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Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Ron Gidwitz is reportedly running a negative TV ad. Go check out his site. More later.

UPDATE: Charges are iffy, to say the least. Topinka demanding that the ad be withdrawn.

Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Carl Nyberg may be onto something here.

Illinois should pass a law that if you turn-in the ghost payroller you get a bounty, say 30% of the money the ghost payroller pilfered.

Then the government gets to sue the ghost payroller, the supervisor and the political patron to recover the money, the bounty and court costs.

Post your own innovative ideas for catching the bad apples and reforming Illinois in the comments. And, let’s not get into the name game, shall we? Just post ideas, not complaints.

26 Comments

Question of the day

Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

First, read the entire story. Here’s an excerpt:

Both Republican candidates for the 56th District state representative seat are grappling with what to do with 500,000 illegal immigrants since deporting them isnâ€™t a realistic option.

Incumbent Paul Froehlich of Schaumburg supports the idea of issuing driving certificates so undocumented immigrants can legally apply for driverâ€™s licenses and insurance.

His challenger, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board member Anna Klimkowicz of Schaumburg, is skeptical about what incentive immigrants would have to seek out such certificates if theyâ€™re already driving.

â€œIt would be one less legal problem for them to deal with,â€ Froehlich said during an interview with both candidates at the Daily Herald on Monday.

Froehlich believes the idea is a practical benefit to all motorists on the road. It would remove the barrier that keeps undocumented immigrants from taking the exams to get their licenses and allow them to have the insurance theyâ€™d need if involved in accidents, he said.

Froehlich added that heâ€™d like to see that fingerprinting and a criminal and terrorism background check be made a condition of getting the certificates.

Discuss, but try not to get all hot-headed.

37 Comments

Morning shorts

Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Â· The AP has a list of known spending requests in tomorrow’s budget address.

Â· More on “Pay to Lay.”

Â· Topinka has a new TV ad.

Â· Brutal schedule for candidate forums in the 10th CD.

Â· Healthcare debated in the 6th CD.

Â· SJ-R supports Blagojevich pre-school plan.

Â· Community colleges want more money for counseling programs.

Â· More trouble in Chicago Heights.

Â· Acting US Attorney for southern Illinois could be on serious hot seat in Ryan trial.

Â· Forgot to mention this yesterday, but here’s my analysis of the Tribune’s latest poll.

Â· The Inside Dope celebrates one year of blogging. Congrats! Also, I dig the Valentine’s Day color scheme.

Â· Sex Ed plan a hot topic.

Â· Major Blagojevich backer will cost state taxpayers an additional $100 million in next fiscal year’s budget.

Â· Thomson prison could finally open this fall.

Â· Interesting article on learning.

Â· Rep. McKeon to testify as character witness for George Ryan.

Â· I think I’ll be drinking my Pepsi straight up from now on. Yuck.

Â· IL GOP hoped to raise over a million dollars last night.

9 Comments

Sympathies

Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Ronald E. Adams, the father-in-law of state Rep. James Brosnahan, passed away recently. Here are the arrangements via the Tribune:

Funeral Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. from Modell Funeral Home, 7710 S. Cass Ave., Darien. to Our Lady of Peace Church, Mass 11 a.m. Visitation Tuesday, 3 to 9 p.m. Please omit flowers.

Also, political consultant and friend Glenn Hodas unexpectedly lost his mom, Alice Hodas, over the weekend.

Her funeral is on Wed. Feb. 15 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Genesee Depot in Wisconsin. She will then be buried in the church cemetery. Should people wish, they can make a contribution to the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County, 701 Northview, Waukesha, WI 53187; or to St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Human Concerns Fund, PO Box 95, Genesee Depot, WI 53127

My most sincere sympathies to all.

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Absolute craziness

Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Political hardball is one thing, but this is more than we’re used to.

A Cook County Jail guard has admitted to investigators that he helped six inmates escape over the weekend to give a political advantage to a former jail supervisor running for sheriff, a law enforcement source said Monday.

The 36-year-old guard confessed that he allowed a convicted killer, two accused robbers and two others charged with aggravated kidnapping and battery to bust out of the jail to cast a shadow on Sheriff Michael Sheahan’s management of the complex at 26th and California.

The guard knew the negative publicity would hurt Sheahan’s chief of staff, Tom Dart, who is running for sheriff, the source said.

And the guard admitted he helped engineer the escape to give a political boost to Richard Remus, a candidate in the Democratic primary election and the former leader of the jail’s Special Operations Response Team, the source said. The guard is a member of the SORT unit.

Remus denied any involvement in the plot, and a law enforcement source said there was no evidence connecting him to it.

Actually, I think the escape initially hurt Cook County Board President John Stroger more than anyone else because he has denied the sheriff money to hire new guards.

UPDATE: The Tribune posted a late story on its website containing the same allegations. Looks like they got scooped bigtime.

14 Comments

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