Day: December 21, 2023

Migrants stuck waiting at O’Hare, facing uncertain future in latest kick of ‘political football’ from Texas – WGNTV (Chicago)

Charlie Gonzalez said he and his family spent four months making the dangerous trek from Venezuela to the U.S.-Mexico border. boarded the Chicago-bound plane in El Paso with the promise there would be help streamlining a work permit. “Don’t worry,” Gonzalez said. “We come to work, to fight to do our part, like everyone else who comes.

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Former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke convicted of racketeering and bribery, but his aide is acquitted – Chicago Sun-Times

Flanked by family members and attorneys, former Ald. Edward Burke (14th) walks out of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse after being found guilty of racketeering, bribery and attempted extortion.Burke, the longest-serving City Council member in Chicago history, was convicted Thursday of all but one of 14 corruption counts against him. The verdict is the result of an aggressive public corruption investigation that came to light in November 2018, with an FBI raid on Burke’s offices and subsequent revelations that shook Chicago and changed the course of the city’s political history.

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With Racketeering Conviction, Ex-Ald. Ed Burke Joins Long Line of Chicago, Illinois Leaders Found Guilty of Corruption – WTTW (Chicago)

After naming Chicago the most corrupt city in the U.S. for a fourth consecutive year, a University of Illinois at Chicago report published this week noted that Illinois residents “are used to being suspicious of their elected representatives and surely, that suspicion is often justified.” Burke is now the 38th member of the Chicago City Council to be convicted of a crime since 1968.

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Small business owners must offer retirement benefits as 2018 state law finishes rollout – WEEK (Peoria)

A state law passed in 2018 required all private employers to offer retirement benefits to their workers by November 2023. They essentially have limited options. Business owners can enroll in their own retirement plans, use the state-sponsored Illinois Secure Choice, or face fines of $250 per employee per year for the first offense, and $500 per employee per year for subsequent offenses.

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City issues seizure notices for mayor’s motorcade after failing to pay red light, speed cam tickets – CWB Chicago

Four SUVs dedicated to Johnson have collected 21 citations and one warning since he became mayor seven months ago. As of Wednesday night, the unpaid fines and penalties total $2,130. In fact, his SUVs have been tagged speeding and running red lights more often in seven months than Rahm Emanuel, Lori Lightfoot, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle received within four-year terms.

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After planned migrant camp is scrapped over toxins at Brighton Park site, neighbors want to know how city is going to protect them – Chicago Tribune*

Signs proclaiming environmental hazards hang on a fence at the site of a proposed migrant camp in BrTo limit access to the contaminated soil, contractors covered the entire lot with a 6-inch stone layer meant to provide an “engineered barrier” that would be routinely inspected and maintained by city workers. But homeowners on 38th Street are not convinced the land isn’t toxic. “We’re concerned, I mean, we’re concerned about our water; they shut off our water for a few hours to dig back there,” neighbor Javier Lopez said. “I’m sure the

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Fake “final notice” mailings in Illinois gone thanks to new law – WICS (Springfield)

When someone buys a car or home in Illinois, “final notice” letters regarding warranties, protection plans and insurance are often mailed out by third parties to scam recipients into providing information or buying products under the guise of maintaining their home or vehicle. Under Senate Bill 1440, the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act will be amended to require that senders clearly state that their mailing is not a bill but rather a solicitation of services.

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Column: Abolishing elected offices: Common sense or a fast one? – Champaign News-Gazette

Jim Dey: “The issue of eliminating county elected offices pops up from time to time, as public officials and government watchers look for better and more efficient ways to conduct public business. So far, only the recorder’s office has been eliminated in Champaign County. Folded into the county clerk’s office, it’s still overseen by an elected official.”

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Like Illinois, New York to Consider Reparations for Descendants of Enslaved People – New York Times

“New York joins California and Illinois at the forefront of reparations efforts, a complicated endeavor that will immerse stakeholders in a contentious political and budgetary conversation about the past and its dictates for the future…The work of Illinois’s reparations commission is continuing, with public meetings scheduled into the new year.”

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Cry Victim: Chicago Mayor Rages Over Buses Of Immigrants From Texas – ZeroHedge

The far-left Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is furious in the face of the overwhelming economic strain created by the influx of migrants. The same mayor proudly declared Chicago a sanctuary city in May of this year…Today, Johnson is calling for a stop to the migrant buses, suggesting that Chicago cannot financially handle the population surge. Furthermore, Johnson labeled Greg Abbott’s busing measures an “attack on the country.”

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