Illinois Review

Di Leo: The Painter and the Shutdown

By John F. Di Leo - 

As we watch our jobless claims skyrocket, our businesses close, and our government print currency in an effort to make us feel better about it, this may be a good time to take a step back, and consider what economic activity really is, at its heart.  What is money?  How is wealth created?

It’s a complex question, but as bureaucrats crank up their printing presses and argue about where to send those crisp new dollar bills, we may be better off taking a step back and considering the subject “from 30,000 feet,” as the saying goes.

The Parable of the Painter

A man bought $10 worth of paint and canvas, and went to spend a sunny day at a local park.  He set up his easel at a spot with a good view, and went to work on a scene.

At the end of the day, just as he was finishing up, a passerby saw his work, and was impressed. The passerby paid him $500 for the painting, on the spot.

This is wealth creation.  The painter – through use of his creativity and skill – transformed $10 worth of materials into a $500 product in the span of a single day.

986 new COVID cases in Illinois; 42 additional deaths

SPRINGFIELD – As the number of test results increase, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Wednesday (4/1) 986 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 42 additional deaths.

Illinois upgrades unemployment claims process during COVID19 surge

SPRINGFIELD – Thursday, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced they are taking additional steps to address the unprecedented volume of unemployment benefit claims the department has fielded as a result of COVID-19. 

To date, the department has taken several steps to improve the unemployment benefit claims process via the online portal and the call center.

Di Leo: Laundry Lists, Stimuli, and Pop Culture Propaganda

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By John F. Di Leo - 

When Republican members of Congress joined the Trump administration to work on a proposed stimulus plan to address the Wuhan Flu epidemic – a relief package for employers that had to close the doors for a shutdown, and for citizens on layoff as a result – the House Democrats refused to participate, smugly saying “We’ll write our own bill.”

In a single weekend, they presented an 1119-page COVID-19 relief bill of their own, and it was a doozy.  Chock full of pork for the House Democrats’ special interests, it included union giveaways, student loan write offs, institutionalized vote fraud techniques, and more.  A veritable wish list of American statists that they could never pass in normal times, so they threw a Hail Mary pass in the hope that they might sneak it through in an emergency.

Most shocking, perhaps, was the list of Green New Deal elements that the Pelosi bill included.  One after another, it looks like a laundry list provided by Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez’ puppeteers:  mandates for airlines to “offset” their harmless “carbon emissions,”  a push for airports to destroy perfectly functional equipment, yet another new commission for the “study” of the utterly discredited theory of global warming, and more. 1119 pages of this stuff.

IL Congressman Davis works with bipartisan group to push through critical Defense Production Act

WASHINGTON -- In a press release Tuesday morning, U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) identified himself as one seven Republicans and seven Democrats to introduce a resolution calling for the use of the Defense Production Act to ensure there are enough health care supplies going to providers to test and treat COVID-19.

"As I continue to talk to health care providers throughout my district, they're worried about having the medical supplies necessary to treat COVID-19," said Davis. "These are unprecedented times and we need all hands on deck. Utilizing the Defense Production Act would provide more direction and incentives for businesses to prioritize the equipment our health care providers are asking for. The sooner we contain this virus, the sooner Americans and businesses can return to normal life."