Illinois

Governor’s Race Campaign Spending Could Buy Illinois This

Last update June 15, 2018Leave a Comment

Millions in campaign spending for the Illinois governor’s race is the reason this state is failing. Not that the money could bail us out of the state’s financial crisis even if we spent every penny. It won’t. At best, this money will buy high office in our debt-plagued, 200 year-old Land of Lincoln. Then it will be gone. We could have put the funds to much better use by spending on almost anything but political campaigns. Instead, state politics demands this entrance fee.

Illinois 200 Bicentennial Celebrates Years of Government Abuse

Last update May 3, 2018Leave a Comment

Preparing for the Illinois 200 Bicentennial, Governor Rauner cited our economic, academic, and political achievements. I’m sure if we look hard enough we can scrape up something to be proud of, but Illinois at 200 is a debt-ridden embarrassment that forces kids to compete with public worker retirements. Our political contributions are inertia, reckless spending, abusive government, and forcing taxpayers to support our politicians even after they are out of office and sit in prison. None of this is anything to be proud of, but we might feel some sense of pride when we finally summon the courage to leave this state.

Illinois Primary Candidates, This Is Why I Won’t Vote For You

Last update March 18, 20182 Comments

Illinois primary campaign hell began with a deluge of impossible to ignore cardboard leaflets in the mail and robocalls to my unlisted telephone number. GOP contenders are eager to grab our attention. They have that, but what they don’t have is my vote. Here are fourteen reasons they don’t deserve it.

Jeanne Ives Campaign Ad Deserves Credit for Conservative Honesty

Last update October 5, 2018Leave a Comment

Jeanne Ives' campaign is going to head-to-head with Governor Bruce Rauner in a typical Republican display of angry disunity over party values. We aren’t hearing much about either candidate’s plans to fix our destitute, devastated state. Instead, the big issue is who panders the hardest to Mike Madigan.

Illinois TRUST Act: There is Nothing Trustworthy in SB 31

Last update February 19, 2019Leave a Comment

Illinois and California share a lot of bad ideas. One is allowing their illegal residents to drive so they can easily get to work or school. Passing the Illinois driver’s license legislation was an enormous violation of the public trust even considering that the trust of taxpaying citizens is already a lost cause.

State Budget Crisis: Perfect Politics Creates Opportunity

Last update July 2, 2017Leave a Comment

Whoever said that politics is about solutions? Politics is about competition and conflict. It’s about grabbing as much power as you can. It has nothing to do with the right, wrong, or any other way. It’s about butting heads and coming out the winner.

Illinois Politicians Do Well, Chicago’s Poor Still Dying

Last update March 4, 2017Leave a Comment

Like many in Illinois with a job and money to lose, I am waiting for the hammer to fall. The state Senate’s failing “grand bargain” is a bad omen for those of us who have lived here a long time and know what it portends.