Illinois Review

Left-wing Sierra Club Back Emanuel for Chicago Mayor

CHICAGO - The left-wing Sierra Club has endorsed Rahm Emanuel for Chicago mayor. Christine Williamson, Chairman of the Chicago wing of the Club said her organization has one goal: “..to make Chicago the cleanest, most sustainable city in America." It was assumed the "clean" she spoke of was about the environment and not the politics.

Roskam Presses IRS for Answers on Hiring Obamacare Website Contractor

WASHINGTON DC - House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL) sent a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen asking him to explain why the agency recently hired CGI Federal, the same contractor that bungled the rollout of Healthcare.gov. Upon sending the letter, Chairman Roskam issued the following statement.

“The American people should know why the IRS spent millions of taxpayer dollars to hire the same company responsible for the botched Healthcare.gov rollout. From an agency clamoring for more funding, this isn’t a confidence-inspiring use of resources.”

The full text of the letter follows below and can be viewed here.

Illinois Tragedy: When Cops Cause Automobile Crashes

From NBC News:

On Nov. 23, 2007, Jessica Uhl, 18, and her sister Kelli Uhl, 13, were in heavy post-Thanksgiving Day traffic on Interstate 64 as they headed home to their mother, Kim Schlau, in Collinsville, Illinois, after a holiday photo session at their father’s home in the Illinois town of Mascoutah.

Matt Mitchell, an Illinois state trooper, was also on Interstate 64, responding to a call while talking on his cellphone and using his police computer. He crossed the median and plowed into the sisters’ car at an estimated speed of 126 mph, killing them both instantly. Mitchell pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and reckless driving, lost his license, and can never be an officer again.

“After we learned all of the facts, we knew that this crash was completely preventable,” Schlau said. “I had no idea that a lot of police officers have more training with their firearms than they do with their driving, yet they drive every part of their job.”

Police officers are often brave and heroic, and their jobs are harder than ever, frequently requiring them to talk on their cellphones and police radios and even type on computers as they drive. The results can be tragic.

Illinois Pro-Life Movement Marches Forward [video]

Over 4,000 people from differing backgrounds, ages, and states rallied in downtown Chicago for the Annual March For Life. Momentum is also moving forward on the legislative fronts with pro-life bills at both the state and federal levels.

Human Rights Hotspots: Cuba [video]

On December 17, President Obama announced a series of drastic policy changes toward Cuba. What many may now view as concessions to the Castro regime following a prisoner swap was in fact the White House ending the United States’ long tradition of supporting human rights and democratic reforms on the island. Despite what the Obama Administration has attempted to portray, this new policy will not lead to greater freedoms for the Cuban people.

Human Rights Hotspots: Asia [video]

2014 saw a variety of human rights crises occur all around the world. The background to these crises – politics, corruption, ethnic and religious strife, and outright war – are varied and complicated. Although the human rights aspects of these instabilities may no longer be on the front page of the news, most situations are unresolved and remain no less dire for the affected populations.

Human Rights Hotspots: Middle East [video]

2014 saw a variety of human rights crises occur all around the world. The background to these crises – politics, corruption, ethnic and religious strife, and outright war – are varied and complicated. Although the human rights aspects of these instabilities may no longer be on the front page of the news, most situations are unresolved and remain no less dire for the affected populations.

Saving Congress from Itself: Emancipating the States and Empowering their People

"Saving Congress from Itself" proposes a single reform: eliminate all federal grants-in-aid to state and local governments. This action would reduce federal spending by over $600 billion a year and have a profound effect on how we govern ourselves.

The proliferation of federal grants-in-aid programs is of recent vintage: only about 100 such grants existed before Lyndon Johnson took office, and now they number more than 1,100. Eliminating grants to the states will result in enormous savings in federal and state administrative costs; free states to set their own priorities; and improve the design and implementation of programs now subsidized by Washington by eliminating federal regulations that attend the grants.

State Rep. Ives Files Legislation in Response to COD President Buyout Deal

WHEATON, IL - In response to the College of DuPage (COD) Trustees’ decision this week to pay College President Robert Breuder more than $750,000 in a contract buyout deal, State Representative Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) on Friday filed a House Resolution asking the Illinois Auditor General to conduct a performance audit of state money provided to the community college for fiscal years 2011-2014.

“I was sickened to learn about the golden parachute deal that was offered to Dr. Breuder,” said Ives. “This is Alex Clifford from Metra all over again, and the taxpayers of Illinois deserve better than to be saddled with this type of a sweetheart deal." 

Rauner retains Democrat operative to head Illinois Dept. of Human Rights

SPRINGFIELD, IL - This week Governor Bruce Rauner announced a number of cabinet secretary and agency board appointments, includeing:

• Hugo Chaviano: Director – Department of Labor
• Rocco Claps: Director – Department of Human Rights 
• Leo Schmitz: Director – Illinois State Police 
• Bryan Schneider: Secretary – Dept. of Financial & Professional Regs.
• Tom Tyrrell: Director – Department of Central Management Services
• Rodger Heaton: Public Safety Director

Interestingly, Rauner retained Rocco Claps, an openly gay Democrat operative, to lead the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR). Claps has overseen the department for the past 12 years and currently manages nearly 150 employees and an annual budget of more than $14 million.

While serving under Democrat governors Blagojevich and Quinn, Claps greatly expanded the Illinois Human Rights Act and human and civil rights laws in Illinois. The expansion included extra-legal protections for citizens categorized as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

Prior to his work at the IDHR, Claps was a Deputy Assessor in the Cook County Assessor’s Office. He also worked on two Democratic National Conventions, and in the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Democrat President Clinton.

Bios of the governor's other appointments are below:

Grogan suggests more public disclosure to avoid future COD embarrassments

GLEN ELLYN, IL - The $750,00 golden parachute package the College of DuPage Board of Trustees voted to bestow upon College President Bob Breuder remains a topic of discussion among county taxpayers. They're upset that the public wasn't notified about the board's plan of action beforehand, and they're also upset that only the Chicago Tribune had access to the details just hours before the board voted last Thursday night.

How can this type of activity be stopped in the future, and how should the college board change its practices and policies to handle such high-pitch controversies differently in the future?

"Criticism is easy, solutions are more difficult, DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan wrote on his Facebook page after the board meeting.

Planned Parenthood celebrates abortion in Chicago - "We Killed It!"

CHICAGO - Thursday night, Planned Parenthood of Illinois celebrated 42 years of legalized abortion by raising money at a Chicago fundraiser. Participants shared their exhuberation with "We Killed It!" 

While in Washington DC earlier in the day at the March for Life, a man carrying a sign "I regret performing abortions" gave a dramatically different perspective. Father Pavone shared his photo on his Facebook page:

Post by Father Frank Pavone.

Arn: Reformers Needed Now More Than Ever At College of DuPage

By Ulysses Arn - 

Several reform candidates are seeking to be elected as trustees for the College of DuPage in the April election and getting those reformers on the board is more important than ever.

On Thursday night the board voted, with only one objection, to give President Robert Breuder and $762,000 golden parachute to retire early in the spring of 2016.

Breuder has been at the center of a series of scandals involving the Colleges spending habits and transparency(or lack thereof). Whether it was his extravagant African safari, lavish benefits on top of his six figure salary, or a pay to play scheme to get $20 million from the state in exchange for supporting Gov. Pat Quinn during last years gubernatorial race, a race Quinn lost, the last year or so has seen the college embroiled in controversy because of college's President and board members.

Stanek: GOP's Abortion Barbie causes meltdown - of more than GOP

Illinois' Jill Stanek was recognized this week by Family Research Council for her prolife leadership

WASHINGTON - During the pro-life activities at the nation's capital this week, Illinois-based national pro-life leader Jill Stanek was on hand when the news came down that prolife Congress members chose to withdraw the planned vote on the Pain-Capable Child Protection Act, originally scheduled to be voted on during the Annual March for Life in D.C. She writes:

I was leaving the One Voice worship service at the Renaissance Hotel in D.C. Wednesday night, on my way to meet fellow pro-lifers at the Dubliner Pub (dichotomous activities, I know, at least for a Protestant :), when Casey Mattox of Alliance Defending Freedom stopped me in the hall.

“They’re pulling the 20-week ban,” said Casey, “and substituting ‘No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion‘.”

Casey started walking again, feeling the urgency to pray he told me later, but I remained frozen, with my mouth agape, watching Casey until he entered the room I’d just exited.

I knew Rep. Renee Ellmers [of Missouri] had tried to slow progress of the Pain Capable Child Protection Act.

But it was beyond the scope of my imagination to think GOP House leadership could be so traitorous, weak, and stupid as to pull a publicly supported landmark pro-life bill they’d publicly promised to sign the following day – during the largest public annual pro-life gathering in the world, and literally in their own backyard.

Thorner: Public sector unions gain power, lose popularity, says economist

By Nancy Thorner - 

While becoming more and more powerful, public sector unions are losing favor with taxpayers, Daniel DiSalvo, author of "Government Against Itself: Public Union Power and Its Consequences," said during a forum hosted by The Illinois Policy Institute Tuesday in Chicago. 

The event's format was that of a two-way conversational discussion that took place between DiSalvo and Paul Kersey, director of labor policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, about the role of public-sector unions in politics today. Daniel DiSalvo is Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Colin Powell School at The City College of New York-CUNY and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute's Center for State and Local Leadership. 

Although Americans have long supported public unions because they associate them with the merits of the working class, recently taxpayers have begun to see reality with polls showing that barely half of Americans approve of unions, while an overwhelming majority approve of Right-to-Work laws.  

Illinois politicians push for pot legalization as Colorado Dems regret it

DENVER, CO - As Springfield lawmakers push for full legalization of marijuana in Illinois, Colorado Democrat governor says that his state’s decision to legalize pot was a bad idea.

Gov. John Hickenlooper, said his state still doesn’t fully know what the unintended consequences of the move will be.

“If I could've waved a wand the day after the election, I would've reversed the election and said, 'This was a bad idea,’ ” Hickenlooper said Friday on CNBC's “Squawk Box.”

Meanwhile, marijuana-related calls to poison control centers in Colorado have spiked since the state began allowing legal sales, with an especially troubling increase in calls concerning young children.

New year-end data being presented to Colorado’s Legislature next week show that the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center received 151 calls for marijuana exposure last year, the first year of retail recreational pot sales. That was up from 88 calls in 2013 and 61 in 2012, the year voters legalized pot.

Related Stories:

ILLINOIS PROPOSES MEDICAL POT RULES FOR CHILDREN

OBERWEIS DEFENDS MEDICAL MARIJUANA: "WHY NOT LET THEM TRY IT?"

MCCARTER: WHY I WON'T SUPPORT MARIJUANA INVESTORS OR INDUSTRY IN MY DISTRICT

New Illinois laws ensure privacy for police/politicians, removes it from students/parents

SPRINGFIELD, IL - While the Illinois legislature was passing a confusing eavesdropping law that ensures police and politicians' right to privacy (see HERE, HERE, and HERE), they were also passing a new "anti-cyberbulling" law that effectively removes the right to privacy for Illinois students and parents.

The new law allows schools to force students to hand over their social media passwords if they are suspected of having been involved in cyberbullying. While the law doesn't explicitly say schools can request passwords, it gives school officials broad scope to act even when alleged bullying occurs using "technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by a school district or school."

According to a letter to parents obtained by Motherboard, school authorities are interpreting the law to mean that they can require students or their parents to provide passwords "if school authorities have reasonable cause to believe that a student's account on a social networking website contains evidence that a student has violated a school disciplinary rule or procedure."

Republican McSweeney and Democrat Franks agree on Illinois income tax decrease

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Two members of the Illinois House from differing parties agree that Illinois’ income tax needs to be lowered to spur on more economic activity. Republican State Representative David McSweeney filed legislation last week that would drop the state’s income tax for individuals back to three percent immediately. His proposal would also drop the corporate tax down to four-point-eight percent. McSweeney says efficiencies and cuts can be found in areas like Medicaid, but lowering taxes will bring in more revenue by attracting more businesses to the Land of Lincoln.

“We have a lot of work to do, but we need to focus on creating new jobs in this state and the best way to do that is by reducing marginal tax rates,” said McSweeney.

House Democrat Jack Franks agrees the state needs to lower the income tax on individuals and corporations. Franks also says that Illinois has a spending problem and if that’s not addressed, Illinois will quote “go under.”

Governor Rauner hints at first year priorities

The Associated Press reports that Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner on Thursday began laying out priorities for his first year in office, saying property taxes and workers’ compensation costs are too high, Medicaid spending is unsustainable and state workers’ salaries and benefits are too generous. 

In a speech he said was a preview of the State of the State address he’ll give next month, the Winnetka Republican said Illinois is in “massive deterioration mode.”

He said he will propose a number of reforms to turn the state around, and indicated they would involve making Illinois more attractive to businesses while slashing spending on everything from health insurance for the poor to public-worker pensions and the state’s payroll.

“This is the critical lesson that we’re seeing: We’re on an unsustainable path,” Rauner told students at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. “We need fundamental structural change and raising taxes alone ... isn’t going to fix the problem, and in a lot of ways, it’s going to make it worse.”

More in the Herald News

Illinois video gamblers lose nearly $660,000,000 in 2014

SPRINGFIELD, IL - The annual Gaming Board report released Friday shows that Illinois video gamblers lost $659,511,404.62 in 2014. They put $2,434,234,904.00 into the terminals, and winners got back $1,774,723,177.18.

Illinois lawmakers are discussing whether the state should expand gambling. Gambling is now available via casinos, race tracks, off-track betting parlors, the state lottery and since 2011, hundreds of video gaming venues in neighborhood strip malls. 

Casino owners are lobbying for additional licenses, race track owners want slots, video gambling parlor owners want more terminals at truck stops and other locations. Governor Rauner told reporters this week he is open to hearing more about the expansion proposals.

Statewide numbers, listed by month for 2014 are:

Where's Weyermuller? At SOTU Watch Party

By Mark Weyermuller - 

Watch Parties are always fun as folks get together to watch big events like the Super Bowl, the Academy Awards or the final episode of Friends. This party was a little different, as it was President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address.  

About 100 conservatives gathered for "A Taste of Freedom" at Chicago Prime Steakhouse in Schaumburg, Illinois Tuesday night. Joe Walsh, a former congressman and current WIND 560-AM talk show host, was the master of ceremonies. The event was sponsored by WIND, Americans for Prosperity, DSA Inc, and Townstone Financial.

Ex-Gov. Quinn leaves office without filing constitutionally required statement

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Despite publicly stating he would, former Democrat Gov. Pat Quinn has failed to fulfill a constitutional requirement: a final state-of-the-state message to the Illinois General Assembly.

Since 1870, the Constitution has required departing executives to report "on the condition of the state and recommend such measures as he deems desirable."

However, Quinn is not the first to ignore the constitutional mandate. His predecessor, Democrat Rod Blagojevich, didn't provide a message after being impeached, and there is no record of Republican George Ryan submitting a state-of-the-state message before leaving in 2003.

Ashton Kutcher to take the witness stand in trial of Illinois serial killer

Long before he got engaged to Mila Kunis, even before his marriage to Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher was seeing Ashley Ellerin, a 22-year-old student, stripper, and aspiring model who was brutally murdered by Illinois-native Michael Gargiulo.

Gargiulo has been accused of murdering Ellerin and two other women, and attempted murder of a third.

Kutcher, who discovered Ellerin's body, is due in court to testify “within the next few months.”

For much more on the case, see this LA Weekly article.

State Rep. Ives joins The Heartland Institute for School Choice event

WHEATON, IL - The Heartland Institute and the West Suburban Patriots are jointly sponsoring a kid-friendly National School Choice Week event.

The event will take place at the Wheaton Bowl on Sunday, January 25 from 3:30pm to 5:30pm (see ad on sidebar). It includes bowling for the kids and a screening of the documentary “The Ticket” (trailer below) for the parents.

State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) will be on hand to discuss the issue of school choice and the debate in Springfield about education. Illinois Review will be covering the event.

Register HERE

Illinois to test multi-color tollway signs

DOWNERS GROVE, IL - The Daily Herald reports that the Illinois Tollway will begin testing multiple-color messaging signs including pictures this year.

Executive Director Kristi Lafleur says the signs allow for a "great opportunity to communicate more clearly with the public and use a broader array of messaging."

Officials claim that other states have found higher-tech signs present images that are recognized more easily. Signs with colors and graphics can cost taxpayers as much as $160,000 per sign.

COD President's million dollar severance package becomes campaign issue

GLEN ELLYN, IL - The state's largest community college trustee board voted 7 to 1 Thursday night to offer the school's prematurely retiring president a severence package of over $750,000 and a new building to be named after him. 

The decision came after an array of news stories and public reports that reflected poorly on College of DuPage's President Bob Breuder stirred controversy among the school's faculty, students and county taxpayers.

The school's faculty recently issued a "no confidence" vote on behalf of Breuder's leadership, and a slate of candidates have emerged, challenging several incuments on the board.

One candidate, Frank Napolitano, sent out a notice to DuPage County voters Thursday afternoon, informing them about the offer the Chicago Tribune had obtained before Thursday night's meeting. Napolitano criticized the board's expected actions, writing:

Rauner: Income tax increase is the wrong idea

By Greg Bishop / INN Radio - 

Governor Bruce Rauner is giving a glimpse of his State of the State and Budget Addresses. During a presentation Thursday at the University of Chicago Rauner says his goal is to make Illinois outstanding, but currently the state is on an unsustainable path.

“Everybody wants to talk about, the politicians want to talk about, well let’s raise the income tax to fix the debt or the problem. Raising taxes, that issue alone, won’t come nowhere near fixing the problem and in fact will make parts of the problem worse and just kick the can down the road. This is the critical lesson that we’re seeing. We’re on an unsustainable path, we need fundamental structural change and raising taxes alone in itself isn’t going to fix the problem and in a lot of ways its gonna make the problem worse make it worse.”

Rauner says he is working with analysts offering their services for free to go deep into agency spending, contracts and hiring decisions. The Governor also announced what he is calling his Turnaround Team he says bring experience in management, budgets, and streamlining bureaucracies.

via INN Radio | Image Source

Illinois' Scott air base loses competition for mission center

MASCOUTAH, IL - Scott Air Force Base in southwestern Illinois has lost the competition to become the site of a new installation and mission support center that could have meant hundreds of jobs.

The Air Force says Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas won the competition. The Air Force says it chose the Texas base as the future home of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center headquarters after analyzing operational considerations, installation attributes and economic and environmental factors at all four sites.

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State Rep. McDermed declines pension and state health insurance

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Freshman State Representative Margo McDermed joined a select group of legislators who have turned refused to take a state pension or to join the state government health insurance program.

"Throughout the campaign I said I would not take a pension or join the state health insurance program. I turned them both down during our legislator orientation. I believe I will be a far more effective advocate for pension reform and health care savings if I am not also a participant in the programs," said McDermed.

State Rep. McSweeney Moves to Eliminate Red Light Cameras in Illinois

CARY, IL - A recently released study has cast doubt on the viability of red light cameras to improve traffic safety. In an effort to reduce the financial burdens on Illinois residents, State Representative David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) is sponsoring legislation to eliminate red light cameras.

McSweeney filed House Bill 173, which would repeal the State law allowing automated red light cameras at intersections. McSweeney will also continue to actively support efforts by Senator Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington) to eliminate red light cameras.

“A recent Chicago Tribune sponsored study has shown that Chicago’s red light cameras fail to deliver the safety benefits claimed by proponents,” stated McSweeney. “House Bill 173 would prevent all local units of government from using red light cameras.”

Alaniz: Response to Obama SOTU

By Jesus Alaniz - 

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia skipped his 19th address deeming State of the Union Addresses as a “childish spectacle”. Justice Clarence Thomas has judged them to be partisan and has not attended one since 2012 while Chief Justice John Roberts has judged them to be a “political pep rally”. I believe the best analogy of the state of the union address is found in Aristotle’s words “The three aims of the tyrant are, one, the humiliation of his subjects…two, the creation of mistrust among them…three, the tyrant desires that all his subjects shall be incapable of action.”

In November 2010 Obama stated, “I won. Get over it.” In this state of the union address he touted his so called success by proclaiming “The shadow of crisis has passed…I have no more campaigns to run” followed by an off-script remark in which he bragged “I know because I won both of them.” Montesquieu wrote of such arrogance "Oh, how empty is praise when it reflects back to its origin!"

Andrew Klavan: Which Black Lives Matter? [video]

Andrew Klavan exposes the revolting truth about the 'Black Lives Matter' movement - that they don't really care about life at all.

Confronting Political Islam: Six Lessons from the West's Past [video]

How should the Western world today respond to the challenges of political Islam? John Owen draws six major lessons to demonstrate that much of what we think about political Islam is wrong.

Human Rights Hotspots: Russia [video]

2014 saw a variety of human rights crises occur all around the world. The background to these crises – politics, corruption, ethnic and religious strife, and outright war – are varied and complicated. Although the human rights aspects of these instabilities may no longer be on the front page of the news, most situations are unresolved and remain no less dire for the affected populations.

Hultgren: My thoughts on the State of the Union address [video]

Pastors Descend on the Illinois State Capitol [video]

On January 15th, Pastors and church leaders from all around the state gathered in Capitol Rotunda in Springfield to pray for our elected officials - name by name - for guidance, wisdom, and conviction for the upcoming legislative session.

Sleeping Illinois cop claims “It's now illegal to record a police officer in public”

A police officer caught on video sleeping in his car told an Illinois man that “It’s now illegal to record a police officer in public” when the man asked him why he wasn’t patrolling the neighborhood.

A local ABC News affiliate reported that student Matt Fedora confronted the cop, claiming that he’d been asleep in a parking lot near his home for hours.

“You’ve been here for the past three hours,” Fedora is heard saying to the officer in the video. When the cop denied the claim, Fedora responded “Don’t lie to me, don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying to you,” the cop said, prompting Fedora to reply “If you keep lying, I’m going to post this on Youtube.”

“Oh, so you’re recording?” the cops said, before stating “Are you aware that it’s now illegal to record a police officer in public?” At which point Fedora stopped recording.

More HERE

College of DuPage may give president $750,000 buyout following watchdog investigation

GLEN ELLYN, IL - The College of DuPage board of trustees is scheduled to vote Thursday night on a buyout package for its president that would give him more than $750,000 in severance payments and bring his controversial tenure at the publicly funded community college to a close, the Tribune has learned.

A draft copy of the proposed buyout agreement, obtained by the Tribune, shows college President Robert Breuder would be paid three times his base salary when he retires March 31, 2016. His contract is set to end in 2019, according to a college spokesman.

Breuder and the taxpayer-funded community college have been the subject of an ongoing investigation by the government watchdog group Open the Books, which was founded and is led by Adam Andrzejewski.

"While the students and taxpayers should be pleased to see Dr. Breuder leave, they'll be equally angry at this hidden and secretly negotiated payout," said Andrzejewski. "This is clearly an outrageously large package."

Records show that Breuder's base salary was about $250,000 in 2013. His total compensation this fiscal year is $484,812, a spokesman said.

In addition to his salary, Breuder has been receiving a $700 a month car allowance and a $1,500 housing allowance. He also can spend up to $700 a month on "professional development" and will be eligible for a retention bonus upon retirement.

Breuder also receives 25 vacation and five personal days each year. In 2010, the board gave him another 12 days in "respite and renewal" leave between the spring and fall semesters so he could have "dedicated time to evaluate the events of the previous academic year and focus his thinking and energies" on the year ahead.

More HERE

Rauner announces his "Turnaround Team"

CHICAGO – Following a presentation at the University of Chicago, where he laid out a number of structural issues facing Illinois, Governor Bruce Rauner today announced his Turnaround Team.

“Our current trajectory is unsustainable as a state,” said Gov. Rauner. “I’ve long promised to bring superstars from both inside Illinois and out to help turn our state around.”

The team includes: 

1. Donna Arduin, CFO
2. Trey Childress, Deputy Governor
3. Linda Lingle, Senior Adviser

Bios of the three are below: 

Prominent U.S. Figures to Saudis: Release Badawi or Lash Us

Raif Badawi (left); inset pictures clockwise from bottom left: Katrina Lantos Swett, Robert P. George, Mary Ann Glendon, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, and Daniel I. Mark.

Seven prominent advocates of religious freedom have signed and presented a letter to the ambassador of Saudi Arabia calling on the desert kingdom to immediately release Raif Badawi, a liberal blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes, 10 years in prison and a fine of one millionrials ($266,600). The letter states that if Badawi is not released, the signatories of the letter are asking that the Saudis lash them instead. 

Badawi's "crime" was moderating an internet forum that encouraged participants to voice their opinion about religion in the kingdom.

The signatories to the letter are Princeton Law Professor Robert P. George; Harvard Law Professor Mary Ann Glendon; Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy; Daniel I. Mark, who teaches political science at Villanova University; Eric Schwartz, Dean of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota; Hannah Rosenthal, CEO of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation; and Katrina Lantos Swett, president of The Lantos Foundation.

The signatories requested a dismissal of his punishment, but further stated that in the absence of a full dismissal, each signatory was requesting to receive 100 lashes in the place of Badawi.

More at The Clarion Project

Illinois Congressman Mike Bost takes aim at Veteran Affairs services

WASHINGTON DC - As a Member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, Illinois congressman Mike Bost questioned panelist during a hearing about the problems faced when veterans attempt to navigate the appeals system for veterans claims. Bost released the following video:

Chicago Activists Respond to SOTU: He Doesn’t Care about Our People [video]

By Rebel Pundit - 

Tuesday night, members of the activist group Voices of the Ex-Offenders and other activists sat down with RebelPundit once again to issue a scathing direct response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address.

Illinois is paging Dr. Rauner to treat its ailing finances

SPRINGFIELD, IL - In January 2013, Time Magazine featured the story “Why Illinois is Going Bankrupt.” It pronounced the state’s financial prognosis as terminal, with little hope of recovery. From its gaping annual billion-dollar deficit, to its bulging unpaid pension debt and revenue-draining Medicaid, Time described the state’s budget condition as grave.

That was two years ago, and Illinois’ finances remain on life support with the condition deteriorating daily. Despite a nearly $64 billion revenue transfusion, Illinois’ pension funding dropped to 22 percent of where it should be, at $331,579,500,000 in unpaid obligations.

Reacting to the dire situation, Illinois voters chose to bring in a political outsider — a 56-year-old investment capitalist with experience in rescuing failing companies. They’re hoping he can diagnose the problems and come up with a plan to save America’s fifth most populated state.

DuPage group hold forum to inform voters about College Board trustee candidates

HINSDALE, IL - The April 7th local elections are nearing, and a group of taxpayers in DuPage County hope that their efforts will help voters be more informed when they go to the polls, especially about the candidates running for the College of DuPage's Board of Trustees. 

Last Thursday, the Citizens for a Better College of DuPage held a forum spotlighting several trustee candidates on the upcoming April 7th ballot. Earlier the same day, the Chicago Tribune had featured a story about the College of DuPage Board's questionable spending and dealing with an individual reported to be under grand jury investigation for defrauding the taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The forum included candidates Dan Bailey, Claire Ball, Eric Bergman, Charles Bernstein, Robert Buckley, Roger Kempa, Deanne Mazzochi and Frank Napolitano. Kathy Hamilton, the current vice chairman of the board, began the forum with opening remarks praising the college's faculty as well as urging college board and administrative reform.

Di Leo: Of Speeches and Monuments - the Quest for the Obama Presidential Library

Park District acres Mayor Emanuel wants for Obama Libary | Chicago Tribune photo

By John F. Di Leo - 

On Wednesday, January 21, the sun rose on a nation still licking its wounds from a beating it had taken the night before.

At 9:00pm EST on Tuesday, a pugilist stood there – the Resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – safe behind a big, sturdy podium for protection, and socked the American people in the jaw, again and again, for as long as we were willing to sit out here in TV-land and take it.

He accused us of blindness – we haven’t noticed his wonderful accomplishments. He accused us of stubbornness – even when we do see them, we don’t admit to them. He accused us of divisiveness – when he’s the one creating wedge issues every week to drive us apart. And he accused us of being uncaring – when he’s the one impoverishing whole sectors of American society.

Rhoads: "A Plague on Both Your Houses"

By Mark Rhoads - 

The New York Times reports that Jeb Bush requested a secret meeting with Mitt Romney in Utah this week. If the report is correct, it raises the suspicion that two establishment flunkies want to deprive GOP primary voters of a conservative alternative in 2016. IR readers might recall that Romney also held a secret meeting with Newt Gingrch before a crucial 2012 Louisiana primary to conspire to siphon votes away from Rick Santorum.

Romney failed that time and Santorum still beat both Romney and Gingrich in three southern primaries, but Romney still loves secrecy. Why should voters trust any candidate who hides in secret meetings? It only makes me distrust both Bush and Romney even more.

Young Lives Matter to us, too

WASHINGTON DC - Red State's Erick Erickson honors life, even at the youngest stages. On January 22, 2015, he writes about the "Black Lives Matter" movement in a piece called "Young Lives Matter," and concludes:

For too long in America, justice has been denied to the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society. And although we now mourn that our President is a man so enamored of this particular form of injustice that he could not bring himself to declare it proper to legally protect infants who survived the heinous procedures of abortion, we are not ignorant that the opposition party in which we are forced to primarily place our faith treats us in much the same way as Dr. King described – as a faction to be appeased, mollified, and (when necessary) outright deceived in the hopes that we will forever be content to live with broken promises, failed courage, and demands for gratitude that at the very least they are not as bad as Bull Connor.

Springfield woman pleads guilty to stealing $400k from lobbying firm for disabled persons

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Alice M. Foss, 53, entered pleas of guilty today to all the charges against her related to her embezzlement of more than $400,000 from her former employer, a Springfield consulting and lobbying firm. Foss’s pleas followed three days of evidence presented by the government in Foss’s jury trial which began last week, the Springfield FBI office reports.

In a hearing Wednesday morning before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, Foss admitted that she embezzled money from Don Moss and Associates, a consulting and lobbying firm that specializes in services for disabled persons and other social causes. During the time of the fraud, from May 1997 to October 2009, Foss was employed as the firm’s chief financial officer, and in that capacity, had check-signing authority and control over the firm’s bank account and was responsible for paying the firm’s business expenses.

Governor Rauner uninjured in Chicago car accident

CHICAGO - Wednesday morning, Illinois' Governor Bruce Rauner was uninjured when the car he riding in was involved in a 4-car accident in downtown Chicago. 

Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau reports that the governor’s motorcade was stopped at a red light, preparing to travel westbound on East Randolph Street when a two vehicle crash occurred.

One of the vehicles spun out of control and slid across the intersection into the car Rauner was riding in, along with state police officers as well as another vehicle. Rauner's car sustained damage to the front bumper.