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* President’s mortgage plan leaving families in the cold

* Press Release: AG Madigan responds to what the federal interest rate freeze means to Illinois homeowners

The President’s plan would exclude homeowners who have fallen behind in their monthly payments – estimated to be about 22 percent of all subprime borrowers – and homeowners whose loans’ low introductory teaser rates are scheduled to reset to higher rates before Jan.1, 2008.

“The President’s plan seems to be premised on the faulty belief that America’s homeowners are primarily to blame for this epic crisis,” said Madigan. “In reality, our investigations have revealed that subprime lenders widely engaged in reckless lending practices that pushed borrowers into unaffordable loans. By excluding homeowners who have fallen behind on their payments, the resident’s plan gives the subprime mortgage industry a free pass for engaging in irresponsible conduct, leading to this crisis.”

* ACLU jumps into suit over moment of silence law for schools

“The law is unconstitutional,” ACLU Legal Director Harvey Grossman said after receiving permission from U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman to become a so-called friend of the court in the lawsuit.

Grossman said the ACLU would file “an exhaustive brief” with Gettleman providing the reasons why the law violates the Constitution.

* Few illegal aliens use state break on tuition

A survey of several public universities found fewer than 300 students are taking advantage of the benefit this year, which is less than the more than 2,200 students who had been projected to qualify…

Illinois is among 10 states that have laws on the books allowing for cheaper, in-state tuition rates for students who are the children of undocumented immigrants.

In signing the measure into law in 2003, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said giving undocumented students equal footing in the education process will help more young people go on to “achieve their full potential.”

* Teenage birthrate rising in Illinois

It appears Illinois is following a national trend when it comes to teens having babies. In what has been described as a “troubling reversal,” the nation’s teen birthrate rose 3 percent between 2005 and 2006. Preliminary figures from the Centers for Disease Control show the percentage of Illinois teens giving birth rose to 10 percent last year, up from 9.7 percent in 2005.

Both figures are a switch from recent years, in which the percentage has been steadily dropping.

* State gets U.S . funds for scenic roads

* Mysterious candidate survives challenge to replace Hastert, will stay on ballot

The board offered no discussion before voting 6-0 to follow a hearing officer’s recommendation to strike the objections filed by two men in November.

Neither Dilger nor objectors Jon Zahm and Jeff Davis appeared during the brief hearing at the Thompson Center. Dilger did not respond to e-mails seeking comment on Thursday.

“There’s not much to say about it. I wasn’t going to take another trip to Chicago for it,” said Zahm, a Maple Park-based political consultant.

Davis, a paid consultant with Aurora dairy owner Jim Oberweis’ campaign, could not be reached for comment.

* Public Affairs blog: Oberweis has lively presser

* Chicago Public Radio: Local presidential candidate fails to get on IL ballot

* Press Release: Sauerberg says Durbin wants taxpayers to pay for his political campaigns

* Jackson Jr. gets OK to fund wife’s committeeman campaign

* County gambling sting hits 11 bars; more here

* Daley wants police screen tests for drugs and alcohol

* Friday Beer Blogging: First snow edition

posted by Paul Richardson
Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 8:57 am

Comments

I would certainly agree that the ACLU has been dragging its feet on the moment of silence or prayer or whatever. Fearful of appearing politically incorrect? They are all liberals over there, in the end.

We should be grateful to Mr. Sherman for carrying the water on this for so long.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 9:11 am
First of all, it is disgusting that taxpayers have to subsidize college educations for the children of illegals. The law states that if identified as illegals, these individuals are to be deported. Which brings their numbers into question, as illegals and their children can hardly be expected to answer any such survey honestly. Therefore, considering the hugely underestimated number of illegal aliens in Illinois, their numbers are obviously way off.

Even if they were accurate, that’s still 300 too many. Unless we put a roadblock on the gravy train, illegal immigration will never stop. Face it, folks, there aren’t too many jobs out there these days, and the argument that illegals do jobs Americans won’t is only valid when applied to migratory agricultural work. I personally know many illegals legalized after Reagan’s amnesty who are now enjoying fat pensions after working at $50,000 a year or more jobs that I guess many Americans just didn’t want.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 9:21 am
Snidely, your argument drips with hatred and makes no sense.

If they were legalized after Reagan’s amnesty, then they were allowed to work anywhere they wanted, including jobs with pensions.

This topic always brings out the worst in some people, which is why I try to bury it in MS. If y’all could be more responsible, we could have a decent discussion about it. Instead, it’s all about the breathlsss Dobbsian hype and the hate.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 9:28 am
Per Snidely: “argument that illegals do jobs Americans won’t is only valid when applied to migratory agricultural work.”

That’s not really true.

You may want to do some research as to what happened when INS was called in, at the request of locals, to raid midwest meatpacking plants.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 9:28 am
Snidely, it’s disgusting to me that the children of illegals get sold down the river. They’re here, and not by their own choice. To all intents and purposes they’re FROM here.

When anti-immigration conservatives talk about serious means of controlling immigration, like actually enforcing I-9 paperwork, rather than unworkable and destructive gimmicks like border fences, maybe this country can have a real debate. But most leading politicians that demagogue illegal immigration have completely failed to cut off the gravy train where it counts — that pesky paperwork again — because they unctuously say they don’t want to be a “burden” on business. Well, business, with its underhand hiring practices, is the biggest contributor to illegal immigration.

Comment by Angry Chicagoan Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 9:38 am
“County gambling sting hits 11 bars”

“The sheriff’s office was first alerted to the illegal activity by local police and residents, including a woman whose relative nearly lost $60,000 on the machines in less than a year, Cunningham said.”

What if that same resident lost $60,000 in one year at a state sanction casino?

Comment by Johnny USA Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 9:47 am
Rich,

It’s not dripping with hatred. I like people of all nationalities; I dislike people who break our laws by sneaking in here and picking our pockets. My point on the pensions is that they had the jobs BEFORE the amnesty. They amnesty allowed them to use a valid social security number and actually collect on the pension.

Why is it if you’re against illegal immigration, you’re deemed a “hater?” I don’t care if an illegal immigrant is from Mexico, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Poland or Outer Mongolia, for God’s sake … he or she is here illegally and competing for the scant few financial resources left to the lower middle and poorer classes in this country, and they should be deported. That’s the law … why is that equated with hate?

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 9:59 am
Snidely,
Your ignorance is shocking, even by your standards.
Here is The Truth: Many of those who received amnesty were actually paying taxes before amnesty. Their employers deducted the amounts and many even paid income tax. Obviously they paid sales tax. They bought homes. They helped support our local economy. This idea of the illegal immigrants not paying is pure fantasy.
Moreover, as Rich pointed out, those who got amnesty are legally allowed to work here. I know more than a few who received their green cards at that time, and I have had the ultimate honor of being present while at least one of those people took the oath of citizenship. The people came here looking for a better life. It is too bad that people like you want to make them scapegoats for your own failure to compete with them.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:05 am
One last note on this:
I am sick of hearing this described as a “Mexican” issue.
It isn’t. Illegal immigrants come in all colors. Sure many of them are Mexican, but there are also many Polish, Greek, or other Eastern Europe immigrants that lack proper documents. Despite that, any time certain people hear the Spanish language or see an Hispanic surname, they just assume the person is illegal. They have no such assumption when they see a Polish or Greek name.
Which leads to the conclusion that a lot of people who are so angry about “illegals” just don’t like Mexicans. It is veiled racism and nothing more.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:08 am
The reason is a complete ignorance of our history.

Immigration laws are so much stricter now than when the big waves of immigrants hit our shores in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Back in those days, you got off the boat and you were a citizen and registered to vote. Yet, the debate was mostly the same, except there were roars from no-knowthings about how “there oughtta be a law” to stop the Irish, or the Italians or whatever from coming here.

It took me just a few days shy of a year after I was married before my wife (an Iraqi) was allowed to enter the US. Think about that. It was a completely legit marriage, I’m a (mostly) legit guy with top-notch lawyers and it still took a year.

That experience and my awareness of my country’s history gave me an understanding of why people choose to “break the law” to get here instead of going thru the endless, complicated and expensive legal process.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:10 am
I’m not in competition with them, Skeeter, but you’re proving my point … if there were excess jobs and financial resources, they wouldn’t be “competing.” We don’t have enough here to go around for our own people. I’m actually concerned about our “native” (not in the Native American sense) lower classes and how there lot is worsened by illegal immigration. They have fewer jobs available to them, and often what is available now pays less because it becomes an employer’s market.

Yes, it’s true they paid taxes. But it’s also true that, if they didn’t, an American would have that job and pay those taxes … be able to buy those homes …

I’m doing quite well, thank you, but I guess I should just be selfish and not care about my fellow Americans who are not as well off. Let them eat cake, you say?

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:16 am
There were lots of workers back then, too. What immigrants were needed for in many, many cases was to drive down wages and bust up unions. It’s really not that much different today.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:24 am
Wages, by the way, eventually went back up.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:24 am
Well, I’m not going to “tit-for-tat”, since I know this is an argument that those on either side rarely admit defeat on. But, you do note at least that you’ve admitted that immigrants drive down wages … and that’s a large part of my point.

Again, the law is the law, and I have no problem at all with legal immigrants. If we let them in and they can come here and do better than where they are, I don’t blame them … they’d be foolish not to come here.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:28 am
Ooops, just saw the “wages went back up” comment. Nice save, Rich!

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:29 am
Geeze, labor supply and demand would have to be completely inelastic for this “excess” and zero-sum job argument to make sense.

Comment by Greg Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:34 am
Do these kids have to get in line for citizenship in order to get the tuition grant. It may be a long line, but it would seem to be a fair trade.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:35 am
Okay, I quit this argument. Skeeter, nice of you to leave out the “FOR MONEY” portion of the sentence. My God, you’ll stoop at nothing to try and win an argument, won’t you? So, I guess I’ll crawl into the hole once you vacate it.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:35 am
What the flood of illegals does is take jobs away from the lowest classes seeking a way out of the welfare morass and taking advantage of the interclass mobility which is an essential element of our republic.

In addition, it enables employers to hire people at less than the otherwise market clearing wage, saving them money, avoiding the taxes which the Illinois Department of Employment Security collects from legitimate businesses as well as the social security contributions, medicare contributions which come out of its side of the bargain and the the withholding taxes (which I despise) which seem to be essential to the operation of governments.

It abets the Gray Market where wages are paid in cash or for barter, underreporting our GDP. To pay these wages employers find it handy to not declare sales taxes and under report sales.

It is still an open quwstion as to whether the full cost of social services are being paid by either the illegal aliens or their empoyers.

But by keeping our own people in the welfare system we incur even greater costs.

Yes we may pay less for a head of lettuce or other vegetable and fruit products, because the full market clearing price of employment is being avoided by the corporate growers (and the lesser ones.) I submit that any savings we might have is offset in the agrregate by higher social service costs not only of the illegal aliens but of supporting our own embedded welfare class.

Comment by Truthful James Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 10:40 am
the nation’s teen birthrate rose 3 percent between 2005 and 2006.

But of course, that’s ONLY if you include an uptick in births for 18~19 year olds.

10-14 is down.

15~17 is down.

Just as the gun control gang inflated “kid deaths” by upping the age to include gang bangers, now we see that happen again.

How can abstinence cause a rise in 18~19 but not other groups?

It can’t.

Comment by Pat Collins Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 11:08 am
I just saw another of Skeeter’s classy gems:

“One last note on this:
I am sick of hearing this described as a “Mexican” issue.
It isn’t. Illegal immigrants come in all colors. Sure many of them are Mexican, but there are also many Polish, Greek, or other Eastern Europe immigrants that lack proper documents. Despite that, any time certain people hear the Spanish language or see an Hispanic surname, they just assume the person is illegal. They have no such assumption when they see a Polish or Greek name.
Which leads to the conclusion that a lot of people who are so angry about “illegals” just don’t like Mexicans. It is veiled racism and nothing more.”

When you don’t have a rational argument to put forward, you start name calling and hope it catches on. Just as you take 14 words out of a 22 word sentence and arrange them to suit your own purposes of slandering someone. Funny thing is, Skeeter and her ilk continually do this here, and are never called on it. My wife is Mexican, and my son is half-Mexican, so go back into your deceitful, race-baiting hole, Skeeter.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 11:26 am
Let me get this right, Snide:

You are claiming that there is a rash of people marrying for citizenship and then divorcing?

It is a strange little fantasy world that you have there. It is a world where your personal failures are the fault of the immigrants, as opposed to your own lack of skills.

By the way, I have made repeated references to my “wife” over the course of comments. For you to refer to me as “her” says something about either your values [you view it as an insult] or about about your reading comprehension.

I’ve said it before and will say it again: If you don’t want to be called a racist, stop making racist statements.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 11:50 am
Guess what, Skeeter: Yes, that is the case. It happens. Constantly. Just as people sell false identification, others sell their citizenship and single status. Just because “Skeeter” says it doesn’t happen doesn’t make it so.

Let’s not get into a debate on “reading comprehension” after your lack of comprehension over the sentence you blatantly slandered me on. I have made no racist comments. Simply because “Skeeter” calls something he doesn’t agree with “racist” does not make it so.

Finally, if you were a decent human being, I would apologize for the gender mistake. Tell me where above here to refer to a “wife.” You said you married a Canadian national (I guess there’s no men in Canada?). I assumed you were a woman based on your selection of “Skeeter” as a psyuedonym (yes, I spelled it wrong, feel free to slander me some more). If you don’t want to be referred to in the feminine, then find a masculine screen name. (Waiting now for the “sexist” slander from Skeeter.)

Regardless, I now know you are a man and will refer to you as such in the future. Geez, a bit over sensitive on that issue, aren’t you?

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 12:03 pm
OK, enough. Both of you. Thanks.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 12:07 pm
Pat,

The birthrate for 15-17 year olds increased 3%, 18-19 increased 4%, 10-14 decreased 0.1%. Far more interesting (to me) the rate for 20-45 year olds also increased 3%.

Comment by Lyrl Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 1:34 pm
Hey, I though Cox dropped out of the race. Why is he still making the news as if he is.

Comment by Levois Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 2:45 pm
To brand someone who was brought to the U.S. as an infant, has lived here all their lives and has every intention of becoming a productive, permanent citizen a “disgusting” illegal alien because of the choices their PARENTS made is reminiscent of the stigma that used to be heaped on children born out of wedlock.
Yes, it is true that uncontrolled illegal immigration, like out of wedlock births (which is really more of an issue than simply “teen births”, since some 18- and 19-year-old parents are married), is a serious social problem that needs to be addressed. And yes, it is also true that we do not want to reward, or intentionally or unintentionally provide incentives, for either illegal immigration or unwed parenthood. However, we also need to remember the principle that “there are no illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents”.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 3:29 pm
There are thousands of cases of ilegal aliens coming over the border to give birth. The baby is indeed a citizen under current law. She, her husband bypass the quota.

This is a misuse of our constitution, which clearly needs to be amended. The mother needs to go back and stand in line. If a felon, she needs to go back, period. If she wishes to take back the citizen baby, the baby is free to come back at any time provided support is available from legal residents. Yes it is tough on the mother, but she made the bed in which she must lie.

There are thousands as well of ‘green card’ marriages among temporary residents (students and/or job related.) That happens across the spectrum.

My Korean wife came with me as a dependent of the U.S. military. She went from green card to citizen and has been — in addition to a wonderful wife — economically productive. She petitioned for her mother and brothrs. They waited in quota lines for twelve years before their names came up.

The government’s role in immigration should be focused on making sure that our own citizens and legal residents do not lose opportunity.

BTW, I had to promise to be of economic support to my in laws, as did my wife. Never a problem, never on welfare, not one.

Comment by Truthful James Friday, Dec 7, 07 @ 4:00 pm
I’m not usually inclined to be a defender of President Bush, but I think his plan for relief for sub-prime ARMs is a reasonable one. I liken it to a triage approach (let’s save the ones who can be saved). It seems to me to be a good mix of reality, Republican philosophy, and government intervention. Certainly, some families will suffer, but many will be rescued by the proposal.

Comment by steve schnorf Saturday, Dec 8, 07 @ 12:18 am
Whadda coincidink! This just in from Fantasyland:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news
/nationworld/chi-immig_satdec08,1,1
224847.story

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Saturday, Dec 8, 07 @ 7:32 am