Chicago Police Supt. wants Chevy Tahoes for officers
Thursday, Mar 27, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * This article caught my eye today:
If Chicago police switched from the Crown Vic to an SUV, some might question the cost, maneuverability and environmental consequences of such a fleet, especially in light of the Mayor’s push to make the city green. But some smaller cities, such as Plano, Texas, have moved toward SUV fleets, citing higher resale value and more room for police gear. * The first thought that jumped into my mind was what about the fuel efficiency of the cars, and the added tax burden? Then I read this:
However, it turns out that the fuel efficiency is an abysmal 11 miles per gallon. Wow. Okay, how about we replace the Crown Vics, but with a more fuel efficient car?
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Question of the Day
Thursday, Mar 27, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica announced today that he will advance a resolution at the April 9, 2008 County Board meeting that provides for a November 2008 ballot referendum calling on the Illinois General Assembly to rescind home rule for Cook County:
Rescinding Cook County’s home rule authority would require voter approval for future tax increases. Question:Is this a good idea?
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U of I approves tuition increase
Thursday, Mar 27, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * On Monday I wrote a post on how U of I was considering raising its tuition at two campuses by 8%. Well I was wrong. Yesterday they ended up approving a 9.5 % increase for the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. For the first time, new undergrads this fall will have to shell out more than $20,000 to attend the state’s flagship university. With the minimum cost to attend the school jumping past $20,000, families are going to react with sticker shock, some experts said:
* Joseph White, University of Illinois president, said “Quality education costs. There is no way around that.The $20,000 total cost of attendance at a top university like the University of Illinois is a very good value when you think the equivalent number at top privates is more than twice that.” However, this decision comes at a time when elite private universities are guaranteeing that students from lower- and middle-income families will graduate with little or no debt. That sounds like a better bargain to me. Many other Illinois residents are pondering the same question:
* At the University of Illinois at Chicago, fixed-rate tuition will also increase by 9.5 percent. Fees will be an additional $2,384 a year. At the Springfield campus, tuition will be $7,215 for 30 credit hours while fees will be $1,398 a year. The tuition increases at the three campuses will add about $46.5 million to the university’s budget, officials said I spoke with a former university official, and they said that residents should keep in mind that the trustees have to keep enacting these increases because of the locked rate on tuition for students. They claim that inflation is around 3% each year, and the university has to keep pace. Well I’ve heard it before on this blog, and I’ll echo it again. Maybe some should wake up the bureaucratic fiefdom that exists at U of I, and take aim at that. It’s time to start making some cuts, rather than to pass the burden on to Illinoisans. U of I now ranks only second to Penn State as the leader in tuition rates within the Big Ten. Conversely, Ohio State costs $16,848, Indiana $15,311, and Wisconsin $13,835. How do they manage? * Discuss Other links: * U. of I. freshmen to pay over $20,000
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White not interested in Senate seat
Thursday, Mar 27, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * For all the speculators out there you can finally put this one to rest. Secretary of State Jesse White said he plans to seek one more term in office and denied Wednesday that he’s interested in a U.S. Senate spot if presidential hopeful Barack Obama were to win:
* While previous holders of the position, such as Jim Edgar and George Ryan, have used the post as a launch pad for other positions, White claimed that he has no intention of seeking higher office:
Furthermore, the secretary gave his two cents for who would be likely to fill the vacancy:
Carol Knowles, a spokeswoman for the comptroller, said Hynes was currently focused on the state’s fiscal issues and helping Obama’s presidential run. While Jesse White expects to run again for secretary of state, there’s no clear opposition yet and Sen. Dan Rutherford said it’s too early to discuss another run. * White also said he would not support lowering the drinking age, an issue currently being debated in other states like Missouri and Wisconsin:
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BREAKING NEWS: Radio Legend Wally Phillips dies at 82
Thursday, Mar 27, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * Wally Phillips, one of Chicago’s most popular and influential radio personalities of all time, has died this morning. Phillips had been battling Alzheimer¹s disease since 2004. He died at his home in Naples, Florida, at the age of 82. At the peak of his popularity at WGN Phillips attracted half of all Chicago area radio listeners, an audience of nearly 1.5 million each day, making him the most listened-to radio host in the country:
* My condolences to the Phillips family. Wally will surely be missed.
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Morning Shorts
Thursday, Mar 27, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * Downtown CTA stop to get $67 mil. facelift * Court fight threatened over Children’s Museum
* Under the pressure, it finally cracks
* Elk Grove Village officials lament apparent Chicago victory in O’Hare land game * County will lobby for its portion of capital bill * Michael Jordan’s ex-lover stymied by Illinois Supreme Court
* Longtime judge was known for his integrity * ‘Earth Hour’ campaign will dim lights on Chicago landmarks * State begins assessing flood damage in 19 counties * Union files charge against school
* Legislator pushes bill to help Fairmount * Proposed bill for state buildings to go green
* Rutherford pushing for recall amendment * Bill would extend child-porn reporting requirement to computer techs * One degree of Stuart Levine * 2nd Blago fundraiser to go to trial
* State gets bids for Collinsville hotel * SIUC coal plant study details to be discussed * Political consultant convicted of perjury * Ozinga prepares for election * Green candidate gets into race to succeed Rep. LaHood * Keyes bolts GOP; announces yet another presidential bid * Meghan McCain has offbeat campaign blog
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Question of the Day
Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * Oliver Stone is directing a movie about George Bush called “W,” and Josh Brolin will be playing the embattled President. Our Question of the Day consists of two parts. If a movie was made about Governor Blagojevich…. a) Who would you cast to play our embattled governor? and b) What title would you give the film? * Let’s have some fun with this one…
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Your Daily Dose of Blago Blunder
Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * The administration was doing so well today. No slip-ups, and some praise for the ‘deadbeat’ parent program. Then I came across this little diddy:
Auditor William Holland claims that more than half of the grants given by the administration were for more than originally agreed. Additionally, He says Public Health officials have no documentation explaining the overpayment. The seven grants were supposed to amount to about $6.4 million. Instead, the recipients got $7.3 million. It gets better:
* In 2005 the governor made the controversial move of inserting millions of dollars into the state budget for stem cell research without telling lawmakers in advance. Department of Public Health spokeswoman Melaney Arnold says that the state doesn’t currently have a budget for stem cell research, but doesn’t know what the next year could bring. Arnold and a spokesman for state Auditor General Bill Holland’s office both agree that the appearance of being over budget is a paperwork error:
* It’s a shame too, I had my fingers crossed that we could go 24 hours.
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Misdirected woes over Stateville
Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * The Chicago Tribune published a story today about the possible effects of Stateville Prison’s closing of its maximum security wing on the families of the inmates. Stateville is home to 3,280 prisoners and is the closest state correctional facility to Chicago and its growing suburbs. Rather than spend an estimated $100 million to renovate Stateville to the level of other maximum-security prisons, Blagojevich wants to close the section that houses the most violent criminals and ship them to more secure rural prisons hours away. Some of the families have begun writing letters and speaking to lawmakers at budget forums, such as one held Tuesday at Kennedy-King College. They are organizing a bus trip to Springfield, where legislators will vote on the governor’s budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. * Department of Corrections spokesman Derek Schnapp said, “We understand families are a very important part of an inmate’s success when they go out. That’s part of what makes this so tough. But the No. 1 issue for us is safety and security.” If Stateville closes, some prisoners will be sent to the maximum-security wing of the next closest facility in Pontiac, 100 miles from Chicago. But others could be transferred to Thomson, which is 150 miles away from Chicago; to Menard, 350 miles away; or Tamms, 363 miles away. The article cites the difficulties that will be placed on the families who would be affected by a transfer:
and:
* Buried in the article, however, is this caveat:
While I am sympathetic to the families that would be inconvenienced by this proposal, I think the focus of the article is on the wrong subjects. How about those hundreds of people who could lose their jobs? This could result in the most far-reaching effect. In an economy that is inarguably in a recession this would be devastating to these families, and the surrounding community. Discuss.
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Millions for the cloutless
Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * It’s a good day for ex-employs of City Hall who lost their job to a rigged hiring system. Federal hiring monitor Noelle Brennan plans to send out letters notifying around 1,400 plaintiffs of their awards:
* Michael Shakman filed the landmark lawsuit that was supposed to end political hiring and firing. Shakman said Tuesday he’s not surprised that Brennan has exhausted the $12 million fund. “The scale was massive,” he said. “There were wholesale violations of the rules on political hiring, promotions and discharge.” * Over 1,500 people applied to be eligible to part of the $12 million fund created to compensate victims. Thoughts?
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State program cracks down on ‘deadbeat’ parents
Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * A new state program is matching up hunting licenses against lists of parents behind on their payments is the state’s newest way to chip away at the long-standing problem of child-support collection. In the six months the program has been in effect, the state has collected nearly $130,000 from 90 parents. Gov. Blagojevich vowed to improve on Illinois’ ranking among the nation’s worst at child support collection when he took office in 2003. Last year, the state collected a record $1.2 billion in payments. Despite some improvement in the last few years state officials say custodial parents, mostly women, still are owed $3.2 billion in back child support. The new program is just one way to help chip away at the problem. A program launched several years ago withholds professional licenses, such as medical or accounting licenses, from parents behind in their child support. In January, the state began sending warning notices to deadbeat parents threatening to suspend their driver’s licenses if they fail to start paying up within 60 days. More than $127,000 has been collected since. llinois is trying to duplicate the success of other states, where people have paid large amounts to hunt. In Maine, one hunter paid $30,000 in back child support after being selected in an annual lottery for one of only 3,000 coveted licenses to hunt that state’s majestic moose. The program seems to be working, and many are singing its praises:
* What other avenues do you think the state could pursue to aid the problem?
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Morning Shorts
Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * Transit backers seeking money * Cops may face fitness tests * Harassment suit against state fails * Rule aims to limit non-medical laser use * Naperville to dole out millions to cultural events, projects * Skunks appear to be making a comeback in Illinois
* Bottled water tax brings less revenue than expected * Facebook Activism Adopted By IL State Rep Greg Harris - Civil Union LegislationPalatine Opportunity Center * Lakeview Museum V.P. joins race for 18th District * GOP congressional hopeful has history of giving to Democrats * Republican Seeks Vacant House Slot in Illinois — Amid Democratic Flak
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