* As I told subscribers earlier today, an agreement has been reached between House negotiators on the tax cut package…
House Republican Leader Tom Cross said today that he’s agreed to a tax breaks package that would include incentives intended to keep Sears Holdings Corp. in Illinois.
“We have come to an agreement on a jobs package that will give some relief to a broad base of businesses in our state,” Cross said in a statement released this afternoon. “This package will allow businesses to plan on longer term research and development and the ability to carry their losses forward in a tough economy. It will also lessen the tax burden on our family farmers and small businesses. We must continue this broad based approach to retaining and growing jobs in Illinois.”
Some of the details of the proposal remain unclear for now, but the Sears provisions of the larger tax deal have remained unchanged for weeks.
Actually, the agreement has already been filed as a set of two amendments. Click here to read them.
* Gov. Pat Quinn hasn’t been able to get many bills passed this year in Springfield, but he’s in Washington, DC today urging the state’s delegation to back the president…
Gov. Pat Quinn is lobbying the Illinois congressional delegation to approve a payroll tax cut and an extension of unemployment insurance benefits for the long-term jobless before adjourning for the year.
Quinn met Thursday morning with members of the Illinois delegation in Washington. He said the tax cut is essential for working people who live paycheck to paycheck.
The Obama administration is pushing to lower the payroll tax to 3.1 percent next year. Unless Congress acts, the tax would revert to 6.2 percent.
Democrats also are pushing to continue extended jobless benefits. In states with high unemployment rates, laid-off workers can collect benefits for up to 99 weeks.
…Adding… From the AP…
The leader of the Illinois State Rifle Association says he’s pleased a Peoria judge signed an order barring the state police from releasing the names of 1.3 million firearm owner identification cardholders.
Richard Pearson says the order signed this week is further protection for gun owners, who won a similar victory this year when the state Senate passed a bill prohibiting public disclosure of people with FOID cards.
The ruling is the latest chapter in a story that started when Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office ruled in response to a request from The Associated Press that the names are public under the state’s open records law and should be released.
* ComEd officials held a press conference today to announce that the company will comply with a new state law. Yes, that’s not completely snark…
Commonwealth Edison said Thursday it will meet the requirements of a new state law for which it lobbied by increasing the number of “smart” electric substations, providing new solar-power use incentives and spending more money with women- and minority-owned businesses.
The announcement came as the utility filed a “performance metrics” report Thursday with the Illinois Commerce Commission as the law requires. The Illinois Legislature on Oct. 26 overrode Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of the legislation that critics say guarantees ComEd and Ameren utilities yearly rate-hike increases for each of the next 10 years.
ComEd, which will invest $2.6 billion to upgrade its electric system in the next decade, contends that it is now the nation’s first utility to have its profits tied to performance, and that it will be penalized if it fails to live up to its agreements to operate an efficient and reliable power system.
* And check out this campaign e-mail…
Hello, my name is Kyle Kasperek and i am a candidate in the 34th District for Illinois State Representative. I reside in Calumet City and i put together a press release that i would like you to consider during your soonest conveience. Thanks and have a great day!
During my “soonest conveience”? Dude, you’re supposed to be running for the Illinois General Assembly, not junior high student council. Also, don’t send press releases as attachments. This isn’t 1997, OK?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 1:58 pm:
Jason Plummer thinks that candidate email was “kool”, and you should “read it and get out and stuff.”
- Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:11 pm:
“Quinn met Thursday morning with members of the Illinois delegation in Washington. He said the tax cut is essential for working people who live paycheck to paycheck.”
I don’t know about that, but it sure is essential to continuing to hide the impact of Quinn’s doubling the IL tax on his middle class constituents…
- Northsider - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:18 pm:
Is Kyle also the relative of a deposed Nigerian president/prince who just need you help moving $25 milion by borrwoing you bank account, too (also)?
- Peter - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:20 pm:
To be fair, it LOOKS like he’s running for junior high school student council: http://kylekasperek.com/2011/09/13/about/
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:20 pm:
LOL. No, Northsider, but I do hear he’s the guy who ran around the south suburbs touting himself as the only white person in the primary.
- Infidel - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:24 pm:
He looks like he’s wearing his dad’s suit.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:30 pm:
===but I do hear he’s the guy who ran around the south suburbs touting himself as the only white person in the primary.===
“Hey, I am not injecting race … into .. this race … but … I am the only white guy … in the race …which doesn’t mean anything … unless you are talking … about race … in this race … WHICH I AM NOT … but … I am the only white guy, thanks!”
- Don't Worry, Be Happy - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:33 pm:
ComEd said Thursday that it will meet the requirements of a new law that will force the company to fleece billions from consumers, massively inflating its earnings as a result.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:37 pm:
Kile’s website appears to mislead us unless Kiyul is already representing the district. The website says “for” but in Kiule’s facebook postings he identifies himself as the rep. What gives, Kyel?
- Cincinnatus - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:38 pm:
On the flip side, the kid’s probably not too corrupt… yet.
- Shore - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:49 pm:
I am sure the Republican side of the delegation was eager to assist quinn with his agenda.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 2:59 pm:
===During my “soonest conveience”? Dude, you’re supposed to be running for the Illinois General Assembly, not junior high student council. Also, don’t send press releases as attachments. This isn’t 1997, OK===
dear Mr. miller,
My dad’s computer, it don’t let me send my press stuff unless its in an attachment (with that paperclip, thingy)
I am really sorry about that. I will ask him to get somthin’ better.
your pal, Kyle
- k3_Spfld_Chi - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:06 pm:
===This isn’t 1997===
No, he was still in diapers then . . . but, everyone should give him a break. The kid (and he is just a kid) is trying and at least he is doing something as opposed to ‘gaming or smoking pot (not that their is really anything wrong with that). I don’t want to shoot down some kids ideas because he isn’t ‘big’ enough.
- ChicagoR - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:08 pm:
Is Kasperek some kind of Republican plant? His site says he wants to be the next “Democrat State Representative” rather than “Democratic”. Sounds like he listens to Fox News too much.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:09 pm:
Look, I am only mocking him, because, frankly, ya gotta approach this with a little professionalism, seriously. I am also mocking the “race” thing because … why not, how dopey can that be by actually saying it?!?!?!?
- MrJM - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:12 pm:
Clippy: “It looks like you are trying to write a press release. Is that right?”
- Rod - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:14 pm:
So the total cost of the SB 397 as amended is by 2014 $325 million a year. I am sure by then Illinois will be flush with cash so it won’t matter.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:17 pm:
Across the board income tax increases, followed by select cuts, breaks, credits, exemptions…
I think the goal was for tax reform to be comprehensive, not incomprehensible.
Who’s next for the “We’ll move unlesss…” state lottery? I imagine the line’s going to get pretty long this spring.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:22 pm:
The State Board of Elections say Kyle has withdrawn his petitions. Hmmmmm…
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:25 pm:
===The State Board of Elections say Kyle has withdrawn his petitions. Hmmmmm…===
dear Mr. Miller, sir
My dad saw i sent some things on my computer about runnin’ for democrat state rep and the website, AND the thingy with the paperclip, so I gotta go and not be in this thing.
You don’t even have to get that out at the soonest convience no more too.
Your pal in government,
Kyle
- Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:26 pm:
k3_Spfld_Chi beat me to the punch. Let’s cut this kid some slack. Yea, I get it, if you are going to run for public office and put your name out there, you have present yourself professionally and are fair game, but he’s a pup just trying new things and learning — at least he has an interest in public policy and politics which is more than can be said for most people. And sending a press release with an attachment is not the end of the world — when I send a press release, I usualy send it as an attachment AND in the body of the e-mail — I have never received a complaint — and I was a journalism major. This is the first I’ve ever heard of an attachment being “1997.”
- Just Observing - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:27 pm:
Oops… Anon. 3:26 is me, Just Observing.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:29 pm:
===I usualy send it as an attachment AND in the body of the e-mail — I have never received a complaint===
You haven’t received a complaint because there’s no need to download it if it’s in the body of the email.
But when I get a kabillion press releases a day, I don’t want to spend time downloading files and then opening them. It’s a ridiculous waste of time and hard drive space.
- walkinfool - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:30 pm:
So, Harrington (assuming it’s him) started working for Dems, switched to GOPers, and now a proud Tea Partier. A lot of noise and ego, with little stability.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:31 pm:
===The State Board of Elections say Kyle has withdrawn his petitions. Hmmmmm===
He filed for two different House seats and withdrew from one.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:36 pm:
“Look, I filed 2 sets, cause if I get a sweet place, I can move out of my room…”
- Shock & Awww(e) - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 3:43 pm:
Was the kid professional? No.
Was that his first try at a press release? Maybe.
Will he learn from this experience? Hopefully.
Is he getting off his behind and trying to make a difference instead of just whining about our state of affairs? Definitely.
Good for you, kid. Here’s hoping your learning curve is rapid and steep.
- Spellchecker - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:22 pm:
Rich, before you make fun of his poor choice of words, but sure to check your own punctuation. Your question mark needs to inside the quotes. Should be, “soonest convenience?” Just saying.
- Spellchecker - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:23 pm:
Okay, before I get caught on it….”be sure to check!”
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:25 pm:
===Your question mark needs to inside the quotes.===
Actually, no. It goes outside the quotes because he wasn’t asking the question, I was.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:25 pm:
Look it up if you don’t believe me.
- mokenavince - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:26 pm:
I say cut him some slack, as you can see I failed typing in high school. Some of us just never get the hang of it.Hopefully I will get better. Rich your a natural born writer, writing is like golf, no matter how much you practice some never get better.
- Spellchecker - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:36 pm:
You are right! I can’t believe I actually am excited to learn something new. Lawyer much?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:36 pm:
mokenavince, I understand what you’re saying. However, legislative races ain’t Little League. If you can’t write a simple blast e-mail to reporters, then get somebody else to do it.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:42 pm:
===mokenavince, I understand what you’re saying. However, legislative races ain’t Little League. If you can’t write a simple blast e-mail to reporters, then get somebody else to do it.===
A-Men!
- CicularFiringSquad - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:46 pm:
The kid alread has more press than any other candidate this year….sheer genius
- chuddery - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:47 pm:
First campaign I worked on out of college I sure as hell checked every email I sent before it went out.
The just a kid excuse doesn’t really fly when you can’t bother to capitalize “i” in an email. This isn’t gchat.
- TwoFeetThick - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 4:57 pm:
===Your question mark needs to inside the quotes.===
=Actually, no. It goes outside the quotes because he wasn’t asking the question, I was.=
=Look it up if you don’t believe me.=
Not that he needs me to confirm, but Captain Fax is correct, according to “The Little, Brown Handbook”, which was an English text of mine in college and, obviously, I still keep handy.
- Shock & Awww(e) - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 5:01 pm:
Dang. Looks like I was off on the theater tax credit ballooning even higher. They kept it at $2 million (still double the original $1 million). Threw in a few other goodies, as well.
Guess I owe everyone a snow cone or deep-fried Snickers at the state fair next summer.
- CicularFiringSquad - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 5:16 pm:
Not Little League? Are u kidding we send Rx RON, jEdgarJIM and a huge cast of characters and u say not a little league
Come on man
- Dirty Red - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 6:50 pm:
Was the FOID card ruling really necessary? FOID cards were one of the FOIA exemptions added to the ever-expanding list earlier this year.
- Dirty Red - Thursday, Dec 8, 11 @ 6:51 pm:
I smell the banishment hammer of death…
- Pot calling kettle - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 12:38 am:
==However, legislative races ain’t Little League. If you can’t write a simple blast e-mail to reporters, then get somebody else to do it.==
Even more important when you are a few years out of college and look young & green. I have to imagine his father has a few friends in politics who could look over his material and provide advice. If you want to win, you have to be taken seriously. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to put out material that looks professional from the very start. First impressions are often the only ones you get when you campaign. Taking it easy because he’s a fresh face would be a huge disservice to him.