Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Whether taxpayers have a right to know how much their school superintendent, city manager, and other contracted government employees earn and what they do for the money is now up to the Illinois Supreme Court.

The court heard oral arguments Tuesday on whether Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 can keep its superintendent’s contract secret. Mark Stern, of Wheaton, a one-time candidate for the District 200 school board, asked for the contract in 2006.

* Quigley Heads To Washington After Primary Win

* Early voting begins today for 5th District seat

* Caterpillar to lay off 2,454 workers in 3 states

* Caterpillar laying off 815 at Aurora plant

* Caterpillar Layoffs Have Employees Questioning Their Future

* Schock Says Stimulus Hasn’t Helped CAT

* Corus bank warns of $317 million loss, possible failure

* Corus says auditors may raise doubt about bank’s future

* The fifth season: pothole

posted by Mike Murray
Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 8:35 am

Comments

Might be a little off base, but why no talk of job cuts for the state budget. You can’t tell me that the state has no room to cut employees. When your budget is 80% labor, that is where the cuts must be made. The city will cut 1,000 jobs in the next year, unless the economy really turns around.

Comment by James the Intolerant Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 8:52 am
Weis will never get a break from the rank and file and the political class in Chicago. As an outsider, he was targeted to fail from day one.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 8:54 am
Mike, check out story in today’s Chicago Defender on Lisa Madigan, State Police and expungement.

Comment by lake dweller Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 9:20 am
“You can’t tell me that the state has no room to cut employees.”

why? In 2003 the State reduced its employee count with early retirment, and has cut staff every year since. At this point the State is wasteing money on overtime, outside vendor contracts and temps because of having to little staff. We are spending more to get the work done then it would cost if we hired more people. penny wise pound foolish. reduced staff is costing us more then it would if we properly staffed. A cut should no be made becuse it sounds like a good idea, it should be made if it actually saves th state money and dioes not interfer with the provision of services. DCFS is not adequatly protecting children, DOC is left with a handful of guards on shift to try and keep thousands of inmates locked down, elderly an disabled adults have too few caregivers. The mental health facilities lack aequate staff to meet the eneds of the patients. verterans homes etc

Cutting off our nose to spite our face may make a good sound bite, but it is not the wise move.

Also we are trying to jump start our economy. Increasing the number of unemployed neither helps IL economy nor its tax base.

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 9:28 am
Schock is jumping the gun in regards to the stimulus. States need to file plans as to how they are going to use the stimilus funds to improve infrastructure such as roads, etc. About 2/3 have done so.

It is the construction projects that will make the demands for Cat products. Those needs will be known in the next weeks not days.

Not enough instant gratification or just using this as a way to get our name in the media, Aaron?

Comment by Nearly Normal Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 9:50 am
Nearly Normal-

In April 2008 IDOT let 178 highway projects statewide.

In April 2009, IDOT has……….drumroll…….
180 projects on the April 2009 “special” stimulus letting.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 9:55 am
How about some happy news? Link to the article about the new Lighthouse out near Rich’s place…

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 10:24 am
Six Degrees–

I believe there are many other construction firms in other states that purchase Cat products.

There is a 36-page list of “shovel-ready” projects to be let in April that purport to be above and beyond those proposed for FY 09.

http://www.dot.il.gov/stimulus/April_Letting_List_With_Letter.pdf

Comment by Nearly Normal Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 10:40 am
This not a snarky question; I am being entirely serious about the stories of large number of Chicago children killed. Are the only young people from Chicago Public Schools being targeted? Are there no young people from parochial schools or drop-outs being victims? Those of us not coming from Chicago, sometimes are unsure of specifics.

Comment by Chanson Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 11:27 am
NN-

It is purported to be over and above, and it is over and above what it would have been if ARRa hadn’t happened. Im just sayin’ - this construction year’s program in IL is not going to be much different than last year’s, from the looks of it…and many other states are in the same boat. furthermore, the type of projects funded by ARRA are typically not the kind that require lots of heavy earthmoving equipment and specialized machines. The contractors are going to get one more year out of the ol’ paving machine and dump trucks, and call it a day.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 11:41 am
Quigley blowing off a debate. SHOCKING!

http://rogersparkbench.blogspot.com/2009/03/quigley-chickens-out-cancels-pulido.html

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 12:52 pm
chanson, most of the kids in high school are in public school in Chicago. don’t know how they are counting things, but, how about this one: aren’t the shooters CPS students too? or CPS alums? this whole school kid thing is nonsense. match the shootings to the neighborhood and you will find people of all ages in the same neighborhoods getting shot. it’s not about the school affiliation. they just want to pull at you that way.

Comment by Amy Wednesday, Mar 18, 09 @ 4:22 pm