Morning shorts
Wednesday, Jan 9, 2008 - Posted by Paul Richardson
* Dem candidate Foster goes after Bush, Oberweis
* Illinoize: Lauzen negative mailer on Oberweis
* 9 counties, Aurora plan suit in race to replace Hastert
Robert Saar, director of the DuPage County Election Commission, said the suit is necessary because there are only 32 days between the Feb. 5 primary election and the March 8 election. That is not enough time to meet normal legal requirements for such matters as accepting absentee ballots and preservation of election data, he said.
* Center affected by state’s unpaid bills
* Jim Ryan to lead campaign for sales tax increase
* Officials fume at lab cuts
* Sun-Times Editorial: Police Supt. looks like a good fit
* New student driver law thwarted due to privacy
Truant or not, a student’s right to privacy has stopped enforcement of a state law that would prevent dropouts from driving until they attend school.
* Safety net hospitals would get extra $600M under plan
“This plan would be more redistributive, from institutions that have an abundance of resources to those who do not,” said state Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg, D-Evanston, chairman of a key appropriations committee. He has joined County Board President Todd Stroger and several commissioners in backing the proposal, which needs approval from the County Board, the Illinois General Assembly and the Bush administration.
At issue is how to replace a program that has pumped an extra $1.8 billion in federal Medicaid dollars into Illinois over the last three years. That money will dry up June 30 unless a new one is approved.
* Local hospitals facing class war
* Editorial: Gaps in state law on problem teacher puts students at risk
* Rezko lawyers fear ethnic bias on jury
* Rezko lawyers fail to delay trial
* Mark Brown: A few choice words about banning swearing in taverns
But then I remembered reading years ago about all those far-flung places that were banning smoking in bars, never believing it could happen here, and decided that I didn’t want to get caught behind another hot trend.
The way I figure it, if they ban swearing in bars, the next thing you know they’ll ban swearing in restaurants and then office buildings, and before long, I’ll be out there on the sidewalk in the cold with the smokers, walking in circles and cussing up a blue streak. I don’t smoke, never have, but my mouth has failed to delete a few expletives.
* Phil Luciano: Smoking ban picks a tough fight
Here’s how it’ll shake out. In the downtowns of cities (Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield), smoking will vanish because of high visibility. No police force will allow blatant violations in the heart of a city.
But in cities’ neighborhood bars and in small-town saloons, smoking will continue. I’m not saying that’s legally right, it’s just how it is. The bleeding hearts will have to learn to deal with it. Not everyone wants to be saved by the government.
* Downstate drivers have toll troubles too
* Sun Times debuts smaller paper size; more here
The revamped tabloid, published by Sun-Times Media Group Inc., is about 12 inches tall, roughly an inch shorter than its earlier editions.
Spokeswoman Tammy Chase said the change is part of the media company’s efforts to trim operating costs by $50 million this year.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 8:05 am:
===Rezko lawyers fear ethnic bias on jury ===
I see Rezko’s defense attorney’s are putting their appeal strategy in place. Since they can’t win on the facts they try to create sympathy for him and then set up pre pre pre trial that his jury was prejudice.
Otherwise why do a press relaease, just handle it in voir dire.
- Wumpus - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 8:49 am:
Okay, first no smoking in bars, now now swearing. What’s next, no alcohol? If you don’t like the bar atmosphere, leave, get a new job, open your own, but stop ruining it for the other patrons.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:11 am:
This looks like fun….
=== Governor won’t testify on lottery
Accuses Madigan of ‘playing games’ by asking him ===
http://www.sj-r.com/Secure/Sections/News/Stories/118060.asp
- fedup dem - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:13 am:
Rezko’s attorneys need not fret; I’m sure they will end up with a jury panel that will be willing to convict a corrupt SOB on the evidence, regardless of the SOB’s race, color, creed, age, sex or place of national origin.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:27 am:
Ghost, why link to a story from last July?
- Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:54 am:
Doh, becuase I need to reset my cookies
- DC - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 2:48 pm:
Interesting action today from JCAR regarding their vote against the smoking ban rules. In an unrelated, yet oddly related case, some Department of Revenue auditors were indicted for accepting gifts in violation of departmental rules. “According to the four-count indictment, the Department of Revenue has rules against auditors accepting any gift worth more than $50.
In addition, no gift may be accepted if it is intended to influence an official action by the auditor.”
So rules on ethics are okay as long as they don’t apply to the Governor’s pet issues and the Department of Public Health plans to continue the smoking ban in the face of administrative rules that arguably deny constitutional rights of due process? Am I smoking crack or are these examples futher proof that ethics and rules are susceptible to political indifference?
- Sahims2 - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 3:29 pm:
Wumpus ith right, qwit treyeing to tell us drunks whut two doo…..
- Sahims2 - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 3:31 pm:
There is no truth to the rumor that CMS has printed a “New Plan of the Day” calendar, complete with an entirely new direction to take each and every day of the year. I’m sorry to be the one to disspell that myth.
Pingback WurfWhile » Blog Archive » Jim Ryan To Lead Campaign For DuPage Sales Tax Increase/Public Safety - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 8:50 pm:
[…] [Hat tip Paul (Rich)] […]
- Sympathy, I don't think so! - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 6:43 am:
Rezko lawyers fear ethnic bias on jury
Playing the race is wearing very thin. Seems to me Mr. Rezko had no problem playing up his ethnicity, power and money to influence a lot of heavy hitters in Illinois.
- Sympathy, I don't think so! - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 6:44 am:
Rezko lawyers fear ethnic bias on jury
Playing the race is wearing very thin. Seems to me Mr. Rezko had no problem playing up his ethnicity, power and money to influence a lot of heavy hitters.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 12:45 pm:
If dropouts can still drive based on privacy rights, how about changing the legal driving age to 18 and then authorizing temporary permits for younger drivers that meet specific requirements (like attending some form of school and maybe even giving principles/teachers/parents some real authority by allowing them to revoke permits)? Would that system meet legal scrutiny?