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Letters to the Editor and Commentary

Capitol Fax

Rich Miller’s Commentary on State Government

Redistricting is a time for stock-taking; for looking back and looking ahead.

State legislators who’ve been around a while are suddenly faced with the often stark reality of signing on for another ten years. They add a decade to their current age and wonder if they want to be in the game that much longer.

Some decide to stick with it for just one more election so they can make extra sure their party holds their seat.

Some decide to retire right away, figuring their party has drawn the map solidly enough to ensure a suitable replacement.

Legislators in the minority party are far more likely to be mapped in with fellow party members and then discover that they don’t want to face the prospect of running in a primary, so they retire.

Others decide to use the opportunity to move up the political ladder. The congressional districts were redrawn, which gave state Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) a possible opening. He took it.

If history is any guide, we’re likely to see a raft of retirement announcements in the next few days, weeks, months and even years.

The numbers so far have been impressive. Republican Sen. Larry Bomke and GOP Reps. David Winters and Franco Coladipietro have already announced that they aren’t running again. Democratic Rep. Dan Reitz resigned last month and was replaced by Congressman Jerry Costello’s son, Jerry Costello, II. Some didn’t even wait for the new map to be finished, like Sens. Rickey Hendon, Brad Burzynski, Dale Risinger, Lou Viverito and Gary Dahl. The rumor mill is ablaze with speculation about other impending retirements, resignations and people moving up the ladder.

There are those who think that the players never change in Springfield. Not true. And the remap years are a major reason people move on.

I started writing about Illinois politics in 1990. Not a single incumbent state Senator from that year is still serving today. Senate President John Cullerton was around, but he was in the House in 1990.

And while Michael Madigan was elected House Speaker before I was legally able to drink alcohol, only a small handful of House members from 1990 are still around. Madigan started out in 1971. House Majority Leader Barb Currie’s first year was 1979. Rep. David Harris started in 1983, but was beaten in 1992 and then came back this year. Reps. Mary Flowers and Ron Stephens were sworn into office in 1985 and Rep. Lou Lang and Monique Davis came along two years later. Rep. David Leitch was first appointed to the Senate in 1986 and started his House service in 1989. That’s just eight people out of 118 seats - or less than 7 percent.

Donne Trotter (1988), Jeff Schoenberg (1990) and, of course, Cullerton (1979) were also in the House back in 1990, but they’re now in the Senate.

The point is, I’m never truly surprised when a legislator announces his or her retirement. But despite all that history, I was a bit taken aback when Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) announced last month that she wouldn’t run again.

Garrett, who turned 61 last February, is one of those people you figure would never go away. Although she represents the tony North Shore, she seemed to thrive on the bare-knuckled aspect of day-to-day politics.

But Garrett said last month that she came to the conclusion that she “didn’t want to be a career politician.”

I was also a little shocked when Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Greenville) abruptly resigned last week. Except for two years in exile when he lost his seat in 1990 and won it back when the Republicans gave him a new district in the 1991 remap, Stephens has been around for what seems like forever.

The Democrats mapped Stephens into the same district as Rep. John Cavaletto (R-Salem). Stephens, however, could’ve moved into a neighboring, GOP district and likely have run opposed.

Then again, the economy is not all that conducive to selling real estate these days - a problem which is weighing far more heavily on Republican incumbents than ever before during past remap games.

Despite the perception, legislators as a group are not wealthy people. Most are facing the same problems as everyone else. Many of their homes are practically unsellable in the current economy or are “underwater,” or both. Purchasing or renting another home in a new district is simply not an option for many pols these days.

The bottom line is change is coming. Or, at least lots of new faces.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and thecapitolfaxblog.com.

Quinn’s 87% Tollway Hike is Another Flip-Flop

From the Illinois Republican Party

Guv claims rising costs but tollway officials are trying to turn increase into an Illinois ‘Stimulus’ Program

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady said that news reports Governor Pat Quinn revealed on Friday that he supports an 87% increase in tolls on Illinois tollways after he once called for an eventual elimination of tolls is yet an another example of a ‘flip-flop’ by Quinn.

In 1994, Quinn, who was serving as State Treasurer and campaigning (unsuccessfully) for Illinois Secretary of State called for setting a final date for all Illinois tollways to become freeways.

“The former reformer, Pat Quinn, continues to campaign against his former self,” said Brady. “Not only is this another example of Governor Quinn burying bad news from citizens on a Friday but it shows that you can’t really expect Governor Quinn to take a stand on an issue and then keep it.”

Brady also noted that Quinn’s public justification for the toll hikes is that “there are higher costs to maintain our roads and tollways” but that is not the justification given for the huge increase by Quinn’s own appointed tollway officials who say the $12 billion program is more about “job creation and economic development” than it is about maintaining existing tollways.

“It sounds like Governor Quinn is really trying to create his own ‘stimulus program’ using money from already overtaxed Illinois residents and business owners who are just trying to drive to work,” said Brady. “We’ve seen how the Obama Stimulus program has drained our Federal treasury and job loss has still increased. Raising taxes or tolls this high doesn’t create jobs or grow the economy; it has the exact opposite effect.”

In January, Quinn signed into law a 66% increase in the state’s income tax rate, after having pledged in his election campaign last year to veto an increase that high. Other Quinn flip-flops include broken promises on spending more time in Springfield and continuing to praise Rod Blagojevich despite mounting public allegations against him that would later lead to his arrest and subsequent conviction.

“I guess Governor Quinn has also relaxed the dress code in his office to allow flip-flops,” Brady joked.

A Helpful ‘Harness’

If you are near Rochelle on a clear day, there is a good chance you will see skydivers in the air. My good friend –and CASA’s- gave herself the sky dive experience on her 80th birthday and is ready to go again. This new-to-Rochelle business has had many considering it.

I think I would do fine with the parachute and the landing, but the exit from the plane and the free fall make me nervous, even though I would be harnessed with an experienced diver who would control the parachute. I get to decide if I want to face my fear or not.

This made me think of fears that some children HAVE to face: Will I get fed today? Will I get teased at school for wearing the same dirty clothes again? Will one of my parents hit me today? Where would I go if mom and dad weren’t here?

Neglect and abuse can occur when a parent or other significant adult suffers severe mental stress. Economic stresses can aggravate neglect and abuse. New cases of each are brought to the Court system, even as other cases are resolved.

Some children are removed from the home they know. They have a case worker who explains what is happening. They are told that a judge will decide what is best for them. Some of these children also have a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) who explains the court process to them, a person who checks on them regularly, a person who talks to the important people in their lives, a person who shares their opinions with the judge. This volunteer is “harnessed” with the child, serves as a companion on the free fall and the parachute ride to a soft landing: a stable and secure home.

If you would like to make a difference in the life of a child, please consider volunteering as an advocate. Training sessions for Carroll, Lee, and Ogle County CASA will start in mid-September. Please call Vanessa White at for more information and an application.

Judy Truckenbrod

CASA Board of Directors

Pie in the Face for Private Business

Private businesses that pay all the taxes are lost in the shuffle. We need more pie makers and less pie eaters.

The news tells about the pay and benefit increases for government employees. Big government keeps getting bigger. I deal with a lot of private entrepreneurs, and business is down. I talked to a trucker from Lanark. He has not gotten a pay raise in five years. I talked to a mason contractor that has dropped their rate $5 per hour. I talked to a landscaper and this year he is doing only small jobs.

It is simple math. Government grows and taxable income goes down in the private sector, so the result is that rates and fees must go up. That just puts more pressure on business and makes it that much harder to survive. Illinois raised its income tax rate 67% as well as the corporate tax rate, and they wonder why many business are running to Texas - they have no state tax. There, the state legislature only meets every other year for 140 days and then have to go home and live under the laws they pass.

As you can see spending cuts are a misnomer. When President Obama talks cuts, he and many politicians are talking about a slowdown in the increase. President Obama’s 10 year budget predicts a $9 trillion spending increase. He said he will implement $3 trillion of real spending cuts. Ta Da! It is still a $6 trillion increase! (Source: Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY).

We must make cuts across the board. A few facts for thought: 42 cents of every tax dollar goes to pay the interest on our $14.6 Trillion debt. Our debt is 94% of the GDP/ Gross domestic product. Obama’s job stimulus cost $278,000 per job (Source: White House Council of Economic Advisors).

The Tea Party conservatives are the only ones that have come up with a plan to get our budget back on track. The President never put his budget in writing so the CBO could analyze it.

Bill Dietz

Lena, IL

No Subsidized Abortions

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced a new and onerous mandate which will force all health insurance policies to pay for free contraception without co-pays or co-insurance, including every “birth control” drug or device approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

This means that every health insurance plan will be required to cover “emergency contraceptives” or “morning-after pills” such as Plan B. These abortifacient drugs act to break down the lining of the uterus so that it is either unreceptive to implantation by a fertilized ovum or unable to sustain an implanted embryo – killing a newly conceived human being.

The primary purpose of contraception is not to treat any disease or illness, but to prevent the creation of human life. Why should every American be forced to subsidize the destruction of human life through abortifacients especially when there is a more effective and surer way to avoid unwanted pregnancies – abstinence? Why should every American have to cover the cost of sexual risk taking or irresponsible behavior?

It is simply outrageous for the government to compel citizens to pay premiums to subsidize a practice many find morally objectionable.

Sincerely,

David E. Smith

Executive Director

Illinois Family Institute

Rockford TEA Party Condemns Biden’s Comments

The Rockford Tea Party is taking issue with comments by Vice President Joe Biden for calling Tea Party American “Terrorists.” Mr. Biden is using the most uncivilized form of rhetoric and hyperbole that will continue to force the debate between those in the Tea Party and those in the Democrat Party to more divisive and divided sides, that in the terms Joe Biden uses, make our differences unreconcilable. We call on the Vice President and the Democrat Party to stop using hateful rhetoric to describe Americans with whom he disagrees and who are acting in good faith and standing on their principal.

The sort of angry and hateful language our Vice President uses could even be construed by some fringe elements in our society to take matters into their own hands to stop what they may believe to be terrorists based upon the language the Vice President is using. Terrorists decapitate people, terrorists kill, murder, maim and torture people. Terrorists hijack airplanes. Terrorists commit suicide bombings where 1000’s of innocents have been murdered. To use this sort of rhetoric to describe Americans of good faith is unacceptable.

The Vice President of the United States should be above such hyperbole and should apologize to the 20 million Americans who call themselves a part of the Tea Party.

David Hale

Coordinator, RockfordTeaParty

www.rockfordteaparty.org

Capitol Report

By Jim Sacia, State Representative, 89th District

I receive many emails, letters, faxes and phone calls about the articles I write. Some thank me, some condemn me, and some suggest that I write about this or that subject. Accordingly, I receive volumes of information from you, the citizens I have the privilege and honor to serve.

Last week I was criticized by some for suggesting that the Governor was correct by preventing a pay raise to the state labor union. The suggestion, of course, was I was anti-union. No, not at all, my point, which was quite clear, is that during financial hard times we all “must give a little”.

Some information that I received from the Illinois Policy Institute reveals that the average compensation for an Illinois state government worker in 2008 was $69,500, for private sector workers it was $56,500. Over a forty year career, the average state worker will receive about 510 more paid vacation days than a private sector worker.

I’ve been on this planet for a while. I remember all too well when the tables were turned. Labor unions did much to equalize a discrepancy, but “whoa hoss”, we’re getting out of control.

My good friend Gordy Tormohlen shared some interesting information he had received from Dr. Timothy Nash at Northwood University (). “Based on data from the Tax Foundation and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), we have constructed a brief comparison of public policies in the states that had the “best” economic outlook in 2010 (Utah, Colorado, Arizona, South Dakota and Florida) with those that had the “worst” (New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Illinois and California). The findings are interesting and thought-provoking.

*Four out of the five “best” outlook states were right-to-work states while all five of the “worst” outlook states were union shop states.

*All of the “best” outlook states had the lowest minimum wage rate in the country while three of the five “worst” outlook states had among the highest minimum wage rates in the country.

*Personal, corporate, and inheritance taxes in the “best” outlook states are among the lowest in the country for four of the five states in this category and at a reasonable level in Arizona. The five states with the “worst” outlook are among the highest in said categories.

*Finally, the “best” outlook states realized a population growth total of roughly 2.3 million people from 1999-2008, while the “worst” outlook states saw their population decline by a total of just under 4.3 million over the same period.”

My friend Bob Nickels shared an article about Wisconsin private sector job growth for May and June of this year totaling over 12,900. Maybe Governor Walker isn’t all wrong.

As always, you can reach me, Sally or Barb at or e-mail us at . You can also visit my website at www.jimsacia.com. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.

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