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Veterans’ Day news roundup

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Illinois

Election 2010

* Candidate’s disinvitation stirs debate

A spokeswoman for Quinn denied comment on whether the Quinn campaign was behind the challenge to Walls’ petitions. Quinn’s Downstate campaign director did request copies of Walls’ petitions.

* Quinn won’t say if he’s behind effort to remove only African-American candidate from governor’s contest?

Gov. Pat Quinn vowed transparency when he succeeded the disgraced Rod Blagojevich as the state’s chief executive, but today neither Quinn nor his campaign would discuss whether they’re behind the effort to remove the only African-American candidate from the Democratic governor primary contest.

* Outsider mantle no longer good fit for Quinn

* Ryan: Jobs creation should be job No. 1

* Candidates line up in primary races for governor

* State Republican party attacks Islamic group

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady put out a statement calling on the Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights to immediately expel the Council on American-Islamic Relations from its list of affiliated agencies over alleged ties to Hamas in the Middle East.

Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR’s Chicago chapter, called that “utter garbage,” “dirty politics” and part of a “coordinated misinformation campaign” by a GOP leadership “lacking in guts.”

* Dem comptroller candidate has petitions challenged

* Seven DuPage candidates challenged

* Some Illinois primary races have six or more candidates

* State Sen. Cronin will top ballot in DuPage chairman’s race

* Two Dems take brave stand on health bill

* Bean explains health care vote

* Suburban Democrats backed health care bill, but still hold reservations

* State Capitol Q&A: New laws designed to make voting more convenient

* This is one time politicians should looks at polls

State Government

* STAR Bond talks continue in Springfield

* Gov. Quinn defends plan to release up to 1,000 inmates

* Quinn calls early prisoner release necessary

* First 60 early prisoner releases come this week

* Still more work needed at youth prison

* State, RTA reach deal to avoid fare hikes for disabled riders

* CTA reaches deal to avoid big fare hike

Transit officials and Gov. Quinn will announce details today of a deal that will help the CTA avoid steep fare hikes, sources said.

* Wednesday Illinois political docket: Quinn transit announcement, Veterans Day ceremonies

* Peterson’s house going to auction block?

Sneed hears Gov. Quinn is going to appoint two new members to the CTA Board: John Bouman, president of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, and Katie McClain, the Chicago director of the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation.

* Blago makes Mad mag ‘dumbest’ list

Misc.

* Mayor Daley: How we’ll weather the storm

* Cook Co. commissioners out to snuff new film office

A suburban Cook County Board member is leading an effort to quash President Todd Stroger’s attempt to open a Cook County Film Commission Office.[…]

Stroger’s 2010 budget proposal allotted about $250,000 for creation of the film office, but the lion’s share of that would go to salaries: $100,000 for an executive director and more than $78,000 for two assistants.

* 911 official resigns over blunder that cost $2 mil.

The No. 2 man at Chicago’s 911 emergency center has resigned his $149,832-a-year job to avoid being fired for alleged contract irregularities that cost taxpayers $2.25 million.

* Court rules public can’t see list of cops with 10 or more complaints

Chicagoans likely will never see the names of the 662 Chicago Police officers with 10 or more complaints against them.

A federal appeals court ruled 2-1 that an independent journalist and 28 Chicago aldermen “lacked standing” to file a lawsuit asking to see the list because the case the list was compiled for has been settled.

“The unwillingness of the Police Department to provide information to public officials about officers whose conduct may be questionable is a real problem,” said Ad. Toni Preckwinkle (4th), a leader of the 28 aldermen.

* SJ-R: Police internal affairs files should be open

* Police Decry High Court Ruling On Guns In Cars

* Ald. Stone ally on trial for vote fraud

* Cook County prosecutors allege NU students paid witness

* Northwestern students paid witnesses, prosecutors allege

Professor denies 2 men received money in effort to prove convicted killer is innocent

* Ill. commision says millions left in student loans

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission says it still has $66 million for low-interest, federally secured loans to students for the 2009-2010 academic year.

* U. of I. grad student teachers may strike

The Graduate Employees’ Organization says 92 percent of its members voted to strike.

* Starting over

So it’s nice to report some encouraging news. Gov. Pat Quinn has named four new members to Chicago State’s board of trustees, and he has chosen well.

* City magnet school admissions get makeover

Families with kids already in will have a better chance of getting another admitted

* College preps to admit by income

For the first time, the income levels of students’ neighborhoods will help determine whether kids win seats at one of the city’s elite college prep high schools or elementary schools for the gifted.

* Chicago changes criteria for admission to magnet, selective schools

* CPS Says Racial Integration Remains a Priority

* CTA union says cops harassing arrested driver

* CTA president says mom’s stroller story ‘plausible’

Transit agency investigation focusing on train operator

* Safety of timers at red-light camera intersections debated

City transportation officials told aldermen at a budget hearing that they don’t favor adding the countdown signs at red-light camera intersections. Drivers check the countdown to see how many seconds they have until green lights change instead of watching to see if the car in front of them is slowing down, said Thomas Powers, acting commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation.

“What that tends to do is, you would see an increase in rear-end collisions. It would actually decrease the safety value of the camera, having those countdowns,” Powers said.

* AMA supports bans on cell phone use while driving

* Illinois Freedom of Information and Open Meetings laws get some teeth

* Telemarketers face lawsuit

Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit against two telemarketers Tuesday alleging they scammed Illinois consumers with false promises of reducing their credit card interest rates, and her office advised consumers on how to avoid being ripped off.

* Unilever to shut Chicago office

200 jobs affected; Work done here will move to N.J.

* ComEd set to install ’smart’ meters

* City boasts most ‘5-Diamond’ restaurants

* Burr Oak Cemetery taking burials again

* Veterans Day this year has added meaning for Illinois National Guard

More than 2,900 returned safely, but 18 were killed in duty in state’s largest deployment since World War II

* Durbin: ‘Dramatic change’ needed at VA hospital

* Quinn places emphasis on supporting veterans

* New veterans home slated for Northwest Side

Quinn announces plans for 200-bed facility

* Press release: Gov picks Chicago vets home site

* New Long-Term Medical Center for Veterans Coming to Chicago

* Law students’ idea grows into godsend for vets

* Lisa Madigan praises law school’s vets program

* Little known program boosts military pensions

Eligible wartime veterans could be receiving up to $1,600 more a month

* State offers veterans low-interest loans

Illinois veterans of the National Guard and U.S. Military Reserve can now get $10,000 low-interest loans when their duties end because of changes in a state program.

* Don’t just thank a vet; hire one

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 11, 09 @ 9:58 am

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