Illinois Review

Forbes: Illinois #1 state people are leaving

Last week's overwhelming electoral win for Democrats to grow their control of all governing branches of Illinois would make outsiders think that things were great in the solidly, deep, dark blue state. 

However, Forbes' new list of the top 10 states people are leaving ranks Illinois - yes, the Land of Lincoln - as the #1 State from which people are moving. More than #2 New Jersey and #3 New York: 

Total Moves: 8,157
Percentage Moving Out: 63.4%
Population: 12,802,000
Median Household Income: $62,881
Job Growth (2018): 0.9%

Illinois is home to 69 of the 1,000 biggest companies in the U.S. by revenue—fourth most among states. They include Boeing, Abbott Labs, Caterpillar and Kraft Foods. However, the net migration rate out of the state remains high, and projected population growth is negative.

Tillman: Four things "the right" should focus on leading up to 2024

John Tillman

John Tillman, Chairman and CEO of American Culture Project, wrote an op-ed for Fox News that lists four things he believes "the right" should do in the next two years before the presidential election in 2024... 

The first step they must take is to develop a concrete economic agenda that promotes growth and overall prosperity. Reining in out-of-control spending that has driven inflation to a 40-year high and the national debt to over 133 percent of the economy is a start. Self-imposed spending caps will immediately reduce deficits. Explaining the consequences of astronomical debt to younger Americans and their children, who now have an interest burden approaching $1 billion a year, is essential.

Second, also tied to the economy, is to adopt a sustainable energy policy that lowers gas prices. Tapping into domestic energy sources creates good paying jobs, lowers energy costs, and reduces U.S. reliance on bad actors. Republicans must unleash every energy source available at home while also encouraging research and development to make energy cleaner. It does not have to be one or the other.

A third area of opportunity is to stop the administrative state’s overreach. This will return more power to the people, by freeing them from unnecessary, often politically motivated rules and regulations that make it harder to start a small business, run a school or save and invest hard-earned money. Further, it encourages problem-solving at the local level, which is where issues like education and crime should be addressed.

Finally, Republicans must lead on immigration. Securing the border, while providing an orderly, controlled process for entry into the country can be done simultaneously. Further, a Latino comes of voting age every 30 seconds. The right must remind these young voters that their values – faith, family, and hard work – are reflected in the party that offers the best pathway to achieving the American dream.

Read the rest HERE.

What do you think about Tillman's suggestions? 

Vargas: Time for Illinois' failed political consultants to close up shop

By Mark Vargas - 

The Election Results are in, and I know many of you are disappointed - even depressed. It wasn’t just a bad night for our statewide candidates - it was a bad night for all Republicans in Illinois - up and down the ballot. From the governor’s race down to state House and state Senate races - we lost big.

Not only do Democrats maintain control of every statewide office, but they also maintained their supermajorities in the state House and Senate. House Republicans lost 4 seats and possibly 5 - prompting House Minority Leader Jim Durkin to step down from his GOP leadership position.

On the Senate side, Illinois Democrats had 41 seats to 18 Republicans. Republicans needed to pick up 6 seats to break the supermajority in the State Senate - and that did not happen. Even more surprising, 34 Democrats went uncontested in their Senate races - meaning no Republican opponent was even on the ballot this November.

So, what happened? In my humble opinion, several things.

Thorner: Democrats' student debt con job exposed

 

By Nancy Thorner - 

 

As reported on November 11, 2022, the con job of the Democrats was exposed when a judge struck down the crooked scheme, along with his rebuke.

 

And what was the crooked scheme of the Democrats? 

 

A federal judge in Texas ruled that President Biden’s student debt relief plan is unlawful. 

 

Biden promised during his 2020 campaign to cancel student debt, then he attempted through executive action to pay off student debt loans.

 

The lawsuit was filed by the conservative Job Creators Network Foundation in October on behalf of a borrower who did not qualify for the full $20,000 in debt relief and another who is ineligible for the program,” reports Washington Examiner. 

 

The plan was challenged because the Biden administration violated federal procedures by denying borrowers the chance to offer public comment on the plan before its August unveiling. 

 

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, appointed by former President Donald Trump, ruled that the program was “unlawful”.

Texas sends 300th bus of migrants to Chicago

From Fox News - 

The 300th Texas bus of migrants just left for Chicago," Abbott tweeted. "As Biden does nothing, Texas will continue taking unprecedented action to relieve our overwhelmed border communities & secure the border."

Abbott and other Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for not doing enough to secure the border as record-breaking numbers of migrants continue to overwhelm border agents and the cities in which they are released. 

He has touted Operation Lone Star, a joint mission to combat illegal immigration and crime at the border, since the effort launched in March. 

In October, he said more than 336 million lethal doses of fentanyl have been seized since it began. In October, more than 64,000 illegal immigrants evaded the Border Patrol while another 205, 000 were apprehended. 

More HERE

Di Leo: A Bigger Enemy than Democrat Money and the MSM

By John F. Di Leo - 

It is estimated that 100,000 people leave the state of Illinois every year. It is difficult to know exactly what this means, as people move in as well as move out, and many of the incoming are either legal immigrants or illegal aliens.

But one thing is certain: the hundred thousand who depart each year are workers, employers, taxpayers. The very people you need for not only a functioning economy but also a functioning republic.

For an electoral process to work, for it to produce elected officials with the right mentality to run the government in a fashion conducive to an ever-increasing standard of living for its constituents, the majority of the electorate has to have skin in that game.

Looking at results like the Illinois 2022 midterms produced, it is understandable if one comes to the quick conclusion that Illinois is over… that Illinois has passed the point of no return.

But that is a snap judgment, not entirely born out of the facts.

Durkin resigns; Caulkins says successor not determined yet

SPRINGFIELD - Wednesday, Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin sent out a press release declaring that he was resigning from his leadership role in the Illinois House. 

The House Republicans ran on the message of fighting for lower taxes and safer communities for families and businesses across the state, and I am proud of all our campaigns who fought hard over the last year. I congratulate all of the Republicans who will now represent these important voices in the General Assembly and fight against the Democratic Party of Illinois. While I am not pleased with the results, I will accept them.

It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Leader of the House Republican caucus, but it’s time for the Illinois Republican Party to rebuild with new leaders who can bring independents back to the party that are needed to bring change to the state. With that, I will not be seeking re-election as minority leader. I am proud of the work the House Republican caucus has accomplished under my tenure, and thank everyone who played a part along the way. I began this journey as a voice of moderation and conclude this journey the same way I started, a voice of moderation.

To the people of Illinois disappointed with these results, don’t give up hope. Tomorrow is a new day.

Soon after, word began circulating that the likely new leader would be State Rep. Tim Ozinga (R-New Lenox). But Friday, downstate Republican State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) disagreed with that assessment. He says the situation is "very much in flux":

TMA congratulates pro-manufacturing, pro-growth state legislators following their victories

SCHAUMBURG - The Technology & Manufacturing Association congratulates winners in the Nov. 8 election who are going to Springfield to support pro-manufacturing and pro-growth policies.

TMA recognizes candidates who scored 80% or higher on their candidate questionnaire as pro-manufacturing and pro-growth. These leaders, which include two from the Illinois Senate and seven from the Illinois House, understand that it puts our state at a disadvantage when Illinois manufacturers endure economic stagnation and record inflation exacerbated by burdensome taxes and regulations.

TMA President Patrick Osborne said, "Each of these leaders bring their own experiences and skillset to the table, but what they all share is a belief in and desire to support our small and midsize manufacturers. From their time in office to this most recent campaign, this group of leaders has committed to standing up for this key sector of our economy. Our members are ready to collaborate with them on ways to help grow Illinois."

DeVore thanks supporters, criticizes Pritzker Administration for plans to mandate COVID vaccine

OAK BROOK - Monday, Republican candidate for attorney general Tom DeVore thanked supporters from around the state that promoted his candidacy Monday after a press conference criticizing his Democrat opponent Kwame Raoul for not supporting parents' rights during the COVID pandemic. 

DeVore also warned about the Pritzker Administration's emails discovered by mothers that requested FOIAs concerning mandating the COVID vaccine for Illinois students after the election. One email confirmed that the Pritzker Administration is looking into the process to mandate the vaccine through the Illinois State Board of Public Health, DeVore said in the press conference. 

Di Leo: Language, Lies, and Election Fraud

By John F. Di Leo -

Desperate Democrat candidates in Illinois (and I presume nationwide) have resorted to some particularly disturbing moves in recent years, and especially in the closing weeks of the campaign, in hopes of convincing their base to stick with them and some remote, gullible fraction of the middle to choose them as well.

We can no longer look merely at clear issues – where a candidate is pro-tax or anti-tax, pro-Soviet or anti-Soviet, pro-abortion or anti-abortion.  No, today’s Democrat candidates - well aware that their traditional base is running for the exits - twist the language in an effort to hide their own positions, or to make their Republican opponents look extreme, in order to avoid admitting their own extremism.  For example:

We see Democrat television commercials attacking their Republican opponents as being “against women’s healthcare,” or simply as favoring “taking away your healthcare.”

The casual reader will assume that means the Republican wants to ban health insurance or close down hospitals… but in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The Democrat is attacking the Republican for being pro-life.  These Democrats, in the writing of their campaign commercials and mailers, are redefining healthcare as meaning “abortion on demand.”  Is that what you mean by the term?  Well, it’s what they mean, nowadays.

Thorner/O’Neil: Illegal Immigration Looms Large in Mid-terms

By Nancy Thorner and Bonnie O’Neil - 

 

Our officials and media sources are minimizing, even ignoring, some of the problems erupting within our nation today.  Many of our recent problems were preventable and could/should have been corrected before they escalated.  

 

One obvious example is our continuing problem of securing our southern border and thus keeping all illegal, and those not vetted, foreigners from entering the USA.   It was a shock when President Biden and V.P. Harris invited and welcomed undocumented immigrants into the USA.  Massive numbers came, crashed our borders and entered the USA without any background checks.  How many were criminals escaping crimes in other countries? How many have committed crimes since being allowed here?

 

The current mainstream media seems to ignore those questions, so perhaps we should ask our elected officials their plan to correct this dangerous problem.  

 

Consider this:  Border officers discovered and apprehended over 200 migrants who were smuggling narcotics into our cities.  Some had arrest warrants for crimes (rape and burglaries) committed in other countries.

Di Leo: But What Happens If We Win?

By John F. Di Leo - 

Throughout the autumn, as Election Day approached, many of us found ourselves asking the question: But what happens if we win?

Every political campaign – of either party, of any ideology – focuses on the full range of issues.  Tax cuts vs. tax hikes. Overspending vs. responsibility. Hedonism vs. ethics. A strong defense vs. a projection of weakness.

But after the election, we have to come down to earth, and acknowledge that no one person – no single individual – can make the entire government do a 180.

When one side wins both the presidency and majorities in both houses in Washington, or when one side wins both the governorship and both houses in a state capital, then yes, they can accomplish something.  But how often does that happen?

VIDEO: Kathy Salvi on the campaign trail gives 3 reasons to vote for her

LOMBARD - Monday night, Kathy Salvi, 2022 Republican candidate for US Senate, gave a rousing speech at a rally in Lombard Monday night. Salvi gave three reasons Illinoisans should vote for her Tuesday: Economy, Crime and Education - all topics that are motivating voters to the polls. 

Here's a 3 min clip from her comments: 

Two Florida boards rule to prohibit medical procedures on gender-questioning minors

ORLANDO, FL – Friday, the Florida Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine both approved a rule that would prohibit minors from receiving puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and mutilating surgery to remove healthy male or female organs in the state, Liberty Counsel reports.

The Board of Osteopathic Medicine passed an exception that minors currently taking puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones would be allowed to continue if they were part of an Institutional Review Board-approved clinical trial at a university-affiliated center. However, medical doctors can no longer prescribe these hormones for minors for clinical trials.

During the public comment period, several people shared their “de-transitioning” experiences and noted the irreversible effects of these procedures. Parents testified that they were told there were no options other than these drugs for their children who were struggling with gender confusion. Minors were also given the drugs without parental permission. 

The Board of Medicine first began the process of drafting the rule in August following a request from state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo to devise rules to block medical professionals from providing such treatments for youth. 

Di Leo: Repeating History Doesn’t HAVE to be a Bad Thing…

By John F. Di Leo - 

On November 4, 1980, there was a tidal wave in American politics. Former California Governor Ronald W. Reagan won 44 states, trouncing incumbent President Jimmy Carter with a thrilling 489-49 Electoral College drubbing.

That’s what we remember.  44 states voted to throw out an incompetent liberal incumbent, electing the first conservative to the White House since Calvin Coolidge in 1924.

But there are some other statistics about that day that we may have forgotten. The Republican Party also picked up a net of four more governorships that night… the Republican Party picked up a net of 34 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.  State houses were flipped and state senates were flipped,.

And when the dust cleared on Wednesday morning, the papers reported that the Republican party had picked up a net of twelve – yes, twelve! – more seats in the U.S. Senate.

Bailey Campaign hits home stretch

DUPAGE COUNTY - The Bailey campaign is not winding down as they hit the home stretch leading up to next week's election.

Former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard endorsed Darren Bailey for Illinois governor earlier this week:

Senator Bailey and his teammate for lieutenant governor Stephanie Trussell finished out the week prior to the election with prayer -

 

Electioneering accusations emerge in Stephenson County, IL

FREEPORT - State Representative Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) is calling for an immediate investigation after Democratic candidate for Stephenson County Clerk Chandra Morris, who is currently a county employee, was recorded Monday giving an interview about her campaign from inside the Clerk’s Office using County resources in connection with a prohibited political activity.

The incident was recorded on video by a WIFR-TV news team, where Chandra Morris actively discusses her campaign for County Clerk while inside the Clerk’s Office, which can be viewed HERE. A local elected official who witnessed the incident brought it to Rep. Chesney’s attention and expressed concern that Ms. Morris’ actions constitute an alleged violation of the law.

“It is deeply troubling that a public employee like Ms. Morris would flagrantly violate ethics by campaigning on public property inside the very office she is running for in the upcoming election,” said Rep. Chesney. “Stephenson County taxpayers deserve a thorough and immediate investigation into this matter to determine whether charges should be filed against her for violating ethics law.”

Di Leo: Have Democrats Lost Interest in the Working Man?

By John F. Di Leo - 

We grew up being told that the Democrats were the party of the working man.  

Right or wrong, generations were raised with that belief.  The white collar and gray collar might be either Republican or Democrat – there were always professions that skewed either way – but blue collar?  That was Democrat to the core.

Looking at today’s America, however, it’s hard to see how the American worker – no matter what color collar he or she wears – can see today’s Democrat party as anything but an enemy.

The Biden-Harris regime began – Day One - with a flurry of executive orders, cancelling the contracts in place for ongoing work on the Keystone XL pipeline.  Most were union construction jobs.  Thousands of workers were thrown out of work on the spot – no notice, no severance – just because the incoming regime’s green agenda didn’t square with the idea of a pipeline moving Canadian fuel southward.  In state after state along the route, materials were left sitting where they were, work unfinished, people fired and forced to move elsewhere to find new jobs.

And speaking of moving elsewhere… also among that flurry of executive orders were cancellations of existing permits for drilling on federal lands. And even more so, the hiring of federal bureaucrats – the top tier in every agency are always political hires – with the orders to slow-walk future permit applications...

More, Here:

Chicago man arrested for threatening to "mutilate and kill" Darren Bailey, GOP candidate for gov

The Chicago Tribune just broke the following: 

A Chicago man was arrested earlier this week for allegedly threatening to “mutilate and kill” Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey in a voicemail left at one of Bailey’s offices, according to a police report.

Scott M. Lennox, 21, of the 3300 block of North Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive, was charged with threatening a public official, a felony, and two harassment offenses following his arrest by the Illinois State Police.

More to come ... 

Di Leo: The Many Stories of the Pelosi Hammer Attack

By John F. Di Leo  - 

When the news media learned that there had been a late-night break-in at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco mansion and even a physical attack on her husband, they jumped on the story. 

An attack on a Democrat leader’s heavily-guarded home and her spouse within?  Ten days before the midterms?  What a godsend! In this era of terrible news and even worse polls for the Democrats, this might just be the twist to change the messaging and eke out some victories in this election.

So, before much was known, the message went out that Republican rhetoric and Trumpian extremism had struck again, and the poor defenseless elderly Speaker’s spouse, 82-year-old Paul Pelosi, was attacked and beaten by some MAGA-hat-wearing right-winger in his own home at 2:30 am Friday, leaving him with skull fractures needing immediate surgery. 

The White House and Congressional leaders immediately joined in, trumpeting the official “January 6 based” line that right-wing political violence is the greatest danger to our country, jeopardizing everything from the coming election to our very way of life.

And then the truth started to come out.