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* After meeting with foes, BP says it’s moving ahead; more here

* Sun-Times Editorial: Perfect water comes out of the taps

* Illinoize: HB 1 has been locked down for 111 days

* Editorial: Stable ACT scores can’t mask concerns

Illinois legislators already have made the smart move of toughening basic high school graduation requirements; high school administrators and counselors need to press the issue even further in their own schools.

It’s not necessary — or even desirable — that every single high school graduate go on to college. But something is wrong when so few are fully prepared for an increasingly competitive world in which highly educated U.S. students and American success must walk hand-in-hand.

* West point grad weighs running against Durbin

* Tollway has let cheats off the hook

* Count of 24 homeless was based on just 12-block area

Acting Housing Commissioner Ellen Sahli said a separate count conducted between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. on a cold night in January — in a much broader swath that includes all four community areas that take in parts of downtown — turned up 995 homeless people.

Of that number, 352 people were living on the street and in public places. The remaining 643 people were staying in shelters.

* Feds join in probe of city’s elite police

* McHenry Co. leaders to hold rally for road funds

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 8:17 am

Comments

Maybe we ought to take Emils tact and throw more money at the education concerns in this state?

Comment by Milorad Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 8:27 am
If Madigan should keep his nose out of Senate business, maybe Jones should stick his nose IN Senate business. He can start from the beginning. How about HB1?

Comment by Guy Fawkes Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 8:32 am
The more sacrificial lambs, the merrier I guess.
It’s a mystery to me what compels these political non-entities to run against Senator Durbin, whom Time designated as one of the most effective legislators in Washington. It’s a strange way to rebuild the Republican Party, Senator Cronin.

Comment by Captain America Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 8:33 am
Hmmm. Let’s review:
SPRINGFIELD — Members claiming to be from a Chicago job training group that’s received hundreds of thousands of dollars in state contracts courtesy of Gov. Rod Blagojevich showed …to boo the governor’s chief political rival — House Speaker Michael Madigan.

“…The group immediately left the rally and headed to buses bearing signs for United Services of Chicago…. but said they were with United Services and that Blagojevich paid for the bus trip….A Blagojevich campaign aide denied any involvement.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich denied he had anything to do with the jeering directed at House Speaker Michael Madigan on Wednesday at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. (Associated Press)

United Services of Chicago was awarded a nearly $775,000 contract this year from Blagojevich’s economic development agency. And last year, state auditors red flagged nearly $30,000 in state payments to United Services by the state’s transportation department. The department was missing files and could not explain why United Services got a potentially $900,000 job training contract over others.

United Services is led by Eddie Read, a key supporter of former Cook County Board President John Stroger and chairman of the Black Independent Political Organization.

BlunderBoyBlaggo stuffs 775K into Eddie. He say jump and Eddie says right away master
Methinks using federal training dough for these stunts means yet another trip to Dearborn Street for the whole Blaggo Posse. But then they have been there a lot lately anyway. You remember the route. Stop by Stu’s, Visit Ali, Say hey to Donny….on and on.

Comment by Mr. W.T. Rush Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 8:41 am
Now I guess we know why Mayor Daley is seeking an outsider for Police Commisioner,just like his father did after the Summerdale scandal. The political paralells between the orginal Mayor Daley and the son are striking and remarkable. Just read American Pharaoh if you don’t believe me.

Comment by Captain America Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 8:43 am
There’s an amazing AP photo of Rod and Madigan shaking hands on the Sun-Times website. Go see it if you haven’t, you’ll be glad you did :

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/512613,CST-NWS-leg16.article

Comment by ZC Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 8:52 am
As we’ve seen with attempts to reform the Cook County Juvenile Authority, still ongoing over years despite convincing accounts of maltreatment of the children housed there including physical abuse and filthy living conditions, it is very very difficult to get public bureaucracies dominated by Machine Democrats to change their ways. Politics dominate all decisions and trump kids, quality of service, everything. The ACLU has been prodding the Juvenile Facility for years, and the Democratic pols who run the place have fought them every step of the way.

So the failure to investigate abuse of citizens
and other transgressions by the Chicago Police Department should not be surprising. The Daley administration has dragged its feet for years on police malfeasance and corruption and is likely to continue to do so.

On the state level, we have DHS and DCFS, both of which need a major overhaul. Both are big Democratic pork farms, though, and, like the Juvenile Authority and the CPD, unlikely to change.

Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 8:52 am
If you think the legislature is anxious to pass HB1 just remember…these are the folks that voted themselves a nice raise but ignored Merit Comp Employees who don’t get an annual raise like the unions, and who haven’t see a raise in five years. These are the same legislators who get their significant campaign contributions from large special interests that’s targeted by HB1. And, remember, it is special interest groups who control the legislature, not mom and pop. It’s all about money and the legislators are not about to give that up. As long as there is voter apathy there will be politics as usual.

Comment by Justice Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 9:02 am
ZC- The photo is great. What a class act Madigan is. And what’s Patti mad about ?

Comment by Lula May Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 9:24 am
Cassandra,

On the positive side, County leaders have hired a nationally recognized juvenile facility turnaround expert and apparently given him the authority to clean things up. It’s long overdue, but significant progress will be achieved finally.

I hold John Stroger responsible for failing to correct the problems at the juvenile facility. Mayor Daley would never have tolerated the chronic mismanagement and anarchy at the juvenile facility. So there are significant differences between “machine” politicans. Mayor Daley, despite his many flaws, is a competent political/administrative CEO, and John Stroger was not. No direspect to John Stroger is intended, but that is the reality.

For the time being we are stuck with the worst of both worlds, Todd Stroger, who is politically and administratively incompetent. We can blame Mayor Daley and the other Democratic power brokers for installing an inept and unqualified puppet to run Cook County government.

Comment by Captain America Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 9:28 am
ZC — Wow, that’s some photograph of Madigan and Blagojevich.

The body language of all parties involved pretty much sums up the past six months.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/512613,CST-NWS-leg16.article

Comment by Macbeth Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 9:37 am
CA
“whom Time designated as one of the most effective legislators in Washington”

How many times do u have to use this same quote? Of course Time loves him…HE’S A SECULAR PROGRESSIVE. Time rag has admitted its alliance with the Democrats, especially the SP arm of the party, so why is it shocking that they give such kudos to tricky dicky?

I think the GOP needs a handful of good candidates to bring conservative ideas to the table that will resonate and finally get some good discussion out there. Dicky isn’t a great sen, he’s a great politician. Big difference.

Comment by Capitalist Pig Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 9:39 am
I would like to comment on what Dan Hynes said yesterday:

“I want to apologize to you because you deserve better from the people you worked to put into office. We let you down, and there is no excuse for that,” he said. “It’s certainly supposed to be a day of celebration, but frankly I don’t feel there’s been a lot to celebrate.”

Mr. Hynes is correct, of cource. Perhaps Dan would like to see future elections won by Democrats, perhaps even by himself. What he is said yesterday is what all Democrats need to start saying from now until election day 2008.

Illinois Democrats owe Illinois voters sincere apologies for their nomination and election of Rod Blagojevich. They owe us all apologies for renominating and re-electing Rod Blagojevich. Their actions have created fiscal disaster, national embarrassment, and has set Illinois back years.

Dan Hynes knows this, as do Lisa Madigan and Alexi Giannoulais. Each of them hope for future elective offices. How they explain the gubernatorial farce we are suffering under will help determine the future of this discredited political party.

Illinois voters have real reasons to be angry, cynical and disgusted at their elected officials. It was with a great deal of hope that they sent Rod Blagojevich to Springfield as governor. No one could have guessed that Illinois under Blagojevich would suffer even more than it did under George Ryan.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 9:49 am
Vannilla Man

I am a democrat and will apologize for electing Blago as gov. However , I am sure there are republicans who should also apologize for putting up such a weak canidate (Topinka).

Comment by MOON Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 9:58 am
I am interested to know about the raises. Do you know if they are retroactive and how many years do they go back. That is quite a windfall. It reminds me a little of Enron. I am so frustrated that more of the raise issue is not discussed in the papers. I think that would really interest every person who works in any place in Illinois. I do not know how to go about it but I would love to see those figures.

Comment by Rudy Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:03 am
VM, Its called a Power Struggle, this has nothing to do with what party your in. See this article.
http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/9756.html

Comment by Marbley Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:41 am
What Illinois Tollway official Brian McPartlin is really trying to say, is that they need more money to pay for all the high-priced Blagojevich hacks which were given plum jobs at the expense of others.

Comment by Cover yours tracks Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 11:09 am
House Bill 0001 would decimate the employee populations at I.D.O.T. and the Illinois Tollway. There so many unqualified hacks roaming the halls, not showing up for work or sleeping at their desks it’s truly boggles the mind.

Comment by Play to get Paid Politics Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 11:32 am
When one capitalizes, “Power Struggle”, one starts forming conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories are for people who do not understand the facts. When facts upturn a person’s beliefs, people start forming conspiracies instead of simply allowing the facts to change their beliefs. Bottom line: many people don’t like finding out they are wrong about things.

One of our consititutional strengths is our federalism. We have checks and balances between the legislative, executive and judicial branches. When one of the branches goes out on a limb and starts fishing expeditions for any facts that could be used as political fodder, the other has constitutional priveledges to keep our ship of state from sinking.

It goes both ways. Executive priviledge is a 50 year old recognized constitutional right that prevents a politically driven legislature from driving a democratically elected president from office. As to it’s current application by the current administration, that is for the judiciary to decide. There is precident on the side of the executive branch. There is no evil cabal.

Political meddling by the legislative branch is benign. While it creates accountability between the branches, it needs to be balanced.

The executive branch’s officers that require approval by the legislative branch may be considered obligated to appear before the legislature. But those executive officers not approved by the legislature are not so obligated. Demanding an officer like Rove or Myers to appear before the legislature isn’t normal. These officers serve the executive branch, not the legislative branch. There are laws, regardless of what one thinks about either Rove, Myers, or Bush.

What we are seeing currently, and you are calling a “Power Stuggle”, is politics played for an election year. Thankfully, we have a great deal of precedent and a constitutional design to resolve the current kerfuffle without seeing one branch of the federal government taking over the other.

As a rule of thumb, whenever you find yourself developing conspiracy theories, you need to recognize that you are not allowing for an open mind. Facts can tear you a new one, but not if you let them in first. Politics be damned.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 11:34 am
Yeah sure I think a lot of what I’ve read is bull, and a lot of the whole conspiracy thing is a fad with some people just wanting to sound smart to who ever may still be listening. But you got to admit theres some pretty tripped out stuff surrounding the Masons.
Think about it, a secret society. Try telling a secret to just one person and see how long it remains a secret. These people have kept a secret among many people for along time.
Most of the major world leaders have been Masons as well as most of the financial elite.
They have also played a roll in most of our wars and theres reasone to believe they are even the ones who start and stop wars as well as control the economy.

Comment by Marbley Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 11:54 am
Captain–

Fair enough, but is Dunlap really going to have the power to hire and fire. I think we have to wait and see. Cook County Juvie has been “reformed” before.
And if he has anything less than total independence (which is totally inconsistent with the current politicized hiring system in Cook County govt) he’s going to go the way of all the other reformers–out the door.

Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 12:05 pm
Capitalist Pig

I do plead guilty to redundancy - probably because I enjoy irritating “Durbin-haters”. Time seems like a staid, middle-of-the-road, establishment publication to me.

What is the oppoosite of a secular progressive -religious conservative? From your moniker, I would assume you are a conservative mammonist who believes in Adam Smith’s mythical free market as the solution to all our problems.

Nothing wrong wqith making money - it’s as American as apple pie - wish I had the talent to do so. It’s too bad that some religious conservatives don’t really believe in the social gospel or in separation of church and state for that matter.

Best wishes - have a profitable day!

Comment by Captain America Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 12:23 pm
Cassandra,

We can only hope for the best and bide our time until the next election.

Comment by Captain America Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 12:30 pm
I have to laugh at the McHenry County Road rally. We would be better off organizing to dump the ineffective Jack Franks. Without him, the county might see money for many much needed improvements.

Right now, as the county’s only rep (in the majority party) Franks is there in name only as he looks for opporunities to get press (supporting Clinton and criticizing the Gov. He is merely biding his time until and another seat becomes available.

The people of McHenry County are getting nothing for their money. It is too bad. He’s worthless and it should be noted that he spent little time in Springfield this summer. Isn’t this the same guy who did not vote for the temp budget as be thought we all should remain in Springfield to work on a fianl product. Apparently, it didn’t apply to him.

Comment by really now Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 1:29 pm