The revelation of alleged corruption could deal another blow to public confidence in Cook County’s property tax system, just as tax bills are supposed to be hitting mailboxes. The bills already might be delayed because of “major errors” in a $250 million-a-year program that offers a tax break to certain seniors.
In an explosive audit, retiring Inspector General Joe Ferguson has concluded: “The ward superintendent title does not meet the legal requirements for a Shakman-exempt designation and, therefore, should be subject to the standards and procedures, as well as political factor prohibitions, generally applicable under the city’s hiring plan.”
The message from the White House, as Chicago Police Supt. David Brown put it, was, “We can start the investigative process both on tracing guns, but focus on gun trafficking.”
Londre Sylvester, also known as rapper KTS Dre, had just been released after being fitted for electronic monitoring and was walking to a waiting vehicle when several suspects ambushed him. He suffered as many as 64 bullet wounds.
The latest development comes a little over four years since the city and the Chicago police rank-and-file union, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, have had a labor contract. Amid a federal consent decree, the FOP and the city have been divided on police disciplinary issues.
Another new law makes it illegal to import into Illinois, with the intent of selling, any body parts or products made from a long list of endangered and exotic species. Under House Bill 395, the list of animals whose parts or products are banned from being imported is expanded to include cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, great apes, hippopotami, jaguars, leopards, lions, monk seals, narwhals, pangolins, rays or sharks, rhinos, sea turtles, tigers, walruses, whales or any other species listed in the Convention on International Trade or listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police President, Hazel Crest Police Chief Mitchell Davis said law enforcement are taking guns off the streets. But, that’s just one part of the equation. “Collaboratively we can come together and try to come up with some systems and some ideas that everybody can help have input on and that can help us stem this tide of violence. It is truly out of control at this point.”
State Rep. Adam Niemerg has legislation at the statehouse to prohibit mask mandates in schools. He said if parents don’t like the mask mandate, they need to hold their local elected officials accountable.
Illinois has a reputation for making business harder than it needs to be for entrepreneurs, even though small businesses create 69% of net jobs in the state. Hayli’s law ensures children under 16 can run a lemonade stand without a permit or license.
“The greatest shortfall, the greatest area we are addressing is this Chicago commercial undervaluation, especially on the bigger properties relative to the smaller ones,” Kaegi said.
“In an editorial last week, we turned the focus away from the endless policy debates that nibble at answers, and instead cast a spotlight on a group that rarely gets discussed in the dialogue over violence — parents…Readers responded with a variety of viewpoints.”
Some cases are being pleaded out or dismissed altogether. States Attorney Kim Fox’s office said that they are concentrating on violent crime to get through the backlog.
In Illinois, the population loss has accelerated for seven straight years due primarily to a lack of housing and employment opportunities, as well as high taxes.
“These politicians won’t be satisfied until every successful hardworking person is unemployed and has to come to them for money, in exchange for the implied requirement of voting for them.”
Take Casten up on his claim that he believes content of character, not race, should be the test. What’s the content of his character?
At OpenNewTrier, we’re in full support of returning to normalcy when New Trier High School opens its doors again in August. And that means no mask mandates, no saliva testing, no tracking of students and no singling out of the unvaccinated.
Biden has never called for defunding the police and is proposing sending more federal funds to cities for law enforcement.
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