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Morning shorts

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Illinois

* Hospitals cry poor over charity care

* Governor fires up attack on emissions

* League of Women Voters pushing constitutional amendment

* Museum’s Grant Park plan hits new hurdle - “Friends of the Parks does not support the Children’s Museum as currently proposed for Grant Park”

* Cubs offer to aldermen could be ticket to trouble

* Fines add up for Illinois tollway cheats

* 65 mph truck limit may stand; more here

* Local GOP leaders line up for their candidates

* Business leaders line up for GOP candidates

* Field to replace Hastert in IL-14th expands to 7; more here

* Peoria Story: Versace at Democrats picnic

* Prepare for clout drought with departures in Congress

Organized lobbying efforts that bring together elected officials and business leaders - such as the “One Voice” project coordinated by the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal area - will take on added importance when the seniority of those congressmen is lost.

Johnson, LaHood and Weller have done a fairly good job of funneling money to this area for its roads, universities, airport and projects such as the planned transportation center in uptown Normal.

But even with its clout, Illinois generally has sent more money to Washington, D.C., than it has received.

* John Hilkevitch: State to hold talks on expanding roadway to O’Hare

* Gangs posing threat at Joliet schools?

* Pot harvest time

posted by Paul Richardson
Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 8:43 am

Comments

Like to add a Morning Short for people’s comment. It looks at the situation that Maryland and its governor find themselves in as they look towards filling a $1.5 Billion budget shortfall. (The Governor calls it $2 Billion.)

Read it, the underlying WSJ article and th supporting Maryland Public Policy Institute article.

http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=15079

Comment by Truthful James Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 8:51 am
Someone from Capitol Fax should also look at the situation in Michigan. If people think we got it bad here in the Prairie State it’s a lot worse in Michigan.

Comment by Levois Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 9:12 am
So we have an extension on the war on medical care, by the politicians who don’t actually do any useful work. All they seem to do is to criticize people and industries who actually provide a value added service or produce a product..

Similar to the problem in Urbana - Provena Covenant Medical Center, our Attorney General (who has been on the decent side is issues more often than not) has decided that hospitals are not generous enough with their resources. Judge Londrigan has stated in his opinion that “establishes by clear and convincing proof” that Provena has “satisfied the relevant factors used to determine qualification for charitable- and religious-exempt use of the real estate in this proceeding.” So far nor refund. Event if PCMC is sucessful, who will reimburse their legal cost for the years of litigation?

Furthermore apparently at issue is what constitutes charity care. I have read that care that was not paid for, but is rendered should not be considered to be charity care….. So where do we draw the line?

What is the motive in this? Two things come to mind. One is $$. With stalled assessed values there is great pressure to increase governmental revenues, by cutting property tax exemptions. Talk of running for governor can make it look like another ‘Robin Hood’ thing, taking from the rich and giving to the poor., then taking credit for a new benefit to the poor.

Rather than use the legal system and deide this issue by fiat, why don’t we give this job to the legislatoers (not that I have a lot of confidence there, but it is their job) to determine what the threshold of charity is for those seeking property tax exemptions. Discuss it in the light of day, vote on it and move on.

It does not make any sense to have a politician lean back in their taxpayer funded chair and say….that’s not enough charity, keep on adding to the kitty and I will tell you when it is enough.

Ultimately it is you and I with our payments for medical services and payments to our insurance companies who pay a continuously steeper cost for medical care. If hospitals are all to be charged a property tax, then the costs will simply be passed on to the medical consumer. If you were to seee what portion of a medical bill’s overhead gos to unreimbursed costs your hair would either turn white, or fall out.

Comment by plutocrat03 Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 9:26 am
Some enterprising reporter should ask the Illinois Tollway about how the Illinois Tollway sells your personal information to brokers if your an I-Pass user.
Wonder how much they’ve made on the venture?

Comment by Ka Ching! Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 9:41 am
Andrew Scott owes the Illinois Tollway $48,816.90. Just goes to show you how effective they are at collecting delinquent tolls. But the Illinois Tollway acquires bogus accounting awards for watching the Illinois Tollway patrons money.
It should of never gone this far.

Comment by Quicksilver Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 9:53 am
Met Versace at the Tazewell Co. D’s stak fry, not as dreamy as Aaron, but better on the war….looks like this district is headed to Dville in ‘08.

Comment by Reddbyrd Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 11:35 am