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* Keep it Illinois-centric and please be polite to each other. Thanks.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 9:38 am

Comments

The announcement by the Big Ten conference yesterday that their teams will only play conference games this fall (if that, to be practical about the chances of fall sports even happening) makes me happy that I allowed our season tickets to be deferred until next year (we did not ask for a refund- we let them keep the money we paid in February to renew them because they surely need it more than us right now) . Two of the three would have been home games ,and would likely had been enjoyable wins. Now the school will likely need to give refunds to ticket holders for those games.

I know sports are inconsequential in the big picture, but it is an Illinois-centric story…

Comment by Roadiepig Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 9:46 am
It’s a beautiful morning in central Illinois. Take a step back and soak it in, folks.

Comment by Birds on the Bat Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 9:46 am
There’s a very important read in today’s NYT that could have been written about Lakeshore liberals (myself included) in Chicago https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/opinion/minneapolis-hodges-racism.html?referringSource=articleShare

Comment by Must Read Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 9:48 am
=== The announcement by the Big Ten conference yesterday that their teams will only play conference games this fall===

Not great news for Rutgers.

To that,

The B1G game at Wrigley is already canceled, so that’s an extra home game, but bad news for Lake View

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 9:52 am
It’s lovely and cool this morning on the south side of Chicago, after rain last night and early this morning. I’ve turned the fans off and opened the windows.

Comment by JoanP Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 9:55 am
Last week, POLITICO Illinois Playbook ran a story about a new IE PAC created late last month and receiving $1.2M on July 1 from Lyft. The new Illinois committee is based in Marin County, CA and appears to be prepping for a fight over an Illinois version of CA’s Assembly Bill 5, and the U.S. House passed PRO Act. Currently, NJ is debating similar legislation. If I missed a write up from Rich on this topic, please share link.

New committee is called “Illinoisans for Independent Work”

Comment by John Lopez Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 9:55 am
According to the NYT, Sangamon County is now considered a outbreak hotspot for C-19.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 9:56 am
Will the Speaker include George Washington’s portrait in the discussion of removing former slave owners in the Capitol Complex?

Comment by May Soon Be Required Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 10:01 am
@OW

The fact that the Scarlet Knights retain any athletic teams is not great news for Rutgers.

Comment by Just Another Anon Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 10:05 am
===George Washington===

The Founding Fathers who fought and won independence from Britain did not decide a “new” country needed to be created by being traitors to the union that created the United States.

This tired tactic used by those wanting save racist monuments, the only possible, agreeable removals should easily be the confederate statues, heroes of the traitors, racist, and celebrating losers who wanted a country of oppression.

But, please, ignore the reality of what this discussion should be about.

If the Speaker suggests, and Secretary White also agrees that statues like Douglas should be swapped out for Lincoln or Obama, or Reagan, that’s a worthy discussion for this state.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 10:10 am
Madigan wants to remove the portrait of Stephen Douglas because he was a slave owner. What’s next? Weren’t/t several of our founding father’s slave owners?

Comment by Madigan's slippery slop Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 10:18 am
==Not great news for Rutgers.==

Believe it or not, until around my freshman year of college in the mid-1990s, I had always assumed that Rutgers was in the Ivy League. I was shocked when I learned that at the time, they were in the Big East.

Then again, Rutgers football would probably also struggle in the Ivy League, let alone the Big Ten.

Comment by Chatham Resident Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 10:19 am
Anyone ever notice the size and placement of the MLK statute? It dwarfs in comparison to all the other statutes, which are on the capital grounds, unlike MLK who is the lone outcast across the street.

Comment by MLK statute Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 10:20 am
=== The fact that the Scarlet Knights retain any athletic teams is not great news for Rutgers.===

I dunno what that means.

=== Rutgers was in the…===

Yeah, that Big East thing for them, and New Jersey’s flagship is confusing to athletes.

When B1G wanted the NYC market, (along with the DC market with Maryland) the NJ Flagship made sense (I guess?) but the prowess of the major sports is lacking there. It doesn’t have an identity outside the tri-state area in athletics.

To bring it back, will Illinois have a better record that Northwestern with the conference only schedule this year?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 10:24 am
=== What’s next?===

Your straw man?

The discussions to historic context is needed, the monuments to racist, traitors, confederates of that civil war era should be easily seen as a needed change.

To Douglas, he was not a confederate, a traitor, and if a discussion to him and his era (Kansas-Nebraska Act) is needed and his swapping out, then the Speaker, Secretary White, and others should work towards that end.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 10:29 am
I have always felt the northeast corner of Capitol and 2nd (near the State Library) was not a good location to have placed the MLK statue. I agree with those who prefer to have it more prominantly placed on the Capitol lawn.

While on the subject of statues, but slightly off topic: Anyone know more in the last two weeks about where the giant Lincoln and Sweater Guy statues will be going after they leave the ALPLM in September? After the city’s failed attempt to acquire the statues. For background, see Rich’s post from June 25:

https://capitolfax.com/2020/06/25/abraham-lincoln-presidential-library-and-museum-will-reopen-next-week-with-new-exhibit/

Like I said two weeks ago, I still think those two statues, if they have to leave the ALPLM, should be moved to the City of Springfield’s Lincoln Library (the public library). Replacing that monstrosity in front of the south entrance, Abbott Pattison’s “Abstract Lincoln.”

This Illinois Times article from 2009 includes a picture of that so-called “work of art”:

https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/lincoln-in-bronze/Content?oid=11435889

Lincoln and Sweater Guy can be a very nice and appropriate segue way between the public Lincoln Library, and the Lincoln Home NHS across the street on Capitol.

Comment by Chatham Resident Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 10:31 am
How about promoting Illinois’ positive history? Maybe we can shine a spotlight onto Illinoisans’ involvement with the Underground Railroad?

https://www.enjoyillinois.com/travel-illinois/illinois-underground-railroad/

Comment by Ron Jon Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 10:33 am
Yesterday at the Kroger store here in Streator, a clerk told my relative that starting Monday, that store will not give change to customers. Customers must pay the exact amount.

Anyone hear that in other cities?

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 11:06 am
Haven’t heard that @Streator but I’ve been to some places that won’t accept cash. Cards only.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 11:42 am
==Weren’t several of our founding father’s slave owners?==

Whataboutism at its finest. Find me the statue of an Nazi general displayed openly in Germany and we can talk about your Confederates.

Comment by Jocko Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 11:45 am
@Oswego Willy:

Outside of Eureka College, Dixon and Tampico, Reagan is unjustly ignored throughout much of Illinois. Springfield ought to find a way to honor the only Illinois native elected to the Presidency.

Comment by Practical Politics Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 11:48 am
== It’s a beautiful morning in central Illinois. Take a step back and soak it in, folks. ==

For a change, I’m sitting in the shade in my front yard reading fiction, checking FB and CapFax, and watching other people work on the house. It is a nice change from doing the work myself, which I will be back at next week.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 11:49 am
== How about promoting Illinois’ positive history? ==

Or just Illinois in general. There are a ton of writers from here.

On a somewhat related subject, it was nice to see some money allocated to local RT-66 tourism along N Peoria Road … even if a lot of it will get wasted in planning rather than doing.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 11:52 am
== I’ve been to some places that won’t accept cash. Cards only. ==

I encountered card only last week at Obed & Isaac’s in Peoria. Which was surprising because the Springfield one had no problem with cash. I’ve seen lots of places that prefer a card, but will take the cash.

As to change, I’ve been telling most places I use cash to just keep the change if I didn’t have exact. If I busted into Mrs RNUG’s piggy bank, I would have plenty of change … she hasn’t cashed it in for months.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 11:58 am
can someone out there copy and share a link concerning Gilead and its covid drug remdesiver. A bit of good news finally.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 12:30 pm
==that store will not give change to customers. Customers must pay the exact amount.==

My Chase bank in Arlington Heights says they are out of coin.

Comment by Old Illini Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 1:04 pm
@ Streator Curmudgeon, RNUG, Old Illini

There’s a nationwide coin shortage. No kidding.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/business/economy/coin-shortage-coronavirus.html

Comment by CEA Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 1:21 pm
CEA –

That was a very informative article. Thanks for sharing. I had not heard that before.

I emailed Kroger to ask them what was going on. We’ll see if their answer is the same.

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Friday, Jul 10, 20 @ 1:52 pm