Chicago Republican Party

Roland Burris has decided not to run for US Senate. He explained the cost was prohibitive to run for Senate. Translation: he could not raise any money.

Three time treasurer Judy Barr Topinka has decided to run for Comptroller. She had also considered running for Cook County Board President.

 

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is still considering running for Senate, despite a report Friday afternoon that said he was taking himself out of the race in order to avoid a primary with state Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna.

Kirk told Roll Call over the phone Friday that he was still discussing the race with McKenna going into the weekend and that a published Washington Post report that he was dropping out of the race was incorrect.

Kirk and McKenna met with the Illinois delegation this week to gauge support for their campaigns. At the time, it was unclear who the delegation would back - in part because of Kirk's vote for the controversial cap-and-trade bill that passed the House recently.

Kirk told Roll Call that he and McKenna would continue to discuss the race over the weekend.

Again the Primary girding starts, again the strong words fly.

The hopefuls see a world aglow, but most will pass on by.

So what will it mean, the struggle and spleen, in the Primary of 2010?

Can it be more than empty slashing by a few ambitious men?

 

With you and I the challenge rests, to make it something more,

To force them all to raise the bar above the mindless gore.

To win the game and achieve the fame, they'll say most anything.

Demand a Primary of issues, ask them all to "Hold the sting."  

 

The Democrats are vulnerable, the people are afire,

The GOP can now return, but ideas will be required.

Can we build a team, achieve the dream, and rule Illinois again?

Demand a Primary of issues, and we'll win in 2010. 

I don’t like when the government discriminates.  It was wrong in the 1950’s and it is wrong today.  However, Democrats in Illinois support discrimination even in the year 2009. 

The following is a hypothetical story but being in Chicago, with its rich immigrant population, there are many real people out there that can relate.

Long ago a brave man gave a speech telling of a dream that one day people would be judged by character not skin color.

Melissa has a dream too but some in Springfield have discriminated against her ability to achieve that dream based on the color of her skin.  

She’s a Chicagoan, daughter of Italian immigrants who came to America when they were still in their teens. Melissa’s someone who has never had anything handed to her because the only thing her family ever had to give was their love and continued support.  She wanted to become a teacher, so she went to college and studied, studied, studied all the while accumulating more and more student loan debt in the process.  Her graduation this spring came during one the most competitive job markets in thirty years due to our current recession. Student loans are crushingly expensive. Melissa studied hard and mortgaged her future to do what she loves in the face of massive debt.   

If only there was a way the government could have paid for her schooling and made life so much easier for Melissa.    

Well, it turns out there is!   

But, only if you aren’t white. Too bad for Melissa! Her parents immigrated from Italy instead of Kenya or Mexico, and Melissa was born the wrong color!  

You see, in an amendment to the Higher Education Student Assistance Act in 2005, the Illinois General Assembly decided taxpayers must subsidize the education of minorities that want to become teachers (just like Melissa!).  Those students possessing “skin deep” qualifications can apply for a $5,000 scholarship each semester to pay for school until they graduate so long as they fulfill some teaching requirements after they graduate. 

Democrats give weak reasons for such discriminatory programs: minorities were discriminated against for so long; blacks are poor; whites enjoy a “cultural advantage” over minorities in life; et cetera.  Is some of the above true to varying degrees? Yes, but the blanket generalities liberals toss around are more racist than anything they accuse their critics of.   

As the daughter of immigrants, Melissa bears no responsibility for the past sins of “white America”, since her family, until very recently, lived thousands of miles away in the mountains of central Italy and bear no responsibility for any grievances heaped on non-minorities by the liberal left. Melissa’s parents immigrated to America precisely because they were poor and wanted an opportunity to succeed.  They had nothing, but they believed in hard work, and expected no handouts as they struggled to improve themselves.   

What sort of “cultural advantages” did Melissa have in this country because she is white, while her parents didn’t speak a word of English and had to start from scratch? Where are all the breaks and helping hands for the Melissas in this country, who are poor, who are discriminated against for not speaking the language, who struggle every day?    

That’s right, because she’s white she doesn’t get any of that.  

Melissa’s parents worked hard to help their daughter get through school. Melissa worked part time to pay for her books and food.  Little did they know their tax dollars paid for the education of minorities who, in some cases, had much more than Melissa and her family – and who would, after graduation, compete against Melissa for scarce jobs. 

Melissa and her family’s own taxes thus subsidized Melissa’s future employment competition.   

Because some people’s skin is a darker hue than Melissa’s, tax money is spent to push them ahead of Melissa for jobs she and her family worked hard for. Melissa’s family lives paycheck to paycheck and struggles to overcome many obstacles, but because they are white, none of that matters. Their skin is the wrong color when it comes to educational breaks from the government. 

When can we really live by Martin Luther King’s words and truly judge a man “by the content of his character and not the color of his skin”?  Our collective dream should be for a day when the government gets out of the business of picking winners and losers. 

 

P.S. I am currently working on obtaining the number of scholarships awarded and the cost to the Illinois taxpayer thus far.  I will relay the information when I get it.

Confused by the wrangling over the state budget in Springfield?

Let me tell you what's really going on. What appears to be a very public budget dispute among Illinois' governing elites is actually violent agreement of what should be done: tax increases and temporary, symbolic reductions in the rate of spending, with no structural changes.

In other words, general agreement on the wrong policies.

The only disagreement is over who will "wear the jacket" for the tax increase. Whatever happened to Governor Quinn's declaration, only a few days ago, that anything less than a 6.5% increase over FY 2009 budget levels would result in an "Escape From New York" dystopia overnight? Today, apparently, the situation is not so dire that the governor would risk his political career over it. Never has the phrase "desperate, but not serious" been so appropriate. Don't believe him, or any other state politician, next time they stand at the prison gates threatening to swing open the doors unless you cough up some more dough.

Any plan that is based on higher taxes and only marginal changes in spending habits will keep those who can afford to stay in Illinois treading on the same hamster wheel we've been on for the last decade.

When asked how he went broke, a character in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises replied, "Gradually, then suddenly." We've been going broke for years, and now suddenly, "suddenly" has arrived. Neither the Governor nor the Assembly has the guts to face the problem, be straight with the public, and take necessary action.

Let me do what they will not. Here goes:

The problem in Illinois is not a temporary shortfall in revenue, or even a chronic lack of revenue. It is a systemic spending problem that cannot be solved absent a comprehensive and coherent examination of what our government should do, and what it should not do. It demands a complete restructuring of our major public sector systems and, ultimately, statutory caps on spending.

What we must do, and what Governor Quinn and the Chicago 9 will not do, is to be truthful about the nature of the problem and the characteristics of any solution. These characteristics are:

Align government interest with private interest. Our government sector cannibalizes the private sector and has destroyed initiative and industry. This must end. A Proft Administration would introduce this principle at the top by requiring all members of the General Assembly to feel the brunt of their destructive economic policies.

• State legislators' salaries will be tied to the median household income for an Illinois family;
• Their salaries can only increase when the state's median household income increases and by no more than that increase;
• Pension reform begins with legislators having their pensions capped after four years of service. In addition, these pensions should be payable in the currency they have most control over: Illinois general obligation bonds;
• State employees should work 40 hours per week to qualify as a full-time employee, not the current 37.5.

Restructure Government At the Foundation. We can no longer tolerate systems whose main objective is to provide secure jobs and guaranteed pensions to public sector unions in exchange for their political support of the status quo.

Two of the largest cost centers in government are Medicaid and education. Medicaid can be provided more cost-effectively through managed care. Our health-care infrastructure should not be decided by some Star Chamber of gubernatorial appointees but by medical professionals looking to meet market demands.  This means eliminating the corrupt Health Facilities Planning Board, not simply renaming it as Quinn has proposed.

If we get K-12 education right, many of our other social and budgetary problems become much easier to address. Educated young people with jobs become contributors to the economic engine, not burdens on it. Parents in failing school districts need to be empowered with choice. A Proft Administration will invest in children, not education bureaucracies.

Focus on the Core Mission. Let's get the big-ticket systems right-K-12, Medicaid, transportation-and get out of areas where government does not belong and has no core competency. The state should immediately exit activities such as real estate management and gambling. Permanently.

In order to achieve these medium-term savings and efficiencies, we need to survive the present.

Stop Digging! Address the structural debt that is killing our bond rating and driving business from the state. We will stop spending more than we collect and we will not be tempted into short-term borrowing, which is nothing more than a back-door tax increase.

Pension reform begins with an immediate end to double-dipping. It is time to force the large unions like AFSCME and SEIU to the table for an adult conversation about untenable obligations of their contracts which make government more expensive and less flexible than it needs to be.

We will roll back state spending back to at least 2008 levels, which would be a $3 billion reduction from the get-go, and seek waivers to use federal stimulus money (which is Illinois taxpayer money anyway) for breathing room while we overhaul moribund state government systems.

The benefits of these measures are manifold:

• We relieve pressure on the taxpayer during a time of recession;
• We send the signal that Illinois is open for business and industrious people don't have to leave;
• The financial community understands that Illinois is a good risk as our bond ratings go up, saving us money in the short term;
• Employment and tax revenue increase.

This is what it means to "Un-Fix Illinois."

Of all the current threats to our freedoms, the possible loss of our health freedom, under the guise of insuring the uninsured, is quite possibly the most onerous.  Supporters of a government run health care plan have been using the same arguments for decades.  The primary argument used by national health care supporters use is the claim that nationalization will actually reduce the cost of health care.  While the rising costs of health care is an issue that should not be ignored, many of the claims made by supporters of government run health care are simply untrue or misleading.

 

In this great opinion article in last weeks’s Wall Street Journal, the claims made by supporters of a national health care option are investigated by George Newman.  Most notably, Mr. Newman exposes a sort of double-speak that supporters of national health care engage in.  On one hand, they tell us that we must create a public health care option because there are 45 million people without health insurance, and they are simply not able to get health care whatsoever.  Then, they also tell us that nationalized health care would actually reduce the health care costs for the rest of us because we pay extra to take care of these uninsured patients.  These two arguments are simply contradictory.

 

In addition to this double speak; the truth is that the national health option will only cover about 1/3 of the uninsured.  It is currently estimated that the plan will cost in excess of $1 trillion over the next ten years.  This should be taken as a floor on possible costs, as past experience, from Medicare Part D to the Boston Big Dig has shown that the implementation of government programs invariantly end up costing more than anticipated, sometimes by a large margin.  There is no reason to believe that this plan will reduce health care costs, and all reason to believe it will greatly increase the size of government.  There is no talk on capital hill about what taxes can be cut as a result of this plan, but new revenue sources, from soda tax to a VAT have been floated.

 

Not only can we expect the establishment of a national health care plan to cost the American taxpayer, but we can also expect it to reduce the overall quality of our health care system.  From AMTRAK to Social Security, we have many examples of poor performance in government programs.  Both operations would easily be better performed by private companies competing for business.  In both cases, as will be the case if a national health care system is established, we will pay extra, lose our freedom of choice, and suffer from poorer quality service due to the establishment of a publicly funded government entity.  The Kennedy-Dodd plan, as well as all other plans to establish a government run health care option must be stopped.  I urge you to call Senator Durbin, Senator Burris, and your legislator and inform them of your concerns about the program.

 An economics professor at Texas Tech said he had never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class.

This particular class had insisted that socialism really worked: no one would be poor and no one would be rich, everything would be equal and ‘fair'. The professor then said "Okay, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism. Instead of money, we'll use your grades."

All grades were to be averaged and thus would be "fair". This meant that everyone would receive the same grade, which meant that no one would fail. It also meant, of course, that no one would receive an A...
- - - - - - - - -

After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who had studied hard were upset, but the students who had goofed off were quite happy with the outcome.

As the second test rolled around, the slackers studied even less now - they knew they'd get a good grade anyhow. Those who'd studied hard in the beginning now decided they wanted a free ride too. Thus, going against their own inclinations, they copied the slackers' habits. As a result, the second test average was a D.

No one was happy.

By the time the third test had been graded, the average was an F.

The scores never increased but bickering, blame, and name calling began to be the environment in which this class operated. It had been their own quest for "fairness" which had led to this unintended result of hard feelings and grievances. In the end, no one was willing to study just for the benefit of everyone else. Therefore, all the students failed...to their great surprise.

The professor explained that their experiment with socialism failed because it was based on the least effort by all. Laziness and resentment were the outcome. There would always be failure in the situation they'd agreed to in the beginning.

"When the reward is great", he said, "the effort to succeed is great, at least for some. But when government takes all the reward away by taking from some without their consent and giving to others without their effort, then failure is inevitable".

Bob Schillerstrom on Wednesday announced that 8 of the 9 Republican Township Chairmen in DuPage County have endorsed his bid for Governor in 2010 and will assist his campaign in spreading its message at home and throughout the state.

The vast support from Republican colleagues further fuels a statewide campaign that kicked-off last week with a Naperville rally watched by more than 2,900 people online at www.bobforillinois.com. After leading a county that is larger than six states for more than a decade, Schillerstrom points to his record balancing budgets, delivering tax relief and creating jobs as a testament to what is possible for Illinois.

State residents universally understand the importance of changing the culture of Illinois government, Schillerstrom said, as he thanked his party colleagues for standing with him in the upcoming GOP Primary.

"After every failure, Springfield vows it will change - and then delivers more of the same," Schillerstrom said. "Our campaign is based on the idea that change in Springfield will require new faces and ideas. And as we spread our message throughout the state, it makes all the difference to have strong support at home."

The Bob for Governor 2010 DuPage County Township GOP Team includes:

John Dabrowski Chairman, Bloomingdale Township Republican Organization
Patrick Durante Chairman, Addison Township Republican Organization
Mike Formento Chairman, Milton Township Republican Organization
Paul Hinds Chairman, York Township Republican Organization
Rachel Ossyra Chairman, Naperville Township Republican Organization
Mike Prueter Chairman, Lisle Township Republican Organization
John Smith Chairman, Winfield Township Republican Organization
Ken Spitz Chairman, Wayne Township Republican Organization

###

About 2 seconds after Lisa Madigan decided to stay put at Attorney General, Mark Kirk disclosed he will be running for Senate.

Andy McKenna Jr. is still rumored to be a potential candidate.

Jim Durkin is considering a run for Attorney General.

Judy Barr Topinka is still looking around for opportunities.

John Harris, Gov. Blagojevich's last chief of staff, entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud for attempting to sell Obama's senate seat and agreed to testify against the former governor.

John Harris plea deal

 New information: Rod Blagojevich proposed selling Obama's seat to Senate candidate D (likely Emil Jones), in exchange for the politicians war chest.

Minimum sentencing guidelines call for 71 months. The US Attorney will ask for 35 months. Harris' attorney will ask for less. Judge Zagel will make the decision.

Bad day for Blago, but next week will be equally bad as Lon Monk is expected to cooperate with Federal investigators.

After meeting with Governor Quinn this week and observing the many special-interests tugging him in multiple directions, it is evident that this entire budget fiasco has become quite a circus. What we're witnessing is the continuation of a six-year-long comedy of errors. The problem with this comedy is that real people are getting hurt as worthwhile and necessary services are being held hostage by political gamesmanship. Governor Quinn and the Democrats are shamelessly dangling those who depend on these services over a precipice while demanding more of your hard-earned cash to feed their out-of-control spending addiction.

The Democrats claimed that all the state's problems were over once their disgraced friend Rod Blagojevich was removed from office, and yet all we're seeing is more of the same. We are now well past the deadline for having a state budget in place, as we were this time last year with Blagojevich at the helm, and there seems to be no real desire to find a solution that is best for Illinois families. Our state is leaking jobs like a sieve and we sit near the bottom in nearly every conceivable economic statistic when compared to the rest of the nation, yet the only acceptable solution to my out-of-touch Democratic colleagues is a job killing tax hike on hard-working Illinoisans already struggling to stay afloat.

It is clear that we need a new generation of leadership here in Illinois. We need leaders who understand that we have no greater priority than putting the people of Illinois back to work. We need leaders who will restore balance to our out-of-whack state government and make you proud once again to live in the Land of Lincoln. The current leaders have proven their ineptitude and it's time to remove them before they drag us down any further. For Illinois to have a fighting chance we need new leaders in 2010.

--Matt Murphy

 

 

 

Lisa Madigan has decided to run again for Attorney General ending months of speculation that she would run for either Governor or US Senate.

MSNBC: Madigan says no to Senate, Gov bid

 

 Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has decided to run for re-election instead of seeking higher office.

That's according to Madigan's political director, Mary Morrissey. Madigan plans a news conference this afternoon to discuss her plans.

The Democrat's decision dramatically changes the landscape of the races for governor and Senate in Illinois, which has seen both offices rocked by scandal.

The well-connected daughter of powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan had been seen as a frontrunner for either seat. She'd been encouraged by Democratic leaders all the way up to the White House.

Her announcement is likely to set off a domino effect, as candidates from both parties were waiting for her decision before jumping into races for statewide office in 2010.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2009

CONTACT: Blake Dvorak
847-912-2038

PRESS RELEASE:

Proft Surprised by Dillard's Entrance into the Race, as a Republican

 

(Chicago, Illinois) - In anticipation of State Senator Kirk Dillard's announcement this morning of his candidacy for Governor, conservative reform gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft issued the following statement:

            I want to welcome Sen. Dillard to the race, though I admit to being a bit surprised he decided to run as a Republican.

I want to make it clear from the outset, as a point of differentiation, that I will refuse any offer made by President Barack Obama to appear in Dan Proft for Governor television commercials.

At his announcement this morning, Sen. Dillard will likely tout his 15 years of experience in the Illinois General Assembly and his track record of bi-partisanship.

So let's review both:

Dillard's bipartisanship - Endorsement of Barack Obama.  Sen. Dillard appeared in a campaign commercial for then-Sen. Obama during the Presidential primary campaign in which Dillard said,

"Senator Obama worked on some of the deepest issues we had and he was successful in a bi-partisan way...Republican legislators respected Sen. Obama.  His negotiation skills and his ability to understand both sides would serve the country well."

http://www.chicagogop.com/MyBlog/Kirk-Dillard-Desperate-To-Rebuild-Reputation.html

Sen. Dillard calls this "statesmanship" not an endorsement.  I disagree.  I would ask Sen. Dillard how well he thinks President Obama's skills are in fact serving the country after all? 

Dillard's 15 years in the General Assembly - Taxes, Spending, Debt.

• Blago's $10 billion bond scheme. Sen. Dillard was one of only four GOP State Senators to cross party lines in order to vote for Rod Blagojevich's $10 billion bond scheme in 2003. This deal doubled the state's bonded indebtedness in one fell swoop.  This insider deal is also famously remembered for the $800,000 fee given to disgraced former GOP National Committeeman Bob Kjellander as part of that deal.

By contrast, I opposed the bond deal in writing and I called for Kjellander's resignation after the details of this deal came to light six years ago, and was one of the first Republicans in Illinois to do so.

• Sales tax increase to bail out the RTA. Last year, Sen. Dillard was one of only three GOP State Senators to vote to increase the sales tax in Cook and the collar counties to bail out the mismanaged Regional Transit Authority, an entity that is already subsidized by the state for half of its operating budget each year.

By contrast, I am the only candidate for Governor who publicly called out Sen. Dillard and the other two GOP State Senators at the time for voting for this tax increase/bailout:  http://www.urqmedia.com/proft/contentview.asp?c=206156

 

• State Spending. During Sen. Dillard's 15 years in Springfield, general fund spending in the state has increased at nearly four times the rate of population growth in Illinois (adjusted for inflation). The profligate spending in state government is the primary reason we have "budget crises" like the one we have currently for FY 2010.

 

By contrast, I am the only candidate for Governor who has proposed statutory spending caps for state government because I understand that fundamentally we have a spending problem not a revenue problem.

It is important to recall that for half of Sen. Dillard's tenure, the GOP was in the majority in the State Senate so there were plenty of opportunities to propose system change ideas.

Sen. Dillard is an affable gentleman.  In fact, I like him.

But the question for conservatives is this:  Are we going to nominate someone who thinks our state's problems can be solved through closer cooperation with political insiders intent on preserving a fixed system?  Or are we going to nominate a candidate who will take the fight to the Chicago Democrats on behalf of people who play by the rules in Illinois?

For Republicans who think our state's problems can be solved by tinkering on the margins and through closer cooperation with the current power structure, Sen. Dillard is your candidate.

For Republicans who think it is time we un-fix Illinois and who believe we need to re-establish our party as one with big policy ideas that flow from clearly defined first principles and substantively address the pressing issues of the day, I am your candidate.

###

 

 

According to Obama it was an international concerted effort lead by Lech Walesa and Vaclav Havel. That is the statement that Obama made while visiting Russia this week. Walesa's brave Solidarity anti communist movement in Poland and his courageous defiance of the pro Moscow General Jaruzelski's  martial law regime would have resulted in a fiasco without Ronald's Reagan overt support.

Reagan had the courage and political inspirational vision to declare on television unfaltering support for the Polish freedom fighters.  Obama's response to the Iranian freedom fighters was evasive and lame; let's see how this play out; we cannot meddle into another's country internal affairs; peace is upon the mullahs...

If you are an American and expect President Obama to stand up for you, you can forget about it. Precedents point out otherwise. The kissing derriere diplomacy tour stands as a good example and now the stop is RUSSIA. Obama's diplomatic strategy of bowing down and criticizing America for supporting freedom and human rights hopes to secure a brilliant diplomatic victory for his administration and enhance his international celebrity status. Well, I suggest running for United Nation secretary general position since that will befit President Obama's profile of United States' bashing.

While Obama was busy talking historical non sense and signing an agreement to reduce nuclear arsenals in Russia, hundreds of Russian technicians are deployed in Iran abetting the mullahs with their quest of nuclear weapons and long range missiles. In fact, evidence points out to the fact that the KGB/FSB sent nuclear weapons to arm the Anti American Theocracy in Iran.

I am purposely emphasizing KGB for the Russian state is run by the KGB period.  As General Pacepa (highest defecting officer from the Eastern Bloc) observed: during the communist era the KGB as a state in state, today the KGB is the state. Understanding this is of colossal importance when dealing diplomatically with Russia for the following reasons.

Historically the Russian communist regime had a major objective to burry freedom and capitalism as it is embodied in the United States. To accomplish this objective the KGB has devised various actions plans. Terrorism, religion, global warming and useful idiots were some of these tools.

In fact the PLO (Palestinian liberation organization) was concocted by the KGB as a countermeasure to American and Israeli power in the Middle East. Plane high jacking was a joint venture between Arafat and KGB! Yes, the organization Obama's administration just gave $900,000 million dollars of taxpayer's money.

National Liberation armies were also created in Latin America such as FARC in Columbia, Bolivia and left wing dictatorship s as in Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and yes Honduras to counter freedom and democracy and of course attack and destroy United States. These are regimes sponsored by Russia.

Liberation Theology is another tool designed by the KGB to infiltrate Latin America and preach Marxism through religion. Nikita Khrushchev the architect of this strategy elucidated this approach a quoting Marx: "if religion is the opium of the masses let's give them opium!"

By the way Liberation Theology is the philosophy preached by reverend Jeremiah Wright at Chicago Trinity United Church of Christ. The Church Obama and his family attended for the past twenty years! What a shame! This sheds some light on Obama's leftist proclivities and questionable pride for his country. 

The Green movement and global arming are designed to impede the industrial growth of capitalistic nations by reducing energy and production. Cap and Trade is a sad reality of this movement... Need I say more? 

And, finally useful idiots define as people used by the KGB to promote and implement their agenda. Example, believers in liberation technology, global warming and KGB propaganda of   peaceful intention and social justice.  Since Obama seems to be so concerned with social justices there were 17 journalists  murdered in Russia since 2000. No convictions for these murders yet.

The point is that Russia could be a valuable ally and it should, but the reality of the matter points otherwise.  The current Russian administration is not acting in the best interest of the United States. Russians are highly educated people; unfortunately the current oligarchic regime does not act in the best interest of the Russian people or America.

If Obama thinks that he can charm Putin by throwing Reagan under the bus and acting like somekind of charismatic peacemaker, he might as well play football without a helmet.  Russia will help America in Iran when hell freezes over! 

When does a big tuna become a red herring? Political theorists are postulating Danny Davis is merely a roadblock to prevent any further Democrats from entering the County Board President's race making it easier for Daley to pick the eventual winner. Look for Davis to pull a Rich Gordon and not run at the last minute.

 

Disgraced State Representative Paul "Fraud" Froehlich will enjoy a cush State of Illinois job compliments of Gov. Pat "Rod II" Quinn.

 

Someone is starting a bizarre smear campaign that Dan Proft has a gambling problem. Dan enjoys plenty of vices, but gambling isn't one of them.

 

Roger "The Hog" Stanley has been out in the 'burbs looking for employment.

 

RNC Chairman Michael Steele is beyond furious at Mark Kirk for his vote on Cap & Trade. Steele and John Cornyn, head of the NRSC, are pushing for ILGOP Chairman Andy McKenna, Jr. to run for the Senate seat.

 

Some people have started bringing up Mary Jo Arndt as a temporary ILGOP Chairman if McKenna runs for Senate.

 

Sensing weakness because of same Cap & Trade vote, New Trier township Republican Richard Green  is now looking at a possible run at Mark Kirk's Congressional seat. Green is very wealthy.

 

The other Kirk, Dillard, apparently robocalled most Republicans in the state today hyping his announcement of running for Governor tomorrow.

When it comes to Sarah Palin, the national media are laughable. While I rather relish seeing them fumble & scramble to nail down Sarah Palin, I also find it maddening, frustrating and invigorating (it lights a fire in me to fight for her) as they go through their twisted logic. They did it when John McCain surprised them by announcing her as his running mate; they did it again this past 4^th of  July weekend when she announced she was resigning from the Governorship of Alaska. Only one person seemed to get it right, John Ziegler, the documentarian (http://www.howobamagotelected.com/).

This morning on ABC's "Good Morning America", Kate Snow walked along the shores of Kanakanak Beach in Dillingham, Alaska with the Governor to ask her the question every pundit is doing their prideful best to blabber about: why did she resign as Governor of Alaska?  Last night, on FOX News, Bill O'Reilly asked on his program "Do you think Gov. Sarah Palin was smart to resign?"  Later, on Sean Hannity's program, I could almost see the foam around the liberal prosecutor's mouth as she rabidly and desperately tried to portray Palin as a "quitter". On July 3rd, immediately after Palin's press conference, my longtime favorite go-to pundit, the erudite Charles Krauthammer, called her "erratic."  Supposed Republican apologist Ed Rollins followed suit on CNN.  Listen up, ladies & gentlemen, Sarah Palin's decision is a smart one. And then some!

Far from the supposedly conventional wisdom, Sarah Palin is not a quitter, nor is she erratic. The aforementioned liberal prosecutor snubbed her nose at Palin saying she doesn't relate to "suburban moms." As a suburban mother myself (a fiscal conservative one at that), I totally get her decision. Had I been called a "slutty" stewardess on national television (which was later recycled ad nauseum on the internet's You Tube), and had my daughter also been ridiculed on national television (ditto on the WorldWideWeb), and had my Down Syndrome baby been mocked, I, too, would resign from any job that hurt my family. I have a daughter one year older than Palin's 8-year old Piper. My daughter becomes a puddle when someone says her new puppy pug is "ugly." I can only imagine what Piper has gone through (as well as her other children). I choose to take Palin at her word: other than the Alaska, faith and family come first. She's protecting both in a smart and faithful way. She's forging ahead, being sure of what she hopes for, certain of what she does not see. She's being the unconventional visionary I admire and respect. The frightened liberals and the national media are reeling.

The only one who came close to understanding and discerning the strategy, wisdom and downright "smartness" of Palin's decision was Ziegler. As with everything, to get to the truth, one must understand the context. As Ziegler told O'Reilly:

"Because the media has not provided the proper context to just how difficult her job has become, how impossible it has been for her to do simple tasks, how much money it has cost the state of Alaska, how much money it has cost her, how much it has put her family through unprecedented attacks, I would ask each of your viewers to think to themselves ‘what would you do if you were under those circumstances?' and if you cared about your state and you cared about your family, wouldn't you step aside?"

O'Reilly then tried to compare himself to Palin because he says he's been smeared everyday for 13 years and has not "walked away." Ziegler made a point O'Reilly should have seen obvious:

"You are still capable of doing your job...You have control over the content of your own show...It was costing the state a lot of money. YOU are making money for FOX News Channel. It was costing the state of Alaska a lot of money. It was costing her a lot of money. And I would venture to guess that your family has not been under the attacks that Governor Palin's family has been under. That have been unprecendented and have been well documented, including in my film. The reality is the situations are apples and oranges. And this is not a cowardly decision, this is a courageous decision, that was made-get this!-this is going to be shocking to a lot of people, Bill, it was made for the very reasons she said they were made for!  Because she cares more about the state and her family than she does her short term political self interest. This is an act of courage."

O'Reilly then tried to twist her motivation for the "millions & millions of dollars" that she could make on the speaker's circuit. O'Reilly postulated she did it for the money (probably because that is what HE would do). Ziegler set him straight:

"That was not her motivation...This is not the first time that she's done this, Bill! Most of the media doesn't understand and has not reported that she set up her run for governor by resigning from the Oil & Gas Commission in Alaska because she could not do her job! This is her M.O.! She puts the public good above her own short term political interests."

 

The  object of the game is to destroy American capitalism by having  the government take over everything!

Tokens include a  bus, a teleprompter, a sprig of arugula and a waffle  iron.

Wanna play? No??? Too bad, you're already  playing... And quite frankly, in this game, nobody  wins!

“The Governor of Illinois is not an entry-level position.”

THE concern we’ve encountered during the campaign is that Adam lacks some ill-defined “experience.”  When pressed for specifics, people wonder whether he shouldn’t first “spend time in Springfield.”  One suggestion we’ve heard is that Adam should run for Comptroller before running for Governor.
    
Voters need to understand that this attitude – that one must learn the ways of Springfield - is what got us into this mess.  Actually, many in Springfield must un-learn their bad habits.  Voters realize that the underlying cause of corruption, waste, and mismanagement is rooted in “Springfield experience,” and that it is going to take an outsider – unencumbered by favors and baggage – to reform Springfield.

Adam has focused on systemic policy changes over the moldy name recognition/money-man calculus that has served the Republican Party (and Illinois) so poorly.  The foundation of Adam’s policies is 100% financial and procedural transparency.

 “Transparency is not enough” say the critics.  We answer: it is a necessary first step.   There will never be another tax cut in Illinois until we control spending.  We will never get control of spending without 100% transparency.  Good government – be it uncovering and eliminating waste or re-establishing the trust of the voters - flows from transparency.  We might as well get on with it.  

We repeat: we will never have another tax cut in Illinois without cutting spending; and spending cuts will be impossible without knowing exactly where money is spent.  Once ALL state spending is posted online, Illinoisans will finally see where their money is going and whether any individuals, contractors, or corporations benefit unfairly from the system.  Government will be leaner and Lawmakers more accountable.

When people say that one needs to acquire “experience” before running for Governor, there are two things that we must discern: first, what our “experienced” elected officials in Springfield have done for us and second, what “experience” is necessary to reform Springfield.

In the first question, let’s consider the years of experience in the General Assembly.  The legislature’s main responsibility is to pass a budget allocating state funding.  They haven’t been able to do that under Blagojevich OR Quinn (both “experienced”, by the way).  Perhaps state Democrats are counting on another “Republican Tax Increase” in the Ryan-Edgar-Thompson mode.  That is what our party’s “experienced” candidates have done for Illinois.

Second, the state’s chief executive should be able to lead on ideas and have the ability to fight against the status quo – and win.  This is what Adam has done in business and the public policy realm.

It’s past time for new blood and bold ideas in Springfield.  Adam may not know every nuance of “Springfield deal-making,” but isn’t that part of the problem?  The most important question is this: Would you rather have a Governor who ran on bold policies which – if endorsed by voters through Adam’s election – create a mandate for real structural reform; or, another career politician with “Springfield experience” effectively hamstrung by a career of deal-making from doing what needs to be done?

Adam doesn’t have experience cutting deals, kissing rings, or “genuflecting” for party leaders.  His platform will benefit all of Illinois.  Illinois is in crisis, and this is a leadership election, not an experience election.  When leaders lead, experience will follow.

To comment on this post, please go to the same post on the Adam for Illinois website .

Ed McMahon died last week. He was a great entertainer, but prior to his stage accomplishments he was a distinguished Marine Corps fighter pilot in WWII earning six Air Medals and attaining the rank of Colonel. He was discharged in 1946 and was later promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in the CA Air National Guard.

Farrah Fawcett died last week after a long career in Hollywood as an actress.  After she was diagnosed with cancer, she became an activist for cancer treatment and devoted her last remaining years encouraging people to seek treatment.  She documented her plight on film and used it to encourage others to stay positive and upbeat despite their diagnosis and suffering.

Michael Jackson died last week.  He was perhaps one of the greatest singers of modern time.  He will also be remembered for his eccentric lifestyle that included sleeping with a chimpanzee, living in a carnival-like atmosphere at Neverland, his fascination with Peter Pan, and his numerous masks and costumes.  He also admitted to finding pleasure sleeping with young boys and paying out millions of dollars in settlements to the families of these boys despite being acquitted by a court on one allegation of sexual molestation.

QUESTION - Which of the above did the House of Representatives declare a moment of silence for on Monday?  (Hint - It wasn't the first two.)

QUESTION - Which of the above's family received a personal note of condolence from President Obama? (Hint - It wasn't the first two.)

I was Executive Director of the Cook GOP back in 2007 when, Tom Lyons,  long-time head of the Cook Democrats died after battling a long illness. Lyons had been Chairman of the Cook Democrats since 1990.

With the vacancy, several Democrats ran for the position. Joe Berrios announced early and claimed to have it locked up. Recently indicted Alderman Isaac Carothers made some phone calls to black committeemen and decided he could win it. And State Rep. Lou Lang decided to throw his ring in the hat.

There was the typical public political spin on each campaign and self-righteous promises on how each would make the party more open and transparent.

The meeting to elect the chairman was to be held at the Allegra Hotel. This was of interest to me because it was only two blocks from our office. I decided to go. I wasn't sure if they would let me in, but I figured since I was wearing a suit I would see if I could just walk right in.

On the walk over, I was figuring what I would say if someone pointed me out as a Republican in their midst or if their sargeant-at-arms would stop me from even entering.

It turns out, the meeting was open to the public and I was more than welcome. I sat in the first of three rows of chairs for spectators to observe with more than casual interest. I was new to politics and I wanted to see what made these political powerplayers tick. I felt like the room was going to fill with 50 political Warren Buffetts. Who were these political titans who have locked out Republicans in Chicago from all public office? And why do they all dress like Al Capone?

What I saw has provided personal motivation since. The room was filled with ass-kissing sycophants, kooks, overweight flunkees and blundering nitwits. I was stunned. I kept saying to myself, "We're losing to THESE guys? THESE guys? How is this possible?"

Upon reflection, I realized we were losing to a group of people only dedicated to themselves. They are as disinclined to believe in Democrat ideology as Republican. They overran both parties simply because they were willing to lie, cheat, and steal. They put their own shills in Republican committeeman spots, they used illegal patronage positions to destroy reform candidates, and had a history of persuading the dead to vote when necessary.

They do have 3-4 smart puppetmasters like Mike Madigan or John Daley, but their team is made up of unmotivated yes-men willing to cross ethical boundaries for a paycheck. The broken systems, such as failing schools, corruption and public violence, only perpetuate the self-serving creation of  dependent voters.

The vaunted Chicago Democrat machine monsters are delusionary phantasms; there are just lots of them. Joe Berrios eventually won in an uncontested race with Carothers and Lang singing his praises. It would be interesting to know what they got out of the backroom deal.

Pardon me for what appears below as it's not so much a blog as a list of postings from the Chicago Tribune's blog.  For almost two days our hometown paper carried the story of Sarah Palin's departure as its website lead.  As related sub-stories they noted their blog where people may post comments on this news story.  For the entire time the Trib kept the following post as the headline:  Comments: "She looks like a quitter."

I refreshed a number of times, checked back later that day and even the next.  It was still there.  I thought they may rotate what appeared, but, they didn't - so much for presenting unbiased coverage.  On an unrelated note, the following headline appeared near the negative Palin comment, "Another jobless recovery possible."  I digress, but, I mean, honestly . . .

I checked the comments and while there was a fair share of nasty ones I thought you'd like to see the below, positive ones.  These are the ones the Trib wouldn't dare put on its website's cover.

By the way, did anyone else see the symbolism associated with Sarah's announcing this over the Independence Day weekend?  Hmmmmmm.

Enjoy . . .

I seem to recall a Junior Senator just 2 years into his term that decided to run for President and I'm sure it had nothing to do with money or power, he just got bored representing the People of the State of Illinois. Now he is President and the country is experiencing the highest unemployment in 26 years, we're have unsustainable debt and we all own car companies.
Hope & Change!

Who else didn't finish there first term. One guess he's, the president.

Obama-Please take note. Maybe this is something you might consider doing.

Why are there no good looking liberals outside of Hollywood? Even those libs are stupid and crazy.

She couldnt do any worse than hapless Obama and blubbering Biden !!

I think that she has a plan for how she can better make a positive change in the country. I think she should have finished her term, but she and her family have been relentlessly and brutally attacked. She has had ethics complaints filed against her for such meaningless actions as wearing a jacket.  The sexism has been appalling. Just look at the comments on this page. The women in the media and NOW hardly stood up for her because she is not democrat, even when she was being called the most crude names.

Well, if she is going to run for President (not really her best idea, but whatever), at least she is going to do so without trying to continue the charade of being governor of Alaska. Living here in Illinois, we, after all, had a make-believe senator for three years who used the title as a way of burnishing his "experience" credentials to run for president. Accuse Palin of naked ambition, sure. But give her points for at least not playing the dishonest "Aw, shucks, if you really want me to run, I will" canard.

At least she proved she was born in America and no Socialist for sure.

She shouldn't have any problem defeating the current incumbent in2012, Bozo the Clown could accomplish that

I hope she makes millions on the talk show and speaking tours. Maybe she will come back an kick some left wing ass politically. She scares the hell out of them.

Your humble blogger's post:  While there are many Pro-Sarah comments here, I'm saddened by the vicious tone of the negative ones.  You people are sooooooo worried about the chances of a true conservative winning, it couldn't be more obvious.  I can't wait for January 20, 2013 - the real Independence Day.

Sources:

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/07/sarah_palin_finished_in_alaska.html#comment-3064473

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/07/sarah_palin_timeout_or_flameou_1.html

 

 

 

Tea Party Photo Album

There is a new addiction stalking our country, as unending as our addiction to crude oil, as addictive as heroin, and as self-destructive as Meth.  This addiction is spending Other People's Money to feel good about ourselves and America.

Take California. It staggers under a state budget deficit of somewhere around $24 billion, over two-thirds of the enire operating budget of the State of Illinois.  In an interesting bit of spin, media outlets such as Time are all saying the root of California's distress is Proposition 13, the anti-tax constitutional amendment.   Powered mostly by the notion that increased property taxes were forcing older Californians out of their homes, Prop 13 lowered and capped the state property tax after reducing the tax by 57%.  The liberal pundits say that by limiting the government's ability to get the "revenue enhancement"  ("tax increase" to you and me) Prop 13 brought on this fiscal crisis.  But Prop 13 passed thirty-one years ago, during the Carter Administration.   My goodness, what a slow-growing crisis!

The real culprit is, or course, expanding government spending.  Comparing the 2004 and 2009 California State budgets on a per capita (or by citizen) basis is startling.  In just five years, pension spending increased 39%, welfare benefit spending increased 42%, education spending is up 25%, and government operations spending has increased 31%.  Overall, California state expenditures are up over 40% since 2003.

How did they keep the money flowing?  California increased other fees and taxes, while increasing the public debt by 28% per person. But then the Meltdown arrived. California unemployment is over 10 percent.  No job means no income and no income tax to pay.  Revenues are crashing.   

Think Illinois is different?  Think again.

Here in Illinois, our budget deficit is around $11.5 billion, a horrendous 36.5% of the total operating budget.  In chilling parallel with California, Democrats bemoan those "evil Republicans" who won't roll over like trained dogs when the Democrats need to get out of a jam by passing an income tax increase.   But in Illinois government spending is up over 26.6% since 2003, and is going to increase by about 9% over the next two years, absent major reform.

On the debt front, under Blagojevich and a Democratic Legislature, Illinois state bond obligations have skyrocketed from $9 billion in Fiscal Year 2003, to $218 Billion in FY 2007. This is all before we add in the $54 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, in effect a long-term debt that has to eventually be paid. 

Like California, our Legislature will not face reality, will not curb its spending, and will instead seek more taxes to fill the gap.   It's what I call the "Dragon on Steroids" trick.  Keep spending more and more, and when the money runs out, announce that more taxes are needed, or "people will be hurt."   But people are hurting now, and with the coming income tax increase, sky-high sales taxes, rising property taxes, exploding parking rate increases, and every little fee increase, they are going to be hurting more.

This just has to stop.  Tell your friends to try something different:  Vote Republican For A Change.

           Since my last post, there has been some mild criticism of the Chicago’s Olympic bid.  Ald. Manuel Flores has proposed an ordinance that would cap the city's liability for 2016 losses at $500 million. Only 10 aldermen in the 50-member council signed on.  While Ald. Flores still affirmed his support for the city’s bid, he is trying to put some limit on the liability of the city.  It seems unlikely that any limit will be put on spending, the city rarely does, but this is a step in the right direction.  The city is in extreme debt and looking to lay off many workers.  Having a discussion about increasing the city’s debt at the same time that the city is contemplating layoffs does not seem appropriate.  Any significant job gains from the Olympics will not replace the jobs that are being lost currently by the city and the state.  We are in a budget crisis throughout our state and these problems must be addressed. 

            Hosting the Olympics will put stress on not only the city proper, but all of the communities surrounding the city.  Taxes paid by people who do not live in the city boundaries will be used to pay for the Olympics.  For example, the people that commute to the city to work and those that live in Cook County but are just outside the city will all pay taxes to the city, but their communities do not receive much of the benefits from the visitors, i.e. the money spent by the visitors on hotels, food and souvenirs. 

            The bid and recent information found online claim that the majority of the venues will be in the city’s parks.  Unfortunately, there are some problems with facilities.  Since the renovation of Soldier Field, I have been told that a track cannot fit inside of the stadium.  The premier stadium in our city cannot be used for much of the games and this is a problem.  I also heard from another source that soccer events will not be held in the city but may take place in a venue as far away as Minnesota.  These and other questions need to be addressed earlier rather than later.  Extensive planning and transparency are needed to have successful games. 

            Lastly, if we do win the chance to host the Olympics, outside experience is necessary to run a successful event.  The man who was in charge of the last American Olympics is a perfect choice.  A city short on money needs to hire someone who cannot only keep the Games on budget, but a person whose proven management can make the Olympics so successful that they turn a profit.  That man is Mitt Romney.  I suggest we give him a call today.  I am sure we could already use his help.  He turned the Salt Lake City Olympics around from one that was $379 million short of its revenue benchmarks to one that cleared a profit of $100 million.  He did all of this for the bargain salary of nothing.  He ended up donating all of his salary to charity.  

Budget Breakdown Forces Democrat Showdown
With Democrats unable to agree upon how much to spend and which taxes to raise and by how much, Illinois government is on the brink of shutting down.  As of July 1, Illinois still does not have a balanced budget. Gov. Quinn, Senate President John Cullerton and Speaker of the House Michael Madigan have been unable to reach agreement on an income tax increase or spending proposal.
On a side note, Indiana's Democrat-led House and Republican-led Senate agreed on their budget and it was signed into law before their budget deadline expired.

House Republicans Hold the Line on Taxes
House Republican Leader Tom Cross and the House Republican Caucus have so far stopped Democrat efforts to raise the state's income tax by 50%.  House Republicans have called for economic reforms that cut wasteful government spending and streamline government operations, but Democrats have refused to call House Republican reform efforts for a vote.
Even the Wall Street Journal commended Illinois' Republican leadership in the fight against increasing taxes, read their editorial by clicking here.

House Republicans Demand Illinois Be Reformed
Watch House Republican Leader Tom Cross discuss the need to reform Illinois, right now.

The Chicago Tribune highlights House Republican efforts to enact real economic and ethics reforms and urges that Republican reforms be made before any budget is enacted.
View the House Republican Economic Reform Agenda by clicking here.

Ideas Wanted
How do you think Illinois should address the budget deficit?  Have an idea on where to cut waste or make government run more efficiently?  We'd like to hear it!  Send us your ideas at 102 ideas.  Each idea is reviewed and many will get introduced into legislation.  Make a difference and get involved!