"Stimulus" $2 Billion for HeadStart; $50 Million For NASA

As more industries continue to beg President Obama for money from the next $819 billion economic plan, NASA was largely left out of the latest stimulus package.

Although Obama said the next $819 billion -- which was approved by the House -- will be another step towards other money packages, NASA was not granted $2 billion for space exploration and Orion development. NASA officials were dismayed to find they were only given $50 million from the House, despite the high costs of developing a next-generation space craft and repairing damage caused by Hurricane Ike.

Despite problems in the House, NASA officials hope to have better luck with the Senate bill, if all goes according to plan. Some politicians are upset there is so much money being granted towards social programs while programs such as NASA are trying to scrape together funding for future missions to Mars and moon.

By the way, the House included an additional $2 billions for Headstart programs. Other than stimulating social programs, what the heck kind of "stimulus" priority is that? When the headstart kids grow up I guess they can become social workers but not NASA engineers.

As an aside, although infrastructure construction and repair creates jobs, what help is that to my unemployed office worker friend, my unemployed banking friend, and my unemployed copy writer friend? Should they all be "retrained" to be union construction workers and move to other states where the pork projects are located?

Let's Review Who Supported This Guy . . .

Top contributors to Blagojevich were overwhelmingly from the labor sector. Unions made up five of his top ten contributors in 2002, three in 2004, seven in 2006 and six in 2008. Unions were also Blagojevich's top four contributors during his re-election campaign in 2006.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union was the only contributor, union or non-union, to appear on Blagojevich's top 10 contributor list every year since he became governor. It contributed a total of $758,200 to his campaign, an amount that was far less than Blagojevich's other labor contributors.

The Service Employees International Union, which contributed $1.92 million from 2001 to 2008, was the largest overall contributor to Blagojevich. With $931,722 in contributions, it was also the largest contributor to Blagojevich's reelection campaign in 2006.

Education-related unions were the second-largest labor contributors to Blagojevich, donating $1.89 million.Of these labor organizations, the Illinois Federation of Teachers was the largest contributor at $1.2 million from 2002 to 2008.

TOP CONTRIBUTORS, 2002 ELECTION

Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte/DCCC $925,000
Service Employees/SEIU $821,494
Illinois Federation of Teachers $642,558
Illinois Democratic Party $605,190
Illinois Education Association/I-PACE $536,671
Hull, Blair $459,061
AFSCME Illinois Council 31 $376,000
Unitemized Donations $341,083
CGK Consulting $314,500
Teamsters/IBT Drive $219,000
TOTAL $5,240,557

TOP CONTRIBUTORS, 2004 ELECTION

Illinois Pipe Trades/UA $130,000
Development Specialists $105,000
Clifford Law Offices $100,000
Democratic Governors Association $100,000
Illinois Hospital & Health Systems Association $100,000
National Material $100,000
Illinois Laborers/LIUNA $96,250
Teamsters/IBT Drive $95,000
Illinois Council on Long Term Care $85,000
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association $80,860
TOTAL $992,110

TOP CONTRIBUTORS, 2006 ELECTION

Service Employees Illinois Council/SEIU $908,382
Illinois Federation of Teachers $515,669
Illinois Pipe Trades/UA $462,482
Laborers/LIUNA $350,000
Illinois Hospital & Health Systems Association $300,715
Construction & General Laborers Council of Chicago & Vicinity/LIUNA $220,000
Clifford Law Offices $204,346
Democratic Governors Association $200,000
Teamsters/IBT Drive $155,000
Illinois Laborers/LIUNA $152,250
TOTAL $3,468,844

TOP CONTRIBUTORS, 2008 ELECTION

Illinois Pipe Trades/UA $230,000
Illinois Laborers/LIUNA $150,000
Squier Knapp Dunn Communications $105,113
A Finkl & Sons $80,000
Service Employees Illinois Council/SEIU $80,000
Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois/IAFF $60,000
Dream World $50,000
Lakhani, Mansoor & Shamim $50,000
Teamsters Joint Council 25/IBT Drive $50,000
Teamsters/IBT Drive $50,000
TOTAL $905,113 (post June, 2008 $ not yet reported)

So, how do you feel about those union dues now?

Is The U.N. Still Holding To That?

Last year the U.N. reported that Iceland was the "best country to live in". You think they will change their minds this year?

updated 11:48 a.m. CT, Mon., Jan. 26, 2009

REYKJAVIK, Iceland - Iceland's coalition government collapsed Monday, leaving the island nation in political turmoil amid a financial crisis that has pummeled its economy and required an international bailout.

IL State Employee Retirement Pensions Severely Underfunded

From the Illinois Review:

Terry Savage lays out a dire scenario in the Sun-Times for those state lawmakers and Chicago city employees expecting a retirement pension. Here's a look at the dire situation for the retirement plans of state workers ranging from police to judges to university professors to members of the Illinois General Assembly. All are counting on generous state pensions, but may soon wake up to a brutal reality.

A financial war is brewing -- and it's likely to pit these public employees against Illinois taxpayers who are responsible for paying those generous pension promises. There simply isn't enough money in all these retirement plans (see below) to send out the promised checks. If you think Bernie Madoff had a Ponzi scheme going, wait until the wave of boomer retirement hits the reality of pension underfunding.

Complicating matters is the fact that the Illinois Constitution guarantees pensions to be paid before any other obligations. Savage gives the facts on how poorly these expected pensions are currently funded, just as baby boomers are heading towards retirement years:

* State Universities Retirement System (SURS): 58.5 PERCENT

* Teachers Retirement System (TRS): 56 PERCENT

* State Employees' Retirement System (SERS): 46.1 PERCENT

* Judges Retirement System (JRS): 42 PERCENT

* General Assembly Retirement System (GARS): 32 PERCENT

Confront High Property Tax Assessments

by JOSH ECHOLS

Falling property values could mean higher taxes. Higher home and property owners taxes are a nightmare to many. Municipalities unwilling to cut their budgets and reign in expenses are the reason for much of the dilemma.

Often scare tactics of cuts in service are employed. A governor of NJ threatened to close the beaches and parks, even the casinos if his state sales tax was not passed. He wouldn’t look into actual cutting the fat and excesses out of the budget and got his tax increase passed.

Government should mirror the private sector in wage and benefits. Instead government take unfair advantage by getting higher wages than the typical WalMart, Home Depot employee, get to retire in 20 years while the average Joe works till he’s 65.

Property tax caps and higher state sales taxes are some of the solutions offered by government. Should you be worried about your property taxes with foxes in the henhouse making the rules don’t slash extraneous jobs and expenses?

The appeals process is always in place for property owners who believe their values are too high. Numerous areas for price adjustment exist when comparing your home to another home’s sold data. Changes in square foot data, age of home, location, condition, number of garages are some the area that can be adjusted for Even in average times usually a higher error rate exists in property tax assessments. The National Taxpayers Union writes that as many as 60% of all homeowners are over-assessed and not in line with their home value. (”How To Fight Property Taxes” 2004 p.1). This fact alone gives one pause to check their property taxes. It also presents and excellent home based business opportunity.

We’re seeing a great number of families facing foreclosure and rising property taxes and their home values fall. That doesn’t sit right with most people’s sensibilities.

Property owners have the right to formally appear in front of a board of equalization to share their information and state their case. Nevertheless the first course of appeal would be to contact the property tax assessor and give compelling evidence. Be prepared for deaf ears, few listen well.

ICC Off On Another Borrowing Spree

Let the Illinois Central College Board know how you feel about this travesty:

ICC is off on another "keeping up with the Joneses" building spree. In this case, as I predicted, "the Joneses" is Heartland Community College and IVC.

It's an arms race that no one can win. They all claim they must build to remain "competitive" and then show how "under taxed" their constituents are compared to the other community college property tax payers. Then the "competition" is further emboldened to start new building and it's a never ending construction war.

It would be different if the burden were born by sales taxes, or the State of Illinois, or the users of the colleges, but NO - it's the "stable and ever ready" property tax trough which is tapped over and over and over again.

The property tax payers should not have to shoulder this burden for rec facilities and such, particularly at this point in the economic curve. We simply must contact these board people who remain totally unaccountable to voters.

What world are they living in?
Here are the details of this latest folly:

The Illinois Central College Board has decided to float bonds to seek funding for up to $33 million for capital and operations purchases and upgrades. The money is to be used as follows-

Capital projects:

• CougarPlex $14.5 million
• Math and laboratory science, Maple Hall $3.8 million
• Culinary Arts Institute $3.5 million
• ICC South campus $1.5 million
• Student Success Center $1 million
• Learning Resource Center $1.5 million
• Student Services $2.5 million
• CAT Dealer Training/DPET courses $1 million
• Perley Building upgrades $1 million
• Thomas Building upgrades $1 million
• Capital projects total $31.3 million Operations
• Technology upgrades $1.12 million
• Furniture and equipment $400,000
• Vehicle and equipment replacement $180,000 Operations total $1.7 million

Capital and operations total $33 million

Double Whammy for Tax Districts Next Year

by Cal Skinner (Illinois Review)

The rate of inflation has been announced for the year 2008. The chart to the right tells the tale. (Click to enlarge.) The Consumer Price Index increased only 0.1%. That's not 1%. That's 1/10 of of 1%. Worse even that the 1.1% for the twelve months I reported in December in Tax District Officials Will Say, “Oh, Bleep!” When They Read This With school districts having grown used to 3% or so (4.1% last year) and many school districts having signed teacher packages in that range, even above, you can bet there will be some worried faces today. Oops. Lots of schools are closed today, so the consternation probably won't come until Monday. Tax districts can, of course, always go to the voters and ask permission to raise taxes. Below are the CPI's for used for the Property Tax Cap (PTELL is the acronym) since its institution. Remember that the years given are for the assessment year. Tax collections based on these years are one year later. For example, the 2008 assessment year taxes for which the CPI was .01%, but has not been officially announced by the Illinois Revenue Department, will be collected this spring 1990 - 5.0 (5% Max, even thou CPI was 6.1%) 1991 - 3.1 1992 - 2.9 1993 - 2.7 (5% for Cook) 1994 - 2.7 1995 - 2.5 1996 - 3.3 1997 - 1.7 1998 - 1.6 1999 - 2.7 2000 - 3.4 2001 - 1.6 2002 - 2.4 2003 - 1.9 2004 - 3.3 2005 - 3.4 2006 - 2.5 2007 - 4.08 (rounded up to 4.1) In addition to this cost of living increase, local tax districts get money from any new construction which has occurred since the year before and assessment increases from any tax increment financing districts which are expiring. But McHenry County Supervisor of Assessments Donna Mayberry told township assessors last month that she expected negative multipliersthis coming year. Almost nothing for an inflationary increase from the Tax Cap and the assessment base going down. Now, that's a double whammy. Finally, with new construction way down, one might conclude tax districts are facing a triple whammy. There has been a move in the Illinois General Assembly to switch the measure of inflation from the CPI—to which taxpayers can relate—to a more friendly index. There are two out there that are more friendly to government-oriented folks. One measures the increase in the cost of government. (I don't know if the trillions being printed in Washington are included or just state and local government increases.) The other, the employment cost index, measures the cost of employees—salaries, health benefits, etc. On year I checked in the early 2000's would have allowed almost twice as high an increase under the employment cost index as it would have been under the CPI. Undoubtedly a strong effort will be made to change the inflation definition for the Real Estate Tax Cap. And, if you don't think so, read this articlefrom right before Christmas. Of course, Home Rule units like the City of Crystal Lake have other options. They are not constrained by the Tax Cap. Such municipalities could get raise their real estate tax rates or follow Crystal Lake's example. Under the leadership of Mayor Aaron Shepley, its council raised its ales tax rate by 75%. One wonders how orator C.L. McCormick (R-Vienna), a contemporary and from the same district as Paul Powell, would have waxed about the “tax eaters,” a term he coined about 1972. = = = = = The strikers are from Huntley School District 158. The city hall with the blue skies overhead is Crystal Lake's. Published first on McHenry County Blog.

No Shoes Being Thrown in Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - In her AIDS-scarred South African township, Sweetness Mzolisa leads a chorus of praise for George W. Bush that echoes to the deserts of Namibia, the hills of Rwanda and the villages of Ethiopia.

Like countless Africans, Mzolisa looks forward to Barack Obama becoming America's first black president Jan 20. But — like countless Africans — Mzolisa says she will always be grateful to Bush for his war on AIDS, which has helped to treat more than 2 million Africans, support 10 million more, and revitalize the global fight against the disease.

"It has done a lot for the people of South Africa, for the whole of the African continent," says Mzolisa, a feisty mother of seven. "It has changed so many people's lives, saved so many people's lives."

President Bush launched the $15 billion plan in 2003 to expand prevention, treatment and support programs in 15 hard-hit countries, 12 of them African, which account for more than half the world's estimated 33 million AIDS infections. The initiative tied in with a World Health Organization campaign to put 3 million people on AIDS drugs by 2005 — a goal it says was reached in 2007. Some critics, like rockers-turned-advocates Bono and Bob Geldof, have become admirers.

"The Bush regime has been divisive ... created bitterness — but not here in Africa. Here, his administration has saved millions of lives," Geldof wrote in Time Magazine as he accompanied Bush on an Africa trip last February.

"The administration and Bush himself deserve a lot more credit than they received for getting this job done," says Josh Ruxin, assistant professor of public health at Columbia University.

Desperately poor Rwanda, where Ruxin runs a health care project, now has more than 100 centers where people can receive AIDS testing, counseling and treatment, up from just two in 2002.

"I am heartbroken overall by the Bush administration," Ruxin said in a telephone interview. "But from my perch here in Rwanda, it is impossible to deny the results and achievements of PEPFAR. Many Rwandans were made Republicans because this was the first administration that has taken an interest and done something here."

U.S. ambassador Eric Bost brims with superlatives about the achievements of PEPFAR in South Africa, and believes Bush will be judged more kindly in history than on Jan. 21.

Dybul, a specialist in infectious diseases whose title is now U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, concurs.

"It's the largest international health initiative in history for a single disease," he says. "In any other circumstances, he (Bush) would be getting a Nobel prize."

BLAGO: 'I Will Fight To My Last Breath'...

Talking Circus Dogs

Politicians are like talking dogs in a circus: the fact that they existed was uncomonly interesting, but no sane person would actually believe what they said.

- - - Alan Furst, 'Dark Star'

Bleepin' FBI . . .

Rats! Foiled Again.

Warden! Warden!

Ready Another Cell For Another Illinois Governor

The FBI has apparently taken the Governor and his chief of staff into custody.

You know the rest. Blago seemed to think the vacant senate seat of Obama's is his personal chit. I think we now understand his and Durbin's "empathy" for Ryan and their support for a Bush pardon.

I can't help but remember 2002 when this joker was hailed by the Illinois left (teachers, unions, minorities, etc.) as the second coming. He even got nearly 55% of the vote! I'll bet you can't find 5 out of 10 of your friends that will admit to voting for him now.

Sound familiar?
Just remember - we've said all along - if you like Illinois you're going to LOVE Obama-Clinton.

Wet and Wild in Woodford

According to the Associated Press, the National Weather Service says this week's rainfall makes 2008 the wettest on record in central Illinois.

Meteorologist James Auten works at the weather service office in Lincoln. Illinois. He says rainfall on Tuesday pushed this year's rainfall to more than 51 inches. Auten says that beats the 1927 record of 50.8 inches.

These records have been kept since 1905.

Well, we warned you . . . the Illinois model taken national

Over and over again we have tried to say, since before Obama was the annointed Democrat, "If you like Illinois politics and economics, you'll love Clinton/Obama".

Illinois (never looked at nor analyzed by the press during the election cycle) has been the "beneficiary" of an Obamaesque scenario for years now. One party holds the house, senate, and governor's mansion (although the Governor prefers to reside in Chicago rather than our capital in Springfield).

President-elect Obama was this party's wonderkind. Illinois is bancrupt. Illinois has no budget approved. Illinois bonds have been in the toilet for years now. The state is jumping on the blame Bush bandwagon but it had nothing to do with Bush. This is a Democrat executive and legislature and they can't agree amongst themselves which special interests they want to support more.

So we have gridlock.

Did anyone else across the country actually get to know what we're dealing with in Illinois regarding our annointed - Obama, Durbin, Emmanual, Daley, Blago, Rezco, the Madigans, the Jacksons, the Jones, et. al.?

Well, guess what? The questions will arise now because the Illinoization of Washington has begun.

Enjoy. Consider it our gift to the Nation. No thanks necessary.

Ohhh, by the way . . . anyone interested in buying a state lottery . . . cheap? See our E-Bay listing.

ObamaLooey and QuickDraw McCain

"Hooold On Thar, ObamaLooey!"

Obama's New LapTop

Guest Commentary

Don't Be Tempted [John J. Pitney Jr.]

As we look to the next 2-4 years, we should keep in mind this passage from Nikos Kazantzakis, The Last Temptation of Christ: "A prophet is the one who, when everyone else despairs hopes. And when everyone else hopes, he despairs. You'll ask me why. It's because he has mastered the Great Secret: that the Wheel turns.”

Take Some Time Off - Vote!

In the state of Illinois employees are allowed up to two hours paid time off to vote. An employee must apply for leave prior to election day. The employer must permit a two-hour absence from work if the employee’s working hours begin less than two hours after polls open and less than two hours before polls close. (10 Ill. Comp. Stat. Sections 5/7-42 and 10 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/17-15)