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Rifle Association: “Don’t come to Chicago this summer unless you want to get beaten and robbed”

Thursday, Jul 12, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From an Illinois State Rifle Association press release…

For the second year in a row, the ISRA is advising subscribers to its alert service to write Chicago out of their summer vacation plans because the city is just too darn dangerous to visit. This safety advisory comes as Chicago experiences an unprecedented upswing in violent crime.

Although city officials and the Chicago media would like people to believe that the surge in violence is limited to Chicago’s gang-infested neighborhoods, ISRA members who are also Chicago police officers report that criminals of all sorts have notched up their efforts in every corner of the city. These members report that crimes ranging from pickpocketing to aggravated assault are becoming very commonplace in areas once considered safe for families and tourists. As one officer put it, “Don’t come to Chicago this summer unless you want to get beaten and robbed.”

“Putting the bad economy aside, there’s a couple of major reasons for Chicago’s rising tide of violent crime,” commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. “First off, criminals are fully aware that Illinois’ prohibition on concealed carry gives them the upper hand. Second, Mayor Emanuel and Police Superintendent McCarthy are in a hopeless state of paralysis over what to do about violent crime. This is a recipe for disaster. Criminals know you can’t legally protect yourself, and they know that Chicago law-enforcement officials haven’t a clue about what to do to protect good citizens from harm. Criminals are taking advantage of a bad situation – and doing a good job at it.”

“In clear conscience I cannot recommend that anyone vacation in Chicago this summer,” continued Pearson. “Tourists are like sitting ducks and mobs of violent criminals have shown that they are brazen enough to attack anywhere, any time – even along the Magnificent Mile. I suggest that folks consider Wisconsin as a vacation destination this year. Fresh air, sunshine, friendly people – all waiting just a short drive across the border. And, although Illinois residents cannot take advantage of Wisconsin’s newly-attained concealed carry status, the general air of civility fostered by concealed carry is certainly another reason to vacation with our neighbors to the north!”

* There were 259 Chicago homicides in the first six months of this year…

The Tribune reported Monday that 143 of the homicide victims in the first half of the year were listed as being at least affiliated with a street gang. The data obtained by the paper represent the Police Department’s preliminary assessment of crimes and are subject to revision as investigations progress.

A deeper review of the numbers shows males ages 15 to 35 made up nearly three-quarters of African-American homicide victims. Police data showed that 133 of those 145 victims had arrest histories.

Of the 44 Hispanic victims, 27 were males ages 15 to 35 and had arrest histories, according to the data. Three of the 11 white victims were males in that age range with arrest histories.

Legalized concealed carry probably wouldn’t have done much to stop most of those homicides, since so many gang members and affiliates (who are more likely to have criminal records, and therefore would be ineligible to legally carry) have been victims.

* Meanwhile…

A six-month old plan to target gangs and drug markets in Chicago’s two most violent police districts will be shifted to other high-crime districts after a dramatic drop in homicides in the targeted areas, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday.

Former Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis told the Chicago Sun-Times this week that it might be time to “call an audible” to stop a citywide 39 percent spike in homicides.

Emanuel’s plan is more like a spread offense.

After pointing to a 43 percent drop in homicides in the Englewood District and a 24 percent reduction in the Harrison District, the mayor said he wants to duplicate that “special, new, concentrated program” in other high-crime districts.

“Those two districts last year represented 25 percent of our violent crime. Today, unlike some other areas, they’re showing … a dramatic reduction in the homicide rate,” the mayor said.

* More from the PR counter-offensive…

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office swung into full damage-control mode Wednesday after Chicago’s convention and tourism chief was quoted as saying that a 38 percent spike in the city’s homicide rate and a troubling return to mob attacks downtown was hurting efforts to promote the city.

Don Welsh, president and CEO of Choose Chicago, told the Chicago Tribune’s editorial board that he’s gotten five or six calls from meeting planners in recent weeks concerned about whether Chicago is still a safe place to hold their meetings.

So far, nobody’s cancelling any meetings just yet. But, that’s a possibility if the Chicago Police Department does not get a quick handle on the problem, Welsh was quoted as saying.

“We hope this sunsets quickly because all the good work we’re doing regionally, nationally and internationally, if this is not contained in a reasonable period of time, it will have an impact,” the Tribune’s website quoted Welsh as saying.

“There are inquiries that are coming in from meeting planners that are saying, ‘Hey, I’m reading about what’s taken place in your city. Is your city safe?’”

In a follow-up interview with the Chicago Sun-Times a short time later Wednesday, Welsh insisted that his remarks had been “misinterpreted” and “taken out of context.”

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Question of the day

Thursday, Jul 12, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Pat Quinn said yesterday and again today that he plans to unveil a state drought task force report on Monday. The entire state is now in a drought…

Moderate-to-severe drought conditions now exist in all of Illinois, according to a weekly update from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

“In the hottest areas last week, which were generally dry, crop conditions deteriorated quickly,” said the update posted Thursday on the agency’s website. “In the 18 primary corn-growing states, 30 percent of the crop is now in poor or very poor condition, up from 22 percent the previous week.”

The update added a section of north central Illinois that previously was rated as abnormally dry but not yet in drought.

More than two-dozen southern Illinois counties are in an extreme drought, while 20 central Illinois counties are classified as in a severe drought, including Cass, Logan, Mason, Menard and Schuler counties in the Springfield area.

* The Question: Has this drought affected you or anyone you know? Explain.

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Shaw: Temporarily replace sidelined congresscritters

Thursday, Jul 12, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Andy Shaw has an idea…

Andy Shaw – Chief of the Better Government Association says congress ought to get to work to enact a mechanism to temporarily replace a congressman or senator who takes a leave of absence.

“Maybe a chief of staff is temporarily empowered,” Shaw said. “Maybe someone is temporarily empowered, but to deprive 200,000 people of a voting member of Congress, a lobbying member of Congress to get in there and fight for the spoils and pork of government to the extent that that’s legitimate – that’s a real omission.”

If the president is incapacitated, the vice president takes over. So, I suppose it’s something to consider, Still, I have never heard of anyone ever suggesting something like this before. What do you think?

62 Comments

Woman indicted for stealing from lobbyist

Thursday, Jul 12, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The SJ-R has the broad outline…

A Springfield woman was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on charges of embezzling $400,000 or more from a Springfield consulting and lobbying firm.

Alice M. Foss, 50, of the 1400 block of South Fifth Street allegedly stole the funds from Don Moss and Associates, which specializes in services for people with disabilities and other social causes, from 1997 until 2010.

* Pretty much everybody knows Don Moss at the Statehouse. He has pushed to deinstitutionalize mental and developmentally disabled citizens for decades. Embezzling from him is really a lousy thing to do. From the US Attorney’s office…

According to the indictment, Foss was employed as the firm’s chief financial officer and assisted in the firm’s lobbying activity. In her capacity as chief financial officer, Foss had check-signing authority and control over the firm’s bank account and was responsible for paying the firm’s business expenses.

The indictment alleges that beginning as early as May 1997 and continuing to July 2010, Foss used her position at the firm to steal money and funds by repeatedly writing herself unauthorized bonus checks and reimbursements for fraudulent business expenses, and repeatedly using the firm’s bank account and credit card account to pay personal expenses. According to the indictment, Foss used wire transfers and the firm’s credit card account to pay for personal expenses including car payments, donations to a private school, clothing, groceries, gas, car washes and rental, hair salon and spa expenses, and veterinary bills.

Foss is scheduled to appear for arraignment on July 31, 2012, at 11:45 a.m. before U.S.
Magistrate Judge Byron G. Cudmore.

If convicted, each count of mail/wire fraud (six counts) carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. For credit card fraud (one count), the penalty is up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Final sentences are determined by the court. In imposing sentence, the court may consider federal sentencing guidelines, which include a defendant’s criminal history, the amount of loss, and other applicable factors.

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Yet another Jackson rumor denied

Thursday, Jul 12, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Yesterday afternoon, Andrea Mitchell at NBC News ran with this story…

Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. faced new pressure from Democratic leaders Wednesday to explain his month-long absence from Congress, even as friends and colleagues tell NBC News that he has been at a treatment facility in Arizona.

A family friend who is in close touch with Jackson’s parents says the congressman is suffering from “severe clinical depression” and has an alcohol problem – although his wife and staff have a different view of his condition. […]

Jackson still faces a House Ethics Committee investigation into whether he used his office to compel former Governor Rod Blagojevich to appoint him to the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama in 2008. A former fundraiser for Jackson was arrested on June 20 by federal prosecutors in Illinois on unrelated charges. There have also been reported marital problems.

On Wednesday, a close friend of Jackson’s told NBC, “This has all come down on him like an avalanche and there is a good possibility he will have to resign.”

Those are some friends. Ratting Jackson’s condition out and claiming he may have to step down.

* But Jackson’s office eventually issued a statement of denial…

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is being treated for “a mood disorder” — not for alcoholism or substance abuse, according to a statement from the Chicago Democrat’s office.

“The Congressman is receiving intensive medical treatment at a residential treatment facility for a mood disorder. He is responding positively to treatment,” according to a statement from the congressman’s office, citing Jackson’s unnamed physician.

In the statement, Jackson’s office noted: “In addition, the rumors about him being treated for alcohol or substance abuse [are] not true.”

The congressman’s wife, Ald. Sandi Jackson, denied that her husband was “in rehab.”

* The official statement continued…

But the statement began by quoting federal laws protecting a patient’s privacy.

“The name of the attending physician and treatment center will not be disclosed in order to protect his continuing privacy,” the statement read.

Mary Mitchell is not satisfied…

But those laws should not be used to give an elected official cover to withhold information. Jackson’s duty is to be transparent and keep his constituents informed about anything that could affect the job they elected him to do.

Additionally, if he has a medical or psychological problem with a some stigma attached to it, then discussing it publicly can help erase that stigma.

Instead, by being secretive, he is just perpetuating the stigma.

And that serves no one.

* And things got a little intense at the annual Rainbow/PUSH convention, where Rev. Jackson tried to dodge the media…

Following the Rainbow/PUSH luncheon, the media began assembling at the south end of the dais, where Jackson was heading.

Jackson turned and headed toward the north end of the dais. The media ran to head him off there.

He turned and headed back toward the south end of the dias. The media ran back to the south end.

Then he walked down the center steps of the stage. Security and Rainbow/PUSH staffers held back the media, who shouted questions to Jackson which he ignored as his aides pushed him through a curtain and told the media to leave.

When the press asked questions of Jackson before the event, former Sen. Roland Burris jumped to the senior Jackson’s defense.

“Let it go!” he yelled. “You all are not here to cover this convention. You’re here to cover Jesse Jr. That is ridiculous, and I’ve got enough seniority around here to tell you media people to cool it. You did it to me. Now you’re going to try to do it to Jesse Jr. You’re just hounding people. Go on and get a life. I’m telling Sen. Durbin to back off. I’m telling Steny Hoyer to back off. I’m telling Congressman Gutierrez to back off. That’s what they did to me.”

* Gov. Pat Quinn was at the Rainbow/PUSH convention, and he went out of his way in an unrelated press conference before the event to express his sympathy for the congressman…

“The people of Illinois have good hearts and when someone is dealing with challenges on their health we wish them well and we pray for them. I pray for Jesse Jackson Jr. every single day and I think everybody should.

“He’s one of our fellow citizens in Illinois and we’re all in this together and when somebody has a challenge, we don’t walk away from it.”

* Roland Burris went off on the media…

Burris: We don’t know what Jesse Jr.’s problem is so back off and let’s assess it.

Reporter: Senator, do you know?

Burris: I have no idea! I’m dealing with you all. I’m dealing with you all running around here like a wolfpack, wolfpacking this young man who has served this public so greatly and he’s had some problems and you won’t give him a rest. Media, give him some rest!

Reporter: Were you curious to know what it was?

Burris: Why are you curious? Are you curious to know what it is? Or are you just trying to get some points in the media so you can be the first to give a report? The first CNN…to be the first to report on this.

Reporter: But people want to know.

Burris: They want to know because you all are driving the people. You all are driving it! The people aren’t driving it! You all are sticking cameras in my face like you all are doing me! Don’t you have a right to know. Don’t you feel something about it? That’s what you all are doing to me! Take your cameras and go home!”

Burris told reporters, “you all ought to get a life!”

* And the Tribune diagnosed from afar…

A mood disorder can mean many things. According to Mental Health America, formerly known as the National Mental Health Association, there are four basic forms of mood disorders, including “major depression, cyclothymia (a mild form of bipolar disorder), SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and mania (euphoric, hyperactive, overinflated ego, unrealistic optimism).”

The treatment advocacy organization estimated 1 in 5 Americans report at least “one depressive symptom in a given month,” while bipolar disorder is less common, occurring at a rate of 1 percent of the general population.

Discuss.

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