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posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:11 am

Comments

Can Sheriffs who refuse the executive orders be sued for gross neglegence if they have an outbreak?

I would love to hear a lawyers take because this Tazewell County Sheriff could use a lesson in how government works.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:17 am
So, a lot of sunshine patriots are saying the Bears’ season is over. But with the lousy referees in the rest of the NFC North, I don’t know how you can call this a fair season. Thinking of drafting an amicus brief to Roger Goodell to have the Bears declared the rightful Super Bowl winners. Anyone out there care to join me in signing?

Comment by Dysfunction Junction Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:19 am
Can someone lay out how in the next 20 years Illinois reversed its negative population growth? Looking for the most apolitical answer.

Comment by What does the future look like? Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:22 am
In two words: climate change. People on the coasts, the dry west and the hot south will be looking for someplace else to live. And we have a lot of water.

Comment by very old soil Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:27 am
“Can someone lay out how in the next 20 years Illinois reversed its negative population growth”

People value living close to the largest body of fresh water in the country as new Arizonians realize they also need to get away from drought not just the forest fires of California and Floridians are tired of salt-water in their basements. New Yorkers complain the taxes are the same but realize cost of living is 1/2 while living within one hour of a major city that has good food, art, and culture.

Also, comprehensive immigration reform.

Comment by 1st Ward Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:34 am
very old soil,
Water won’t distinguish us. Desalinization costs have dropped. At one point the cost of desalinized water was 12 times that of well water. Today, it’s only 3 times the cost. It’s dropping like the cost of solar, and with more technology emerging.

If Covid taught us anything, it’s that businesses are crucial to Illinois. It’s easy enough to shut them down, but the tax revenue they generated (through sales tax, wages, etc.) won’t be easily replaced. And raising taxes on the people that own those businesses won’t keep them in Illinois.

Comment by Chevy Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:36 am
Water may not distinguish us, but temps may.

Arizona is pretty much unbearable for 4-6 months.
Couple of years ago I was in FL in June, on the Gulf. Even with the constant breeze, from roughly 10 am to sundown it was unliveable.
Toss in hurricanes/tropical storms nearly monthly, IMO migration will reverse.

Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:44 am
=== Illinois reversed its negative population growth?===

This is a fundamentally political question that requires being able to look at the current state of the economy of Illinois and creating the public support to address the issues where it is lagging, and probably cannot be done without specific support from federal policy because population growth/lack of growth is different in different regions of the state and the question would be better phrased or understood as, “How do you get people to move to Pope County?” and “How would you create conditions that would cause people living in Pope County to remain there, or return there after attending college or other training programs?”

There’s also the trouble where the State has failed to adequately support programs for the younger segment of it’s population and created a situation where it is significantly cheaper (and deliberately so) for Illinois residents to pay out of state tuition at universities in several states surrounding Illinois than it is for students to pay instate rates at the State’s university.

We have created policies and budgets that drive people out of the state — and no matter what some might thing, it’s not tax rates that make people move unless they’re already sitting on a pile of money.

As a younger person living in Illinois I sometimes wonder about the benefit of remaining here so that I can keep picking up the tab for services received by people in the 1980s and 1990s which weren’t fully paid for at the time while the people that benefited from it pay zero taxes on any kind of retirement income — and we’re not talking about people making under 30k on social security that are the issue, it’s the millionaires.

This is combined with a body politic that is so toxic that it allows for logical fallacies to become popular responses to serious public questions, and a general overall political culture that finds it permissible to avoid or deflect accountability.

What’s going on with Madigan’s “job recommendations” is a great example, as another person who made “job recommendations” is demanding Madigan be held accountable without any interest in holding themselves accountable to the same standard.

If Illinois wants to fix it’s declining population, the state needs to become a place where people want to live, where people want to move, and that doesn’t actively encourage it’s younger folks to leave.

And guess what? Not all of the state has this problem. There are some parts of the state where people want to actively move and move there from other states, and for whatever reason (it’s probably racism) a big chuck of the state blames that region with net positive migration for their owes.

But like I said, it’s a fundamentally political question. How do you help a region that is receiving state spending at a ratio of two to one of what it pays in revenues that also believes it is financially supporting the major metropolitan area that is actually financially supporting them?

Illinois needs a generation of responsible leadership that doesn’t excuse self service and law breaking as “smart political moves” or mistake being the loudest voice in the room with being the smartest, like that oaf Darren Bailey who is probably a living embodiment of why breast feeding is an important practice for child development.

Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:47 am
As an immigrant from a milder climate but 2 hours from as bad / worse winters, CLIMATE. We’ve degenerated from the survivors of Valley Forge to crybabies who want to spend all winter in t-shirts, shorts, and flip flops.

Comment by Anyone Remember Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:52 am
I noticed that it is stated in the media that Illinois will receive 109,000 doses of the Pfizer first round of vaccine and Missouri will receive 339,000 doses. This seems strange since Illinois has had 856,000 covid cases and 15,455 deaths vs. 370,000 cases and 4932 deaths in Missouri. I have been using the Google but haven’t been able to find the reason.

Comment by rabble Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:52 am
After seeing the recent politics of red states that right wingers want Illinois to be, to those who want to leave this state for places like Texas, who’s GOP is pushing dangerous actions like overturning the presidential election, secession and alternative electors, goodbye and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:58 am
Chevy
do you think that desalinization is a viable option in Arizona or west Texas or to irrigate crops?

Comment by very old soil Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 9:59 am
Educate our citizenry to be economically savvy STEM workers. With those kind of skills they can work remotely for Silicon Valley businesses without having to pay for expensive coastal property.

At the same time we can put in an apprentice and training program so that people who have worked 2 years for a low wage work (like restaurant work) can train for a higher skilled, higher paying work. And work with our existing industry for that to create skill pools they need. My company, for example, is always on the hunt for good welders and blue print readers.

Comment by cermak_rd Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:05 am
Climate change might help. But if that change comes with dryer and hotter temps then the impact on the states’ top business, agriculture, will not be good.

So what can WE do? Find a way to fix inequity in many aspects of our state. Improve education, improve wages and get communities to avoid violence as an answer to fighting back or giving up against those issues.

I took a drive around my town - looking to see if I want to make an investment in rental properties. I gotta tell you its shocking to see the side of town that you don’t ever need to go to. That level of inequality is only going to weigh on our society more and more.

One policy way of attacking it? Let’s do all we can to attract manufacturing to Illinois. If Rivian is what we hope it to be, those jobs and the ones connected to it go to change the nature of a town.

Keep adding places like that and work to expand silicon prairie locations and the state has a chance.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:08 am
Meh, I like having 4 seasons. It sure seems like our winter temps are moderating a little which is nice. I look at Florida’s stand your ground law and that discourages me from even visiting (not to mention the humidity). I also agree with GoM about Texas leading the charge in the bogus election case. Why would I want to live around people that accept that? I have plenty of GOP friends but they are more the OW types than the Bost types. We get along fine.

Comment by Original Rambler Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:11 am
I know some folks who moved to Texas. They have no state income tax and 1/3rd or more of their state budget is federal dollars. Property taxes are climbing rapidly. Pretty soon they will find themselves in a similar situation if they do not find a better way to fund schools.

Comment by I'm not long on Texas Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:11 am
Odds that Mike Madigan convinces U of I to hire one of his buddies to be head football coach?

Comment by Jose Abreu's Next Homer Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:13 am
Since there was no open thread yesterday, and two big statewide developments occurred Sunday (Illini fired Lovie Smith; Bears actually won), two questions I have:

1. Who do you predict will be next Illini coach?

2. How many more games (if any) do you think the Bears will actually win this season?

Comment by Chatham Resident Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:15 am
Also, one year ago yesterday was the 10th anniversary of former Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin’s sudden passing (Dec. 14, 2010).

Sam Madonia’s show yesterday morning (AM Springfield) on 1450 marked the occasion by playing excerpts of the final interview he had with Davlin the day before Thanksgiving that year:

https://omny.fm/shows/am-springfield/springfield-mayor-tim-davlin-nov-24-2010

CapFax coverage of that terrible day in Springfield:

https://capitolfax.com/2010/12/14/this-just-in-246/

https://capitolfax.com/2010/12/14/mayor-davlin-open-thread/

Comment by Chatham Resident Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:16 am
“I noticed that it is stated in the media that Illinois will receive 109,000 doses of the Pfizer first round of vaccine and Missouri will receive 339,000 doses”

Maybe it’s because Fort Leonard Wood is in Missouri?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:17 am
We will likely need to carry some proof we have been vaccinated to enter indoor restaurants, stadiums, theatres, et al. Any thought to have the SOS office include this on drivers licenses or REAL ID going forward?

Comment by bogey golfer Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:17 am
Nickelodeon, of all cable channels, to air an NFL playoff game?

https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20201215/sports/312159966/

“Get ready for SpongeBob SquarePants running out of the tunnel, players being covered with digital slime after touchdowns and commentary from the cast of ‘All That’ when Nickelodeon airs an NFL playoff game.

CBS Sports and Nickelodeon revealed their plans on Tuesday for the kid-focused channel’s broadcast of a wild-card game on Sunday, Jan. 10. The Nickelodeon feed will be tailored for younger audiences with the usual broadcast airing on CBS and online at CBS All Access.”

Comment by Chatham Resident Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:20 am
Thoughts on trading Khalil Mack, move up in the draft to take a QB? Might be time to blow it all up?
Fire Nagy?

Comment by Trade Khalil Mack Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 10:21 am
“Maybe it’s because Fort Leonard Wood is in Missouri?”

Navy basic training is in Illinois at Great Lakes Naval Station, so, perhaps another reason? Maybe the aversion to wearing masks?

Comment by Anyone Remember Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 11:06 am
= Maybe it’s because Fort Leonard Wood is in Missouri? =

Great Lakes Naval Station north of Chicago - 4,000 active duty

Fort Leonard Wood west of Rolla - 5,000 active duty.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 11:06 am
…And I’d figure that the Armed Forces would be handling their own vaccination program…

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 11:07 am
Chicago metro has a great business climate per the many businesses who relocate there, perennially leading the country in corporate relocations. Cited in what attracts businesses is infrastructure, education and workforce quality. State government should focus on adequate funding for infrastructure and education and not austerity and supply side economics.

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 11:14 am
Missouri reporter the total number of vaccine doses expected this year. Illinois only reported the doses in the initial shipment.

Numbers simply aren’t comparable.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 11:42 am
Illinois, particularly the northern part of the state, is predicted to suffer less than the South/Southwest due to climate change in the next 50 years (to 2070).

I think about the issue of how to attract new residents a lot, actually. So: if I were the mayor of a small town downstate, I’d be advertising the low COL, real estate availability, natural surroundings, etc. to those who will be working remotely henceforth. I’m thinking of Galesburg, Monmouth, Kewanee here - towns I know, which dispose of all the above characteristics, and which have been decimated by loss of business/small manufacturing units.

If I were Gov (hohoho), I’d be looking to highlight Illinois’ high-tech sector (Silicon Prairie - a very nifty name), and looking to re-shore (a) medical supplies - equipment/instrument production (hqtrs: Peoria, IL’s largest downstate medical center), (b) agricultural research/practice/innovation (UIUC Ag School), (c)small business everywhere (niche production).

And lots more. Illinois could become a haven for climate change refugees in the next 30-40 years - but it needs proactive, forward-looking leadership in both its administrative and legislative branches.

Comment by dbk Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 11:58 am
==Thoughts on trading Khalil Mack, move up in the draft to take a QB? Might be time to blow it all up?
Fire Nagy?==

If the Bears continue the momentum from Sunday’s streakbreaker blowout win and actually run the table the rest of the season (including the final week against the Pack)–and actually back themselves into the playoffs–then I wouldn’t be surprised if trading Mack and firing Nagy get put on hold at least one more season.

Comment by Chatham Resident Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 12:16 pm
=Missouri reporter the total number of vaccine doses expected this year. Illinois only reported the doses in the initial shipment.=
Thanks for the info. Last Bull Moose

Comment by Rabble Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 12:41 pm
“I were the mayor of a small town downstate, I’d be advertising the low COL, real estate availability, natural surroundings, etc. to those who will be working remotely henceforth.”

Ding Ding Ding. Add into that mix strategic investments in broadband and K-14 education and you’ve got a compelling case for population attraction in the post-covid world.

Comment by sulla Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 1:10 pm
The entirety of East St. Louis needs to be an enterprise zone for manufacturing and associated businesses. If people want to live in MO, lets create a way for them to work in IL.

St. Louis is the Midwest hub for much of the ag innovation going on in plant science and breeding. Grab what you can of it and locate just across the river. Sell the skyline view, quicker commute and tax structure for startups.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 1:50 pm
Growing the population would be helped if we segmented the population into groups such as retirees, recent college graduates, young families, educated immigrants, uneducated immigrants, etc. Different groups will be attracted or repelled by different features and policies.

For example, Bloomington, Indiana is a retiree destination place. Lots of activities at the University, great medical care, reasonable cost of living. Champaign-Urbana could be similar.

Smaller towns would probably need really good internet connections. Then create one job located in the town and hope the spouse can work online. If the family needs two in office jobs, they are probably heading for the city or a collar county.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 1:58 pm
==move up in the draft to take a QB?==
That worked so well last time it was tried.

Comment by Bruce( no not him) Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 2:08 pm
Open letter to Governor Pritzker:

Governor,
I’m scared. I’ve received one of the fraudulent IDES notices claiming I applied for unemployment benefits. The debit card quickly followed. I’ve communicated with IDES by calling and sending a letter. More than three weeks later, I’ve still heard nothing.
My friends are now getting notices from IDES saying they may be responsible for paying back benefits they never received.
There’s no easy method for notifying IDES of the fraudulent activity, and verifying that they’ve received that notice, other than by a registered letter. (And that’s near impossible given the open hours of the PO and my work schedule) Governor, you can do better.
Can’t you set up the IDES website so that victims can at least register and know that their notification has been received?
We are in pain out here. (At least 6 close friends are in various stages of the same frustration).
Other states aren’t having this same level of problem. It seems to be mainly a challenge of Illinois.

Governor, if you truly want to fix your state, provide relief to those that are working hard (and paying tax dollars), and simply want a method for reporting the fraud that is taking place.

Leaving messages, in hopes of being called back, or having to communicate with another state agency is an antiquated approach to a current issue.

Governor, you can do better.

Comment by Desperate Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 2:11 pm
Via an Amanda Vinicky retweet:

Governor JB Pritzker announced today more than $700M in spending reductions for fiscal year 2021. The plan is the result of a months-long and ongoing review of agency spending under the Executive branch. The plan includes a hiring freeze, grant reductions and operational savings.

Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 2:47 pm
LOL:

https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1338637597892112385

Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 2:50 pm
- Original Rambler -

Thanks for the kind words. Appreciate it

Also… Fire Nagy, start over, the Bears still need a reboot.

Sadly, the Chicago NFL Franchise is a family business predicated on making cash.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 15, 20 @ 8:22 pm