Morning shorts
Monday, Dec 20, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller * State medical society a roadblock to legislation barring dangerous doctors, critics say - Lobbying group has spent more than $6 million in campaign donations over the last 10 years * Q&A on the census and redistricting: Which states may gain or lose?: The states with the biggest anticipated changes are Texas, which could gain as many as five seats, and Ohio, which could lose two. Nine states — Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania — could each lose one. * Ill. treasurer-elect names chief of staff: Kyle Ham was mayor of Toulon for four years and most recently served as president and COO of Peoria NEXT. * Quinn headed to Germany to visit injured U.S. troops * Jesse White delivers turkeys, hams to needy * Homeless Shelters Receive Much-Needed Grant Money: The state is distributing nearly three million dollars in grants; twelve area shelters are getting some of that money. * Menard chief among 60 who’ve gotten state money for injuries * Dead dogs found in Lake County animal shelter * Parks orders probe into spiked pensions with lawsuits possible: Park District of Highland Park commissioners authorized an official investigation and possible lawsuits against two of its former executives Thursday night in an attempt to recapture previously approved salaries and bonuses. * Harvey firefighters pension fund sues suburb * Rockford School District spending restricted because of discipline disparity * Metra to debut ‘quiet cars‘ in January * Could airport cuts save deputies jobs? MidAmerica will cost almost $900,000 in 2011 * After helping at Ground Zero, 2 ill firefighters left out of settlement
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- OneMan - Monday, Dec 20, 10 @ 5:00 am:
The medical society does that for lots of stuff..
IMHO the Illinois’ Advanced Practice Nursing law was behind the curve for years.
It is not in their members interests to have anything that can negatively impact their right to practice or makes as much as possible. IMHO
- wordslinger - Monday, Dec 20, 10 @ 7:35 am:
Texas, as always is interesting, but it might not be the paradise some would have you believe.
They’re adding population, most of it from immigration, legal and illegal.
They’re adding jobs, but government jobs lead the way while manufacturing takes a beating (sounds familiar.
Even with job growth, their unemployment rate is on the rise, now at 8.2%.
Plus, their state budget deficit is estimated at $25 billion.
If you’re looking for low unemployment and stable budgets, South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska await you.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/05c93fa0-ecec-11df-9912-00144feab49a.html#axzz18equ3XjZ
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-TxJobs_18bus.ART.State.Edition1.36cf045.html
- Anonymous - Monday, Dec 20, 10 @ 7:59 am:
Has Quinn checked the weather overseas?? I’ve got a nephew that’s been stuck in a German airport for four days due to weather. Chance that he will burn his entire leave without seeing his wife and son for Christmas.
- Dan Bureaucrat - Monday, Dec 20, 10 @ 8:06 am:
I am having trouble wrapping my head around the story about Menard correctional officers. One in ten have gotten settlements for “repetitive trauma” from opening cell doors (totaling 1.75 million)? And the warden Rednour got a pay out of $75,000 but his attorney “said he could not remember what Rednour specifically stated about his former police duties that caused injuries to show up on his $80,450 per year prison warden job.” Other people who don’t open cell doors also have “repetitive stress” injuries, like the assistant warden, and a social worker, and a nurse?
Who is the head of the Department of Insurance Fraud Unit? Prisons should not be a cash cow for AFSCME or anyone else. Good for Sen. Kyle McCarter for being outraged.
- Wumpus - Monday, Dec 20, 10 @ 9:35 am:
Muddy Paws used to be a great place only a couple years back.
- Cincinnatus - Monday, Dec 20, 10 @ 9:41 am:
Tomorrow’s Morning Short:
Illinois loses 1 seat in the House of Representatives amid population loss, according to just released Census report.
I also encourage CapitolFax readers to become familiar with the Iowa Plan
- Alan - Monday, Dec 20, 10 @ 10:11 am:
How have the Menard guards been getting repetitive stress from opening cell doors. Menard has been on lockdown for most of the last two years. No one has been getting out of their cells!
- moby - Monday, Dec 20, 10 @ 10:24 am:
so let me get this straight: the AFSCME guards fight every possible prison reform effort, and support every measure that increases incarceration rates. Then they complain about overcrowding, and claim disability for repeatedly opening and closing cell doors! It sounds like the crisis in Illinois corrections can be placed in the lap of AFSCME! Can’t somebody do something abut this? At least investigate the disability fraud!
- Dan Johnson-Weinberger - Monday, Dec 20, 10 @ 11:33 am:
The ISMS is one tough lobby. Maybe they should go easy through the end of veto session …. at least for the Home Birth Safety Act…..
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Dec 20, 10 @ 5:05 pm:
@Dan & Moby —
Read between the lines…worker’s comp costs are high at poorly maintained and outdated facilities like Menard, but not anywhere else in the prison system.
10 years of carrying a big, heavy key ring and turning rusty locks all day will do that to you. Heck, two months can do it.
What’s crazy is that for the $2 million we’ve paid for injured workers, we probably could have made a pretty good down payment on electronic locks for Menard’s.
The commission is right…time and again, when you see particular industries, companies, or job sites with high worker’s compensation costs, 90 times out of 100 the reason is that no one is paying attention to worker safety.
- moby - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 9:38 am:
Hey yellow dog — you are telling us that there was a cluster of 80 workman’s comp cases in just 3 years, ALL at Menard, and ALL for the same reason? It beggars reason. It must be the case that a couple of people made out, and then others saw easy money. When it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…