Blago has an 'advisory panel' on the games thing

picked 22 people for a task force that will advise him on implementing his plan to bar minors from obtaining violent or sexually explicit video games.
The task force picked yesterday includes Blagojevich's wife, Patty, state Representative John Fritchey and Chicago Alderman Ed Burke. It also includes parents, community leaders and clergy from around the state.

For the full list of members of the task-force go here.

Hey you got that together quickly Rod, any luck on filling the Education Funding Advisory Board you have only had 2 plus years to fill that one.

Then again I am sure the citizens of Illinois are much more worried about some 14 year old buying grand theft auto then how we fund our schools. Or at least it doesn't make the New York Times when you deal with the day-to-day issues that face this state.

34-21 NIU over Troy and due to technical difficulties on the part of ESPN2 (there was a power outage) watching the first part of the game was like watching a high school game on public access cable. One Camera.

OneMan

The Biggest Bowl of the Year is Tonight... The Bowl before the bowls, the biggest one of all. The Silicon Valley Bowl. More Here and here.

Go Huskies!

Some more thoughts on the mayor race.

First: I hear that Richard is raising some decent money on-line, interesting. Wonder how much if any Weisner and the rest have raised on-line.

Secondly; The Jack objection. Near the end of the hearing the objector seemed to be getting visibly angry. She pointed to a picture of a child on the front page of the Beacon News who has lost a parent to violence and asked if Jack reconised him. She then said it was her sons best friend and they lived one block over.

Ok, Jack has a grown son and no children anywhere near the age of the child who's photograph was in the paper. I think in most neighborhoods in most cities people would be hard pressed to recognize children from a block over who were not the same age as their children.

From the Beacon story on the hearing

"I think she was used politically," Cunningham said. "... I think Tom's (Weisner) footprints and fingerprints were all over this."
Weisner said the challenge actually came from "five irate neighbors who gave testimony that Jack has been virtually absent from the neighborhood for several years."

"What Jack proved today is that he's a smart enough lawyer to create a paper trail to satisfy the concept of legal residency, which apparently has nothing in common with actually living somewhere," Weisner said.

Ummm, the question is Tom, were you behind it? Let the voters decide if he is a resident to their satisfaction. This was obviously personal for someone to make a move like this. Also the fact the objector has signed Jacks precinct committeeman petitions was classic.

Third: I realize the idea that this is a non-partisan race is a bit of a joke anyway and I am not polyanna but some of the stuff that I am seeing is bothering me. I guess I just fail to be able to make this stuff personal.

Forth: some more leader stuff, here on the objections and here on the mayors race

Finally, I don't undestand why Linda Chapa-LaVia didn't run for mayor. I think she could have walked away with the job....

OneMan

Some more stuff on the dismantling of the IDNR at the Sun Times and the Beacon News.

Update: Here is my issue with all of this, it's not that Rod is putting his own patronidge guys in, it's just that we are getting rid of site supervisors and the people who deal with Asian Carp and issues like that and replacing them with 75K a year spokesmen.

Some level of DNR type activity (forestry and the rest) at the state level is necessary. Do you really want deer wasting disease to come to Illinois, to get into the cow population? It's not the spokesmen in Springfield who are sharpshooting to deal with that issue, I can guarantee you that.

When I was a kid we camped a lot, in Michigan and Indiana but not too much in Illinois, why? Because the state parks here sucked, that's why compare a Zion in 70's to a Michigan state park of the same era, huge difference in quality. Even today the difference is huge.

Getting rid of professionals and hiring county chairmen in their place is not going to make the state parks any better either. What happens is that Asian beetle works it's way south. Do we want to depend on each county to deal with the issue? It's those kind of professionals that are being let go.

OneMan camps and fishes with his kids and I want to be able to go out and do it on public resources that have has some semblance of management and are somewhat family friendly. Fortunately DuPage county seems to still have to working in the right direction.

Outdoor activities can be revenue generators, but if we keep reducing our level of management and our investment in these resources there is not going to be any benefit to anyone.

Rant off...

All three objections where rejected. It turns out Jack proved he was a resident. That the pages of the one candidate were numbered at the top (you couldn't see them in some photocopies) and that not putting what office you are running for on a petition is not a fatal flaw as long as your statement of candidcy has it.

More to come

OneMan

Had the hearings today, that was interesting. First lesson from all of this, get a good attorney. Second lesson, make sure you fill out your petitions correctly.

FYI, my guess the challenge against Jack will fail big time.

The offical rulings will not be out until at least 4:00 PM.

The hearings by the Aurora election commission are tomorrow (Monday) on the ballot objections. OneMan may even try to go, so stop by here tomorrow for the scoop on what happened if I did.

Also in Aurora election news, it appears that the thread over at TINS is still going on the election, there has even been a Zahm sighting.


Merry belated Christmas by the way, it was a good one for OneMan, kids were happy with the stuff they got, Mrs. OneMan seems happy with her gifts and I got some fusion jazz cds and some Chicago Rush tickets.

OneMan

The latest issue of Chicago magazine has a story about the lawsuit by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Thomas against a newspaper columnist, the paper and the managing editor of the paper.

Anyway it's an interesting read and I would recomend it. It quotes Jon Zahm a few times.

Actually I know and/or used to know a couple of the people mentioned in the story....

OneMan

Return of the Jim? Todays Beacon News has a story about Oberweis including this nugget...

In a wide-ranging interview with The Beacon News this week, he said he is seriously considering a run for governor in 2006. It would be his third run for statewide office, including his failed bid for U.S. Senate in 2000.

-- Dude?

Started looking at the objections to Cunningham and the two aldermatic races today.
It's interesting to see that all three reference specific parts of state election

Ward 4 objection
This one sites a specific case El-Aboudi vs. Thompson. If I read that decision right (a big if here) it appears that if Georgine L. Jill Jenkins did not do her 'pagination' correct she can be tossed of the ballot.

Ward 2 objection
This is basically an objection to David Margquez (he is the incumbent alderman) on signatures and some issues with the petition sheets.
Issue 1: The petition sheets don't list the office the candidate is seeking.
Issue 2: One person signs for two people
Issue 3: Signatures do not match signature on record at the commission
Issue 4: Signatures of people who don't live in the ward
Issue 5: Signatures of people who are not registered to vote
And a few others. I guess if all of these result in enough signatures getting tossed he could be tossed to. It looks like someone spent some real time and effort on this (even doing a signature check it would appear).

Objection to Cunningham
The objection to Jack has two parts. First, the residency thing. I have looked at a bunch of documents and (65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5) and this is going to sound dumb, but I can't really find a definition of residency. So I have no real opinion on this.

The second part of the objection is invalid signatures. First it claims there are over 50 signatures that claim the signatory lives in Naperville. Well, this may in fact be possible and not a problem. There is one part of a subdivision in Aurora that was given Naperville mailing addresses. It is possible someone walked that area and people wrote down their mailing address which would be a Naperville address. Again OneMan is not an attorney nor plays one on TV.

It also claims unregistered voters or not registered at the address they listed. Unlike the objection against Margquez they do not list page and line on the objection so I can't judge if that issue is a fishing expedition or a real issue.


-- My guess, Margquez and Jenkins will get tossed and Jack will survive. Margquez will go to court and try to get back on the ballot. Then again these are just guesses.

OneMan

So Indian Prairie will not be going to referendum until April. So the SE corner of town will have a larger turnout for round 1 of the mayors race and the DuPage portion of the city will have a larger turnout for the run-off (assuming there is one). Interesting.

From the Beacon News

If voters in Indian Prairie School District 204 approve an April referendum measure, a third high school will be built along the Brach Brodie property at Route 59 and 75th Street.

The Beacon is also reporting some griping in Kendall county about having to run an election in Feb. The Aurora Election commission deals with all elections in the city so the 'consolidation of pcts' that the story mentions will be up to the Aurora Election commission in the city, not Kendall county (for those city pcts.)

OneMan

Could have seen this comming but the Beacon News reports that it has happened.

A West Side woman who has voiced support for Tom Weisner's mayoral campaign is fighting to have opposing candidate Jack Cunningham's name removed from the ballot, claiming that he doesn't actually live in Aurora.

Joan Horvath-Kruger — who lives in the same block as the home at 218 LeGrande Blvd. that Cunningham says is his residence — contends that Cunningham hasn't lived there for at least three years and that he had rented the home to another family until late last month.

She filed a formal objection to Cunningham's nominating petitions with the Aurora Election Commission on Monday, the last day to do so.

-- Snip

Although she claimed Monday to be an "undecided" voter, Horvath-Kruger previously endorsed Weisner's candidacy in The Beacon News' Openline section.

-- Snip
Weisner said he played no part in lodging the complaint, but applauded Horvath-Kruger for doing "the right thing."

-- I would like to think that the Weisner folks would have found a person without an obvious tie to their campaign if they were behind this. Then again it also points out she is objecting to signatures and the only way to do that as I undestand it is to also be able to look at a voter roll. So she must be very motivated if she is acting alone on this.

I think she is going to fail and it will lead to Jack spending time and money going after Weisner.

OneMan

From ESPN

Lawson, a 21-year-old junior guard, was one of 10 men who died Jan. 27, 2001, when an airplane carrying members of the basketball program crashed in a Colorado field on the way back from a basketball game at the University of Colorado. Two other planes arrived safely in Stillwater, Okla.

Lawson's son, Ramses B. Hereford, received $440,139, his parents, Daniel Lawson Sr. and Phyllis Lawson, each received $223,238 and the remaining money -- nearly $730,000 -- was awarded to attorneys for legal fees and costs, according to court records.

-- Ok a sad story. I guess my question is if my son at 21, 31 or 41 died and I sued someone over it I would like to think I would have seen that his child got the vast majority of the money. I also like to think I would not have taken a dime if my child had a spouse or children. The 730K to the attorney blows me away as well.

OneMan

Just a thought.

OneMan

From the Trib

The Pentagon has acknowledged that Donald Rumsfeld did not sign condolence letters to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq, but it said that from now on the embattled defense secretary would stop the use of signing machines and would pick up the pen himself.

In a statement provided to Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper, Rumsfeld said: "I wrote and approved the now more than 1,000 letters sent to family members and next of kin of each of the servicemen and women killed in military action. While I have not individually signed each one, in the interest of ensuring expeditious contact with grieving family members, I have directed that in the future I sign each letter."

-- Wrote and approved? Nice way of creating an image on you sitting at a typewritter. What a boob.

Obama gets a book deal

Leveraging his best-selling memoir, Sen.-elect Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is poised to sign a three-book deal landing him a $1.9 million advance.

The package includes a $200,000 payment for a children's volume that will be donated to charity.

The deal was announced by Obama's office Friday but is contingent on the approval of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, a panel which routinely reviews book contracts for sitting senators for any violation of conflict-of- interest and other rules governing the conduct of senators and their staffers

-- He is not a senator yet so he didn't have to put it to the ethics committee (I think). So good for him, he has a tremendous oportunity in the senate and I think he has enough brains not to screw it up.

OneMan

If you go to www.Safegamesillinois.org you get the website registered to a PR firm and it has nice things to say about the Governor's attempt to crack down on video games and gives you the chance to report retailers who sell icky-bad games to kids.

However if you go to www.safegamesillinois.com you get a website that points out how little state trooper coverage there is on the Edens and provides links to buy every game listed on the Blago site from Amazon.com

Classic! The Trib points out it was the .com site that state school officals listed in their press info...

FYI: www.safegamesillinois.net is also owned by someone and seems to have a different hosting service than www.safegamesillinois.com .

OneMan

Remember the state lottery billboard thing. You remember lets spend more on one billbard that we do on 15 others combined (the 15 had more views per-day). But the new one has motion. Oh and the fact the owner gave money and free ad space to the Blago campaign has nothing to do with anything.

Well the same outfit just got a storage contract from the state lottery.

Nothing to see here kids.

Move Along

OneMan

More on the Meisch bribery case

The annexation agreement for Grand Pointe Trails went before the city's Planning Commission in May 2000, when it was unanimously rejected. At the time, the plan called for 85 single-family homes and 89 townhouses. The city's development staff also recommended denial because the proposal did not meet criteria established for the south end of town, which included single family homes on larger lots, plus open space. One of the concerns was introducing a significant number of townhomes to the area.

-- So this that why there are so many houses on small lots and townhomes in my neck of the woods? Someone needs to make this an issue in the Mayors race. Here is a platform idea for you. We have built our last townhome in Aurora.

I never understood why we had so many townhomes in my neck of the woods. The additional density seemed like a bad idea and it's not like they were 'low cost' housing or anything. Perhaps we now have a why.

OneMan

From The Trib

Blagojevich is scheduled to formally unveil his video game proposal at a news conference in Naperville, where more than a dozen mothers of children in middle school will serve as a backdrop.

Officials with a Naperville school district said the governor's office asked them to arrange the event for Wednesday but then postponed it for a day, in part to accommodate more national media coverage. The governor's office denies the claim.

-- So are they calling the Naperville SD liars? Would the Naperville SD make something like that up?

Nice backdrop, classic Blago. As Austin Mayor points out, it fits a pattern. I wish Blago would focus on having opinions on local issues like how to pay for schools and casinos and stuff instead of these issues.

Update..
Rich has some more on the Naperville angle in the story. The Naperville SD said one thing, Blagos team the other. Who do you think is getting the story right?

OneMan

OneMan

Something else that might come into play in the election.

Former Alderman Jim Meisch has started cooperating with authorities in the bribery case against him and a local developer, and prosecutors are now alleging he was paid off over several years in exchange for help with two developments on the south end
of town.

-- Snip

A federal grand jury returned the latest indictment Tuesday night. The charges allege Anderson made cash payments to Meisch totaling $6,000 in exchange for the alderman's support on two Aurora projects: the Misty Creek subdivision near Hafenrichter Road and Route 34, and the nearby Grand Pointe Trails development at Farnsworth Avenue and Route 34.

Anderson held ownership interests in the property for both projects, and Meisch chaired the Planning and Development Committee when both were approved by the City Council. The indictment alleges the cash payments were made between 2001 and 2003 and exchanged hands at a restaurant in Montgomery.

-- So if this gets attention (a big if) then I would argue it kind of hurts the reputation of anyone who was/is associated with the city, unfairly but it will. It also can be used as part of an 'old school Aurora' is bad approach.

I can think of a lot of ways that this can be spun by Irvin and Wyatt and to a lesser extent Cunnignham as 'Why we need a real change' issue.

OneMan

Well the Gov. has found another issue. Violent Video games...

WHAT WOULD BE RESTRICTED

Here's how the governor would define violent and sexually explicit video games:

* Violent games would include those that have human-on-human violence in which the player kills, injures or otherwise causes physical harm to another human, including but not limited to depictions of death, dismemberment, amputation, decapitation, maiming, disfigurement, mutilation of body parts or rape.

* Sexually explicit games are those that depict male or female genitalia and other nudity exposed in a way that, in accordance with contemporary community standards, predominantly appeals to the prurient interest of the player.

--- Well its a nice way to score some points I guess governor. Looking like you care about kids and 'family values' it might play well in early primary states.

But if you are going to restrict things like that in video games why not books and movies? It would be a bit of a problem if a 17 year old can't buy Star Wars Battlefront (people get killed) but can go out and buy all sort of movies that show a greater level of violence or a greater level of sexuality.

A 17 year old can buy a copy of American Pie but I think that at least some of that nudity predominantly appeals to the prurient interest.


OneMan

Well it appears the Aurora election thread at the leader has attracted Jon Zahm... Now we truly have everything a political junkie needs.

Mark my words, if Indian Prarie has a reforendum on the ballot on the 22nd as well, party labels and/or precevied party labels are going to mean jack.

The election (at least the 22rd round is going to be about)

-- Water
-- Crime
-- Traffic
-- Growth

Whomever has the best answeres on these and whomever focuses on the DuPage, Kendal and Will county portions of the city is going to win on the 22nd.

Then again I might be nuts.

OneMan

Interesting wrinkle in the Aurora's mayors race coming from Oswego. The Oswego 308 SD is going to ask for a tax increase on the Feb 22rd Ballot. Ok you say so.... Well part of the Oswego 308 district in in Aurora primarily in the newer areas of the city (SE Corner besides the DuPage part) and there are significant numbers of people in that neck of the woods.

Could the school referendum drive up voter turnout in one part of the city in what will be a low turnout election across the city. I think that is a no brainer, it will and significantly.

If so what impact will the highest turnout areas of the city being the people who have moved here most recently? Will Weisners' water performance play even bigger in that corner of town?

Do these people have any perception of what 'party' the guys running for mayor are a part of? Do they care?

I will give the candidates one hint on a big issue in that neck of the woods, making Eola 4 lanes all the way from Ogden to Haffenricter.

Does the 9th Ward Mayoral Forum on January 18th now become a big campaign event?

OneMan

Remember if you say you are not going to be the 'business as usual' governor you want to avoid stuff like this
(Read the story it has some other great quotes)

West was one of two area site superintendents who will be laid off in January. Molie Oliver, site superintendent of the Tunnel Hill State Trail, was also terminated.
-- Snip
Two site superintendents who kept their jobs are Jim Eaton at Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area and Eric McClusky at Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area. Eaton was appointed to his position in 2003 and McClusky earlier this year. The Saline County position had been vacant for nearly two years.

Eaton is the Franklin County Democratic Central Committee chairman. McClusky's father, Willie, holds that position in Saline County

-- snip

Additionally, The Belleville News-Democrat reported in October that Rep. Dan Reitz, D-Steeleville, assisted in getting jobs for his wife, Joyce, and Peter Geppert, the husband of one of his staffers, within the IDNR.

Reitz' wife was hired to inspect bait shops and rental cabins at state parks. Geppert was hired as site superintendent at Washington County State Recreation Area.

I am sure that the fact the two who kept their jobs had political connections was a coincidence. As well as the political connections of the two new hires.

Thanks for helping to drive the IDNR into the ground Rod.

OneMan

Ok,
I am going to get a bit of my Truth Girl on now. The Sun Times last week had an excellent column by their religon writter about Why Don't More Evangelicals Care about AIDS in Africa first and foremost follow the link and read this story by Cathleen Falsani.

This is what I have always found to be the weakness of the American conservative religous movement. The almost exculsive focus on the morality of personal behavor and a lack of any focus about the impact of your behavors in the world as a whole.

If you primary focus as an evangelical christian is to bring folks to Christ, shouldn't you be working the hardest in those areas with the people who have the greatest need to hear about him. If that is true than wouldn't the best way to show that Christianity is the 'Way, Truth and the Life' is to reach out to those in the greatest need and lift them up.

Often times the greatest force working against Chrisianity is Christans. Imagine what the perception of the world would be of America and American Christians if the church worked really hard on a single issue for 5 years. Lets say it's AIDS in Africa. The Church could spend billions caring for and help those affected by the disease, tell those they are helping about Christ but not making belief in Christ a requirement for help. That would be the best way to show the world that our God is truly an Awsome God. A God of love.

Imagine the perception in America if the Church did that. Instead of evanglicals and fundamentalists being seen as focusing on the judgment of sin they would be seen as peacemakers and rightous. Imagine the blessings that the Lord would provide America if this were to take place.

But no, we focus on someone showing a boob on TV. That's trivial folks. If that is what Christianity is going to become in this country. Pointing out the cinder in your neighbors eye and ignoring the log in your own, then Christianity is going to be in trouble.

I really don't mean to get into a Liberation Theology rant here. But if the church did a better job helping out the least in our socitity and in our world with the abundant blessings we have here in the United States just imagine what we could do.


Go over to World Vision and buy someone who needs it a goat.


That my Liberal friends is what you need to emphasis, be it on Sunday morning talks shows with the fundamentalists, congrataional meetings in your church or in prayer at night.

Start making people think. Is complaining about Homosexuals what God wants me to do to make the world a better place. Listen to Bono I really think he is on to something.

Rant off.

Thanks

OneMan

It appears Jack Cunningham filed today. So I guess I owe Capt. Annonymous a beverage.
Now it gets more interesting. I think his entry will hurt all of the candidates. The biggest impact will be on Bill Wyatt then it's a toss up between Richard and Weisner.

OneMan

Last one tonight.
Over at Cross they also have a bit and a link to a story about Cross' backing of Stem Cell research and the why behind it.

This is a tough one for OneMan, as I have mentioned before Mrs. OneMan is a Nurse Practioner in the endocrinology field (they deal with hormone issues including diabetes) and it is a terrible disease and the day we finally cure it there will great celebration everywhere, but there will truly be joy in our home. The very thought of my wife and other healthcare professionals not having to talk to another scared parent who has a child facing this diagnosis is something I pray for daily.

If stem-cells turn out to be that answer and they can be cultured from a few sources once it seems a small price to pay.

However, I also understand how people who are pro-life have a problem with using stem cells from unborn children. Regardless of it a 'cluster of cells' is in a mothers womb or in a deep freeze it has moral personhood and should be protected. So I understand where Senator Petka and others are coming from on this.

Note: By 'cluster of cells' I am refering to the newly developing fetus.


OneMan

Chris over at the Cross Blog has some pix up of him at the UofI B-Ball game at the UC.

Hey if you want to enjoy Bowl season this year, there is one team from this state in a Bowl... Wonder who it could be.... Oh yeah, NIU!

OneMan

The Leader has some postings on the Mayor race in Aurora...

It's the leader so take everything with a salt-lick or something. Sometimes I wonder what these people actually want out of a candidate.

Oh well....

OneMan

Opps

Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration failed to properly file documents showing the governor granted exceptions from an ethics law that ordinarily blocks the state from doing business under certain circumstances.

-- Hey, we have a strong ethics program. Really.

Over at his sight Sen. Lauzen has some thoughts on HB750 the latest attempt at education funding reform. I don't know if I completely agree with Chris on this. I do know that the School district I am in Oswego 308 spends less per student that the school district I grew up in and has much better test scores. Oswego also has a lower than state avarage of administrators to students. They also have a higher than state average class size.

I guess if you come up with someway to provide a consistant and sufficent 'base funding level' and leave it to local districts to come up with money above and beyond that, I would be open to funding options for that.

The question is how do you help the have-nots without jerking over the haves. I am still working on an answer to that one.

OneMan

Had another Tom Peters moment yesterday. I took the kids to Steak and Shake and had really bad service, which is unusual. When I was paying the manager at the register asked 'How was everything' and I told her.

-- No cherries in the kids shakes (it's a big deal to a 3 and 6 year old)
-- The waitress forgot my soup, so it came at the same time as my burger leaving me to decide which one gets cold.
-- Waitress leaves for the day, forgets to tell someone to check on us so there is no one to ask about the cherries.
-- No offer of a refill on my Diet-Coke.
-- Food was a bit cold.

So after I told the manager at the register this. She cut my bill in over half and got some cherries for the kids and apologized (I just asked for a cherry for each of my kids).

Kudos to her for doing what she could to make things right. Kudos to Steak and Shake to empowering their managers so they can do things to 'make things right'.

Too often when you answer the question 'How was everything' honestly you might get a half hearted sorry..

OneMan

Here is a new issue for the mayors race....Aurora city e-mail could go down today: "AURORA The city's external e-mail system could go down starting today and be out anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
Aurora's external e-mail provider, LightFirst, is going out of business and notified the city that service could end as soon as today. A new provider has been found, and management information system officials hope to fix the problem over the weekend.
They were initially skeptical that a new provider could get Aurora new service before the end of the year. The outage affects city employees' access to outside e-mail, the city of Aurora Web site and the (630) 264-INFO Web site. It does not affect the internal e-mail system."

-- That interesting, no disaster plan?

OneMan

The Sneedster share a little Dem on Dem lover with a Pssst!:

"It's no secret there's no love lost between Gov. Blagojevich and Secretary of State Jesse White. The gov's tardiness drives Jesse crazy. But when the gov showed up late for the tree-lighting ceremony at the Thompson Center recently, it was suggested that if anyone wanted to give the gov a Christmas present, it ought to be a clock. Tick. Tick."

-- Dude, if you want to run for president you are going to need to learn to be on time. That sort of thing does not play well in Iowa or New Hampshire.

Chicago Tribune | Ethics law gets praise-- vaguely: "Gov. Rod Blagojevich observed the first anniversary of ethics reforms he championed with a statement declaring 'significant achievements' in rooting out corruption and then released a report from his inspector general devoid of any detail about what those achievements were."

-- Details, I don't need to show you any stinkin details.... Looking for the report on-line. Can't seem to find it yet.

Also do we have a full ethics board yet? One Year later?

OneMan

The student newspaper at the U of Oregon has a great column about how grades are icky bad because the experience of learning is the important thing.

Glad she isn't a nursing major.

Some more today on that Education funding board but first lets remember this little bit from the governors spokesperson in the Daily Southtown on Dec 3rd?

Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said the governor has researched and reached out to some potential candidates for the board but has no timeline for making appointments.

Now in the Sun Times on the 8th they have Rausch saying this

Rausch said the fact that the board has no members and cannot meet is a moot point since we still have not met the basic funding level the board determined was needed when it last looked at the issue. That report, released in 2002, was based on 1999 costs -- before energy prices, teacher salaries, health insurance rates and other costs skyrocketed.

-- So is the Governor reaching out to people to sit on a baord that is moot? If the board is useless why is the governor reaching out to people to be on it? Also the Sun Times points out that By Law this non-meeting non-existing moot point board has to have recomendations in by January 2005.

For more on A+ Illinois who is sort of pushing this issue go here

I think he is going to run and little media hits like this help....Kane clerk volunteers for Iraq vote: "Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham might be part of running another election sooner than he anticipated.
Cunningham has volunteered to help monitor the planned free elections in Iraq, due to take place Jan. 30. Cunningham said his name is somewhere in the pipeline with an organization that will administer monitors.
'To me, it's like public service,' Cunningham said Tuesday. 'All these guys are over there dying for elections. I mean, it seems like it's the least I can do.'
Cunningham, 65, a long-time Aurora resident, attorney and politician, recently said"

-- I am saying right now I am about 70% confident he is going to run.

CNN.com - Man killed by 'pet' wildebeest - Dec 7, 2004: " was unclear what caused the roughly 225-kilogram (500-pound) wildebeest, an African antelope also known as a gnu, to attack Klaus 'Dick' Radandt, 64, in the barnyard behind his home Sunday in North Liberty, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of South Bend."

-- No word yet if the Gnu was named Gary.

Was at my local school board meeting last night. They had about 200+ people there to discus border changes for the schools (we are adding three new elemetery schools) and as is normally true for this kind of thing. None of the happy parents showed up (besides OneMan).

We have great schools out here but to listen to these parents you would never belive it. More than anything else it was interesting to see the anger some folks had, because it is obvious the plan of the school board was to jerk them over personally. I give the board members credit, I think I would have started yelling back.

My Alderman was there and I was reminded of how good of a job he does and why I am glad he is my alderman.

The funny thing was after the part about the borders was over everone left and there was then an presentation about how they may have to ask for a tax increase. I think I was the only member of the general public there for that part of the meeting.

For what it's worth if they focus on decreasing class size (we are higher than the state average and local compairables) while keeping the ratio of admin to students below the state average (where they are at now). I am all in favor of it.

OneMan

Here are some thoughts on the impacts of the budget cuts over at the DNR from thePJStar.com - Journal Star Sports:

-- Heck a lot of state lands are south of I-80. It's not like people live down there.

The Sun Times has a Story about how the Dismal business climate makes Illinois a hard sell

This was dramatized recently by no less than the exalted Forbes magazine, which ranked Illinois a humble No. 46 among the 50 states in offering a hospitable climate to business. At almost the same time, the Kiplinger Report ranked Chicago 46th out of the nation's major cities in its appeal to commerce based purely on the criteria of income tax rates, property taxes and sales taxes. Inevitably, it all relates to budget.

-- You mean they way we keep taxing and feeing business is making Illinois less appealing to business? Who would have thunk it. Talk about jobs leaving Galesburg all you want, but all of those jobs didn't go to Mexico, some went to Iowa.

That and between the fee increases, the rolling stock tax changes and the speed limit veto will someone please tell me what Blago has against trucks. Was a Teamster mean to him as a kid or something?

OneMan

From The Bernard Schoenburg Column a few days back

WWII Memorial speaker to be Edgar, not Blagojevich

When the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated at Oak Ridge Cemetery in 1988, then-Gov. JAMES R. THOMPSON spoke.

When the Illinois Korean War Memorial was dedicated at the same cemetery in 1996, Gov. JIM EDGAR was there.

At 1 p.m. Saturday, when the Illinois World War II Memorial will be dedicated near the other two memorials, Edgar will deliver the keynote. Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH is not scheduled to attend.

Blagojevich has no public schedule for that day, said spokeswoman REBECCA RAUSCH.

"The governor is committed and believes in the World War II Memorial," Rausch said. That's evident, she added, because while many state projects were frozen during his term, Blagojevich released money to help make the memorial a reality.

"I also want to make it very clear to you how grateful the governor is to veterans and also those who are serving in our military right now," Rausch said.

She noted the governor's activities in that direction - including signing a bill to protect National Guard members from discrimination in housing, employment and finances and creating printed guides and a Web site, www.il.gov/iserved, showing a variety of state and federal services available to veterans and military personnel. He is also to be in Washington, D.C., today, to lobby for keeping Illinois military bases open.

The governor "is not able to attend," Rausch said, but did ask ROY DOLGOS, director of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and Lt. Gov. PAT QUINN to attend on his behalf.

About 22,000 Illinoisans died in World War II, and 987,000 served.

Wonder if the schedule would be different if Oak Ridge were in Chicago, where the governor lives, instead of Springfield.

-- Umm I would be willing to answer that. Again, notice how the Blagozo never seems to give a 'why' to anything just a 'Well here is some other information'.

What a goof.

OneMan

Some more on the Aurora's mayors race.
Weisner proposes resident officer program:

"Instead of mandating Aurora police officers to live in the city, mayoral candidate Tom Weisner wants to offer them incentives to reside in crime-ridden neighborhoods."

-- snip

Bill Wyatt, one of Weisner's opponents, is strongly pushing a mandatory police residency requirement for new hires.

"Simply requiring police to live in Aurora does not mean they will be residing in areas where they can do the most good," Weisner said.

Wyatt, however, always has mentioned Elgin's ROPE program in the context of establishing a police residency requirement in Aurora and favors offering incentives such as mortgage assistance and low-interest loans. Weisner has simply put a clever acronym on an opponent's idea, Wyatt said.

"The importance of police residency is something I've been talking about since day one," Wyatt said. "It's nice that he had to call a press conference to respond to my platform."

-- Snip

Candidate Richard Irvin, who became familiar with the ROPE program as a community prosecutor for Kane County, called Weisner's proposal "fluff" and said the solution to Aurora's crime problem does not lie in one program.

Weisner said the RAPOR program would be just one part of his overall solution to crime.

Irvin said more police officers have to want to live in the city rather than being enticed with free rent. That starts by changing the city's image, he said.

"To have an officer move into an area just to be a ROPE officer may not be as effective as him wanting to live there," Irvin said. "We have to have someone take stock in the neighborhood by owning property themselves.

"No investment in your community means no change."

-- Snip

Candidate Angel Hernandez could not be reached for comment Saturday evening.

-- Good story gives you everyones viewpoint on the idea and lays out Weisners plan. The problem is that I see it just appealing to young cops who will not mind moving in 4 years. Also at todays interest rates who doesn't want to be building up equity with home ownership if they can?

OneMan

Chicago Tribune | School's inclusive Christmas excludes Christ:

"When children who attend the McHenry County school gathered in the gym last week to brighten friends and parents with holiday cheer, they sang of lighting candles for Hanukkah, gave their rendition of a Jamaican folk song and even did their lists for Santa.

But their songs never mentioned Christ or the Christmas story--an omission that drew swift criticism from Christian groups pushing public schools to remember the meaning of Christmas.

'The reason for the season is Christmas,' said Dave Smith, senior policy analyst for the Illinois Family Institute, a Christian organization. 'At least some equal time would have been nice.'

Officials at Spring Grove Elementary School said they were just trying to be more inclusive of all holiday traditions and cultures during concerts Wednesday and Thursday nights. Any overlooking of Christ and Christmas was inadvertent, they said."

-- Snip

ACLU gives carols its blessing

The Illinois American Civil Liberties Union applauded Spring Grove's efforts to include different cultures during holiday season celebrations this year.

Christmas songs about Christ are fine at this time of year, spokesman Ed Yohnka said.

"What you don't want is for a parent or anyone to come into a program and feel they spent the past hour at high mass," Yohnka said.

-- I had a buddy who noticed the same thing about his kids Holiday thing last year. The funniest example of this is when my daughter was in pre-school (it is held at a church, but run by a seperate entity) the kids sang their neutral holdiay songs right in front of a huge cross in the scantuary.

I am not asking for a church service or for anything like that, but could we at least pretend my tradition exists as well without living in fear of a lawsuit? Also talking to an attorney about this as a first step is a bit much.

OneMan

The Daily Southtown has some scoop on another state board in need of members.

Members of A+ Illinois urged the governor to fill vacancies on the Education Funding Advisory Board, the body created by lawmakers in 1997 to determine the actual cost of educating a student.

State law requires the board to recommend to the Legislature a minimum per-pupil spending figure — known as the foundation level — every odd year. But the five-member board is paralyzed because it's short a chairman and lacks a quorum.

snip

Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said the governor has researched and reached out to some potential candidates for the board but has no timeline for making appointments.

Blagojevich has increased education funding twice despite record budget deficits, including a foundation-level increase of $154 for the next school year, she said.

"His commitment to education funding is unwavering," Rausch said.

-- Another state board without a quorum and it's not even the ethics board.... What a surprise. His commitment to filling boards quickly is at least consistant.
OneMan

An update a newspaper is reporting that the chairmanship has been open since Blago took office two years ago. But don't forget his committment in unwavering, his spokeperson says so, so who am I to question him...

OneMan

From Today's Trib

Harper College trustees this week hired a lobbyist with clout who they hope will free up millions of dollars in grant money jammed up in Springfield.

The college hired Milan Petrovic, owner of Advanced Practical Solutions in Chicago. Petrovic is a friend of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's and a top fundraiser for him, a college official said.

The college will pay Petrovic $60,000 next year and pick up his expenses, as approved by college President Robert Breuder. Petrovic will monitor legislation and represent the college before the Illinois General Assembly.

The college's contract with Petrovic, approved Tuesday night, has an option for a two-year extension. Petrovic "is uniquely positioned to help us with this governor," Trustee Matt Murphy said.

-- Wait a second I though he was the 'No More Business as Usual' governor, Back in May Blago said he was unaware of who his donors are stuff like that. Why then would a major fundraiser for the governor be "uniquely positioned to help us with the governor" if the governor cares not about such things in the way he does business?

Just Askin', heck I give credit to the one trustee for being so open about it.

To see who else uses a lobbyist named Petrovic, Milan follow that link to see who uses Advanced Practical Solutions LLC and who they use go here.

OneMan

From the PJStar.com - Journal Star News:

"The state's backlog of Medicaid payments to vendors such as pharmacies, nursing homes and hospitals has reached $1 billion, just six months after the state borrowed $850 million to clear the back payments.
State officials said they are monitoring the backlog, which tallies $20 million a day.
'It's certainly something that we're really concerned about and that we're focused on, but we're not surprised,' said Barnaby Dinges, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Public Aid. 'It's a challenge to effectively manage financial affairs in this economy.'"

--Awww, whats a little more debt... You know how you manage fiancial affairs in a situation like this. Either Spend less on stuff or increase revenues. Oh, BTW you have to call them taxes now, if you try calling them fees some judge will put the smack-down on em'.

OneMan

Mathew Gross: The Politics of Victimization: It seems the point of this is that Republicans are somehow the agents of violence...?

Watch Dan Rather apologize for not getting his facts straight, humiliated before the eyes of America, voluntarily undermining his credibility and career of over thirty years. Observe Donna Brazille squirm as she is ridiculed by Bay Buchanan, and pronounced irrelevant and nearly non-existent. Listen as Donna and Nancy Pelosi and Senator Charles Schumer take to the airwaves saying that they have to go back to the drawing board and learn from their mistakes and try to be better, more likable, more appealing, have a stronger message, speak to morality. Watch them awkwardly quote the bible, trying to speak the new language of America. Surf the blogs, and read the comments of dismayed, discombobulated, confused individuals trying to figure out what they did wrong. Hear the cacophony of voices, crying out, “Why did they beat me?”

"The answer is quite simple. They beat us because they are abusers. We can call it hate. We can call it fear. We can say it is unfair. But we are looped into the cycle of violence, and we need to start calling the dominating side what they are: abusive. And we need to recognize that we are the victims of verbal, mental, and even, in the case of Iraq, physical violence. "

snip

Even if you do everything right, they’ll hit you anyway. Look at the poor souls who voted for this nonsense. They are working for six dollars an hour if they are working at all, their children are dying overseas and suffering from lack of health care and a depleted environment and a shoddy education. And they don’t even know they are being hit.

-- Ummm, thats right the agragate Bush voter is obviously someone making 6 dollars an hour at Wall-Mart. I thought we were the party of wealth, but only poor people vote Republican?

Yet again I am so thankful for the American Left for reminding me how stupid I must obviously be.

Thats right, the fact your guy lost is due to the fact the Republicans are mean and stuff, not that a majority of Americans decided to vote for the other guy.

OneMan

Former budget office worker awarded $20,000 state contract: The article says the gaming board alreadys does this sort of projection and this is a duplication of work.

Too bad the guys who were let go from DNC cant get these types of contracts.


OneMan