Cook County: Incompetent Stroger Appointee Fired Over Million$ in Tax Discrepancies

October 6, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Chicago, Cook County, Cook County Board, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Illinois, Liberals, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

I did not vote for Toni Preckwinkle to become the Cook County Board President, but I have to say she has made a few tough decisions that one would not expect from a common Chicago Machine Democrat. In another one of those good moves, Preckwinkle sacked the Cook County Comptroller for her incompetent work with accounting for the county’s tax revenue among other failures.

Cook County Comptroller, Constance Kravitz, was another one of those oh, so wonderful appointees of the dismal Todd Stroger, the previous failure that sat in Preckwinkle’s chair. Kravitz was struggling to make ends meet at $165,000 tax dollars annually, so I can see why it was so hard for her to get her facts straight at work. It’s a lot of pressure to be living at such subsistence pay, you know?

Kravitz was at two strikes before Preckwikle lowered the boom. Not only had Kravitz badly bungled the accounting of tax revenue, being off by a whopping $90 million, but her reports detailing which county employees had taken their furlough days and which hadn’t were a complete mess.
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Confirm Your Property Tax Exemptions‏

October 2, 2011 | Filed Under Chicago, Cook County Board, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Property Taxes, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the office of Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Dan Patlak…

Within the next week, the Cook County Treasurer will be mailing you the second installment of your 2010 tax bills. The time period to appeal your 2010 assessment at the Assessor’s office or at the Board of Review has already expired. However, you should make sure that this bill includes the Exemptions to which you may be entitled. The most common Exemption is called the Homeowner Exemption. You must have lived in your home as of January 1st 2010 to qualify. To qualify for the Senior Exemption (which must be renewed each year) you must have lived in your home as of January 1, 2010 and you or another owner of the home must have been at least sixty-five years old during 2010. To see if you received these exemptions, look at the right side of the bill a little more than half way down where the exemptions are listed. Then look farther to the right to see what the dollar amount is that corresponds with the respective exemption. If the dollar amount is $0.00 and you think you qualify for the exemption, then you should bring your tax bill to the nearest Assessor’s satellite office located at each of the five Cook County Courthouses (except Maywood which is closed). Bring proof of your residency and age and they will issue you a new tax bill that reflects the discount for the exemption(s).
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One Illinois Guy Who Won’t Be At TeaCon 2011

September 30, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Capitalism, Chicago, Conservatives, Economy/Finances, Free Trade, GOP, Government, Illinois, Libertarian, Republicans, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, there is one local Illinois activist that apparently won’t be at this weekend’s TeaCon 2011, but not for want of trying. Bill Kelly, one-time candidate for Illinois Comptroller — he came in second, by the way — has told me that he’s been barred not only from getting media credentials for the event, but even from buying a ticket.

Kelly has a page on the Washington Times community section blogs and was told by the Times that he could get media creds representing them at TeaCon, but when he went to the event staff with his request TeaCon organizers denied his credentialing.

Kelly feels that people at WIND radio, one of the event co-hosts, put the kybosh on his credentials because of a recent dust up between Kelly and Senator Dick Durbin not to mention another dustup between Kelly and local TV reporter Jay Levine.
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Chicago: Union Members Collect Millions in Tax $$ With Sweetheart Pension Deal

September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Cook County, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Liberals, Pensions, Public Employees Unions, Taxes, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Now this is the sort of corruption we are used to seeing in Illinois, eh? This week the Chicago Tribune and WGN TV has found up to 23 retired union operatives that are collecting millions in taxpayer dollars because they had pals in government tweak the state’s pensions laws to favor them.

These former government workers that were government union members got pliant politicians to alter the pensions laws to say that their pension remuneration would be calculated not on the lower pay they received when they retired from government, but from the much higher salary they received when they worked as union operatives. These folks worked as union bosses at the same time as working on the clock for government.

The “luck” of former union boss and Dept. of Streets and Sanitation worker Thomas Villanova is a typical example. Villanova last worked full-time for the city in 1989 and made $40,000-a-year. But he was also a union big wig making $198,000 annually upon his retirement in 2008 at age 56. His city pension, it appears, was calculated on the union salary of $198,000 instead of his real salary of $40,000 — itself obviously a no-show job in the first place.

Villanova stands to make millions off the taxpayers.
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Cook Commissioners Refuse to Take Furlough Days?

September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Constitution, Cook County, Cook County Board, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Illinois, Liberals, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

News today had it that two Cook County Commissioners have refused to take the agreed upon furlough days as required by the 2011 budget, days meant to save the county money. Both William Beavers and Earlene Collins have both refused to take the 10 days off.

Collins claimed on Chicago’s WLS AM 89 radio that she shouldn’t have to suffer the indignities of the cut in salary that the days off would mean. She says her base pay has never risen since she was first elected to office and that she has already cut out much of her office allowances and other staffing funds so she should not have to take a cut in pay, too.

In fact, claims Collins, she’s already made cuts that amount to more than the some $9,000 that her 10 day furlough would add up to.
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Illinois Congressman Apologizes to Muslims for Being Discriminated Against

September 19, 2011 | Filed Under 9/11, al Qaeda, Anti-Americanism, Budget, Business, Chicago, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Illinois, Islam, Islamofascism, Liberals, Taxes, Terrorism, War on Terror, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Mike Quigley, the Democrat Congressman from the Chicago area’s 5th Congressional District thinks he needs to apologize for America. Why? Well, because we have been so darn evil towards Muslims and all, dontcha know? And why are we so mean to Muslims? It’s because Republicans want to cut the budget.

It looks like Quigley has taken a page out of President Obama’s world apology tour playbook by going back to his district to attend the American Islamic College Conference in Chicago where he felt compelled to apologize for America.

After a long winded wind up saying that the “war” we are experiencing between the diverging ideas about the economy is an “ideological war,” and it’s one that is causing us to somehow lash out against Muslims! Never mind that Muslims declared war on the U.S. long before the U.S. had any major economic troubles. He capped that surreal assessment with his grand apology…
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American Majority National Training Bomb- Chicago September 17, 2011‏

September 15, 2011 | Filed Under Chicago, Elections, GOP, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Republicans, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From American Majority-Illinois…

The day has finally come! We have officially opened our Illinois office, and now have a ground force here full time to engage on a local level. As you know, American Majority is a national non-profit and non-partisan political training institute whose mission is to train and equip passionate individuals and groups committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

My primary reason for reaching out to you today is to let you know about our National Training Bomb event taking place this Saturday, September 17,2011, in Chicago. We ask you to strongly encourage your readers to attend. Each training module that will be presented offers vital information that will equip attendees to become effectively active.

Thank you for your dedication to conservatism in Illinois. We believe real political change begins at the local level—and that freedom can be only effectively implemented on a national level if we work together as engaged citizens within our communities. Please visit our website http://www.trainingbomb.com/ and share it with your readers. You may contact us anytime. We have attached a flyer you are free to use for your blog. We cannot turn this country around without you!
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You Can Win a Chance to Meet Glenn Beck at TeaCon

September 15, 2011 | Filed Under Chicago, Democrats/Leftists, Glenn Beck, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Liberals, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the Chicago Tea Party…

TeaCon 2011, the Midwest Tea Party Convention is coming up soon on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1 in Schaumburg, IL. TeaCon will feature Glenn Beck, Andrew Breitbart, Dana Loesch, Steven Crowder, a day of engaging training and breakout sessions, a Presidential Straw Poll and much more. Tickets are going fast, so make sure to get yours now. Please use code “CHI” at checkout and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Chicago Tea Party.

We are also offering an exciting opportunity to attend an exclusive meet and greet with Glenn Beck at TeaCon. This is your chance to meet and talk with Glenn and have your picture taken with him. We have three different ways you can win:
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Illinois Policy Institute: That is SO Illinoying!‏

September 4, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois State Government, Liberals, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

From the Illinois Policy Institute…

Many of you are familiar with FOIA requests: they allow engaged citizens to request public documents. State requirements ensure governments provide these documents in a timely manner.

But on Friday, Gov. Quinn signed a bill that weakened these rules. Now, governments will be allowed to characterize citizens as “recurrent requesters.” If a citizen requests more than 15 documents in a month or 50 in a year, government entities no longer need to respond promptly.

This law punishes citizens who pay close attention. Instead of creating new obstacles for the very people who are most engaged in holding our government accountable, we should be celebrating their efforts.
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Local Ill. Library Board Wants ‘People Feeling Pain’ to Vote Tax Hikes for New Building

September 3, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Liberals, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Even left-wing Morton Grove, Illinois is feeling the pinch of Tea Party principles as new town library board members begin revealing the perfidy of past board members that violated the state’s open meetings laws where they were found to be scheming to fool the taxpayers into hiking taxes for unnecessary new library building projects and other wasteful spending.

You might remember back in 2008 that Morton Grove was one of the first towns in American history to ban the Second Amendment within its jurisdiction, an action that went counter to the Supreme Court’s Heller decision. But despite the law city fathers tried to violate the Constitutional rights of their citizens until the threat of lawsuits forced the city to reverse course.

Morton Grove’s left leaning city officials, though, kept at their agenda in other ways after the change to their handgun ban in 2008. During 2010 library board meetings, for instance, it appears Morton Grove library board members violated Illinois open meetings laws by holding closed door meetings called executive sessions that they did not properly record and/or did not conduct approved business.
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AFP: Help Advance Conservative Change

September 2, 2011 | Filed Under Americans For Prosperity, Anti-Americanism, Chicago, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Liberals, President, Republicans, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

‏From Americans for Prosperity – Illinois…

Are you frustrated with the direction our country is going in? Are you ready for real conservative change that will get our economy moving again?

Join Americans for Prosperity, United to Restore Freedom, and the Joliet Tea Party for a special “Candidate and Campaign Management” workshop on Saturday, September 10th at 9:00 a.m. conducted by the prestigious Leadership Institute.

The campaign and candidate workshop is designed to help develop potential candidates and community activists to run for office. The campaign and candidate workshop focuses on personal and political preparation to help advance a candidate or cause of your choice.
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Rep. Peter Roskam Starts Ball Rolling On Regulation Scale Back

September 1, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Capitalism, Chicago, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, EPA, Free Trade, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Jobs, Liberals, Peter Roskam, Policy, President, Regulation, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

I spent most of the day on Aug 30 sort of embeded with Congressman Peter Roskam, Republican of the Illinois 6th District and Chief Deputy Whip in Washington, as he toured his district talking to local businesses. The whirlwind tour of businesses in Roskam’s district — topped with a presser in downtown Chicago — was the precursor of Roskam’s next focus. Roskam wants to begin an assessment of the regulatory edifice in Washington D.C. with any eye toward making Washington more business friendly in this moribund, recessionary economy.

My chauffeur was Roskam communication director, the genial Dan Conston. He told me he was born and bred in Philly, but I assured him that I would not hold that against him. No matter that he is an Eagles fan, he knew his way around the area. Still I promised not to tattle on his driving… but I guess even saying that much is saying something!

Our first stop was Federal Signal Corporation located in Oak Brook. The folks at Federal Signal told Congressman Roskam that they were worried that new EPA rules on the engines they use in their street sweeper machines were threatening to shut down production lines and put workers out of work. And not just for them but the engines of similar styles in every industry that uses them are facing the same jobs-killing requirements.

The problem was all the “uncertainty” which is casting a pall over what Fed Sig’s Dennis Martin, President and CEO, was happy to say is a recent uptick in orders for their machines. Orders have been down for years, said Martin, but now older street sweepers are not only wearing out but are themselves long out of compliance with new EPA rules and new orders are now rolling in.
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Hultgren, Illinois Representatives, Call On Illinois Legislature To Enact Concealed-Carry Legislation

August 31, 2011 | Filed Under 2nd Amendment, Anti-Americanism, Chicago, Constitution, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Freedom, Government, Government, Corruption, Guns, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Law, Liberals, Liberty, Property Rights, Randy Hultgren, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the office of Rep. Randy Hultgren (Ill. 14th)…

Geneva, IL – U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today released the following statement regarding a letter he recently sent to Illinois leaders, including Governor Quinn, Attorney General Madigan, and legislative leaders from both parties, calling on them to join every other state in the nation and enact concealed-carry legislation.

“I was dismayed to learn that Illinois is now the only state in the nation that does not recognize its citizens’ Second Amendment right to concealed carry,” said Rep. Hultgren. “The Supreme Court has twice affirmed self-defense as a fundamental right in recent years, and it past time that Illinoisans enjoy that right as every other American does. I hope Governor Quinn and the legislature will pass concealed carry legislation in a timely manner so that Illinoisans can enjoy the legal right to protect themselves.”

In the letter, Hultgren detailed recent Supreme Court decisions from The District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and McDonald v. Chicago (2010). In the case from 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual’s right to possess a firearm. In the second case, from 2010, they ruled that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self defense in one’s home is fully applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
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Ill. Policy Institute: John Tillman Wins the Roe Award‏

August 28, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Government, Corruption, Government, Ill. County, Illinois, Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois State Government, Liberals, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the Illinois Policy Institute…

Last week in Seattle, I had the pleasure of watching John Tillman accept the Roe Award at the State Policy Networks’s annual meeting. The Roe Award pays tribute to those in the state public policy movement whose achievements have greatly advanced the free market philosophy.

The activities and impact recognized by the Roe Award were truly a team effort. That team is made up not only of our top-notch staff but also the donors who underwrite our work and the liberty leaders who champion the changes that will lead to a better Illinois.

That team includes you. Thank you for helping the Institute’s work take flight by reading our research, forwarding innovative ideas to friends and family and demanding that elected leaders embrace policies built upon liberty and respect for the individual.

Together, we can keep changing hearts, minds and laws.
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Chigo Tea Party: Tea Party Presidential Debate‏

August 27, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Conservatives, Economy/Finances, Florida, GOP, Government, Illinois, President, Republicans, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the Chicago Tea Party…

Chicago Tea Party Patriots Co-Sponsor first Tea Party Presidential Debate

The Tea Party Express is partnering with CNN for the first ever Tea Party Presidential debate. We’re honored to have been selected as a co-sponsor of the debate. This is a huge victory for the movement because before last year’s mid-term election victories no news network would have partnered with any tea party group to do anything like this. Two years ago, Kathy Barkulis challenged CNN reporter Susan Roesgen at the first Chicago Tax Day Tea Party and now CNN is partnering with the tea party. This shows how far the movement has come. The debate will be held on September 12, 2011 in Tampa, FL, the location of the 2012 Republican convention.
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Chicago’s Marilyn Monroe Stature: From the Windy City to the Tacky City

August 26, 2011 | Filed Under Art, Chicago, Cities, Entertainment, Hollywood, Illinois, Movies, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

I finally made it downtown to see the absurd Marilyn Monroe statue that sits in Pioneer Court, the public mall area next to Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue near the Chicago River. I have to say it is as tacky in person as it seems in photos. Moreso, maybe.

The paean to Marilyn Monroe’s famous sewer grate scene in the movie “The Seven Year Itch” went up in early July. It was created by New Jersey artist Seward Johnson and portrays Monroe as she stood above the sewer grate, dress flying in the air, face in that patented Monroe look of ecstasy.

To me, however, it resembles not so much a sculpture as it does a cheap kewpie doll-like, carnival prize. Unfortunately, it isn’t kewpie doll sized but is so big at 26-feet-tall that you can’t simply dismiss it as mere kitsch.
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Cook County GOP Chair Race

August 25, 2011 | Filed Under Chicago, Conservatives, Cook County, GOP, Government, Illinois, Republicans, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Lee Roupas is now the Retiring Cook County GOP Party Chairman and that means the race is on. It looks like we have at least three people with their hats thrown in the ring to succeed Roupas.

The most well known is Ruth O’Connell, currently a Republican committeeman of Wheeling Township as well as an elected Township Trustee not to mention the main power behind the Republicans of Wheeling Township.

Ruth has been a tireless organizer of the Wheeling area and has built a very active GOP organization. Due to her work, the Wheeling area has won a lot of weighted votes in the Cook County GOP organization. In fact, her township has the highest GOP weighted vote of any other township or ward in the county.
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Chicago Tea Party: See You In Iowa: Sarah Palin‏

August 25, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Conservatives, Economy/Finances, Elections, GOP, Illinois, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Society/Culture, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the Chicago Tea Party…

Free Road Trip: Restoring America Rally featuring Sarah Palin

The Palin’s “One Nation” bus tour seeking to highlight “our nation’s heart, history and founding principles.”

Palin said this about the rally, “Gatherings like this of independent liberty-loving Americans from every walk of life exemplify our commitment to come together to seek solutions to the problems confronting our nation…We don’t need a ‘fundamental transformation’ of America. We need a restoration of all that is good and strong and free. The 2012 election will be a great debate between those two conflicting visions for our country.”
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Cook County President Preckwinkle Townhall Meeting

August 23, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Congress, Cook County, Cook County Board, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Government, Corruption, Government, Ill. County, Illinois, Taxes, Toni Preckwinkle, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the office of Timothy O. Schneider, Cook County Commissioner…

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will be holding an online Town hall on August 23, 2011 at 7:15 p.m. The town hall will give the residents of Cook County a chance to “Tell Toni” their ideas on the Cook County Budget and engage directly with the President and her office on the important financial decisions that will be made in the coming weeks and months.

To lean more about this unique opportunity to learn more about what Cook County is doing for you, visit the online events page.

Residents throughout the County can participate in the Town Hall Meeting in a variety of ways:
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Truth in Accounting Summer Quarterly Round-up e-Newsletter‏

August 22, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Liberals, Taxes, Truth in Accounting, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the Institute for Truth in Accounting…

Truth in Accounting Identifies Five Sinkhole States

The lack of truth and transparency in state budgets have concealed $1 trillion of outstanding bills.

The Institute’s ‘Financial State of the States’ study reviewed each state’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report to determine the state’s true financial condition. This study included a detailed analysis of pension and retirees’ health care plans. The Institute took painstaking steps to determine the states’ share of each plans’ unfunded liability. By analyzing the assets each state has available and all of its bills, the Institute was able to determine a ‘Taxpayer’s Burden’ for all fifty states. Click here to download the full report.

The Institute’s extensive research found most states are sinking in debt, despite the existence of a balanced budget requirement in all but one state. The Institute identified the top five ‘Sinkhole’ states each with a per taxpayer burden of more than $23,000. These are Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois, Hawaii and Kentucky. Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska, Utah and South Dakota are considered ‘Sunshine’ states, because a per taxpayer’s surplus or minimal per taxpayer’s burden exists in these states.
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Union Thugs Deface Funereal Homes Over Union Fight

August 18, 2011 | Filed Under Business, Capitalism, Chicago, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Illinois, Jobs, Liberals, Teamsters, Unemployment, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Apparently unions don’t even respect the dead. In Chicago, union thugs are defacing funereal homes over a contract dispute. Yeah. Property damage. That sure is a legitimate way to go about business, isn’t it? Good thing some of the people in those businesses are already dead or they’d have something to fear from the union thugs, too.

Naturally, the perpetrators are the Teamsters, Local 727. No surprise that it’s the Teamsters, either. These thugs have a long, long history of violence.

The contract for 16 embalmers, drivers, and funeral directors ran out with the Alderwoods funeral home chain on June 30. Unsurprisingly, the businesses were defaced by the unionists.
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Palatine Tea Party: Thoughts from a Fellow Patriot

August 17, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

For the past weeks all we have been hearing about is the debt ceiling and the doomsday “Downgrade of our economy” and now the DINO’s (Democrats in Name Only) are blaming the TEA Party” and how much WE messed up the debt ceiling deal? Well… they came up with the deal and now we have been downgraded anyway. Lot of good it did us and while everyone was worried about that…how much else was going on behind the debt talks that the media did not tell us about. The latest one that made me scratch my head, President Obama’s bus tour. Paid for by taxpayers because it is a “jobs creation” tour not a “campaign tour.” What!!! REALLY??? When has this President stopped campaign since 2008? Are the Republicans going to let this happen and if so why?

First, lets identify who is sitting in DC, how long they have been there and their philosophical look at politics. We are all familiar with our feelings on RINOS (Republican In Name Only), the “old guard”. Well… we have the same thing on the left, DINOS (Democrats In Name Only) who are actually PROGRESSIVES. Where are the JFK Democrats? Many of the TEA Party, 912 Groups, Pachyderms, Campaign for Liberty etc…have a number of these Democrats in their groups that stand with the TEA Party on the basic issues that make us what we are, Bipartisan, and we stand and believe in Less Spending/Fiscal Responsibility, Smaller Government, Less Taxes, and the following of the Constitution.
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Reps. Kinzinger & Rush on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight‏

August 13, 2011 | Filed Under Adam Kinzinger, Budget, Chicago, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Liberals, Republicans, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the office of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (ILL, 11th)…

On Wednesday night, Congressman Adam Kinzinger joined Carol Marin and Congressman Bobby Rush on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight to discuss current unemployment rates, the debt ceiling vote and the Super Committee.

Excerpt:
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Dan Patlak Cook County Board Of Review Summer Update‏

August 12, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Chicago, Cook County, Cook County Board, Dan Patlak, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Corruption, Government, Ill. County, Illinois, Liberals, Property Taxes, Republicans, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

Our last update was in April, so I thought it wise to provide you another report on our progress and activities at the Board of Review since that time.

On August 1st the Board of Review concluded its 2010 tax year appeals, finishing two months earlier than last year. We did this despite adjudicating the second highest volume of property index numbers (387,000) in Board history. In addition, the Board had two new staffs of analysts, my own and Commissioner Cabonargi’s who were hired after his appointment in February.

I continue to fulfill my campaign pledge to be a full time commissioner, working every day side by side with my personal staff as well as the other staffs at the Board. In line with our plans for instituting a continuing education program at the Board, forty-two analysts attended a two and a half day class on residential assessments August second through fourth conducted by the Illinois Department of Revenue. Several analysts on my staff plan to take additional classes to receive their Certified Illinois Assessing Officer designation.
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Cook County Commish Tim Schneider: Time for a canoe ride‏

August 10, 2011 | Filed Under Chicago, Cook County, Cook County Board, Illinois State Government, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the office of Cook County Commissioner Timothy O Schneider…

Canoe On Busse Lake

Saturday August 27 from 10am – 1pm the Friends of Busse Woods will be hosting a canoeing outing within Busse Lake. This event is open to anybody who would like to participate. The canoes can be rented from the Boat Rental Facility within Busse Woods and are $30 for the day. The route will take canoers north of Higgins Rd into the nature preserve where multiple types of birds including cormorants and great blue herons can be seen. You are welcome to show up the day of, but if you are planning on coming please RSVP.

RSVP to bussewoodsvolunteer@gmail.com.

Visit their website to learn more http://www.bussewoods.net/

Brookfield Zoo

On August 19th, join the Brookfield Zoo staff for A Night in the Wild. Take a ride on the motor safari, and then enjoy dinner under the stars. Learn more here.
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Tea Party-Haters Attack Chgo Business For Event Countering Obama B-Day Bash

August 4, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Chicago, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Jobs, Liberals, President, Republicans, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston, William J. Kelly | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

William J. Kelly of Chicago organized an event at a business across the street and about a block down from the venue where President Obama held his birthday bash/fundraiser. Naturally Chicago’s anti-Tea Party set were furious at the business and used threats and intimidation to stop Kelly’s event.

Kelly called the event “Jobs Bash 2011,” and intended to highlight the fact that, while America was losing jobs by the millions, Obama cared more about keeping his own job than he was in helping Americans keep theirs by holding a high dollar donor event in the Windy City only days after signing a bill to put all Americans further in debt.

Of course, we were told during the eight years of the Bush administration that protest was the very essence of patriotism, but since Obama was elected the left has suddenly been all upset at anyone that wants to “speak truth to power.” This was seen by the good folks at Chicago’s Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, one of the city’s best sports for jazz music, when the lefty haters came out of the woodwork to complain that the lounge was to host Mr. Kelly’s event.
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Jobs Bash 2011 Announced Across The Street from Obama’s Chicago Birthday Party

August 2, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Chicago, Congress, Cook County, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, President, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

Activists Plan to Counter Obama’s Re-Election Fundraiser in Chicago

WHAT:President Obama plans to celebrate his big 50th birthday this Wednesday at the historic Aragon ballroom on Chicago’s north side with additional satellite fundraisers being held around the country. But the President may be in for another unexpected surprise: A “Jobs Bash” just steps away from the upscale fete in his honor.
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Illinois Budget Deficit: Worst of the Worst

August 1, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Dan Rutherford, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Ethics, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Liberals, Nanny State, Pat Brady, Pat Quinn, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Tom Cross, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois ended 2010 as the most indebted state in the union. Sadly, not a thing has been done so far in 2011 to make it better. Instead, it will get worse.

As State House News reports, the state rings in at number 50 in the nation’s most broke states.

Illinois owed $37.9 billion more than all of its assets combined, including cash, investments and property, as of July 1, 2010, according to a recent statewide financial audit by the Illinois Auditor General William Holland and Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka.

So far and just like the states unpaid vendors, even taxpayers expecting refunds got stiffed because the state somehow forgot to put $1.4 billion in the refund fund for taxpayers that overpaid their taxes. Now those awaiting refunds will have to wait.
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A Few Things Illinois Needs to know about the Debt Crisis

July 31, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Chicago, Democrats/Leftists, Fox Business Network, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Liberals, President, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

The debt crisis is a national disaster, of course. But Illinois will likely be affected worse than many other states. For one thing, Illinois is the most broke state in the union and will be affected more immediately by the mess that is our national economy than any other state. But, as Fox Business network’s Ashley Webster reports, there are five things that Illinoisans need to know about how the crisis will affect them.

Webster will be doing a special report on Fox Business Network on Monday, August 1 at 5AM, talking about how the debt crisis will affect Illinois, but I had a nice exchange with him and he gave me a little sneak peek at his report.

Webster told me several important points that the debt crisis means for Illinois.
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Midwest Tea Party Convention: Beck, Breitbart and You‏

July 6, 2011 | Filed Under Chicago, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Liberals, President, Republicans, Senate, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the Chicago Tea Party…

TEACON 2011: Midwest Tea Party Convention in the Chicago Area

Is the Tea Party Movement united and ready to influence the 2012 election? The Chicago Tea Party is very proud to be hosting an event to help educate, engage and energize tea party members from across the Midwest to prepare for 2012. We are hosting a two-day Midwest Tea Party Convention, TEACON 2011, September 30 – October 1, 2011 in Schaumburg, IL. This will be the largest tea party event in the country this fall. TEACON will feature great speakers, valuable training and interactive breakout sessions for tea party activists, conservatives, libertarians and Americans who want to make a difference in 2012.

You can learn more about the event and purchase your tickets for TEACON 2011 at www.teaconmidwest.com. The fun begins Friday night.

Andrew Breitbart, author of Righteous Indignation and publisher of BigGovernment, BigJournalism, BigPeace, BigHollywood and Breitbart.com, will take a break from saving the world to be part of our kickoff reception on Friday night. You’ll have a chance to meet Andrew during the reception in addition to hearing him speak. Conservative comedian and Fox News Contributor Steven Crowder will provide the entertainment for the evening.
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