-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
Gov. JB Pritzker will depart Tampico for Tampa later this month after his keynoteship at a Florida Democrats gala was announced. Observers might see the Hyatt Hotels heir’s trip as a means of “provoking” likely 2024 Republican presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The program was launched in March initially for qualified people ages 55 to 64. Now, those 42 and up are included as part of Medicaid omnibus legislation this spring that Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law in May.
“Equity is essential to address Chicago’s structural racism, poverty, depopulation and health disparities. Resiliency is essential for individuals and groups to survive, adapt and rebound in the face of chronic stresses and acute shocks like climate change and pandemics,” We Will Chicago says.
This ‘Plan of Corrective Action’ was months in the making, pushed by the community and signed by CVS and the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. The store needs cameras and a security guard is required to observe and report criminal activity as well as show up in court if there’s an arrest – something organizers say was not happening before.
There have been at least 3,491,407 total COVID cases in the state since the start of the pandemic and, at least 34,244 related deaths.
Officials point out that hotel occupancy rates are on the rise, especially in Chicago. “It was 78% hotel occupancy last week, compared to 66% for that same week in 2019,” said Michael Jacobson, CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association. “That is the first time that has happened since the beginning of COVID-19.”
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said taxpayers just need to sit back. “Most people have already filed their income tax returns and so if you did and whether you had to pay or you got money back, it doesn’t matter, everyone will be getting a tax rebate.”
More sheriffs across the state are expected to sign on to a challenge against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration over criminal defendants deemed unfit for trial not being transferred from county jails and evaluated by the state in a timely manner. In addition, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services continues to get negative attention for how children under their watch are treated.
Strong jobs growth at the national level is good for Illinois, because its labor market remains one of the least recovered in the nation. As of May, the state was still missing more than 136,000 jobs compared to early 2020 levels. Illinois’ unemployment rate of 4.6% was among the highest in the nation.
The program has gotten more than $1 million in funding from USDA. So far, around 2,500 kids are getting fed. The program is currently in the pilot phase, and the Obama Foundation plans to extend it into the fall, perhaps targeting organizations that do fall after-school programming.
The presidential case for Pritzker seems to have found an audience.
A quick glance at the map shows Pritzker should be anything but proud. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, 33 states, including most of Illinois’ neighbor states, have made long-term changes to help grow their economies. They’ve implemented permanent, pro-growth reforms and tax relief for their residents and businesses.
The man said he was driving at 31st and South DuSable Lake Shore Drive Wednesday “when he observed what appeared to be a white Honda HRV which was stolen from him,” police said in a statement. The man followed the car and someone inside began shooting at him.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker appointed Megha Lakhchaura to that role at a salary of $180,000 annually. She’ll lead the state’s push to put 1 million EVs on the roads by 2030 through a number of incentives and the rollout of expanded charging infrastructure.
Chief of Staff Jen Johnson also claimed efforts to get more students vaccinated are lacking at some schools. “We’re particularly concerned because we’re seeing this new variant be highly transmissible. So it’s a moment to really make sure all the processes and systems in place are as strong and robust as possible at as many school sites as possible.”
Casey Szaflarski concluded her post with, “You have divided and separated and ripped away the city more then ever in the history of Chicago!”
Among other elements, the plan “must prioritize the closure of fossil-fueled electric generating units near environmental justice communities and identify attractive renewable areas for resource development, incorporating the importance of equity in land use,” the commission said.
Its 10-year framework calls for improving the lives of Chicago residents — especially those dealing with inequities in health, economic stability, neighborhood livability and other systemic issues. It’s the first plan to acknowledge the impact of racist, discriminatory and predatory policies of previous plans, policies and private-sector practices.
“If the city wants to close down all the bars and give them to criminals, that’s the wrong way to go,” said Sam Sanchez, of the Illinois Restaurant Association. “We need to pay more attention to the corners.” Sanchez said River North streets have become “hot spots” for drug activity, leading to violent turf wars.
CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. acknowledged transit service has dipped to “unacceptable” levels during the pandemic. “I understand that … to financially meet our needs, our ridership has to come back. Our ridership will not come back if service is not reliable and it’s something they can understand and depend on.”
Middle school teacher Michelle Anderson said that there are days she will have 60 students in her classroom because there is no other option. “Either I teach them, or they are on social media because there is no one else,” explained Anderson.
Several companies want to install wind farms in the area, and have already begun reaching out to farmers. Tim Stock, of the Macon County Farm Bureau, said leasing land for wind turbines can be lucrative for farmers, but there are downsides. “You’re taking farm ground out of production, which we hate to see, because you can’t produce more farm ground…But there is a financial benefit to them as well, so they have to weigh the pros and cons.”
Attorneys for the government Thursday said that while the ballpark renovations “significantly enhanced the gameday experience for many fans, (the Cubs) removed the best wheelchair seating in the stadium, failed to incorporate wheelchair seating into new premium clubs and group seating areas … and failed to remove architectural barriers to access in unaltered portions of Wrigley Field where it was readily achievable to do so.”
One of the grantees is Heaven’s View Community Development Corporation, a faith-based organization located in Peoria. Board Vice President and Pastor Clifford Parks says the south side of Peoria has seen higher instances of drug-related arrests and longer prison sentences. “You remove someone from a home – a parent from their home for that period of time – you see a disintegration of the family, a disintegration of the community.”
P.S. Sriraj, director of the Urban Transportation Center at the University of Illinois Chicago, explained, “There was a very perceptible, very slight drop in ridership every year and the pandemic took the bottom out of that and made the ridership fall to precipitous lows. Even without the pandemic, ridership would have slowly eroded, but the pandemic accelerated that erosion.”
In June, Choose Chicago said the city had 30.7 million domestic and international visitors in 2021, an 86% increase from 2020. But the 2021 total is still half what Chicago was seeing before the pandemic.
To all those Illinoisans who opposed the progressive tax back in 2020: you’re being proven more right every day. This year alone, four states decided to transition their individual state income tax from progressive to flat.
Ted was on with Dan and Amy to talk about Governor Pritzker’s 31 consecutive emergency orders and how they allow him to manage the state via executive fiat, as well as the potential future of Pritzker becoming vice-president of the U.S. because of his championing of radical progressive policies.
SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER