-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
“Eventually, if the dreams of environmentally conscious planners and drivers come true, EVs will constitute a major portion if not almost the entire complement of vehicles on the road, and when that happens, the $100 a year they’re now paying for road construction and upkeep won’t be nearly enough.”
Edelson PC law firm founder Jay Edelson’s letter to Harvard reads, in part, “Our firm does not typically comment on statements made, or positions taken, by those in our network. Nonetheless, when certain boundaries of morality and ethics are transgressed, silence is not an option. It must be unequivocally clear that calls for the genocide of any group—be it on the basis of religion, race, gender, disability, or sexual orientation—are indefensible and contrary to the values we uphold.”
The Workers’ Rights Amendment added Section 25 to the Illinois Constitution, guaranteeing the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively while preventing laws from being passed that interfere with, negate, or diminish that right. Among all ballots cast, the vote was 53% yes and 38% no, with 9% not voting.
Michigan, California, New York and Illinois have all passed legislation that consolidates authority over land use issues and rules with state-level bureaucrats at the expense of local governments that could have altered their own zoning codes to stem the tide of industrial green projects like solar and wind farms.
Plagued by a high vacancy rate of investigators, the Department of Children and Family Services has repeatedly come under sharp criticism for failing to intercede to protect children at risk. In this case, DCFS did not act to remove 8-year-old Navin Jones from his parents’ care. Navin weighed just 30 pounds before he died from severe malnutrition and abuse in 2022.
Thornton Township Trustee Chris Gonzalez says the board was never consulted about the billboards, which he says needed their approval. “Some of the first things that popped into my mind are, what are we doing? This isn’t a big sale. We’re not selling cars here. If it’s informational, then it should be informational.”
Janice Jackson, a graduate and former CEO of Chicago Public Schools: “Enrollment is down by about 100,000 students since 2000, primarily due to lower birth rates, the mass exodus of Black families on the South and West sides, and declining immigration. And the district is projecting a $670 million deficit next year as federal COVID funds run out. To meet these challenges, the school system should do everything possible to improve student outcomes, keep families in the system and attract them back.”
Jurors heard from 38 witnesses over 16 days of testimony as the feds tried to prove former Ald. Ed Burke guilty of racketeering, bribery and extortion. He is accused of using his seat on the City Council to steer business to his private law firm amid schemes that involved Chicago’s massive Old Post Office, a Burger King near 41st Street and Pulaski Road, and a Binny’s Beverage Depot on the Northwest Side.
At least six children have been taken to the hospital from the shelter since Sunday, including the 5-year-old who died Sunday. Mayor Brandon Johnson claimed it isn’t a question of how the city’s shelters are run, but instead blamed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. “They’re just dropping off people anywhere. Do you understand how raggedy and how evil that is? You’re just going to put people on a bus, and just take them somewhere and drop them off in the middle of the night? It’s sickening.”
Illinois home builder Dean Graven compared the process to one wanting to build a jacuzzi. “To me, it’s like, do you want a hot tub in your bathroom. It is an addition to a house cost that the consumer drives. They will pay for it if they need it. If they do not, they will walk away from it.”
The law will withhold state funding from libraries that remove books because of questionable material or personal disapproval. Public libraries must adopt the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights, which holds that “materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation,” or subscribe to a similar pledge.
Judicial Watch, Illinois Family Action and an Illinois resident say the state must clear the rolls of inactive voters who have remained on the rolls in violation of the National Voter Registration Act. Judicial Watch estimates there may be as many as 800,000 inactive voters who should be removed. This is about 10% of the about 8.1 million registered voters in Illinois.
Ted Dabrowski of Wirepoints said the plan needs to do more. “I do not see anything about improved policing. I don’t see any calls for improved prosecutions, tougher sentencing. I don’t see any of that,” Dabrowski said. “(Mayor Brandon Johnson) ignores all of that.”
The City of East St. Louis facing a severe financial crisis that could result in layoffs and payless paydays. It could also force the city to slash some services. The crisis was brought on by the city’s failure to keep up with payments to the East St. Louis police and firefighters pension funds. Now the city is on the hook for more than $7 million in past-due payments.
“Chicago city leaders have for too long prioritized pet projects such as the guaranteed-income pilot program over addressing the root causes of poverty…Instead of working to lower taxes and improve hiring, Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson placed a real-estate-transfer-tax hike — a tax hike on businesses — onto the March city ballot this fall. He also approved costly anti-business measures eliminating the subminimum wage for restaurant servers and expanding mandatory paid sick leave.”
Public transit figured heavily into legislation passed by the General Assembly this year, including HB 1342, which expanded reduced-far service, requires transit agencies to purchase zero-emission busses, and provides free transit to victims of domestic violence, among other changes.
“Really where Illinois seems to be struggling is in their entrepreneurship and growth areas which regards basically regulation, taxes and a dynamic business environment,” said research fellow Justin Callais. According to the index, Iowa and Wisconsin both ranked in the top 15 states for social mobility, while Illinois comes it at No. 40.
RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard: “An average Chicagoland resident has access to more than 2 million jobs within a 45-minute commute by car, compared to just 135,000 by transit. In our transit-rich urban core, that number improves to 270,000 jobs by transit within 45 minutes, but Black residents have access to 17% fewer jobs compared to all urban core residents…If we fail to increase public funding for transit, these disparities will grow, worsening racial equity gaps and stifling our economy.”
“We have a plan. We’ve already identified 8,000 voters, primarily Republicans, who didn’t vote in the last election,” says Jim McGuire, chairman of the Champaign County Republicans. “We’re going to target them. The independents, the same way.”
“These schools have enhanced the quality of life in Chicago for countless students and families and have become a hub of community in neighborhoods across the city. They have also helped make Chicago Public Schools an attractive option for parents who might otherwise seek greener pastures beyond the city limits. The Board of Education should think carefully before dismantling these prime civic assets.”
Voters in Evanston will see a new type of ballot in the city’s next local election that will allow them to rank candidates from highest to lowest preference. The method, called ranked choice voting, is designed to ensure that a candidate wins with a majority of voters. It also attempts to solve the conflict posed by third-party spoiler candidates.
Chicago officials have announced they want to wipe out selective enrollment and magnet schools all in the name of equity. The irony shouldn’t be lost. It’s at those top schools where ‘equity’ is actually being achieved in Chicago.
Last weekend, 22 people were shot, five fatally, across Chicago.
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