Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Bad Judge is Soft on Crime
Relatives of a teenager shot to death in Evanston in 2007 were angered Wednesday when a judge sentenced the killer to just 10 years in prison. … Cook County Circuit Court Judge Larry Axelrood also sentenced Wright to five years in prison for aggravated discharge of a weapon related to the crime. The sentences are…
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Trib’s Sad Story on Child Abduction
The man in the Chevy Impala tried to stop 15-year-old Lucero Blanco three times before he got out of the car and came after her on foot. … After police picked the man up, mother and daughter both said they recognized his impounded 2005 Impala as the car that had trailed Lucero as she walked…
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Rosemont Homeowners get $3,000
[S]uburban Rosemont is offering its homeowners $3,000 grants. The village may not have landed the big casino, but it has lots of commercial development and relatively few residents. Mayor Brad Stephens likens this year’s grant — the village has parceled out money for 15 years in a row — to a “dividend” a company would…
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BGA on the Size of the City Counsel
The BGA is not the first, nor the second or third, to write about reducing the size of the city counsel. But in this story here they do a better job than just about anyone I’ve seen. The wrap-up is equally important. These ideas need champions who will talk about them and bring them to…
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Why Is Illinois So Corrupt?
Chicago Magazine has a great story about corruption in Illinois. Big truth here: Of course, most generous donors don’t give merely out of purity of heart. “Those large sums of money from all kinds of special interests—they’re invested for a purpose,” says Adlai Stevenson III, the former U.S. senator and two-time unsuccessful candidate for governor…
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Meeks vs. Tax Law
Meeks says he’s long been mindful of the rules laid out by the Internal Revenue Service, but it’s clear he chafes at restrictions that prevent churches and other charitable groups from endorsing and contributing to political campaigns. “I am running for office, and you know that. … I can take all the money I want…
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FOP vs. The People
The stage is set for a confrontation over Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis’ upcoming plan to reallocate police resources from lower-crime districts to those that need more officers. Days before the plan is expected to be unveiled, the Fraternal Order of Police is serving notice that it intends to strictly enforce a union contract that…
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Parent to Blame for Education Problems?
An Associated Press-Stanford University Poll on education found that 68 percent of adults believe parents deserve heavy blame for what’s wrong with the U.S. education system — more than teachers, school administrators, the government or teachers unions. Only 35 percent of those surveyed agreed that teachers deserve a great deal or a lot of the…
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Illinois, Worst for Retirement
The list, with Illinois leading the pack, comes from website TopRetirements.com. According to John Brady, president of TopRetirements.com, the 10 states earn this dubious distinction largely because of three factors: fiscal health, taxation and climate. (Full story here.) Fiscal health? We’re bankrupt. Taxation? We’re taxed to death. Climate? We’re heading into 5-6 days below freezing.…
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Little do to in Property Tax Battle?
In an article with technical problems over at the Sun-Times, Terry Savage writes under a headline, “Little you can do in property tax battle”: While home values are down, many homeowners are shocked by the increases in second-half-of-the year tax bills. Fingers are pointing at the assessor’s office, the Cook County Board and the state’s…
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