Morning Shorts
Wednesday, Jul 2, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning
* Minimum wage rises to $7.75
* Feds Relax Education Requirements for Illinois
Illinois is one of six states that has been given some leeway under the No Child Left Behind Act. A new pilot program will allow schools in Illinois to offer tutoring to students sooner when it looks like they need help.
* Casinos continue legal fight against horse tracks
Four Illinois casinos are asking the state’s Supreme Court to reconsider its June ruling that they pay about $76 million to the state’s struggling horse racing industry.
* Illinois Atty. Genl. withdraws claim on electric plants
Two weeks ago Madigan identified plants she said looked like Edison’s that were continuing “high offer” shenanigans. She asked federal regulators to reopen the Edison case and look into it. Now, based on information from PJM Interconnection, which manages the grid from here to Illinois, she has withdrawn the allegation that the identified plants have continued the strategy. But she still contends that Edision still may be withholding power from the grid in some other fashion in an effort to influence prices.
* Superintendent appointment delayed at Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center
* Degorski appeals ruling on videotape
* Silver Cross gets panel’s OK for new hospital
* Influence peddler Levine ends 33-year marriage
* The boost to a federal shield proposal
Similar legislation, co-sponsored by Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston, already has been passed by a 398-21 margin in the House. We’re pleased that every member of the suburban delegation, Republicans and Democrats alike, voted in favor of that bill.
* Locals building momentum in EJ&E sale fight
* Durbin says help on way for food pantries
- True Observer - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 8:58 am:
Levine’s wife didn’t know anything about anything.
What happened to the good old days when the newspapermen were newspapermen?
So how about finding out where are the hidden assets and how they are they are going to be protected by divorcing him.
- Cassandra - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 9:11 am:
Leave it to old-time Democratic pols like Dick Durbin to highlight increased aid to food pantries as a way of helping America’s increasingly beleagured lower middle class and working poor and act like it’s a big deal. Meanwhile, of course, the economic life of the lower middle class is increasingly dire while the net worth of economic elites (among whom we can count our feckless elected officials) is flying into the stratosphere. But it is too much trouble to actually make the tough decisions which would reduce the need to hand out free food.
And besides, traditional Democrats like to take our money and then give it back to us in dysfunctional ways which also, surprise!, enhance the power of those same Democrats who are dispensing the goodies. Durbin probably has come to believe that it’s his own money he is giving out to the (hopefully) grateful lower classes. How about reducing the cost of government (and our taxes), Dick. Most Americans would take that over a handout any day.
- Hearing Voices - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 10:00 am:
16 hours of that extra 25 cents to buy a gallon of gas.
- Truthful James - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 10:24 am:
Here is a morning short.
Kevin is doing a bang-up job, Rich. Take a longer vacation, the Blog is in good hands.
Perhaps next year you will pay at least the new minimum wage.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 10:29 am:
After reading about Levine’s divorce it reinforced the fact that he is still out of prison. The point being, I have read many comments on this blog about how Rezco and his lawyers did the right thing in not cooperating and had nothing to lose by going to trial.
Well Rezco, who has much more to provide than Levine ever could, has been serving time, paying trial lawyers and watching his and his families lives collapse, meanwhile old Stu keeps free.
Tony the truth will set you free.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 10:40 am:
HV,
I remember earning union wages of $4.32/hr when gas was 40c a gallon. I guess $43.20/hr. would be a good living wage with $4 gas.
- Jacketpotato - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 11:00 am:
Big news in DC about Obama and his home loan.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy
n/content/article/2008/07/01/AR2008
070103008.html?nav=hcmodule
- Cassandra - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 11:10 am:
If he was making all that money from the books, why did he need such a big loan? Why not pay as much as possible up front.
I am continually amazed that people don’t seek much more aggressively to reduce their initial mortgage loans by putting down high down payments and paying off the rest of the mortgage as quickly as possible. Apparently, they don’t add up the
interests costs over the years.
And this guy is going to be leading us huddled masses economically? Great.
- cermak_rd - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 12:52 pm:
It shouldn’t be necessary for the Federal Gov’t to support local food pantries. Those ought to be funded by the local populace in the form of donations of food, time and money.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 3:51 pm:
He got a slightly lower rate because he apparently agreed to deposit a large amount of money at NT? Gee. Call the feds!!!
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 3:54 pm:
Forgot to add that the “average” interest rate includes people with very low credit scores. Considering his income, his book contract and the likelihood of a decent credit score, I doubt he was “average.” Complete, utter non-story.
- PhilCollins - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 4:30 pm:
Cermak_Rd, I agree. The federal government should eliminate welfare spending. Now, some federal tax money is sent, from states with low poverty rates, to Washington, DC, where the money is redistributed and sent, in welfare benefits, to states with high poverty rates. Each state government should be responsible for the welfare needs of its residents. Congress should eliminate welfare spending, which is about 15% of the federal budget. If they do that, the federal government would need less money, so they would pass an across-the-board 15% tax rate cut. State and local governments would change their tax rates, to ensure that they can receive enough revenue to provide for the welfare needs of their residents.
- NoGiftsPlease - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 6:19 pm:
To Cermak_rd: you’ve just pointed the real problem with donations and volunteerism providing needed social services — which all the boosters ignore. In hard times when the donations are most needed, the people normally giving them have the least amount to give. That’s why we created government — it will be able to provide in the bad times and recoup in the good. Unlike private individuals.
- NoGiftsPlease - Wednesday, Jul 2, 08 @ 6:23 pm:
Like the CN deal, where the free traders and small governmenters are notably absent, what’s with the horse racing industry? If they don’t make enough money, they need to go out of business or develop a new business model, not be supported through a redistribution of income to support an unnecessary entertainment. They’re probably republicans, too, since corporate welfare is always permissible. And this IS corporate welfare.