Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

* Meeks: Blacks need to be better served in job market

* State: elementary test contains errors

* Peoria business groups, advocate organizations, individuals endorse Blagojevich’s plan

* Illinois budget aide out to sell Blagojevich tax increase

* Business leaders speak against governor’s proposed tax

“I just don’t understand the logic in taxing someone who’s not making a profit,” he said, referring to the fact that the gross receipts tax would be based solely on receipts and not necessarily gains.

* Editorial: Don’t bet on lottery to bail out state’s pension debt

* Editorial: Tread lightly on Internet regulation

* Editorial: Well-intentioned smoking bill goes too far

Maybe we need a law spelling out exactly how long parents should require stubborn kids to sit at the table if they refuse to consume broccoli. Or could parents be prosecuted for feeding their kids too much junk food?

* What jurors won’t hear in trial

* Acquittal in parole vote for Aleman

* Oswego, ComEd can’t settle on lines

* Tribune Editorial: Safer roads for everyone

HB 1100, marketed as the Roadway Safety and Mandatory Insurance Coverage Act, would allow people who have no Social Security number to supply other documents and get a “driver’s certificate” instead of a license.

* State group eyes mental health care:

They’re not asking for more money in the next state budget, they said. Rather, it’s concerned it may actually lose money under Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s budget plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

* Public drinking ordinance relaxed on St. Patrick’s Day

* Homelessness among issues in second Springfield mayoral debate

* New county budget deficit looms: better than before, but still in the millions

* 25th ward candidate argues for a run-off

* NOW backs Fioretti again in 2nd ward, dismisses stalking claim

* Alderman Stone’s office vandalized

* Stroger seeking contracts probe

* County hospital contracts scrutinized

* New alderman Reilly isn’t sold on new helipad at Children’s Hospital

* Rolling Meadows campaign flyer with error withdrawn

2 Comments

- Levois - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 11:27 am:
Haithcock is desperate obviously. I could have looked at her differently if she hadn’t of chosen to play dirty politics. That was just wrong.

As for the 25th. I don’t know what to say. Morfin sounds like a sore loser. We’ll have to see if he is successful.

Haithcock is acting like a serious loser right now.

- Gregor - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 1:31 pm:
In all the hullabaloo over the proposed new health insurance programs, I have to wonder:

What is the insurance industry doing, how come nobody has even suggested a few reforms and regs on their industry to coincide with the new funding?

See, in many of the sob stories the governor and Doogie have been putting out, the folks interviewed have often gotten the shaft from insurance companies that deny claims based on what they consider pre-existing conditions but what you or I or a doctor would consider normal healthy people.

Also, jacking up co-pays and deductibles… or suddenly withdrawing coverage without reason, all this stuff is going on and can put people into a health care crisis and we’re all supposed to just swallow it and say or do nothing regarding what the insurers are getting away with? Just pony-up massive new amounts of tax dollars to essentially reward an industry that’s only a hair more ethical right now than the power companies with their rate hikes? What’s up with that!?!? Ever since the med-mal thing, I think our government has been put DEEEP into the pocket of the insurance industry.

What I want is a frank evaluation of some of these insurance industry outrages, and some new standards of performance and regulated behavior from their side of the issue, before we just open up the floodgates of state money to reward the bad service they give us now.

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