much he likes to spend time in Springfield. I suspect since he was thinking of bigger things back then he would have asked for the excused absence if he was entitled to it.

OneMan

The Tribune has some more on the Facilities board, read the story. However I am going to try an sumarize it a bit and illistrate the relationships.

Here we go,
Stuart Levine -- a law-school classmate of former Republican Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan, was the largest individual donor to Ryan's ill-fated 2002 run for governor against Blagojevich. Also covered 2K worth of Blagozo transportation costs. To see a search of donations by people named Stuart Leveine go here.
Levine sits on the board of Bendicitine Univ, where Jim Ryan teaches (and OneMan got his masters).

Levine was the chairman of the board of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago (formerly Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School) along with Jacob Kiferbaum, who according to the Trib may have been caught on tape (follow the Trib link) in this whole thing.

The Trib story linked at the top of this little narative has this bit about Rosalind Franklin..
Rosalind Franklin officials on Wednesday acknowledged receiving a federal grand jury subpoena and the school's president, Michael Welch, said federal agents have told him "that we are possibly the victims of fraud."
For more on the Rosalind Franklin investigation go here and about it's timing and who left the board of the school.


OneMan

From the The So-Called "Austin Mayor" Blog Barack Obama to Give Keynote Speech at Democratic Convention?
:
The New York Times thinks so!
The Democratic National Committee has not yet announced or, in fact, selected the keynote speaker for its convention in Boston next month, but Senator John Kerry, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, let a hint slip here this morning.

'I cannot wait to hear his voice,' Mr. Kerry said of Barack Obama, the Democratic Senate candidate here in Illinois, who became a hot commodity in national political circles after emerging from a crowded primary field this spring. 'First at our convention, where he's going to have an opportunity to speak in a few weeks, and then on the floor of the United States Senate.'"

-- Sounds cool, the only downside would be is that it would draw attention to Kerry's own sealed divorce records.

OneMan