Thoughts & Musings
CPD Brass Wants Tighter Gun Tracking
Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said today that he would like to see gun owners in Illinois have to report when their weapons are stolen, lost or sold – steps he said would lower the number of firearms in the hands of criminals. ... “We keep trying to...
Illinois Tollway Netting $Billion per Year
To help pay for these projects, the tollway anticipates raking in $977 million from tolls in 2013 – thanks to the 87.5 percent increase that went into effect Jan. 1. via Chicago Tribune. Doh!
“Obama, Romney – Same Police State”
Johnson's first point was that the US political system is in desperate need of transparency. Whether Obama or Romney is elected next month, he told the audience, we will still have "a heightened police state in the US." And Obama and Romney are guaranteed to...
30,000 Unfilled Jobs in Illinois
Say “skills gap” to any manufacturer, and invariably they'll respond with the number 600,000. That's the gaping hole of unfilled jobs at U.S. manufacturers — for Illinois, estimates point to 30,000 unfilled jobs. The talent shortfall carries serious consequences. In a...
What Kid’s Need in Schools (that they’re not getting)
Every person in any career should spend 90 minutes in a classroom at least one time in a school year, sharing their stories and setting an example for the students,” he said. “It’s part of giving back. These kids generally don’t see enough examples of why education is...
Alderman Ervin’s Maywood ‘Drug House’
For Ald. Jason Ervin, who represents a large swath of Chicago’s troubled West Side, drug activity in the area hits particularly close to home. That’s because until recently, Ervin owned what police and others portray as a “drug house” in nearby Maywood. During the...
My Cousin Raised $2,300 – Hoo Whoo!!
Sharon Arnowitz recalled countless people asking what they could do to help, but there was nothing. Because, as the Buffalo Grove resident explained, she was not going to be a victim of breast cancer. “I’m going to live,” said Arnowitz, noting that it was diagnosed...
IL Finances Heading to Social Unrest
"I think it's going to reach a point where there's either social disorder or bankruptcy before people will act," he said. via Crain's Chicago Business. Ya, that sounds about right. But let's back-up a little. This is a quote from a story about how back the finances...
I Made Crain’s Chicago Business
Forgive me the indulgence: Dr. El-Tag referred questions to her attorney, James Bosco of Chicago.The case is about “restricting patients' access to a doctor of their choice,” Mr. Bosco said in a statement. “That the plaintiff Dr. Koziol believes patients would choose...
I really don't understand all the hate. Are not those on the left supposed to accepting of everyone? Tolerance and all that? Seems to me the left is the chief preacher of hate.
Islamist Radicals Visited White House
A year-long investigation by the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) has found that scores of known radical Islamists made hundreds of visits to the Obama White House, meeting with top administration officials. via The Investigative Project on Terrorism. This is...
Italian Court Jails Scientists for Failure to Predict Earthquake
Rarely since a Catholic inquisition in Rome condemned Galileo Galilei to spend the remainder of his days under house arrest for the heresy of teaching that the Earth revolves around the sun, has an Italian court been so wrong about science. Today, a court in the...
Democrat Voter Fraud in Florida & a Beating in WI
[Republican] Voters are getting letters that look like they are from local elections offices, questioning their citizenship. But Local 6 has learned the letters are fake, and they are going out across Central Florida and other parts of the state. Officials said the...
Alderman Flip-Flops Again on Chick-fil-A
A Chicago alderman once again is threatening to block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant in his Northwest Side ward because of the owner's stance against gay marriage — after saying earlier that he had dropped his opposition to the fast-food outlet. Ald. Proco...
Airlines Fees vs. Fares: Impacting Taxes
The liberal Washington Post complains: There’s a 7.5 percent federal tax on every airline ticket. The money goes into a fund that pays for the air transportation system: airports, capital improvements and the operation of the Federal Aviation Administration. ... When...
The Fed & Debt Cancelation
I met a European trader in a bar this week, who brought up the possibility that at some point, the Bank of England might just rip up the UK government debt it has acquired through quantitative easing -- just straight up throw it on the fire, and tell the government it...
What Drives Corporate Profits?
In a heady story over the Business Insider today Joe Weisenthal walks us through an analysis as to why corporate profits are so high right now. It generally all comes down to this chart: It shows the various drivers and drags on corporate profitability. So for...
Obama Illegaly Accepts Foreign Donations
The Obama re-election campaign has accepted at least one foreign donation in violation of the law — and does nothing to check on the provenance of millions of dollars in other contributions, a watchdog group alleges. Chris Walker, a British citizen who lives outside...
Mitt Romney Banner Hung on Willis Tower
John Rukavina, 74, a Local 1 ironworker — who claims to have put up “every antenna and tower in Chicago since Marina Towers in 1974” — affixed a Romney banner as well as an American flag on the ABC antenna on Willis Tower minutes after it was completed Sept. 30. “The...
Cook County’s New Business Killers, a/k/a Taxes
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s proposed budget calls for a 1.25 percent tax on businesses that buy “non-titled” items like office supplies, equipment, building materials and even artwork from outside the county’s borders. ... County businesses would...