Illinois death penalty gains traction as Bill Brady surges, voters approve

Gov. Quinn to stop the 'Put Illinois to Work' Program
In an unexpected 'bah! humbug'-style action, Governor Pat Quinn quietly said he will stop the 'Put Illinois to Work Program' by mid-January - next month.  After the federally-funded program ran out of money three months ago, Quinn used Illinois' Taxpayers' money to keep the program alive for 16,000 workers who are currently employed through the program - though the national and Illinois Unemployment Rate still hovers around 10% Unemployment.  Though the program was recently extended - ...

Medicaid cuts: teeth pulled, transplant called off
CHICAGO — In Illinois, a pharmacist closes his business because of late Medicaid payments. In Arizona, a young father’s liver transplant is canceled because Medicaid suddenly won’t pay for it. In California, dentists pull teeth that could be saved because Medicaid doesn’t pay for root canals. Across the country, state lawmakers have taken harsh actions to try to rein in the Budget-busting costs of the Health Care program that serves 58 million poor and disabled Americans....

Talgo seeks work in states given Wisconsin's rail share - JSOnline
The decision that is ending Talgo Inc.'s Manufacturing future in Milwaukee could open new opportunities for the company in other states. Talgo, the Spanish-owned train manufacturer, is seeking High-speed Rail business from three of the states that will share in the federal money taken away from Wisconsin and Ohio. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it would pull nearly all of the $810 million in stimulus cash awarded to Wisconsin for a 110-mph line linking Milwaukee a...

Ex-Blagojevich employee tagged by Gov. Quinn as Chief of Staff
With Michelle Saddler , who has been Illinois Governor Pat Quinn ’s Chief of Staff since last October, returning to her previous job as Secretary of the Department of Human Services, Quinn has chosen Jack Lavin to be his newest Chief of Staff.  This move promotes longtime aide Lavin who has worked under Quinn when the Governor was the State Treasurer some 20 years ago.  Also on Lavin’s resume is his position as head of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity un...

The Tax Cut Compromise - What Do You Think?
It is not for the so called 99'ers although many are misstating that. This is for the millions who have lost their jobs in the past year/year and a half whose benefits have stopped. They are not dropping 800,000 jobs a week as they once were but they are nowhere near a comfort zone of less than 400,000 jobs per week not to mention only 36,000 jobs created in Nov. ITS A WELFARE BILL BECAUSE IT GIVES Tax CreditS TO PEOPLE WHO DONT PAY TAXES. I have not been able to find out the exact provisions of...

Travel Group Unites U.S. Tourism Strategy
The United States doesn't attract nearly as many foreign travelers as it used to. And to try to address that, the U.S. government and travel industry have launched a new travel promotion corporation. The group says one of its first tasks will be convincing international travelers that the U.S. is looking forward to seeing them. [The Sept. 11 attacks] came at a time when ... the Global Economy was strong, and travelers were growing around the world. And yet by the millions, fewer were coming to t...

Quinn taps new top aide with Blago, Rezko ties
Gov. Pat Quinn today named a longtime friend and former appointee of ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich to serve as his Chief of Staff. Quinn picked Jack Lavin, 48, to replace outgoing chief of staff Michelle Saddler, who will return to her former position as head of the Illinois Department of Human Services. Read more in Clout Street. ...

New federal health law aids those close to retiring
People ages 50 to 64 are most likely to benefit from the new federal health law because they have the highest rates of long-term Unemployment among working-age adults and are more likely to have Health Problems that would make it tough for them to buy individual coverage, according to a report being released today. The study, by the Commonwealth Fund, estimated that 18.3 million people in that age group stand to benefit from the provisions in the federal health law, including the expanded acce...

New federal health law aids those close to retiring
People ages 50 to 64 are most likely to benefit from the new federal health law because they have the highest rates of long-term Unemployment among working-age adults and are more likely to have Health Problems that would make it tough for them to buy individual coverage, according to a report being released today. The study, by the Commonwealth Fund, estimated that 18.3 million people in that age group stand to benefit from the provisions in the federal health law, including the expanded acce...

Cuts to Medicaid mounting as its rolls continue to grow
Chicago, Ill. - In Illinois, a pharmacist closes his business because of late Medicaid payments. In Arizona, a young father's liver transplant is canceled because Medicaid suddenly won't pay for it. In California, dentists pull teeth that could be saved because Medicaid doesn't pay for root canals. Across the country, state lawmakers have taken harsh actions to try to rein in the Budget-busting costs of the Health Care program that serves 58 million poor and disabled Americans. Some states hav...

State to borrow more for unemployment benefits
Virginia is expected to need an additional $613 million to cover jobless benefits between January 2011 and April 2013. Virginia has borrowed $346 million from the Federal Government since October 2009 to pay benefits to the unemployed and is projected to need an additional $613 million between January 2011 and April 2013. The borrowing has helped Virginia cover the increased demand for payments during the Recession and its aftermath. Virginia's Unemployment Rate for October was 6.8 percent. Virg...

Study Shows Depth of Unemployment for Blacks in New York
The headline on a new report tells the bad news: “Only One in Four Young Black Men in New York City Have a Job.” The report, prepared by the Community Service Society of New York, has other unhappy news about this group — that the Unemployment Rate for African-American men in New York, age 16 to 24, was 33.5 percent from January 2009 through June 2010, while the Labor Force participation rate was 38 percent. “The Recession has created a landscape of the unemployed and und...

Republican Lawmakers Push ObamaCare Repeal After Ruling
Responding to today’s ruling from a Federal Judge declaring the Individual Mandate portion of the Abortion-funding ObamaCare law Unconstitutional, top Republican lawmakers are pushing for a Repeal of the entire law. Today’s decision is an encouraging sign for families and Small Business owners who have revolted against President Obama’s job-killing Health Care law and called for its repeal.  Instead of appealing this decision, the Obama Administration should work with Cong...

Morning video: The kids are alright
* I attended Hanover High School for a year back in the 1970s. The school, located in the northwestern corner of the state, had an unofficial fight song which we’d sing at every Basketball game (the school killed off football right after I got there because of Budget cuts). The ditty was sung to the Notre Dame fight song and when a class’ name was uttered, all those in attendance from that class would stand up and shout “Freshmen!” or “Seniors!” or whatever....

R.I. News Digest: Unemployed father of five wins Wild Money lottery
An unemployed Johnston man won the $106,140 jackpot from Saturday night’s Wild Money drawing. The Rhode Island Lottery said Monday in a news release that William Cuddigan randomly selected the winning numbers, which he’s been playing for the past few years. A single father of five for the past 13 years, he’s been unemployed since last January, the Lottery said, and his extended Unemployment Benefits are just about to end. Cuddigan bought the winning ticket at Douglas Wine &...;

Romney: Why tax cut is a bad deal
Death and taxes, it is said, are life's only two certainties. But in the wake of President Obama's tax Compromise with congressional Republicans, only death retains the status of certainty: The future for taxes has been left up in the air. And uncertainty is not a friend of investment, growth and job creation. The deal has several key features. It reduces Payroll taxes, extends Unemployment Benefits and keeps current Tax Rates intact. So far, so good. But intermixed with the benefits are conside...

(Video) Townhall Meeting With Mark Kirk and Randy Hultgren, Saint Charles, Illinois
On Dec. 11, 2010, I attended a townhall meeting held in the 14th Congressional District featuring Congressman-elect Randy Hultgren and newly minted Senator Mark Kirk. The event was held in the theater of a local High School in Saint Charles, Illinois. The afternoon started out with an address by Senator Mark Kirk who already was sworn in for an interim term and will be starting his first full term as senator in January. After Kirk finished his opening remarks, Mr. Hultgren spoke and then there w...

Palatine Students perform at White House
Last Saturday, Chicago suburban Students who are members of Palatine High School’s Brass Ensemble Band had an extraordinary experience.  They performed for White House staff and their families at a holiday open house for approximately 1,000 people in attendance. Vincent Cook and Peter Haney who  play the French horn; Jim Hargrove and Tommy Laabs who play the trombone; Iain Shipton and Mitchell Zielinski who play the trumpet; and, Michael Hickey who plays the tuba.  The Direc...

Be aware, not misled
Milwaukee is the latest target of a billboard campaign paid for by groups that claim to be pro-baby but are truly against the rights of black women and families. Thirteen offensive, anti-abortion billboards are scattered across Milwaukee's central city neighborhoods. The campaign is part of a movement organized by Pro-Life Wisconsin and funded by the Radiance Foundation. These groups already have made their way to other states - Georgia, Arkansas, Texas, Illinois, Missouri and Florida - and we...

Government Run Health Care Already a Disaster
During the Great Recession, millions of people relied on the Medicaid safety net. Between 2007 and 2009, the number of Uninsured Americans grew by more than 5 million as workers lost jobs with employer-based Insurance. Another 7 million signed up for Medicaid. Just when caseloads hit their highest point, the nation’s new Health Care law required states not to change the rules on who’s eligible for Medicaid. That means states can’t roll up the welcome mat by tightening Medicaid&...

T-Paw's statement on today's ObamaCare ruling
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, a possible 2012 Presidential Candidate, lauded today's ruling on ObamaCare. I am encouraged by today's ruling that ObamaCare's Individual Mandate compelling Americans to involuntarily buy Health Insurance is an Unconstitutional power grab by the Federal Government. Forcing citizens to purchase a good or service is a clear infringement on our personal liberties and must be stopped. While today's ruling is a victory for individuals' rights, I'm also hopeful that c...

Michelle Obama on child nutrition: We cant just leave it up to the parents'
First Lady Michelle Obama is on a crusade to end child Obesity - a worthwhile goal in and of itself.  But in remarks at Monday's signing of the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act", she seemed to denigrate the role of the parent. In deciding what Children ought to eat, she said, "We can’t just leave it up to the parents." I think that parents have a right to expect that their efforts at home won’t be undone each day in the school cafeteria or in the vending machine in the hallwa...

Moody's: U.S. Credit Rating Outlook Could Be Affected By Tax Package
NEW YORK - Moody's warned on Monday that it could move a step closer to cutting the U.S. Aaa rating if President Barack Obama's tax and Unemployment benefit package becomes law. The plan agreed to by President Barack Obama and Republican leaders last week could push up Debt levels, increasing the likelihood of a negative outlook on the United States rating in the coming two years, the Ratings agency said. A negative outlook, if adopted, would make a rating cut more likely over the following 12...

History will prove us right, Hoyer insists
House Democratic Leader Steny H. Hoyer says that despite his party's massive losses in last month's congressional Elections, history will prove the Democratic agenda is the correct path to lead the country out of its economic doldrums. The Maryland lawmaker, during a Speech Monday at Washington's National Press Club, also warned that Republican tactics that pushed the party to retake the House come January will leave a toxic legacy on Congress and the country. "It's easier to stir up culture...

How tax cut deal would affect small businesses
A lot of Democrats are not happy with President Barack Obama's deal with Republicans to extend the Bush-era Tax Cuts for all Americans, but many small-business owners are. CNN Radio's Jim Roope talked with Louie Cardona, owner of Cardona Manufacturing in Burbank, California. The precision machine shop produces parts for everything from cars to Aircraft. Cardona explained what benefits a tax cut extension would have for small businesses. "The main reason, of course, is beca...