Illinois Review

Wirepoints: The tentacles of city crime spread across Chicagoland: Here's why

From Wirepoints Editor Matt Rosenberg -

Over 2021 and into 2022, major crimes have spread from Chicago’s South and West Sides to the city’s downtown and upscale neighborhoods. Now Chicago’s seemingly intractable crime problem is spreading across city and county lines, as well. This is what happens when basic principles of policing and law and order are subverted by a political establishment that puts the rights of the accused ahead of the rights of victims.

It is less than six months until cash bail is all but illegal in Illinois, but we are already reaping the whirlwind of what passes for “criminal justice” in Cook County. That is: failure to detain high-risk suspects before trial, deadly-low sentencing standards, and violent, corrosive antipathy to police. The threat is not only to life and limb: it has become economic, too, as spreading crime chases away major employers and taxable wealth. Job One must be to stop the hemorrhaging. That only happens with better policies and better policy-makers. We all bear responsibility.

Rosenberg provides more details about how and why things are becoming so dangerous in Chicagoland in his story "The tentacles of city crime spread across Chicagoland: Here’s why" 

When It Comes to Energy, We Need More Balance, Less Fear

In the last 22 years, protecting and caring for the planet has gone from a “we’re all in this together” part of our culture to a political wedge issue. And it isn’t just your average pedestrian wedge issue that surges and wanes with each election cycle. No, this one is volatile, vengeful and all-consuming.

We were once a country that worked together in cleaning up pollution and using technological and scientific developments to produce energy cleaner and safer. But a lurch leftward has turned environmentalism into a one-sided virtual religion from which no deviation is permitted. Anyone who disagrees is instantly labeled a bigot or otherwise irredeemable person.

More HERE

Thorner: USA Money From Thin Air!

By Nancy Thorner - 

 

My posted article about inflation was excerpted from an excellent original report dated 8/7/22, “The US Fed Created Fifty Percent More Money Out Of Thin Air In Two Years Than Ever Existed in The Previous 256 Years”, as it recently appeared on the website of a good friend, Annette Greco Meisner.

 

USA MONEY FROM THIN AIR!

 

The USA is staring down the barrel of a four-decade high inflation rate, an inverted yield curve, and the highest debt levels in its history. The corruption, insider deal-making & open disregard for truth in Washington DC are beyond shameless. If Fascism is defined as “the perfect merger of the state & corporate powers”, (see Mussolini circa 1936 Mussolini), then the USA may still be the land of the brave, but it no longer feels like the land of the free.

The New Age of Orwellianism

Community organizer and left-wing social activist Saul Alinsky wrote, in his 1971 book “Rules for Radicals,” that “he who controls the language controls the masses.” Alinsky, whose work profoundly influenced at least one notable fellow Chicagoan, Barack Obama, was in that quip channeling George Orwell’s famous dystopian novel, “1984.” “Newspeak,” the language of Orwell’s fictional single-political party superstate, was a tool devised for monitoring the people’s communications, prosecuting “thoughtcrimes,” and ultimately controlling and dictating the people’s very beliefs.

Conservatives have taken pleasure in poking fun at the modern Left’s “Orwellian” tendencies — perhaps too much, actually, as overuse of the accusation has had the effect of limiting its potency. But as the woke ideology metastasizes within the American Left like the cancer it is, and as censors increasingly clamp down on anything sniffing of dissent to the regime’s orthodoxy, it is now clear that we are in a new age of Orwellianism. In this new age, the regime and its enforcers pursue the suffusion of its orthodoxy at any cost, gaslighting dissenters into not believing their own lying eyes.

More HERE

'Workers' rights amendment' would hike workers' property taxes by $2,100

Despite proponents’ claims, Amendment 1 would give union rights only to state and local government workers – who make up just 7% of Illinois adults. It would give $2,100 property tax hikes to everyone.

Proponents of Amendment 1, also known as the “Workers’ Rights Amendment,” misleadingly claim it will guarantee “every Illinoisan” the right to unionize and bargain. In fact, they insist the amendment “protects all Illinoisans, on the job and off.”

Those statements are wrong. Amendment 1 cannot do what backers claim it will do.

More HERE

High gas prices mean Illinois’ sales tax adds $200 a year

Surging gasoline prices mean Illinois is getting a boost in sales taxes from fuel, but that’s because drivers are paying the extra $200 a year. Most states don’t charge sales tax on gasoline, but Illinois adds it atop other taxes – taxing the taxes.

Illinois is one of seven states that charge a sales tax on gasoline, which means as fuel prices surge, so, too, does the amount drivers pay the state. How much? About $200 per year on average, assuming gas prices as of July 27.

When Illinois gas prices are compared to neighboring states, the sales tax burden becomes clear. All six of Illinois’ neighbors have fuel costs that are roughly 40 to 80 cents cheaper than the average Illinois price.

More HERE

Two major Illinois police unions endorse Bailey for Governor

CHICAGO - Monday, the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police and the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police announced they are endorsing Republican state Senator Darren Bailey for governor in November, unhappy with incumbent Governor JB Pritzker's anti-law enforcement public policy. 

Darren Bailey supports public safety, law enforcement and sanity," said Chris Southwood, president of the Illinois Fraternal Police. Three things definitely not priorities in the current administration. It's time we had a governor who places the rights of citizens before those of criminals. A governor that helps police do their jobs rather than punishing them, and who will help us all feel safe again in our neighborhoods and streets." 

The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police echoed Southwood's sentiments at the press conference.

Senator Bailey responded: "It is an absolute honor to have the endorsement of The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police and the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police. JB Pritzker has turned his back on law enforcement and failed to keep our communities safe. I will always stand with law enforcement and fight for safer communities for EVERY Illinoisan." 

The rest of the press conference (via Illinois Channel) is here: 

Democrat senator under federal investigation surrounding police body cam law

CHICAGO - Yet another Democrat lawmaker under federal investigation, and this time it is state Senator Elgie Sims, according to the Chicago Tribune.

While Sims' attorney insists he did nothing wrong, at the time he was working on legislation requiring body cams on all Illinois law enforcement by 2025, Sims listed a company that makes body cams as one of his clients. 

Other Democrats under investigation include former House Speaker Michael Madigan, and former state Sens. Martin Sandoval, Terry Link, and Thomas Cullerton.

Republican candidate for attorney general Tom DeVore responded to the news Monday, criticizing current Democrat Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

“This is another example of the feds having to come in and investigate allegations of public corruption that Kwame Raoul has ignored." DeVore said in a statement.

Op-Ed: Do you really want your first grader learning about masturbation?

Adobe Stock photo

By State Representative Adam Niemerg, Illinois Freedom Caucus member

With only the bare minimum number of votes to pass a bill in the Illinois House, the Legislature approved the controversial National Sex Education Standards as the basis for all sex education classes in Illinois.

The legislation has now become law and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has filed new rules with the Secretary of State on the adoption of the National Sex Education Standards. As part of the checklist of things to do before instructions begins, school officials are advised to “Review and become familiar with the National Sex Education Standards.”

This begs the question – what are the National Sex Education Standards all about?

Di Leo: Manchin and Sinema Get Rolled - On Purpose

By John F. Di Leo - 

 

Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are known as the moderates of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

 

There are problems with that designation, of course, such as the fact that Manchin's and Sinema's lifetime ACU ratings are 27% and 15%, respectively - not exactly the definition of "moderation."

 

But the universe of Democratic Party officeholders has moved so far left that they now officially regard Josef Stalin as "squishy," so the definition of "moderate" has had to be softened a bit as well, in recent years.

 

Since the Democrats usurped complete control of both the national executive and legislative branches in 2020, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have become the official powerbrokers in Washington, able to keep tantalizing the Republican caucus with the possibility of stopping bad bills, and ensuring that their own Democrat caucus gives them whatever they want when they, ultimately, "give in."

Rossi: Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi Finally Gets Something Important Right

By Randy Rossi - 

I can’t believe I am writing this, but kudos to Democrat Nancy Pelosi for her courage and commitment to freedom and democracy. She bravely risked her own life by ignoring threats from China to shoot down her plane if she went to Taiwan and when she landed in Taiwan she publicly pledged her support for Taiwan and freedom. She nailed it when she publicly told Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen that “America would not abandon its commitment to Taipei”. She correctly put this critical issue in perspective when she publicly said “Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy”. The fact that she dared to go to Taiwan and support them infuriated China and they responded by launching massive military exercises with weaponized missiles over Taiwanese waters. That is an act of war.

Repeal Democrats' statewide law that makes Illinois less safe, says 112th D House candidate

EDWARDSVILLE – Jennifer Korte, candidate for State Representative in the 112^th District, says with rising crime throughout the State of Illinois it is time for lawmakers to get serious about public safety concerns beginning with the repeal of the so-called "SAFE-T Act."

The SAFE-T Act (House Bill 3653) eliminates cash bail and requires officers to only issue a citation when someone is committing a Class B or C misdemeanor instead of detaining them.

“The message we are sending with this law is that small crimes don’t matter,” Korte said. “I understand that we don’t need to necessarily bring the full weight of the law on everyone who commits a crime, but we should not ignore minor offenses completely either. The solution to rising crime is not to create incentives for more crime but to put policies in place that discourage crime. We need to repeal the SAFE-T Act and replace it with practical policies that will stop the rise in crime in our communities.”

'Inflation Reduction Act' Should Be Called the 'Lifespan Reduction Act'

Across the pond, Brits are demanding their next prime minister do something to reduce the U.K.’s notorious cancer death rates. But here in the U.S., Democrats are doing the opposite. They’re pushing for European-style price controls on drugs that will slow cancer cures and lead to more deaths. Americans enjoy the highest cancer survival rates in the world—but maybe not for long.

Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin call their legislation the Inflation Reduction Act. Don’t let the title fool you. The bill cripples the ability of drug companies to develop new cures. It should be called the Lifespan Reduction Act.

The bill empowers the federal government to impose price controls on top-selling brand-name drugs, starting in 2026. Virtually all health experts agree these price controls will discourage innovation.

More HERE

'Workers' rights amendment' would hike workers' property taxes by $2,100

Despite proponents’ claims, Amendment 1 would give union rights only to state and local government workers – who make up just 7% of Illinois adults. It would give $2,100 property tax hikes to everyone.

Proponents of Amendment 1, also known as the “Workers’ Rights Amendment,” misleadingly claim it will guarantee “every Illinoisan” the right to unionize and bargain. In fact, they insist the amendment “protects all Illinoisans, on the job and off.”

Those statements are wrong. Amendment 1 cannot do what backers claim it will do.

More HERE

Recession denial by White House and Federal Reserve will plunge America into stagflation

To combat the highest inflation rate during the height of “stagflation” in 1981, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced yet another increase to the central bank’s overnight interest rate, hiking it 75 basis points. Overall, the Fed has gradually increased interest rates from near 0 to between 2.25 and 2.50 percent in just four months, the fastest tightening of monetary policy since the Fed’s attempt to battle stagflation in the early 1980s.

If the United States were simply experiencing a sustained period of inflation caused by booming consumption and investment activity, this might constitute an effective approach. Yet, this inflationary period has been caused by excessive money printing at the hands of the Fed and substantial government spending throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than any sort of natural phenomenon.

More HERE

Thorner: Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Defies Climate Doomsayers

By Nancy Thorner - 

 

Remember when Al Gore pulled his global warming countdown clock nonsense decades ago?  It's the oldest trick in the Democrat's playbook.  We must act immediately and do what we say or else. . .

 

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is doing just fine with vast sections defying every forecast of impending doom made by climate catastrophists over the past 30 years, a report on Thursday August 4th, 2022 outlines.

 

"Coral cover on two-thirds of the iconic reef, which is seen as a bellwether of ocean health, has reached its highest level since records began 36 years ago, according to marine scientists monitoring the ecosystem.” 

 

The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS) said in its annual report that the reef is vibrant and flourishing, although challenges do remain for such a “resilient system” that “still maintains that ability to recover from disturbances,” AIMS monitoring program leader Mike Emslie confirmed. 

Illinois leads the nation in foreclosures in 2022

Illinois homeowners are most likely in the nation to be in foreclosure. The looming $2,100 property tax hike from Amendment 1 would make housing even more unaffordable.

Illinois experienced over 14,000 foreclosures in the first six months of 2022, the highest rate in the nation.

One in every 385 housing units – or about 0.26% of homes – either received a default notice, had an auction scheduled or was repossessed by the bank. Instances of foreclosures in Illinois have nearly tripled from last year and are up 12% from two years ago.

More HERE

What a recession would mean for Illinois

Politicians and pundits can’t seem to agree about whether the U.S. is in a recession, but the semantics matter little for struggling Americans. Illinois can expect economic pain regardless of what it’s called.

It may be a recession based on data released July 28, or it may not be, but Illinois is in for a rough ride.

The national economy shrank by 0.9% during the second quarter of 2022, according to preliminary data released July 28 by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The decrease in gross domestic product was driven by declines in private inventory investment, residential fixed investment, government spending and nonresidential fixed investment. Exports and personal consumption expenditures increased during the quarter, partially offsetting the decline of other components.

More HERE

Illinois voters will decide in November whether unions will trump state law

The National Review focused last week on the first thing Illinois voters will see when they go to the polls in November 2022: a proposed change to the Illinois State Constitution called Amendment 1. If passed, the state constitution would set union members and their demands above state law.

Here's a brief explanation of what the change will do, as the National Review explains...

An innocuous-sounding referendum on Illinois’s November ballot, Amendment 1, would place four labor provisions into the Illinois constitution: a “fundamental right” to organize and bargain; the right to bargain over wages, hours, working conditions, economic welfare, and safety at work; a prohibition against lawmakers ever interfering with, negating, or diminishing those rights; and a prohibition of right-to-work laws.

Under Amendment 1, lawmakers would not be able to restrict what unions can negotiate or limit when they can go on strike. They would be unable to repeal a little-known Illinois provision that allows many union contracts to override conflicting state and local laws and regulations. Unions would be able to rewrite law through their contracts, leaving residents with no recourse and no way to hold anyone accountable.

More HERE.

Former City Colleges of Chicago vice chancellor sentenced to 5.5 years in federal prison

CHICAGO — A former vice chancellor for City Colleges of Chicago has been sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison for devising and engaging in a procurement fraud scheme.

SHAROD GORDON was employed by City Colleges of Chicago in a variety of leadership roles, most recently as the Vice Chancellor of Legislative and Community Affairs.  From 2013 to 2017, Gordon obtained kickbacks from vendor-companies in exchange for steering them City Colleges contracts for community canvassing and flyer distribution services.  Some of the companies were formed by Gordon’s City Colleges colleagues and other friends for the sole purpose of applying for the contracts.  In some instances, the work was never performed – even though the companies submitted invoices that caused City Colleges to pay out nearly $350,000.  Upon receipt of the payments, Gordon directed representatives of the companies to give him a portion of the money.

Gordon, 47, of Oak Park, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge.  U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr., on Wednesday imposed a 66-month prison sentence.