Illinois Review

Di Leo: Illinois and the Great Path Downward

By John F. Di Leo

First, the state of Illinois’ new governor signed a record number of tax and regulatory increase bills in Springfield, and then Chicago’s new mayor delivered a State of the City address announcing her plans to do the same to Chicago.

It’s been a good week for the tax collector, the political hack and the bureaucrat; it’s been a bad week for everyone else.

As statewide progressive income taxes - and many other forms of property grabs - loom large on the horizon, the message is clear to any Illinoisan with a house, a job, a business, a bank account, or in fact anything of value at all:

Get Out.

Get out now.  

Get out while you still can.

Thorner: "Beware of free gifts," Rev CL Bryant tells Chicago area audience

Chicago radio hosts Charles Love (l), John Anthony (r) with Rev CL Bryant (c)

By Nancy Thorner -    

Rev. C.L. Bryant's closing message at the Illinois Conservative Activist Conference last weekend was fiery, forceful, and passionate.  The day-long conference audience was spellbound.

Foster, Krishnamoorthi join Democrat ranks in calling for Trump impeachment inquiry

Foster

Krishnamoorthi

WASHINGTON DC - Only two Democrat Congress members from Illinois are holding out from the US House Democrat effort to launch an impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump. 

This week, 11th CD's Bill Foster and 8th CD's Raja Krishnamoorthi joined the other nine Democrats from Illinois that signed on earlier. The last two Democrats that have yet to sign on are the 3rd CD's Dan Lipinski and 17th CD's Cheri Bustos.

Weyermuller: Pro Life Advocates hit the Streets of Chicago

By Mark Weyermuller -  

The main stream media doesn’t give abortion much coverage, but that doesn’t stop people that support life from getting the word out. This week about 25 pro life advocates took to the streets of Chicago to "Show Victims of Abortion."

GOPer McCullagh announces bid for 49th District Senate seat

SHOREWOOD - Republican Thomas Scott McCullagh of Shorewood announced Wednesday his bid for the 49th State Senate district, now held by Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D). 

McCullagh said in his announcement, “I want to have a state where my children and everyone's children can grow up and have a future. I want Illinois to be a place where you know that when you buy a house, you can afford it without outrageous property taxes and where your retirement accounts will be secure. Everyone wants to live in a place where they know their voice and their opinion matters.”

The tax and fee structure in Illinois is causing a mass outflow of residents to states with better tax rates, McCullagh said.

Thorner: Illinois Conservative activists energized after one-day conference

L to R: Carol Davis, James Marter and David Krupa

By Nancy Thorner - 

(Photos by Mark Weyermuller) 

The Illinois Conservative Union held its one-day 4th Annual Conservative Activist Conference on Saturday, August 24, at the Bolingbrook Golf Club, Bolingbrook, IL. It was appropriate that the event was held in the Ronald Reagan Ballroom.

ICU is a coalition of conservative grassroots groups and activists organized as a not-for-profit 501(c)(4), non-partisan, Illinois Bona Fide State Civic Organization, whose vision exists to build and maintain a coalition of conservative organizations and grassroots activists throughout the state of Illinois. Its goal is to have a positive impact on the financial and moral trajectory of the state. Conservative values and principles are time-tested, having a proven historical record of success in improving the lives of people around the globe.Publish

Beckman: As much rhetoric from Left as Right to blame for mass shootings

By Hank Beckman -

Another mass shooting and another completely predictable and pointless exercise in assigning blame to someone other that the person who actually pulled the trigger.

Sometimes the NRA and gun manufacturers are the bad guys; sometimes it’s a lack of attention to mental health; other times we blame local law enforcement for not being vigilant enough in enforcing local firearm laws.

But now we also have President Trump to blame.

Is College Worth It?

Is college a good investment? It’s getting harder and harder to make that case -- for students and their parents. Today students often graduate weighed down by debt and free of practical wisdom. Before starting down the path to college, some sober, common sense reflection is more necessary than ever. Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA provides some much needed tutoring.

Google Defends YouTube Restrictions on PragerU Videos in Federal Court

A lawyer representing PragerU in federal court says Google’s reasons for denying some viewers access to videos produced by the conservative education organization on the tech giant’s YouTube subsidiary defy belief. 

“To suggest that PragerU’s content is obscene, violent, hate speech is an absolute insult to the intelligence of the American public and people like yourself, who are willing to enter the important political dialogue,” Peter Obstler, PragerU’s lead attorney, told reporters and others at a press conference Tuesday in Seattle. 

Obstler spoke to reporters after both sides presented oral arguments in Prager University v. Google LLC before the Seattle-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, appointed by President Barack Obama, dismissed the lawsuit in March, ruling that Google does not have to treat those who use its services equally.  

More HERE

Mark Curran: Why I'm running to oust Dick Durbin in 2020

BOLINGBROOK - Former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran says he's ready to run a tough race to oust Dick Durbin in 2020. He reviewed his qualifications with Illinois Review Saturday at the Illinois Conservative Activist Conference:

Wayne County's Cory Musgrave seeks 109th State House seat

BOLINGBROOK - Cory Musgrave grew up working in the family auto repair business in Wayne County, Illinois. He has ancestors that fought in the Revolutionary War, and wants his five kids to grow up like he did in Illinois. But there are a lot of problems that Illinois faces - and its time that became the legislature's focus, he says. 

These days, Cory pastors a church in Fairfield Illinois, but sees the need to serve in the State Capitol as well. 

Cory spoke with Illinois Review at the Illinois Conservative Activist Conference last Saturday, and hopes to encourage and build the conservative coalition in the legislature. 

His interview is below:

Jim Oberweis says spending is a big reason why he's running for Congress

BOLINGBROOK - State Senator Jim Oberweis (R-Aurora) says lawmaker spending is a big reason why he's running for US Congress in the 14th CD.

The 14th CD's current Congress member is Lauren Underwood, a Democrat with little experience and learning the ropes from fellow first term Congress members Alexandria Osasio-Cortes, Ihman Ohmar and Rashid Tlaid. 

Wearing a MIGA hat, Oberweis says he wants to "Make Illinois Great Again" - and he says it's okay to say "Mi Ga" or "MY Ga". 

Oberweis attended the Illinois Conservative Activist Conference Saturday, shook a lot of hands, and passed out Oberweis ice cream treats.

His short interview with IR is below the fold:

Meet Tim Ozinga, GOP candidate for 37th State House District at Illinois Conservative Activist Conference

BOLINGBROOK - Tim Ozinga of the family-owned Ozinga Concrete introduced himself Saturday at the Illinois Conservative Activist Conference held this year at the Bolingbrook Country Club. 

Ozinga is one of at least three Republicans that has announced interest in succeeding State Rep. Margo McDermed, who's retiring from representing the 37th House District. The other two thus far are New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann and Joliet Community College Trustee Patty Dieters.

From Illinois Conservative Activist Conference: Meet Jeanette Ward, running for 25th Senate District

BOLINGBROOK - Former U 46 District School Board member Jeanette Ward announced her bid to succeed state Senator Jim Oberweis (R-Aurora) in Illinois' 25th Senate District. (Oberweis is running for US Congress in the 14th CD).

Jeanette's one of those fought-for suburban moms in the western suburbs that is concerned about what they're teaching her kids in school and how they're handling controversial issues in taxpayer funded schools.

(ED.Note: Apologies for original post saying 29th District. The correct number is 25.) 

From Illinois Conservative Activist Conference: AM 560's John Anthony & Charles Love

BOLINGBROOK - Saturday, Illinois conservatives had a treat when they heard from AM 560 WIND's new Saturday talk show hosts of "Black & Right", John Anthony & Charles Love. 

Their new show featured guests of the Illinois Conservative Activist Conference and Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar, among others. A podcast of Saturday's program is available HERE: https://560theanswer.com/content/all/black-and-right

From Illinois Conservative Activist Conference: Meet Philanise White, Candidate in 1st CD

BOLINGBROOK - Philanise White has worked in the medical field for twenty plus years, and believes it is time for 1st CD longtime incumbent Congressman Bobby Rush to retire. She explained the issues that she's focused upon while sharing with activists at the Illinois Conservative Activist Conference why she's interested in politics.

The 2.32 minute interview:

From Illinois Conservative Activist Conference: Meet Jeanne Ives, GOP candidate in 6th CD primary race

Do you want more government in your lives, or do you want more freedom?

That's the question that will be discussed in the 6th CD race - Democrat freshman Congressman Sean Casten is a "big government Socialist" and would be a member of "The Squad" if he wasn't in a crucial swing district.

From Illinois Conservative Activist Conference: Kevin Suggs, Bremen Township GOP Committeeman

BOLINGBROOK - Saturday, several hundred Illinois conservatives met up at the Bolingbrook Golf Course to brush up on their activist skills, share inspiration and network.

Organized by Illinois Conservative Union's Carol Davis, there were several activists, candidates and office holders on hand. We'll share the ones we had a chance to speak with on Illinois Review.

Do you trust the political news you're getting?

"Do you trust the political news you are getting?"

If you don't, relax. You're not alone. When Rasmussen Reports asked 1000 people that question last week, 54% said they do not trust the political news they're getting. 32% said they trust it and 14% didn't know.

It Is Arithmetically Impossible to Fund the Progressive Agenda by Taxing the Rich

The cost of the progressive agenda exceeds what could be raised in taxes. David Burton writes:

It is arithmetically impossible to pay for progressive promises by “taxing the rich.” Progressive promises are too expensive, and the amount of income earned by the rich is too small. Even using lower cost estimates, confiscating every dollar earned by every taxpayer with incomes of $200,000 or more would only pay for about half of the progressive agenda. And that figure is based on the false assumption that people would continue to work, save, and invest when subject to a 100 percent flat tax. The reality is that progressive promises can only be funded by radical tax increases on the middle class or, for a limited time, dramatic increases in federal borrowing.

The very liberal in America are different

Liberals are creating echo chambers online. Samuel Adams writes:

To many, those on the extreme left appear to be more politically radical, insular, vocal and politically active than their moderate or even extremely conservative counterparts. It turns out that this is entirely correct.

In addition to a host of new studies and reports showing that liberals live in a digital bubble and have less diverse social media networks than moderates or conservatives, new data from the AEI Survey on Community and Society adds another layer to the story: Extreme liberals are notably more active on social media generally and are far more politically engaged than their moderate and even very conservative counterparts.

Mackinac Center Sues the State Bar of Michigan for First Amendment Violation

Janus has inspired another challenge to mandatory bar association membership. The Mackinac Center writes:

The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation filed a lawsuit today against the State Bar of Michigan for violating the First Amendment right to freely associate and be free from compelled political speech.

The state of Michigan mandates that practicing attorneys pay an annual bar association fee of $315 and maintain membership in the State Bar of Michigan, a state agency. A portion of the fees goes towards legitimate purposes, including discipline boards and attorney grievance commissions. The remaining fees, however, can be spent on political speech and used to support policy positions that members may wish not to support.

Illinois Review is live at Illinois Conservative Activist Conference

BOLINGBROOK - Illinois Review's publisher, editor and roving correspondent Mark Weyermuller are at the Illinois Conservative Activist Conference today in Bolingbrook Illinois. 

We'll be spotlighting some of the key speakers today live on Facebook - check it out at https://www.facebook.com/illinois.review/ 

And come by to say hi is you're here!!

Democrats fantasize shooting Trump at IL Dem senator fundraiser

State Senator Martin Sandoval

By Michael Butler - 

CHICAGO - Over the weekend, an Illinois state senator drew unexpected national attention for an incident photographed at his fundraiser.

A friend of state Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) shared a series of images on social media that showed a Sandoval donor pointing what appears to be a fake firearm at a person wearing a Mexican costume and a President Donald Trump mask.

Israeli Lessons For Mass Shootings

Stopping bad guys with guns requires good guys with guns. Richard Epstein writes:

Today, most of the proposed solutions are top-down. They seek to prevent violent individuals from getting their hands on guns, often forgetting that determined killers can resort to cars, bombs, and even knives. My approach is the opposite. Any mass killer is a random outlier whom it is rarely possible to identify in advance. I think that it is impossible to do anything more that will prevent these people, or indeed anyone else intent on wreaking havoc, from obtaining weapons.

The only strategy that has a fair chance of success to reduce, but never stop, all mass killings, starts from the opposite end. It is beyond dispute that gunmen utilize the element of surprise. It has long been known that most of the death and destruction of a mass shooting takes place before any police or security team has time to arrive. Killers open the door and they start shooting: no warning, no mercy, no pause. Speed is the essence of any police response. Better that a single officer enter the fray immediately than wait even ten seconds before reinforcements can pitch in.

Compton: Illinois' Political Chameleon Joe Walsh Changes Colors Again

Joe Walsh (photo: Wikipedia)

By Rich Compton - 

With his radio show ratings presumably in the toilet, political chameleon Joe Walsh is once again changing colors and reinventing himself – this time as a possible anti-Trump Presidential Candidate.

For those of you unfamiliar with Joe Walsh and his rather transient and muddled professional history, let me provide a brief chronicle as I understand it.

Di Leo: Recession Fears Fly in the Face of Reality

By John F. Di Leo -

We are not in recession.

Frankly, in fact, we are not close to being in recession.  While some of the indicators in our economy aren’t as exciting as they were a year ago, this is still a solid period of growth for the United States as a whole.

For political reasons, however, the Left wants the American voter to think that China’s downturn – yes, China’s - is a signal that an American recession is coming… and nothing could be further from the truth.

Thorner: Did kangaroo court justice prevail at Roundup weed killer trials?

By Nancy Thorner - 

Hoaxes, although not new, are meant to scare people mostly for the benefit of those who perpetuate them. The word "hoax" has been used since the late 1700s. It began as a shortened version of the verb hocus, which meant “to cheat" or “to impose upon."

A hoax occurs when a person or group of people purposefully make up a false story and pass it off as the truth. Hoaxes are different from simple misunderstandings or jokes because they are deliberate attempts to deceive others.

Where's Weyermuller? Planning to watch Sean Spicer "Dancing With The Stars"

By Mark Weyermuller - 

I woke up this morning to see one of the lead stories is that former press secretary under President Trump will be back in prime time. Sean Spicer is booked to join the cast of "Dancing with the Stars" next season.

Rossi: The Bizarre Democrat Accusations of Trump/GOP Racism

By Randy Rossi - 

For those that have actually studied American history, the new endless 24/7 accusations by Democrats that President Trump, Republicans, and conservatives are racists is not only dishonest and slanderous, it is simply bizarre. Wasn’t the GOP the party of Lincoln and the Union Army that fought to free the slaves? Wasn’t the Democrat Party the party of the Confederate Army that fought to keep slavery? Wasn’t it the Republican Party that voted for the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments which gave African Americans freedom and ended slavery, gave them American citizenship, and gave them the right to vote while the Democrat Party voted against all three of those amendments? The bottom line is that if the Democrats had won the Civil War, African  Americans could still be slaves and wouldn’t be able to vote!

Wisconsin Democrats want to hear your confession

By Rev. Gregory Jensen - 

Recently, my Madison, Wisconsin, parish offered to take up a collection to pay my bail and legal fees. The offer while sincere was premature and tongue in cheek. But a proposed change in state law brings with it a real possibility of putting me in legal jeopardy.

My congregation’s concern for me stems from the Clergy Mandatory Reporter Act (CMRA) being put forward by Democrat state legislators Sen. Lena Taylor, Rep. Chris Taylor, and Rep. Melissa Sargent.

Canada: There is No ‘Climate Emergency!'

Speaking at the 13th International Conference on Climate Change held on July 25th in Washington, D.C., Dr. Roy W. Spencer of the University of Alabama in Huntsville said, “There is no climate crisis. There is no climate emergency. Even if all of the warming we’ve seen in any observational data set is due to increasing CO₂ (carbon dioxide), which I don’t believe it is, it’s probably too small for any person to feel in their lifetime.”

Yet, on July 9, Reuters News Agency reported “Democratic lawmakers, including six presidential candidates, on Tuesday unveiled a Congressional resolution declaring a climate change emergency to spur ‘sweeping reforms’ to stem a dangerous rise in global temperatures. The non-binding resolution, introduced by Democratic Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Earl Blumenauer and Senator Bernie Sanders, ‘demands a national, social, industrial and economic mobilization’ to ‘halt, reverse, mitigate and prepare for the consequences of the climate emergency and to restore the climate for future generations.’”

Role Reversal: Government Searches Google

This month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it will launch a wide-ranging probe into possible antitrust behavior by social media and technology giants. Although no companies were specifically named, it’s not hard to guess which corporations will be in the limelight: Amazon, Facebook, and, of course, the mother of all technology titans, Google.

Jussie Smollett Jokes Declared Off-Limits

The Jussie Smollett story has been declared not fit for jokes. “It’s a straight-up tragedy,” declares the co-creator of a Comedy Central show, South Side, set in Chicago.

Bashir Salahuddin, a former Jimmy Fallon writer, says “The whole situation is unfortunate. Particularly for the city, there’s bigger problems for them to handle.”

Yes, well, there are bigger problems than fake crimes, which is why causing hundreds of hours of police work to be wasted on a fictitious attack staged for the purposes of ego gratification and publicity ought to be punished both criminally and socially. Instead, Smollett was let off scot free by the justice system and largely let off by the usual cultural leaders. Saturday Night Live did a sketch on him months ago, but things have been notably quiet on the mockery front. Smollett is in a sense being treated as a victim who deserves some space to recover rather than the perpetrator of the most notorious fake hate crime of this century.

More HERE

Black American History Should Give Evangelicals a Sense of Perspective — and Hope

By David French - 

One of the most striking aspects of modern Evangelical political thinking is its projection of inevitable decline, as if the present trends of secularization and increasing religious intolerance represent the first stages of an irreversible slide. The result is a fearful defensive crouch in the face of challenges to religious liberty that are serious but not grave and workplace discrimination that is troublesome but not crippling.

PragerU v. YouTube

Free speech is in jeopardy. Big Tech behemoths like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are putting their thumbs on the free speech scale, “restricting” conservative content they don’t like. PragerU is fighting back with a lawsuit against YouTube and its parent company, Google. The real winner (or loser) will be the American public. In this video, Attorney Eric George, who is representing PragerU, lays out our case. Be the jury.

What European Countries Sacrifice for Free College

Finland’s free college for all turns out to be free college for just some.Jason DeLisle and Preston Cooper write:

Finland offers a nice deal for students only if they are lucky and talented enough to get in. In 2016, Finnish institutions of higher education accepted just 33 percent of applicants. That’s the degree of selectivity we’d expect from an elite college in America, yet that is the admissions rate for Finland’s entire university system. There is a price to pay for that kind of selectivity: Finland ranks in the bottom third of developed countries for college-degree attainment. Meanwhile, the tuition-charging United States ranks in the top third, thanks to open-enrollment policies at many of our colleges and universities, along with private financing and plenty of spots offered through a diverse range of institutions.

President Trump at 51% approval

Despite the nasty activities going on at Illinois radical Leftist Democrat fundraisers, President Trump's approval is growing nationwide. 

He Tweeted this Monday afternoon:

THANK YOU! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/hFkXxB18Ra

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2019

Cook County GOP chairman ties Democrat fundraiser stunt to growing number of mass shootings

Chairman Morrison calls photo images from a Senator Sandoval fundraiser which depict the shooting of President Trump "Disturbing and downright vile"

CHICAGO, IL – Cook County GOP Chairman Sean Morrison is calling on Democrat State Senator Martin Sandoval to publicly explain why the senator finds these disturbing images from his fundraiser which depict a mock shooting of President Trump (with an assault weapon) to be appropriate behavior for an elected official’s event.

"These photos are disturbing and downright vile," said Chairman Morrison. "Where shootings, murders and violence rage on in parts of Chicago, we have a Democrat state senator who evidently thinks simulating an assassination of the President of the United States is acceptable behavior and a positive message for public consumption.

Ives calls on Casten to denounce Democrat senator's fundraiser assassination stunt

WHEATON - National Republicans such as presidential advisor KellyAnne Conway condemned what went on at an Illinois senator's fundraiser last Friday - and called on Democrats to voice their disapproval. The Jeanne Ives for Congress campaign stepped out on the issue, calling on the 6th CD Democrat incumbent Sean Casten to "disavow" the stunt at State Senator Sandoval's golf outing.

Photos of a fundraiser attendee pointing a fake semiautomatic firearm at a person wearing a Trump mask with a traditional Mexican costume circulated social media.

The Ives campaign release said:

Where’s Weyermuller? Joining Stephanie Trussell on last WLS AM show

Illinois Review will be supporting the Illinois Conservative Union's annual conference Saturday, August 24th in Bolingbrook, Illinois. We look forward to seeing conservatives interested in making a difference in Illinois! But if you're unable to attend, we agree that listening to the Stephanie Trussell Show would be an excellent alternative:

By Mark Weyermuller -

The final show of the Stephanie W. Trussell Show is LIVE this Saturday 3-6pm on the 50,000 talk radio.  I’m joining her in the studio for a segment at 5:31. She will be talking your calls & texts the whole 3 hours at 312-591-8900. Please call in!

Stephanie Trussell describes herself as a loud outspoken conservative grandmother driving around in the suburbs in a minivan. Eight years ago she won a contest at WLS to be “a talk show host for a day.”  After she did a her one hour show, she was asked to fill in on occasion ending up with her own show once a week for three hours.

Thorner: Donald Trump, the Superhero

By Nancy Thorner - 

We all know who the worst villains in Washington, D.C. are.  We hear their voices in our nightmares.  We know their names better than we know the names of our neighbors, names such as Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Eric Swalwell, Adam Schiff, Ilhan Omar, Jerry Nadler, Elijah Cummings, Hillary Clinton, John Brennan, Barack Obama, Michael Hayden, Mazie Hirono, Richard Blumenthal, Rashida Tlaib, James Clapper, Andrew McCabe, Al Green, Donna Brazile, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Dianne Feinstein, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

Yet whenever we consider what’s wrong with our country—whether it’s open borders, the sacred status of illegal aliens and welfare recipients, our perverted education system, Antifa, sanctuary cities and states, federal judges that mistake their robes for those of God, federal bureaucrats that believe in undermining a presidential election--the blame is placed upon President Trump and even considered an act of patriotism by the so-called villains listed above.

Is it any wonder how easy it is to get downhearted these days?

Could Socialism Flip Blue Minnesota Red?

Almost no one expected Donald Trump to win the 2016 presidential election, but his campaign’s strategy to focus on disaffected Midwest voters long abandoned by the Democratic Party leadership paid off in a big way. A majority of voters in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and, perhaps most surprisingly, Wisconsin, all pulled the lever in favor of Trump.

To win a second term, Trump is going to need a similar level of success in the Midwest, and it looks as though Minnesota, which has long been thought of as an iron-clad Democratic stronghold, could be a big part of his 2020 strategy — and for good reason.

Without Minnesota, the Democratic presidential candidate — regardless of who wins the primary race — would face a nearly insurmountable uphill battle. For example, even if the Democratic challenger were to flip Michigan and Pennsylvania to his or her side, it still wouldn’t be enough to win if Trump were to hold every other state he captured in 2020 and wins in Minnesota. Winning Minnesota would also mean that Trump could lose Florida and Arizona — two states he won in 2016 — and still end up with more than the required 270 electoral votes.

More HERE

Forbes Removes Article Profiling Climate Skeptic

NOTE: This article about 'skeptic' climate scientist Nir Shaviv was published and then quickly pulled from Forbes.com. We publish it here to save the trouble of using the Wayback Machine to read it. The Internet is Forever.

By Forbes.com contributor
Doron Levin

The U.S. auto industry and regulators in California and Washington appear deadlocked over stiff Obama-era fuel-efficiency standards that automakers oppose and the Trump administration have vowed to roll back – an initiative that has environmental activists up in arms.

California and four automakers favor compromise, while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports the president’s position that the federal standards are too strict. The EPA argues that forcing automakers to build more fuel efficient cars will make them less affordable, causing consumers to delay trading older, less efficient vehicles. Complicating matters is California’s authority to create its own air quality standards, which the White House vows to end.

More HERE

How Health Care Premiums Are Declining in States That Seek Relief from Obamacare’s Mandates

States are using Obamacare waivers to reduce premiums. Doug Badger writes:

Average premiums for benchmark plans—exchange-based policies whose rates are used to compute federal premium subsidies—were 76 percent higher in 2018 than in 2014. That trend did not continue in 2019, when premiums for benchmark plans fell by 0.83 percent, the first such decline recorded.

That result defied forecasts of double-digit premium increases, which many analysts predicted would result from repeal of tax penalties on the uninsured and liberalization of federal rules governing short-term, limited duration policies. The Congressional Budget Office, for example, projected that 2019 premiums would rise by an average of 16 percent as a result of those and other changes.

California has curriculum modeled more on marxism than on markets

California mandates victimhood curriculum. But will students be able to read it? Jonathan Butcher writes:

[W]hile 57 percent of black fourth grade students and half of hispanic fourth grade students cannot read at even a basic level, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a law in 2016 that required the state board of education to create a model ethnic studies curriculum, a project that is awash in ambiguous ideas and historical inaccuracies.

Start with the definition. The draft materials define ethnic studies as “the disciplinary, loving, and critical praxis of holistic humanity.” Confused? There is a helpful footnote that says, “Throughout this model curriculum, language is used that deliberately offers an alternative to traditional wording that could have a particular context within the dominant culture. More information about these terms can be found in the glossary.”

Illinois Conservatives to meet next Saturday in Bolingbrook

For more information, go HERE 

Chicago Mayor calls for $1B more from Springfield; fuels call for "New Illinois"

CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's staff has been digging through the financial mess left behind by Democrat former Mayor Rahm Emanuel - and it's becoming more and more evident why he didn't seek re-election in 2019. The city's finances are a mess - despite the help state lawmakers gave the Chicago Public School system this past spring. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday she needs help from Springfield to erase a $1 billion-plus shortfall, but she shed no new light on the kind of help she’ll seek, except to promise a heavy dose of budget cuts to make the tax increases go down easier, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday. 

Last month, Lightfoot asked the state to take over the city's $28B debt and Governor Pritzker said it wouldn't happen. 

However, all this demand for the whole state to bail the city of Chicago out of its financial pit is fueling calls from those downstate that have worked hard to pay taxes as required, while Chicagoans overspent for decades with the expectation that someday they would be relieved.

Two Republicans announce intentions to challenge Durbin in 2020

State Fair photos by Liz Eilers Bron

SPRINGFIELD - At the State Fair Thursday, two Republicans announced their intentions to unseat incumbent Democrat US Senate Dick Durbin in 2020 - Downstate conservative Peggy Hubbard and former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran. Both Hubbard and Curran addressed IL GOP officials Thursday morning.

Effort to stop Pritzker's tax rate change turns partisan at State Fair

SPRINGFIELD - An effort to slow down, if not stop, Gov Pritzker's #1 priority - to amend the State's Constitution to allow different levels of taxation based on income - took a partisan turn at the State Fair Thursday.

The "Vote No for Blank Check" PAC headed by former Illinois Manufacturing Association's Greg Baise appeared at the Illinois Republican Party's fair gathering Thursday - and has taken over a growing non-partisan movement with its anti-Democrat logo featuring Speaker Madigan: