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* Rockford may win chance at casino

* Michael Sneed: Blagojevich & Rutherford

* Taxpayers footing the bill for elected officials health benefits

* Laptop stolen at Blagojevich campaign office

Chicago police Sgt. Ed Wodnicki said police have no evidence that the burglary was anything more than a typical property crime and that campaign officials said there was nothing of value on the lost computer.

* Attorneys argue for Gov. Ryan to keep pension after conviction; more here

Ray Mitchell, one of Ryan’s attorneys, said Wednesday that unless the court steps in, “his family, his wife … will be left with nothing,” the Chicago Tribune reported its Web site.

* Editorial: 3rd airport could alleviate aviation uncertainty

* Sun-Times Editorial: CTA doing its part, legislature must, too

* CTA to detail ride cuts, fair hikes today; more here

* Lawmakers OK teacher’s searches of lockers

* Study to look at state prison facilities

* Opinion: Trial lawyers trying to pull as fast one with SB1296

* State to tighten teen driving curfews and lengthen permit time

* Teen driving restrictions on the move

* Lawmakers toughen teen driver laws

* With one voice, House OKs teen driving bill

* Detailing the tougher teen driving rules

* Tougher teen driving standards heading to governor

* Editorial: Follow the law — and common sense — on the road

* Lawmakers across the nation want to pump kids up

Illinois, which requires daily P.E. from kindergarten through senior year, is often cited as a state with strong P.E. requirements. But the state allows more than 330 types of waivers, according to Paula Kun of NASPE, including for students taking vocational or technical courses and those taking classes needed to graduate or enroll in college. Just last year the state added waivers for students who need tutoring.

* Judge rules in favor of abortion protesters in lawsuit over signs

* Stroger takes heat for legal adviser

* Paid to defend poor, but doing Stroger’s bidding

* Two key city departments to reunite

* Alderman calls for cab hike hearings

* Aldermen want “green” taxis and city vehicles
and city vehicles

posted by Paul Richardson
Thursday, May 24, 07 @ 8:52 am

Comments

Hmm, with the recent news of the Feds investigatign Blago the campaigner, I bet there are no unfamiliar fingerprints surrounding the “theft” of the laptop. Run the mysterious hair gel through the centerfuge.

Comment by Wumpus Thursday, May 24, 07 @ 9:30 am
Teacher’s searching lockers and/or students? I can’t think of dumber legislation. It shows a complete lack of knowledge of how schools operate and the role of faculty and administrators.

Comment by Gene Parmesan Thursday, May 24, 07 @ 12:18 pm
The Illinois Tollway has recently had missing/stolen computer equipment too.

Comment by Stand up Thursday, May 24, 07 @ 12:26 pm
Ron and Carole of the CTA, having fired (maybe) a maximum of 18 people in their quest to save the CTA budget, are now bringing the legislature a set of promises in exchange for which they want the legislature to shell out a gadzillion taxpayer dollars. Never mind that most of their proposals require union agreements that are unlikely to happen. Never mind that our state legislators are foxes in the state pension henhouse and therefore terrified at the prospect of reforms in any nearby government pension system…the legislators and the taxpayers are supposed to just pay up on the promises. Then when the union talks fail and the CTA keeps its lush pension and health benefit system as is, Ron and Carole will have their (our) bailout money well in hand and won’t much care.

It is well known in Chicago that the CTA is a huge bureaucratic feather bed with hundreds upon hundreds of non-direct-service employees with political connections and very little actual work to do. Ron and Carole apparently didn’t feel up to tackling that problem, so they have resorted to scaremongering and to plans that they surely know won’t go anywhere. Given the dominance of Chicago Democratic pols in the current state Legislature, maybe they’ll get away with it…or rather, get away with our $$$$.

Comment by Cassandra Thursday, May 24, 07 @ 12:29 pm
From the Tribune article:

“Tenants of the building said Wednesday that it appeared as if the campaign headquarters were specifically targeted because no other offices were burglarized. Tenants said the burglar or burglars had to penetrate an outside door with a security-code lock, climb several flights of stairs, open a large iron door leading to the office hallway, and pass several other offices to find Friends of Blagojevich.”

That’s pretty bad. I’m no conspiracy theorist, but I immediately the word “cover-up” came to mind.

Comment by Tubbfan Thursday, May 24, 07 @ 3:44 pm
Hmmmmm, wonder what insignificant stuff was on that laptop? Sounds fishy to me. A song comes to mind, “The heat is on!”

Comment by concerned voter Thursday, May 24, 07 @ 5:15 pm