* From an e-mail…
Rich,
Illinois Family Institute agrees with the Catholic Conference of Illinois and Senator Kirk Dillard. Civil Unions is proving to be a litigious nightmare! Just ask the Bed & Breakfast owners from Paxton, Illinois who only want to operate their business according to the dictates of their faith and not be forced to celebrate something they believe to immoral.
Here are just a few examples that prove just how litigious the marriage redefinition agenda is:
• Washington State is suing a Christian florist who declined to provide floral arrangements for a homosexual “wedding” ceremony. The state is threatening thousands of dollars in fines and a requirement that the elderly florist provide floral arrangements to any homosexual couple that seeks her services.
• The Christian owners of an Oregon bakery were contacted by the Oregon Department of Justice and were told that they are being investigated because of a discrimination complaint that followed their refusal to violate their beliefs by providing a wedding cake for a lesbian “wedding” ceremony.
• A Christian owner of a bed and breakfast in Hawaii has been ordered to provide a room to any same-sex couple that wants to stay there, thus violating her religious convictions.
• And in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the owner of Elane Photography declined to provide her skills and services for a lesbian commitment, explaining that doing so would violate her conscience as a Christian. As a result of a complaint being filed with the New Mexico Human Rights Commission, a fine of $6,600 was issued against this small business for discrimination based on “sexual orientation.”
There are many more cases like these, and many more will be coming down the litigation pike. In each of these cases, homosexual activists prove that what they really want goes far beyond “equality” or “tolerance.” And they clearly demonstrate their lack of tolerance for any dissenting opinions.
Moreover, why would proponents of marriage redefinition seek to punish people of faith through litigation? Why wouldn’t proponents tolerate another person’s right to freely exercise their religious beliefs and an individual’s right of conscience, and their right to decline to provide goods, services, and accommodations to those seeking government recognition of same-sex unions as “marriage”?
Sincerely,
David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute
I’m busy with other stuff right now, so go ahead and discuss.
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* From the Catholic Conference of Illinois regarding a post from earlier today…
Rich,
You posted today about Kirk Dillard’s comment on a 2012 candidate questionnaire regarding the civil unions law: “It is a litigious nightmare!” You then disagreed with Dillard’s comment by saying “it hasn’t really turned out that way.”
We disagree, and point to the 2011 court battle between the state and the Catholic dioceses of Belleville, Joliet and Springfield regarding state foster care contracts. The dioceses do not place children with unmarried, civil-union couples – whether gay or heterosexual. The dioceses sued the state to retain the right to continue their long-standing mission of caring for abandoned and neglected children. The court ruled against them, and the dioceses were forced to dismantle their foster care operations.
Yes, the dioceses filed the lawsuit – but only after the state threatened their contracts. Most importantly, Senate debate on the civil unions legislation expressly assured that religious social service agencies would NOT be affected by the legislation.
Thanks.
Robert Gilligan
Executive Director
Catholic Conference of Illinois
The dioceses lost their case because the court ruled that no group has an inherent right to a state contract. I stand by what I said. One lawsuit does not a “litigious nightmare” make. Add in two more lawsuits mentioned in the comment section by Peter Breen of the Thomas More Society and I still don’t buy into the “litigious nightmare” argument.
Also, even assuming their logic is correct, then wouldn’t pretty much all the state and federal anti-discrimination laws regarding race, gender, age and religious affiliation be classified as “litigious nightmares” because of the countless lawsuits they’ve spawned over the decades? And, more importantly, is that a valid reason to oppose those protections?
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“The Next 89 WLS Talk Star”
Thursday, Aug 22, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From WLS AM…
Laura Kelly beat out four other finalists to become ‘The Next 89 WLS Talk Star,” winning the contest at a live finale at The Improv in Schaumburg Wednesday night.
“This is just so incredible!” Kelly said after 89 WLS midday host Lauren Cohn announced her as the winner.
Bruce Wolf and Dan Proft hosted the finale, and Kelly joined them this morning to talk about what she plans to do on her two-hour, 89 WLS talk show.
Proft said that her focus on getting Gov. Pat Quinn and Sen. Dick Durbin out of office is what put her over the top and separated her from the other finalists.
“That’s the reason I wanted to have a talk show, to be able to just focus on them and dump Dick Durbin. I just want somebody in there that will bring in good government,” Kelly said.
* Check out the video of the presentation…
“There are many people who appreciate this station and appreciate Republican values,” Kelly said after she was awarded the prize.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Aug 22, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Alex Clifford is interested in rejoining Metra as CEO and would be willing to reopen his controversial separation deal to be rehired — under certain circumstances, Clifford’s lawyer said Wednesday.
But the attorney, Michael Shakman, contended that Metra officials can’t unilaterally “undo” Clifford’s 26-month farewell handshake or try to tap a $10 million insurance policy to cover some of the maximum $871,000 settlement tab, as some officials have suggested.
“If they want to reduce their obligation, Mr. Clifford is willing to talk about a new employment agreement extending some years into the future,’’ said Shakman, known best to some as the original plaintiff in a landmark City Hall hiring and firing case.
Shakman commented Wednesday after members of the RTA board, which oversees Metra’s finances, heard the initial results of an RTA audit into the Clifford deal and approved a resolution declaring it “not financially prudent.’’
The resolution also urged Metra to conduct “a thorough examination of its insurance policy’’ to see if a claim could still be filed.
* Daily Herald…
Metra has no basis for canceling the agreement given it was made by a government body that had the proper authority to enter into such an agreement, Shakman said. He added that if Metra stopped payments, it would have to go to arbitration, and if the agency lost it would mean paying more legal fees.
Moreover, Shakman thinks the agency’s insurance policy would not cover Metra over a breach of contract dispute.
* The Question: Should Metra reinstate Alex Clifford with a multi-year employment agreement? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey services
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* Rep. Jim Sacia (R-Pecatonica) pens a weekly column for his local papers. This is from his latest…
You are all aware that for the past two months the Governor has withheld our salaries until we pass “pension reform”. Certainly the Governor’s move is “politically correct” and the citizens seem to love it. “You go Governor - stick it to those lazy legislators”. Here is the fallacy. Where has the Governor been on comprehensive pension reform? Along the way I have been involved in many of the pension discussions. I have never seen the Governor at any of them. It certainly begs the question, where is his great idea and leadership?
A short week before our mandatory adjournment on May 31, the Governor called me to his office. As we were in session, I locked out my electronic voting buttons and headed to his office. It never entered my mind that it would be anything other than pension reform. You can’t make this stuff up folks - he wanted to know what it would take for me not to vote no on the gay marriage bill. It must be restated here - I have no issue with gay people. God loves us all. In my opinion politics has no place in sexual preference. The hundreds of gay couples in the capital complex certainly made the issue “politically correct”.
My response to the Governor was less than “politically correct”. “You could install a _____ no button”. The Governor smiled and dismissed me. It was not an attempt at being clever, more out of indignation, “you mean I’m not here to discuss pensions?”
I suppose Quinn should get credit for asking pretty much everybody to vote for gay marriage, and Sacia is retiring, so he’s a lame duck. But no way was the social conservative ever going to be a “Yes” vote. That was a total waste of time.
* He’d better have a much more effective pitch when the pension reform conference committee hands him their results. Speaker Madigan has said he won’t bring the House back to town until Quinn has found the 60 votes needed to pass the bill. And, as the governor acknowledged way back in 1980, he’s no lobbyist…
“If you’ve got a bill you want passed, I wouldn’t advise hiring me as your lobbyist,” said Quinn. “I haven’t exactly endeared myself to the politicians in Springfield.”
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I just don’t see his path
Thursday, Aug 22, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Republican state treasurer candidate Bob Grogan reportedly met with Tom Cross yesterday afternoon, hours after Cross told his caucus that he would run for the statewide job. Shortly after the meeting, a defiant Grogan issued this statement…
After visiting more than 40 counties listening to voters, I’m ready to make it official .. Next week during the Du Quoin State Fair, I’ll be announcing my candidacy for State Treasurer, details to follow. While others can talk about political money raised, I’ll be talking about safeguarding the people’s money. As a CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, I’ll be standing strong against the corrupt status quo. I hope I can count on your support as we make a break from the old politics of Illinois!
A red flag should always go up when a candidate dismisses the importance of campaign money, and that certainly applies here. Grogan is, to put it simply, a lousy fundraiser.
Grogan raised just $21K in the last quarter and had $19K in the bank. He raised just $4,800 in the first quarter, and about $5,000 all last year.
* On paper, Grogan could make an impressive state treasurer…
“(B)eing the County Auditor in DuPage, I’m a CPA and a certified fraud examiner. I have a strong record as far as financial acumen so I will be able to keep and watch over the people’s money. I have a strong record of transparency putting DuPage Counties checkbook online when others said it couldn’t be done.”
From his campaign bio…
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
• Certified Public Accountant (2002)
- Passed all four sections of CPA exam on first attempt: FARE- 95, ARE- 93, Audit- 92, Law- 92.
• Certified Fraud Examiner (2010)
CIVIC EXPERIENCE
• Commissioner, DuPage County Zoning Board of Appeals (2005-2008)
• Staff Assistant, Rep. Harris Fawell, 13th Illinois Congressional District (1996-1997)
• Secretary, Clarendon Blackhawk Mosquito Abatement District Board (2001-2006)
• Board Member, DuPage Regional Planning Commission (2003-2005)
EDUCATION
• Miami University (Ohio)
-Bachelors of Arts Degree
-Double Major: Economics and Political Science
• College of DuPage
-Advanced Accounting Certificate
-4.0/4.0 GPA
-Phi Theta Kappa
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
• Illinois CPA Society
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
• Government Finance Officers Association
• Illinois Association of County Auditors
But if you have no money, nobody is ever gonna know who the heck you are. And you gotta win in order to change things. Down-ballot statewide races are almost always about name recognition. No money, no name ID. It’s as simple as that.
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“Stand your ground” and concealed carry
Thursday, Aug 22, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Tribune has a very good story about Illinois’ century-old history of “stand your ground” court precedents. The article is also about how those precendents could prompt changes to the new concealed carry. The consensus is that nobody really knows yet what’s going to happen. Anyway, have a look…
Under Florida’s self-defense law, a person who is attacked “where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force.” That includes “deadly force” if the person “reasonably” believes it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or another, or to prevent an imminent felony crime from being committed.
Illinois’ self-defense statute is more generic, saying that a person who is attacked is justified in using deadly force “only if he reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or another, or the commission of a forcible felony.” Similar language is used to allow self-defense in protecting a home or personal property. […]
A person unlawfully assaulted while somewhere they have a right to be who is put in real or reasonably apparent danger of losing his or her life or suffering severe harm “may stand his ground and repel force with force, even to the taking of the life of his assailant,” Justice Carroll Boggs wrote. […]
Case law has defined four elements to self-defense in Illinois: that unlawful force was threatened, that the person being threatened was not the initial aggressor, that the danger of harm is imminent and that the use of force was necessary.
All four of those conditions must be met for a self-defense strategy to succeed…
In self-defense murder cases, for example, a jury can convict someone of second-degree murder, accepting that the person believed deadly force was justified but finding that the circumstances surrounding the killing showed the action was unreasonable.
Discuss.
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Good news for Fair fans
Thursday, Aug 22, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I truly enjoyed the Illinois State Fair this year. Obviously one reason was the perfect weather. But the entertainment was solid, the horse shows were fun as always, there were enough new food booths to keep me coming back for more and the fair’s fun quirkiness was ever present. So, I’m glad to see attendance was up…
Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the recently concluded Illinois State Fair reported its highest attendance in more than ten years. A total of 961,142 fairgoers passed through the gates this year, an increase of five percent – or 42,707 visitors – compared to a year ago, when attendance was 918,435. The figure is the fair’s highest attendance since 2002, when an estimated 1.2 million people visited the fair. […]
Several records were set during the 11-day run of the fair as well.
The Grandstand entertainment was the highest-grossing line-up in State Fair history with ticket sales of $2.03 million. The sales figure eclipsed the previous record of $1.57 million set just last year. Grandstand attendance totaled 53,287, the most since 2000, when 54,345 tickets were sold.
Toby Keith was the biggest draw - his concert sold 9,367 tickets, 144 more than the Styx and REO Speedwagon concert (9,223). Governor Quinn is one of Toby Keith’s biggest fans and attended his concert, where he declared “Toby Keith Day” in Illinois. […]
The increased spending at the fair boosts purchasing at local businesses, which in turn stimulates economic growth in the area. The Illinois Department of Revenue collected a record $257,584 in sales taxes from Illinois State Fair vendors. That’s seven percent more than was collected a year ago. With the sales tax rate in Sangamon County at 6.25 percent, that figure means fairgoers spent $4.1 million on corn dogs, lemon shake-ups, and assorted trinkets this year. Gate and parking revenue was $1,530,676, breaking the previous record set in 2012 of $1,513,884. North American Midway Entertainment, the fair’s carnival contractor, reported record gross receipts of $1.4 million, surpassing the $1.29 million it collected a year ago.
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Poe vs. Durkin
Thursday, Aug 22, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The battle to replace House Republican Leader Tom Cross is so far between Downstater Rep. Raymond Poe (R-Springfield) and suburbanite Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs). The two men just couldn’t be more different…
Poe said he didn’t view the campaign to replace Cross as a contest between a downstater and a suburbanite. However, Poe said his and Durkin’s differing views on how to approach pension reform “are probably the biggest thing going on.”
“I’m getting a bad rap that says I’m not for pension reform,” Poe said. “I am. I just happen to support (the union-backed plan), and [Durkin] supported the (Michael) Madigan plan. We’re both for reform, but it’s different reform and how we get there and how we take care of our constituents.” […]
Durkin said he thinks the key issue is the ability to raise money so the party can wage effective campaigns.
“The single most important position for the House leader is the ability to raise money,” Durkin said. “I just think I have an edge on him. There’s not a lot of money in the campaign coffers. I’ve got a relationship with the business community. You’ve got to be able to raise money in Chicago.”
* Keep in mind that a majority of House Republicans voted against the Madigan pension reform plan and were really upset with Cross over his pandering to Ty Fahner et al. The majority of the caucus represents Downstate districts, and there are very real tensions between the two regions. But neither man has yet sewn up enough votes to win, partially because of this guy…
[Rep. Dwight Kay, of Glen Carbon] is a short-timer at the Capitol who may have a tough re-election race, factors making difficult a run for leadership against two more senior lawmakers.
Kay has the support of at least two other ultra-conservative House Republicans (reportedly Jeanne Ives of Wheaton and Tom Morrison of Palatine).
* Durkin is right that raising money is a key issue. And the real money is most definitely in the Chicago area, where he lives. Former Senate GOP Leader Frank Watson managed to do it from his Metro East district, but it wasn’t easy at all.
It would, however, be fascinating to see a Poe leadership win. I imagine that the Chicago Tribune editorial board’s collective head would explode if Poe took over the helm. And just imagine the position it would put Bruce Rauner in. He’d be bashing his party’s own House leader for kowtowing to the unions. Priceless.
* If neither man is able to put together a winning margin, you can probably expect others to eventually jump in. Cross won a bitter race against former Rep. Art Tenhouse back in the day, but the suburbs had a lot more power and influence in those times and Cross had crossover appeal that Durkin has so far lacked. I also don’t expect Kay to drop out any time soon. He is what he is.
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* I was looking up candidate questionnaires this morning for a story I did for subscribers and stumbled across a 2012 Illinois Review questionnaire filled out by state Sen. Kirk Dillard.
Dillard is often touted as a “moderate” candidate, but check this out…
“It is a litigous nightmare!!” he wrote underneath his answer. It hasn’t really turned out to be that way, except for the lawsuit to overturn it and instate full marriage rights based on equal protection arguments.
* Dillard also said he favored repealing the state’s “Motor Voter” law. I hadn’t heard of anyone of prominence pushing that idea, so it really stuck out for me.
Dillard also revealed that he could support a so-called “right to work” law, although it “Depends on how it is drafted,” he noted.
To be sure, he said he supported the right of public employees to strike “with limits,” but the questionnaire is a very interesting read. Click here to read it for yourself, then discuss.
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