by: Diane Benjamin Unless Mike Madigan is successful at getting the question off the ballot, Term Limits will be up for vote in November. Some people say Term Limits are being pushed to get rid of Mike Madigan. That is probably true. I poll watched a Madigan precinct a few years ago. Unless he dies […]
by: Diane Benjamin Mike Madigan doesn’t want the Redistricting Constitutional amendment on the November ballot. In 2010, since a Democrat was elected governor, Democrats got to redraw the maps. They used gerrymandering to insured Democrats will completely control Illinois until 2020. It also insures that Republicans will represent huge areas making it difficult for them […]
by: Diane Benjamin “Tax the Rich” has been the mantra of Democrats for way too many years. It works for them because average people don’t understand economics. They fail to understand that “RICH” people employ other people. Average citizens also fail to understand that “RICH” people can live anywhere they want. If they are constantly […]
6/14/2013 by: Ben VanMetre Senior Budget and Tax Policy Analyst Illinois Policy Institute The Illinois General Assembly is gearing up for a special session to discuss pensions next week because of lawmakers’ reform inaction during the recent spring session, which resulted in back-to-back credit rating downgrades. The debate during session will likely be over which of two plans […]
Illinois` tipping point: Highest unemployment rate in Midwest CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) – It may be the most painful symptom of the economic illness that has put Chicago at a tipping point: our unemployment rate is the highest in the Midwest. It’s almost two percentage points higher than the national average. More than 600,000 are looking for […]
Fitch Ratings, one of three major ratings agencies, today lowered Illinois’ credit rating after lawmakers failed to enact a solution to fix the state’s nearly $100 billion pension shortfall. The firm said it would drop the Illinois rating from “A” to “A-.” Illinois already has the lowest rating in the nation. Lower ratings mean paying higher […]
By Tom Morrison – As a citizen of Illinois, I am tremendously grateful for the service provided by public sector employees. They have dedicated their careers to keeping us safe, educating our children and working to maintain the infrastructure we rely on as we go about our daily lives. Unfortunately, as House Speaker Michael Madigan […]
Chicago and downstate pols having been fighting over state money ever since the Windy City rose from the swamps along Lake Michigan. So regional funding squabbles are nothing new in the Illinois General Assembly. But to hear House Speaker Mike Madigan talk, one might think a bunch of downstate yokels are chowing down on feast […]
by Diane Benjamin The November 6th election brought America to historic lows. We are now a country divided by lies, deceit, corruption, and class envy. The President did a masterful job convincing 50% of the voters business is evil and the rich are only out for themselves. Electing him gets revenge. The “blame […]
2012 ELECTION OCTOBER 31, 2012 BY: JOHN DYSLIN While much of the election focus has been on the race for president, Illinois voters must not lose sight of the significance of the many races for State Representative and State Senator. In order for any change to begin in Illinois or for Illinois to even begin heading in the […]
October 26, 2012 – (Rockton, Illinois) – Early voters are flocking to county clerk’s offices across the state, but, sadly, most will be surprised when the first thing they encounter on their ballot is Illinois Constitution Amendment 49. The amendment purports to protect taxpayers from rash simple majority votes on state employee pension benefits by […]
The following language precedes the Constitutional Amendment on the ballot: The failure to vote this ballot may be the equivalent of a negative vote, because a convention may be called or the amendment shall become effective if approved by either three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the […]
Illinois amendment would eliminate constitutional protections CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A little-publicized amendment to the Illinois Constitution on this November’s ballot could have a big impact on the pensions and health care of state workers if Illinois voters approve it, a University of Illinois expert in legal policy says. According to John Kindt, a professor emeritus […]
Illinois Review posted a story this weekend about Madigan’s pension mess. It concentrated on the bill allowing people to work briefly for the state, then work for a union, then collect huge state pensions based on their work for other organizations instead of the state. Madigan, of course, wrote the bill to benefit an […]
See previous post: http://blnnews.com/2012/09/12/surprise-amendment-49-in-the-nov-ballot/ The amend is being promoted as: The Illinois Public Pension Amendment will appear on the November 6, 2012 ballot in Illinois as a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment. If passed, the measure would require a three-fifths approval by the General Assembly, city councils, and school districts that wish to increase the pension benefits […]
This is what the media thinks the country looks like. This is what Illinois really looks like. Gov Quinn won 3 counties out of 101. That’s not a BLUE state. The only reason he won is because less than 40% of downstate voters voted! If 8% more people outside of Cook County […]
by Diane Benjamin Democrats control the Illinois House Democrats control the Illinois Senate The Governor if a Democrat . . . and they have been in the majority for a long time. But they can’t pass anything to fix the fiscal mess in Illinois because Republicans aren’t helping. Sure. In other words, the Republicans haven’t […]
by Diane Benjamin You are now SLAVES to the public sector unions in Illinois. How does it feel to be bought and paid for? You can’t fund pensions and you can’t change benefits – the union leaders will call out their thugs. The phones in Springfield will overload when the union heads tell their people […]
Progressive income tax: Brought to you by Illinois unions 8/21/2012 by Paul Kersey Director of Labor Policy Illinois Policy Institute A coalition of progressive groups is beginning to coalesce around a proposal to create a progressive income tax in Illinois. Under their plan state income tax rates will increase as one reaches higher incomes, up […]
by Diane Benjamin So, Lisa Madigan can refuse to defend a law passed by both Houses in Springfield and signed by the Governor that: Marriage is between a man and a women. Ron Dozier refuses to prosecute otherwise law abiding citizens because they have a gun since the US Supreme Court ruled citizens have a right to […]
by Diane Benjamin We are finally able to release this report. Acorn like groups are suing people trying to insure election integrity, so we had to make sure it wasn’t going to happen to us. Even though the story doesn’t mention it, all the volunteers were members of the TEA Party. This video is a […]
I spoke this morning to the Attorney General’s Office (7/30/12). Bloomington is responding to Request For Review today. The Attorney General will forward a copy of the response to me when they receive it. by Diane Benjamin I thought the Pantagraph was going to file – Pantagraph?
by Diane Benjamin Once again the Republican Party in Illinois shows ZERO leadership ability. The final session of the legislature was a circus created by Mike Madigan to pass whatever legislation he approved of, a lot of it created to benefit his law clients. See http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-madigan-medicaid-20120602,0,824489,full.story What did the Republicans do? Walk out? Refuse to […]
