Simon vs. Cole update
Monday, Mar 19, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller As you’ll recall, I’ve been keeping half an eye on the Carbondale mayor’s race between incumbent Brad Cole and challenger Sheila Simon, the daughter of the late US Senator. Simon stomped Cole in the primary and now the two are facing off in the general. The Republicans, including House GOP Leader Tom Cross, view this as an important race for a couple of reasons. Cole is seen as a valuable member of the GOP bench, and they’d like to have him appointed to or run for the House if Sen. Dave Luechtefeld retires and Rep. Mike Bost attempts to move to the Senate. GOP staff has been sent in to help Cole, and the other day Cross, Luechtefeld and Rep. Bill Mitchell held a press conference with Cole to give him a bit of a boost…
Meanwhile, a Facebook page has become an issue in the race…
Actually, he’s more than just a member, he’s an administrator. And raising the entry age to bars would be a huge issue in Carbondale. Dave at Carbondaley Dispatch backs up Cole’s claims that he joined as an admin in order to “police” the page, and since the story broke they’ve taken down a lot of not so nice photos and comments about Ms. Simon. You need to be a member to see the site but Dave has posted a screenshot. It’s really amazing what candidates can get nailed for these days. Also, Simon’s campaign has had to deal with an unfriendly blogger the past several weeks. His most recent post (today) is about a lunch he had with Simon about six months ago, not long after she had announced for mayor…
He also wrote this today…
And then in comments after someone accused him of being “racist,” he wrote…
That one might sting.
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Monday, Mar 19, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Monday, Mar 19, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller First, the setup…
Now, the question: Do you support random drug testing of high school athletes? Why or why not?
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Warning: Icky topic ahead… *** Updated x2 ***
Monday, Mar 19, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller OK, I will say right up front that this is an extremely icky topic. Nobody wants to think about stuff like this. But if it’s a proven fact that sexually transmitted diseases are being spread in prisons, it kinda boggles my mind that the state won’t allow condoms to be distributed…
Sexual contact is banned in prisons. I completely agree with it, for many reasons. But does this “no condom” policy make sense to you? *** UPDATE *** VanillaMan makes an excellent point in comments…
*** UPDATE 2 *** “dan l” has another very good point…
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Surrender?
Monday, Mar 19, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller * As I told subscribers this morning, Ameren Illinois CEO Scott Cisel waved the white flag yesterday in an op-ed he penned for a few downstate newspapers.
Um, wow. Still, as others pointed out, Cisel offered no immediate rate relief, and the General Assembly will likely force some before it’s over.
Interesting times. * And if all Ameren’s bad publicity wasn’t enough, there’s this…
* Meanwhile, the Peoria Journal-Star goes way over the top in a juvenile attack on Pat Quinn…
Let’s see, has Quinn called on Blagojevich to act on the issue? Check. Has the attorney general found evidence to claim that power companies colluded to force through higher rates? Check. Has a large segment of Ameren’s customer base suffered miserably as a result of the rate hikes? Check. Has Quinn ever called Ameren or ComEd “Satan”? Nope. Conclusion: The PJ-Star had better never criticize bloggers for being “uncivil” if they’re gonna publish ridiculous editorials like that.
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Tax bashing
Monday, Mar 19, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller My syndicated column this week is about Barb Currie’s surprisingly harsh speech to the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois.
She had a couple of nice things to say, but let’s get to the negativity…
I’ve been thinking about this speech off and on for several days, and I’ve concluded that this was the most important part…
It’s not “fairness” if the big companies are forced to pay many times more than they would be if they were paying all of their corporate income taxes. This is more about a new revenue source than it is about “fairness.” Meanwhile, Crain’s ran this piece about the governor’s often overlooked 3 percent payroll tax on businesses…
Comptroller Dan Hynes has several questions about the GRT, which he published as a Sunday Tribune op-ed…
As I told Capitol Fax readers, Mayor Daley has adjusted his rhetoric somewhat on the governor’s GRT.
Clear? And, finally, downstaters and Chicago legislators aren’t gonna be happy about this one…
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Morning Shorts
Monday, Mar 19, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson * New Chambers: Stalled plan for hospital aid costs taxpayers $12M * Real ID program reason to worry * Levin talks up GRT * Manufacturer’s group upset with governor over tax plan * Senator Brady gives his own State of the State message in Lincoln * Editorial: Governor has failed to prioritize in budget * Jack Lavin says more than half of state corporations ‘don’t pay a dime of taxes’ * Tribune Editorial: Student loan sale just an attempt at fast cash * Tribune Editorial: Governor’s questionable friends * Statehouse Insider: Random bits on Governor’s GRT plan
* Editorial: Filling the pension gap * Jury still out on Blagojevich’s pension plans * Governor adds more money for schools in new budget * Lawmaker questions sale of student loans * Editorial: Let Governor spend his own money to promote plan * Editorial: Illinois doesn’t need to launch class war * Governor orders surveys about proposed healthcare plan
* Black caucus wants new subsidy formula
* Immigrants in Carpentersville feel sting of ‘English-only’ proposal * Report: Illinois community college travel spending rules vary * AG Madigan helps public get access to records
* General public makes most requests for help in getting information * Highlights of attorney general’s report on public records access * Prisons a tough call for proposed smoking ban * Smokers are fired up over the possibility of putting out their cigarettes under the proposed Smoke Free Illinois Act. * IDOT dragging its feet on inspecting new Peotone area runway?
* CTA better get use to it: Blue line repairs would take $100 million dollars and 3 years
* Sun-Times Editorial: Slobs should help clean up CTA * Editorial: Better oversight must go with transit funds * Tribune Editorial: Judges and their donors
* Lawmakers worry about declining quality of college education * Tribune Editorial: Lip service to students * Law would allow roadside memorials for drunk driving victims * Dave Syverson’s bill ‘is something the city wanted‘ * Why lawmakers are looking at Facebook; other internet proposals * Tough love approach to teen driving * Med Mal issue far from dead * Editorial: Too many Illinois don’t understand underage drinking * Editorial: Quit idle political talk of closing prisons
* Lawmakers preemptively target ‘remote control hunting’ * Schoenburg: Springfield aldermanic races, endorsements * Quad Cities get word from D.C.: Money is tight * Peraica spokeman rips Gorman * Gorman actions demand response * Stroger donor may get no bid deal * Cuts may be coming at Oak Forest hospital * Waste hauler with alleged mob ties doing state work * Unincorporated residents suddenly ticketed for vehicle stickers * Voter registration deadline nears * Davis & Parker: Notable omission in Peoria PAC’s picks for council * Election challenge is costly to taxpayers * Pretty people and their politics: celebrity donations * Unusual spending habits * Glen Ellyn incident underscores tension wrought by suburban homelessness * Krol: Must be something in the Dupage Co. water
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