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Recent comments by those who administer our city seem to assume that the city government can decide for everyone what are the “values” that must be held by citizens of Chicago. I was born and raised here, and my understanding of being a Chicagoan never included submitting my value system to the government for approval. Must those whose personal values do not conform to those of the government of the day move from the city? Is the City Council going to set up a “Council Committee on Un-Chicagoan Activities” and call those of us who are suspect to appear before it? I would have argued a few days ago that I believe such a move is, if I can borrow a phrase, “un-Chicagoan.”
The value in question is espousal of “gender-free marriage.” Approval of state-sponsored homosexual unions has very quickly become a litmus test for bigotry; and espousing the understanding of marriage that has prevailed among all peoples throughout human history is now, supposedly, outside the American consensus. Are Americans so exceptional that we are free to define “marriage” (or other institutions we did not invent) at will? What are we re-defining?
Mark Twain once had to deny a newspaper report that he had died by saying, "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" and in spite of massive efforts by the Left Wing media to report the death of the Tea Party this year, it continues to help conservatives win big elections such as Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin, Richard Mourdock in Indiana, and now the victory for Ted Cruz in the Texas GOP Primary on Tuesday, July 31. Cruz was endorsed by Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Sen. Jim Demint, former Sen. Rick Santorum, and many conservative groups and who supported him over the GOP establishment candidate, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.
In this classic, the wit and wisdom of economist Milton Friedman is displaye in his explanation of wealth distribution and motivation principles. Friedman, who's 100th birthday we celebrate July 31st, 2012, responds to the proposal of a 100% inheritance tax and answers that America and its passion for prosperity is closely tied to our society's cherished family bonds.
CHICAGO - Congressman Allen West (FL-22) was in Chicago Monday to raise funds for his re-election campaign and, he jokingly told CME reporter Rick Santelli, "to look into opening a Chick-Fil-A franchise." West held at least two fundraisers, a luncheon hosted by 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary candidate Dan Proft and a private funder in the northern suburbs. West told luncheon attendees that Leftist deep pocket George Soros has committed millions of dollars to defeat the congressman in 2012.
West's short visit with Santelli is featured here:
OKAWVILLE - Senator Dave Luechtefeld, who sponsored the bill Governor Quinn chose to respond to with an amendatory veto demanding an assault weapons ban in Illinois, replied to the governor's actions with the following statement Tuesday afternoon. He said the governor was playing on emotions following the Aurora shooting:
“The Governor has failed to show a coherent policy direction on the budget, on pensions and on corrections – beyond issuing press releases or standing in front of Chicago cameras,” Luechtefeld said. “This looks like more of the same.”
“The Governor has taken a non-controversial bill to help law-abiding gun owners – passed with overwhelming, bipartisan support in both chambers – and made it controversial,” Luechtefeld added. “It’s another slap in the face to the gun owners – and business owners – in Illinois.”
Senate Bill 681 would have allowed FOID card holders to mail-order ammunition purchases from in-state licensed firearm dealers. Ammunition purchases from out-of-state dealers are already allowed under the law.
Rev. William Owens and his group are hoping to collect 100,000 signatures from African-American families denouncing the president and his views, saying that it's not what his community wants.
"He has taken our vote for granted," Owens said. "He got off course. It is not the desires of the community to have marriage between a man and a man or a woman and a woman."
Owens likens the perceived attack on the Christian faith to the way black people were attacked during segregation. More HERE.
In a Tweet a few hours ago, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn announced he is pushing for an assault weapons ban in Illinois, the only state where law-abiding, well-trained citizens cannot conceal and carry guns for self-defense.
In the Governor's veto message, he insists he's a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, but there's no place for assault weapons in Illinois. Other states he says, including California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York all have such bans in place. The ban would not pertain to law enforcement officials or members of the military.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Naperville, Illinois native Navy Capt. Dan Shanower (at left below) was killed at the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into his office. When we remember what we are thankful for, Memorial Day is not the only day to remember our fellow citizens who serve in uniform and sacrifice their lives for our liberties.
Between 2001 and 2012, Illinois lost about 248 service members to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thirty-four of those service members were members of the Illinois National Guard, ranging in age from 19 to 59. Here are some of their faces:
CHICAGO - On Wednesday, August 1 at 10:00 am (Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day) the Chicago Republican Party will be holding a press conference at City Hall, second floor.
The party is making a formal complaint against Alderman Proco "Joe" Moreno and Mayor Rahm Emanuel with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and Attorney General Lisa Madigan. The complaint states that the Alderman and the Mayor have broken civil rights laws pertaining to religious freedom and the First Amendment in denying Chick fil A a permit to operate its business in the City of Chicago.
At the conclusion of the press conference, the complaint will be delivered to the Attorney General's office and IDHR in the Thompson Center.
Hannah Ihm's IR piece today about sacred cows caused us to do some digging on the ice cream gurus Ben & Jerry and their political stances that the Left embraces while blasting businesses such as Chick-Fil-A. Mayor Emanuel must believe Ben & Jerry's reflect "Chicago Values" because he's not criticized the four Ben & Jerry's stores in the Chicago area. ...So what are Ben & Jerry's values? Here's what their website says in support of the Occupy Now Movement:
We, the Ben & Jerry’s Board of Directors, compelled by our personal convictions and our Company’s mission and values, wish to express our deepest admiration to all of you who have initiated the non-violent Occupy Wall Street Movement and to those around the country who have joined in solidarity. The issues raised are of fundamental importance to all of us. These include:
The inequity that exists between classes in our country is simply immoral.
We are in an unemployment crisis. Almost 14 million people are unemployed. Nearly 20% of African American men are unemployed. Over 25% of our nation’s youth are unemployed.
Many workers who have jobs have to work 2 or 3 of them just to scrape by.
Higher education is almost impossible to obtain without going deeply in debt.
Corporations are permitted to spend unlimited resources to influence elections while stockpiling a trillion dollars rather than hiring people.
CHICAGO – “Illinois businesses will save more than $400 million in unemployment insurance taxes thanks to the actions of state officials, who today refinanced a federal loan used to pay unemployment insurance claims,” said Doug Whitley, President & CEO of the Illinois Chamber. “Negotiating last year’s legislation was a laborious task, but it achieved long-term tax stability and savings for employers in our state unemployment insurance system.”
The $1.5 billion bond sale at a 1.46 percent interest rate to pay off the unemployment insurance debt owed to the federal government will erase a looming $200 million federal tax obligation on businesses and save $30 million in interest costs for this year. An additional $200 million in savings over the next seven years will occur through business rate and benefit payment reforms that passed in 2011 with overwhelming bi-partisan support and endorsement from leading business and labor organizations.
AURORA, IL – Tuesday, Republican candidate for Illinois House Pat Fee announced her endorsement from the National Federation of Independent Businesses’ state political action committee, the NFIB Illinois SAFE (Save America’s Free Enterprise) Trust. NFIB is the largest small business advocacy organization in the nation and Illinois. NFIB Illinois SAFE Trust joins a host of other business and community leaders in supporting Pat Fee’s campaign to bring fiscal responsibility and restore confidence in Illinois government.
“It is clear that [Fee] best understands small business issues and will fight to ensure Illinois has a strong economy and good climate for job growth,” stated Kim Clarke Maisch, State Director NFIB/Illinois. “Small business is the backbone of this state’s economy and we need someone like Fee, in Springfield to work against excessive government regulations and demand policies that brings jobs back to Illinois.”
WGN-Chicago hosted "Pension Games," a special on the issue of Illinois' $83 Billion pension hole, wherein four state lawmakers discussed the pension deficit and the August 17th one-day session the governor has called to discuss solutions. See below. Other segments are HERE.
CHICAGO—A Chicago man pleaded guilty Monday to planning to travel to Somalia in 2010 to engage in jihadist fighting for a foreign terrorist organization. The defendant, Shaker Masri, pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization, knowing that it was engaging in terrorism. The guilty plea resolved charges that have been pending since Masri was arrested as he was preparing to leave the country in August 2010.
Masri, 28, a U.S. citizen who lived in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, remains in federal custody while awaiting sentencing, which U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on October 16, 2012. Masri’s plea agreement calls for an agreed sentence of 118 months (nine years, 10 months). Attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
SAUK VILLAGE - Attorney General Lisa Madigan obtained a court order requiring Sauk Village to provide bottled water for its residents while the city work's to correct water contamination issues. LegalNews reports:
The Illinois EPA told the village on July 16 that two wells in its public water supply system were approaching the maximum contaminant level for vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is a substantial public health threat and can endanger the environment. In 2009, the village stopped using a third well that had vinyl chloride levels above the MCL.
Madigan's office filed a second amended complaint against Sauk Village on Friday after the IEPA referred the latest issues with the public water supply to her office for enforcement. The complaint alleges that Sauk Village, as the operator and owner of a public water supply, has failed to provide its residents with safe water due to the ongoing vinyl chloride contamination in its supply of water.
When President Obama questioned a business owner’s role in the success of his company, he questioned more than who gets credit for what. He questioned private property itself. If “you didn’t build that,” do you really even own it?
As grand as the Great Pyramids and the Roman Coliseum are, there’s something profoundly unsettling on reflecting that they were built on the backs of slaves. If you and I were properly indoctrinated, we’d feel the same indignation when we looked at the Sears Tower or the Space Needle.
Because, we’re told, businesses are the Bain of our existence. Our employer may press a paycheck into our sweaty, calloused hands, but he’s paying only a fraction of what is rightfully ours. We’ll claim the whole shebang when the workers unite. Then we’ll collectivize... and restratify?
SWANSEA - Attorney General Lisa Madigan is out to make sure city councils and government panels are not hiding behind closed doors when they should be discussing matters before the public. Two city councils - one in southern Illinois and another in Chicago's western suburbs have had their hands slapped concerning Open Meetings Act violations.
Elected officials in the little town of Swasea discussed not only which city employees may be laid off in combination with how those layoffs would be handled in order to meet budget demands. That's not acceptable, the AG's office said. Any discussion of the city budget should be open to the public, and may be behind closed doors only if personnel employment performance is mentioned.
The AG's office also said the city of Naperville's electoral board ignored the Open Meetings Act during discussions on a Smart Grid ballot referendum in three ways: 1. Did not openly deliberate its final decision during its Jan. 12 meeting, 2. Did not allow public comment at that meeting and 3. Did not include agenda items on its public meeting notices.
Violating the Open Meetings Act can rack up fines up to $1000 per offense, as well as jail time.
CHICAGO - Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady is calling on Democratic Congressional Candidates Brad Schneider, Tammy Duckworth, and Bill Foster, as well as Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) to publically denounce comments made by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi regarding Republican Jewish voters.
Over the weekend in an interview Pelosi insulted the entire Jewish community by stating that Republican Jewish voters are only concerned with tax cuts and that their vote is being "exploited" in the name of Israel's national security.
