Illinois Review

Two bizarre questions TurboTax asks on Illinois 2014 tax returns

SPRINGFIELD, IL - April 15th and tax returns are on everyone's minds. Two questions found on Illinois' 2014 state income returns have some citizens concerned as to how the state revenue folks expect law-abiding taxpayers to answer them truthfully.

TurboTax asks Illinoisans how much "stuff" they bought outside of Illinois on which they didn't pay enough sales taxes. Meaning anyone who bought anything outside of Illinois, and didn't pay enough sales tax, is asked to step up, report those purchases and pay the extra tax:

The second question that has some Illinoisans scratching their heads has to do with how to report income from transactions involving a federally-illegal substance like cannabis. Reporting the revenue is an admission of engagement in a federal crime.

There were no questions about income illegally derived from prostitution or bribery, however.

Will County Board's Democrat majority votes to raise county taxes

WILL COUNTY - Will County voters elected a Republican majority to their county board in November, but as one of their last acts, lame duck Democrat majority voted to raise the county's taxes.

During the November 20th meeting, the Will County Board vote split 13 Democrats to 13 Republicans on the tax question, with the deciding vote going to the Democrat County Executive Larry Walsh. 

“For the average homeowner, the higher levy will mean paying $5.50 more per year in property tax," Chairman Walsh told the Southtown Star. "The levy increase includes $1.6 million more in the actual levy plus $1.3 million from new property.”

Will County Board member Steve Ballich said things will change when Republicans take over the board in December.

Illinois Job Creators: Do-Rite Die & Engineering's Alan Szymanski

New Illinois Review series: Illinois Job Creators

Alan Szymanski, President of Do-Rite Die & Engineering in South Chicago Heights

By Fran Eaton - 

SOUTH CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL – Alan Szymanski was in diapers when his dad and a partner started Do-Rite Die & Engineering in south Cook County, Illinois. While growing up, Alan spent a lot of time working with his dad at the shop, learning a good work ethic and asking lots of questions.

When the time came for college, Alan obtained an engineering degree and went to work at a nuclear plant. It wasn’t long though, before Alan told his dad he wanted to come back to South Chicago Heights and work in the family business with his brother. 

Now at age 62, Alan’s been at Do-Rite for over forty years, and he’s very pleased his son Paul is learning the die making business just like he did.

Over those years Do-Rite’s been in business, the tool industry has changed in many ways.

One change is that toolmakers don’t seem to encourage their children to enter the field. 

“I find that sad,” he said in a recent interview with TMA. “Our son is learning the business and we have hope that our grandkids will be interested in the years ahead.”

Madigan's push for soda pop tax fizzles

SPRINGFIELD - Having declared to reporters that he did not have the votes within his own caucus to make the 2011 temporary income tax hike permanent, House Speaker Mike Madigan re-popped the lid on a per ounce soda tax this week that appeared dead earlier in the session. 

But the Democrat- controlled House Revenue & Finance Committee caused the idea to fizzle Tuesday, as only two of its ten members that agreed with the idea. 

Madigan urged State Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Chicago) to try to pass the "HEAL Act," which would charge consumers a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks. The legislation included key set asides for its estimated $600 million in revenues to fund efforts to reduce obesity and promote healthy eating and physical activity.

The tax would be 8 cents for an 8 oz can, 12 cents for a 12 oz bottle, and so on - one cent per ounce. Diet pop would be exempted - only those drinks with sugar would be taxed.

"We are excited that the legislature has decided to consider the HEAL Act in this year's session," said Elissa Bassler, Executive Director of the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity, which is leading the charge to pass the HEAL Act. "The great thing about this bill is that it sets aside money for a wellness fund.  The bill includes provisions to fund school and community health programs such as physical education, community gardens, farmers' markets, and health care for low-income residents. This isn't just another tax or a push for more revenue in a strapped budget - there are lots of revenue sources on the table. This is as an investment in building a better and healthier Illinois."

Taxing soda per ounce may need to wait for a non-election year.

It’s only a dollar. Just pay the increase and stop complaining.

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

I'm having one of those Andy Rooney moments maybe, but have you ever noticed that there's something about bureaucracy that turns otherwise responsible, thinking citizens into mind-numbed robots? It's not always a big deal, I suppose. A lot of these mechanized behaviors are relatively petty – harmless, almost. Government directed automation is just something we all do to perpetuate the collective myth that we live in a civil society, I guess.

Like this morning when I (along with around six other drivers…and I can't decide if this makes the situation worse or better than if I had been sitting there by myself) sat for two minutes at a red light allowing imaginary vehicles their right of way…you know, it's kind of stupid. It's a waste of time. It's a waste of money. It's a waste of the precious fuel that everyone is so hot to conserve. But what are you going to do? When you've finally had it and you give into the urge, when you've at last emotionally committed to the idea of driving through the red, the light changes while you're rolling forward and your political statement becomes moot anyway. Of course, that won't stop the traffic cameras from reporting your nonconformity so the powers that be can issue you a ticket. Which isn't all that civil when you think about it.

Tryon: Democrats don't deserve one new taxpayer dollar

By State Rep. Mike Tryon - 

In my time in the General Assembly, I have never seen an atmosphere where the majority party in Springfield has seemed so determined to raise taxes on hard working Illinoisans and job creators. With their veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate, tax increase proposals are being filed at an unprecedented rate. Just last week lawmakers were presented with three tax hike proposals in three days. It's becoming clear that the majority party is desperate to take more money out of the pockets of taxpayers, and it appears they don't care how they do it or what group of people they hurt in the process.

One of these proposals calls for a constitutional amendment that would replace Illinois' existing flat tax system with a progressive tax. This tax system is being presented as a "fair tax" which would only affect the rich. But HJRCA02, sponsored by Naomi Jakobsson (D-Urbana), would increase taxes on anyone who makes more than $18,000 per year. It would strike at the heart of middle-class families that are already stretched to their limit. According to the Illinois Policy Institute, the average Illinois family would see a tax increase of $781 per year through the progressive tax. Fortunately, this resolution appears to be dead for now. However, a similar version in the Senate which would raise taxes for anyone making over $12,500 is gaining traction.

DiLeo: From Kool-Aid to Soda Pop – The Donkey’s Getting Thirsty

By John F. Di Leo -

Illinois Democrats have proposed a penny-per-ounce “sodapop tax” – a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks.

Now, when you propose a number like “a penny,” it sounds small, and many people tend to dismiss it as inconsequential.   But let's do the math.  

A 20 oz bottle of cola, lemon-lime, or root beer, sold alone at a gas station, might be $1.69 or so.  Another twenty cents added on to that might seem unimportant, on its own, though it’s a brand new 12% tax on the purchase (and remember, there are still other taxes, like the state and local sales tax, in addition).

A typical large 32 oz soda at a fast food place (which is often half ice) might run $1.75.  The thirty-two cents the Democrats want to add to that drink constitute a brand new 18% tax.  You might not notice it at first, but your budget will show the shrinkage a lot faster than it did when Illinois’ already-high sales taxes were the only government paws in your lunchbreak wallet.

Late Deliveries and Misplaced Blame

By John F. Di Leo - 

Many are complaining this week – mostly the typically anti-business leftists, who can never resist a chance, legitimate or not, to attack the private sector – because some presents weren’t delivered by Christmas.  Some are even calling for class-action suits, perhaps because they think that this certain type of predatory lawyer needs a stimulus program.

Now, it should be obvious that there’s no conspiracy by the private sector to sadden spouses and children or to defraud businesses. A lot of orders were placed at the last minute, more than the transportation network could handle.  We could leave it at that.

But as long as some leftists are indeed trying to make it a political issue, let’s consider the real, legitimate political facts behind some of the various components to this issue, shall we? 

Nestle' Pizza division shifting operations to Ohio

NORTHFIELD - After just two years in a newly-renovated 75 thousand square foot building in Northbrook, Nestle' Pizza division is moving to Ohio's Cleveland, taking 250 jobs and pizza brands Digiorno, Tombstone, California Pizza Kitchen, Jack’s and Delissio along. 

The company's decision to move involved a stunning amount of secrecy, Ohio-based corporations working together to entice the Illinois-based operation, tax incentives and thousands of volunteer hours, Crain's Cleveland reports. The process began with dissatisfaction in Chicago's northern suburbs, developed into real estate and talent queries and ended with a big move to Ohio, where Republican Governor John Kasich is leading the state away from higher taxes, deeper debt and burdensome regulations.

Bottom line? Another well-respected source of employment and taxes is on its way out of Illinois to greener pastures, just two states east.

Former Board of Review analysts guilty; Berrios involvement still questioned

CHICAGO - Two former Cook County Board of Review employees were found guilty by a jury of peers Monday, and will face sentencing in February 2014.  

The two half-brothers found guilty - Thomas Hawkins, 49, and John Racasi, 52 - worked as analysts for the Board of Review when they were secretly recorded taking the bribes from a corrupt Chicago police officer who was working undercover with the FBI.

After a weeklong trial that ended Friday, the jury deliberated about 3½ hours before convicting the two on four counts of conspiracy, bribery and mail fraud. 

O'Brien: Dancing on the Tea Party's Grave

By Teri O'Brien - 

It’s official. Everyone,and by “everyone” I mean all the East Coast Brain Rot afflicted elites in the Establishment GOP and the legacy media, hates Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and everyone knows that he has destroyed the “Republican brand.” Sen. John McCain (R-Amnesty) says that Sen. Cruz and his ally, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) were on a “fool’s errand” that took attention away from the Obamacare rollout fiasco.

Is he right? Isn’t it more likely that Sen. Cruz is correct when he says that if the Senate Republicans had stood united with the House GOP, and went out across the nation highlighting the ridiculous disaster of the “Affordable Care Act” website, and explaining that it was Barack Obama who refused to negotiate? Of course it is! Just how much did that Obamacare website cost? The number is staggering, especially when you consider that the technology used is not exactly state of the art.

O'Brien: Obama’s Playbook Same For Last Twenty Years, Destroy Any Opposition

By Teri O'Brien -

I am fond of saying that liberals really need to get some new writers. They have been feasting off the rotting corpse of Karl Marx for over a hundred years, and they continue to bleat the same stale talking points about “fairness,” moving “forward,” “hope and change,” blah blah blah.

Despite his campaign’s ability to conceal the truth about his radicalism, Barack Hussein Obama has never been anything other than a hard-wired radical leftist, and he shares his ideological soul mates’ lack of originality. He has one playbook, the same one he has had since 1996, when he paid his political mentor, communist Alice Palmer, back for her assistance by getting her kicked off the ballot by challenging voter signatures. That’s how he became an Illinois state senator.

Senator Dan Duffy: Sound the Alarm - Progressive Tax Ahead

By State Senator Dan Duffy - 

There is usually a key issue, event or situation that motivates people to get engaged in our political system. For me that happened in 2007 when then Gov. Rod Blagojevich proposed a new tax on business revenues that he called a Gross Receipts Tax, or GRT.

The governor said it was all about “Illinois Tax Fairness,” but it quickly became apparent that if the GRT tax passed, it would drive small businesses out of the state. As a small business owner myself I was so outraged and concerned about the $7 billion tax plan that I had no other option than to get politically active. Together, with thousands of other small business owners from across the state, we fought the GRT tax plan and defeated it. 

History is repeating itself and the “tax fairness” mantra from Springfield is back. This time it is coming from the Illinois Senate Democratic leaders. They are proposing a progressive income tax that would replace our current flat tax rate structure. The new proposed progressive tax would mandate that “higher rates apply to higher income levels.” This supposed tax on the wealthy would be more devastating to businesses than the GRT tax. 

Diaper DC: A Good Government Movement

By Sam Pierce - 

There are a plethora of complaints about our federal and state governments. I think we can ignore the complaints from those who believe government is too small or does not do enough, as those complaints are equivalent to lamenting that the level of damage is too low. On the other hand, reasonable complaints, those dealing with big spending and overreach, need to be addressed. The problem with addressing those complaints is that too often, those who complain don't really want to stop the actions they decry... or they seek to only limit those governmental oversteps that don't comport with their personal philosophies or desires.

Focusing on the federal government first, we must examine the means to a good government end. Perhaps we don't need to engage in root cause analysis, at least not initially, to stem the flow of waste, burden, and strangling regulation from those who enjoy the power and perks of federal elected office. I think the late Ronald Reagan was on the right track when he uttered the following:

Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.

RONALD REAGAN, New York Times, Nov. 14, 1965

Obama Goes Full Alinsky To Hide His Many Failures, and Men on Strike

By Teri O'Brien - 

At this point, is there a dime's worth of difference between Barack Obama and Eric Holder on the one hand, and Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson on the other? If you have any doubt about that, and about why Barack Obama appeared to do more race hustling in the White House briefing room, perhaps the following will clear things up. From the Washington Post:

On Thursday, Obama informed his senior staff that he wanted to share his thoughts, leading to his appearance at the podium Friday during Carney’s scheduled daily briefing.

Civil rights leaders have been communicating with White House officials about the Zimmerman case, including a conference call Tuesday with senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. But officials said they did not press Obama to speak publicly about the case.

Sharpton said he discussed the issue with Jarrett over breakfast Friday. 

Wait--Al Sharpton, Race Hustler Extraordinaire, he of Tawana Brawley and Freddy's Fashion Mart Fame, was having breakfast with the One's closest adviser last Friday. This, after Sharpton had been agitating for months to intimidate Florida officials into prosecuting (persecuting) a man who exercised his right of self-defense. No one should be surprised that gutless weasel politicians were all too eager to comply.

Simple Path To Constitutionally Sound Government: Follow BHO!

By Sam Pierce -

Our nation is faced with a mountain range of serious, self-inflicted problems. We are damning future generations to suffocating debt, by choice. We are sacrificing precious American lives in far away lands under the very thin masks of "defense" or foreign relations. We take from the producer and use the ill-gotten gain to further erode the foundation of the country. We outsource the management of daily life to a far off bureaucracy. We move toward some variation of the life depicted in Orwell's "1984" without much resistance. We have almost entirely succumbed to the subtly deadly weapon of political correctness, which has been employed magnificently by the enemies of liberty.

I know the popular, at least among those who claim the elastic moniker, "conservative," solution would be to place our noses adjacent to the proverbial grindstone in support of Republican candidates. Of course, they are correct that none but Democrat or Republican candidates can win in the big elections (a situation they toil to perpetuate). Even so, electing Republicans has proven to be no solution, at least, not in itself.

Connect the Dots. How the IRS Targeting Happened.

By Teri O'Brien - 

During yesterday's hearing on IRS targeting before a House Appropriations subcommittee, the democrats on the committee bleated on and on about their favorite hobby horse, especially whenever IRS targeting of conservatives is mentioned, the Citizens' United case. Like their messiah, the One himself, Barack Hussein Obama, they are obsessed with this case, and are endlessly outraged over "money in politics," hoping that we won't notice the obvious hypocrisy about this issue that is always on display. In a truly cringe-inducing moment, B. Hussein actually called out and berated members of the Supreme Court during his 2010 State of the Union address. Also during yesterday's hearing, neither the acting Commissioner of the IRS, Daniel Werfel, nor the Inspector General, J. Russell George could answer one burning question: Who decided to initiate this highly inappropriate, and possibly illegal, targeting?

Cuisine and Contributions … And a License to Kill

By John F. Di Leo - 

Reflecting on the real-life impact of the IRS "Questionnaire-Gate" scandals…

“Congratulations, Restauranteur!”

You’ve just signed a lease on a great property. It’s a beautiful restaurant, just the right size, with a modern kitchen, and a terrific location with plenty of parking. You start decorating – painting, ordering window treatments, maybe updating the floor a bit, bringing in a custom bar that you found at an auction, re-upholstering the chairs, no, every other chair, to make it distinctive. You’re making it your own.

You’ve had the menu in mind for a while, so you start outfitting the kitchen to meet your needs – removing the deep fryer, adding more ovens or ranges, whatever fits your chosen cuisine. You start hiring, signing contracts for perishables and meats and alcohol and sodapop. You get your local business license, the approval of the health department, and now only one barrier remains:

Your liquor license hasn’t come in yet.

Do We Really Honor Their Sacrifice?

By Sam Pierce - 

This morning I signed onto Facebook and of course, saw many Memorial Day tributes. The tributes very from the expressions of appreciation for the sacrifice that has enabled our freedom to the remembrance of Pat Tillman and suggestions that he was killed by the government to keep its opium business hidden. This day is one of a handful of days during which such tributes populate social media, accompanying flags flown where they would not normally be seen.

Generally speaking, do we honor the sacrifice of those who died in military service? I'm not questioning the motives behind today's expressions of sentiment and flag-flying. I am, however, wondering if the memory is honored by the actions of our government, including those with popular or "patriotic" support.

Obama’s Triple Crown of Scandals

By Teri O'Brien - 

There will be no Triple Crown winner, but we do have a troika of Obama scandals, all of which were in the news this week. This morning on CNN, a gleeful Jessica “Barack Just Smiled at Me!” Yellin, celebrated their latest poll, which shows that these messy questions about unethical, or even illegal, behavior by members of his administration has not diminished the endless love the American people have for the Dear Leader. She’d fit right in in North Korea.

Some, including the members of the House Ways and Means Committee, who held a hearing last week about the IRS’ targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups, are less enamored. Former Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller, who recently decided to move his previously scheduled exit to his cushy retirement up by a couple of weeks, responded to requests to know who initiated this policy with shoulder-shrugging, bored evasiveness.

His demeanor said “Whatever. I don’t really care what happened. Let’s get this over with.” He couldn’t say. He didn’t know. He didn’t remember. Cue The Carpenters. This has only just begun. What do we know after this hearing? Some Republicans are opening talking “impeachment,” but is that really helpful? Is “scandal” really an agenda, especially when we learned last week that the House is close to a deal on “comprehensive immigration reform?” Short answer: no.

16 items the IRS demanded from TheTeaParty.net

For those that might think the growing Internal Revenue Service scandal going after groups with names including "Tea Party" or "9-12" seeking tax-exempt status is just over-reaction and globbing on, TheTeaParty.net released a list of items the IRS demanded from them:

• List all activities, rallies, advertising to be explained "in detail"
• Lists of industry conventions at which the organization had a presence and any materials distributed to the public there
• copies of current web pages. "If you are a membership organization, please include all the pages that are accessible only to your members"
• Financial detais about internet related activies
• Content of blogs and social media presence 

Lauryn Hill: I Didn't Pay Taxes because I am "the child of former slaves"

By Teri O'Brien -

From National Review: Grammy Award–winner Lauryn Hill was sentenced to three months in federal prison on Monday for not paying taxes on three years’ worth of earnings. In court, Hill blamed her misdeeds on racial persecution. “I am a child of former slaves who had a system imposed on them,” she said. “I had an economic system imposed on me.”

Somebody text Wesley Snipes. He got a raw deal! He was in the joint for almost 3 years. 

This woman earned more than $1.8 million from 2005 to 2007, but she not only didn't pay her "fair share." No, I take that back. She decided that her fair share was zero because she is "the child of former slaves." Gee, I wonder where she could have gotten that idea. Perhaps this excellent piece from National Review by Rich Lowry entitled "The Obama/Clinton Reparations" could shed some light on it.

Is Marco Rubio Being Played on Immigration?

By Teri O'Brien -

Supposedly the "Gang of 8" immigration (read amnesty) proposal will be unveiled this week, and Sen. Marco Rubio's involvement is considered key. What does he say to charges that the latest proposal is just another amnesty? And, does this issue actually represent an opportunity for the GOP? Sen. Jeff Sessions suggests a pathway, not to citizenship, but to making political gains without supporting amnesty.

Moochelle Obama travels to Chicago to shill for more pointless gun control, hoping that no one will connect the dots between the lack of enforcement of Chicago's ridiculous anti-gun laws and her emotional plea, which was, like everything else, all about her.

A legendary female athlete, universally recognized to be a "strong woman" reveals the secret to a happy marriage; that is, being submissive to her husband.

Former Reaganite joins liberal pottymouth's cry to get rid of the 2nd Amendment, and looks like a horse's hindend in the process.

More Liberal Lies, Hypocrisy and Outright Stupidity from the Left

By Teri O'Brien -

Be it the budget, immigration, so-called “same sex marriage” or our 2nd amendment rights, we are surrounded by lies, hypocrisy and stupidity. We watch so you don’t have to, and we’ll unpack it all on today’s edition of The Teri O’Brien Show.

Today, the country waits breathlessly for an event that has been anticipated for months, and whose time has finally arrived. No, not the sixth season of “Mad Men,” which will premiere tonight on AMC. I refer, instead to the planned release of Barack Obama’s aka “Mr. Financial Responsibility” budget this coming Wednesday, two months late, no doubt repeating a pattern that the One learned as a coddled, affirmative-action assisted, mediocre student. If we were able to see any of Barry’s college writing, which we aren’t because that stuff is locked down tighter than the plot of tonight’s “Mad Men” episode, we’d no doubt see that these papers presented a vapid regurgitation of his Marxist professors clichè-ridden lectures, devoid of original ideas and designed so that he could just turn something in. This budget charade is similar. It’s not going anywhere, and he knows it. I hope you’re sitting down as I reveal a stunning truth. This budget is just more politics as usual from the Obama perpetual campaign.

Cyprus Mess in the USA? Three Ways It Is Already Here

By Teri O'Brien - 

We alerted you early Monday, March 18, about the plan in Cyprus to confiscate private bank deposits, an idea the sparked understandable outrage among the peasants. Cypriot legislators, apparently very fond of keeping their necks out of nooses, rejected that plan. Now, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank have arranged a bailout for Cyprus, allowing the country to avoid bankruptcy, for now. The bad news is that in exchange for riding to the rescue the IMF and ECB required Cyprus to pony up $7.5 billion. That’s not exactly the sort of chump change you find between the couch cushions. So how did they do it?

From CBS News:

Former Congressman Joe Walsh today on the Teri O'Brien Show

By Teri O'Brien -

Say what you want about former Congressman Joe Walsh, but you can’t say that he pulls his punches. He will join us, and I’m sure that he won’t mince words as we talk about his new Freedom Movement, and his comments at Sunday’s townhall meeting. Once again, he’s in a center of a controversy of his own making, due to remarks he made at that event, in which he stated that Americans “have grown stupid,” and are “lazy,” and “easily manipulated.” Is he right? If so, what does he suggest that we do about it?

The art of caring about Illinois pension reform

By Cranky Housewife - 

First off - I am possibly the last person in the world that ought to be suggesting solutions to the pension chaos in Illinois. I just want to make that clear. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't care about the issue. It's just that my eyes kind of glaze over when people start talking unfunded liabilities and COLAs. COLAs? Seriously, I'm thinking, "Why is Michael Bloomberg involved with this?  He doesn't have enough to do in New York? He's gotta come here and mess up my soft drink consumption too?"

Right. COLA? I looked it up. My Big Gulp is safe for now.

Yeah, I'm kidding but the point is valid. The average citizen most likely understands what a cost of living increase is but when they hear a vague term like COLA, the idea becomes extricated from real meaning – disjointed and more unapproachable than it actually is…they may assume at first blush that it refers to some kitschy and intricate accounting term like SARBOX or FICA.

O'Brien: Obama's Sequester Con Blows Up in His Face

By Teri O'Brien - 

“Dumb, inexcusable and unnecessary.” That’s what Barack Obama called the unthinkable, the thing that he declared last fall would never happen, the so-called, “sequester,” mandatory reductions in the rate of growth for various federal agencies. Dumb, inexcusable, unnecessary, and also his idea, as it is now universally acknowledged.

Here’s the reality: The One rolled the dice and he lost. He bet that the Republicans would be unwilling to allow the Defense Department, which is taking the brunt of the “cuts,” to see its budget reduced, and he was wrong. Now, he is engaging in a cringe-inducing, passive-aggressive game, one in which he says "If you don't do what I want, and send more money to Washington for me to throw down various ratholes, I'm going to inflict as much pain as possible on the American people."

Barack Obama and the Zone of Misguided Promises

By John F. Di Leo - 

On a winter day in 2013, Barack Obama flew home to Chicago and tried to channel Jack Kemp.

As the Democratic Party and the Main Stream Media do his bidding, focusing their coverage on the “gun violence” of America’s cities, Obama attempts to ride this manufactured PR wave with a new political issue as his snowboard, the establishment of Promise Zones.

The idea is to take the worst neighborhoods – the cities most in need of help – and revive them with a public-private partnership of new businesses and more – much more – government assistance. The plan is to use government largesse to drive mini-recoveries in the cities, providing tax credits for new businesses to move in, and more federally funded pre-K schooling, mandated increases in the minimum wage, and focused job training for the jobs he dreams might someday appear in their midst. Surely such a program will save these troubled neighborhoods, right?

Surely these gang recruiters wouldn’t have been successful in attracting children to their gang lifestyle of drugs and luxury cars, gold jewelry and cool clothes, if only the kids had been introduced to “See Spot Run” and “Meet Dick and Jane” at four instead of at five. That year of pre-school simply must make all the difference…

Lee, Ogle and Whiteside Counties to decide 1% sales tax hike on April ballot

By Ulysses Arn -

Wednesday night, the Dixon School Board voted to put a 1% sales tax increase for all of Lee County on their April consolidated election ballot.  In November, Lee County residents rejected the same sales tax increase with nearly 60% of the vote.

Dixon businessman Chris Hammitt spoke against the tax increase, asking the board not to put the question on the ballot.  Hammitt said the board should focus on academics, and not athletics.  During the first push to approve the tax increase, the Dixon school board planned to use a portion of the tax revenue to build a new sports complex.

Biden’s Buffoonish Gun Ban Side Show

By Teri O'Brien -

This week we witnessed the ridiculous, predictable, and sometimes infuriating, spectacle of Joe Biden’s silly sideshow, in which he pretended that he and Barack Obama were interested in finding “solutions” to “gun violence,” when in fact for years their “solution” was pre-determined; specifically, infringement on the 2nd amendment rights of law abiding citizens.

This idiotic Kabuki aside, we don’t need to wait until Tuesday to hear them unveil these “comprehensive” proposals. It’s a forgone conclusion. Everyone in this administration is hard-wired to believe that you have no right to defend yourself with a firearm, and everybody knows it. Even NBC’s David “Howdy Doody” Gregory can figure this one out. Will B. Hussein Obama attempt to continue his pattern of lawlessness by trampling on our rights with an end run around Congress, an executive order? We’ll talk about that with our guest, Mark Walters, columnist for Concealed Carry Magazine, host of Armed American Radio, and author of Lessons from Armed America.

Beach Bum Barry Bests GOP

By Teri O'Brien -

This week, as we prepare for the beginning of the 113^th Congress, we face a looming showdown over increasing the federal government’s debt ceiling. It seems like only yesterday that our courageous Dear Reader, Barack “I Won’t Play That Game” Obama was battling with his mean-spirited opposition over their unwillingness to send more cash from productive citizens to him to spend on his many worthy projects. Oh wait, it was just yesterday.

Well, actually it was last week, during that whole “fiscal cliff” thing, a complete victory for the One. Will Sen. McConnell have the spine to get anything meaningful on spending decreases in the next round, or will he wave the white flag again? As usual, David Gregory, who interviewed Sen. McConnell today on “Meet the Press,” did an excellent job of presenting the White House perspective. I was very distracted, though, wondering “where is the perp walk for Mr. Gregory?”

Five Mainstream Republican Resolutions for 2013

By John F. Di Leo -

Time once again for a list of New Year’s Resolutions for the Republican Party. The party leaders haven’t taken my advice these past few years, so there’s no reason to believe they shall this year, but who knows? Perhaps if things get too dire, they’ll start looking to bloggers for solutions to the problems that their top consultants haven’t been able to solve. One can but hope.

1.  Learn the Meaning of Compromise

This isn’t entirely fair, but it’s still a good place to begin. Republicans are notorious for conceding defeat before negotiations begin.

Let’s say for example that the Republicans know that a 30% tax rate cut would be the best thing to spur the economy, create jobs, and restore upward mobility to all demographics. But the Democrats are still clamoring for a 30% tax increase because they’ve drunk so much Keynesian kool-aid that their veins run purple with the stuff.

The Most Under-Reported Stories of 2012

By Teri O'Brien -

Well, Kids, we made it through another year, one that started with so much promise, and that is ending with the country, having failed to heed our urgent warnings, doing a Thelma-and-Louise dive over the “fiscal cliff” with our gangsta Dear Reader in the driver’s seat . We’ve known for months that the consequences of this plunge are the stuff of liberals’ wet dreams; specifically, increasing taxes on productive citizens and slashing military spending while leaving the billions thrown down their precious social welfare ratholes untouched. We’ll be on top of the latest, as the Senate meets today to try to avoid what is described as a potential disaster. Is it my imagination, or didn’t these weasels see this coming for the last two years? Who are these guys who want even more of our hard-earned money? They make high school students who wait until the night before term papers are due appear to have it together.   

Non-negotiable federal Obamacare taxes to hit next Tuesday

WASHINGTON - Beside the fiscal cliff warnings if a budget agreement isn't reached between Congress and President Obama, are an array of new Obamacare-related federal taxes. The Daily Caller provides a look at some of the major federal taxes and fees starting January 1, 2013,  estimated to total nearly $700 billion over 10 years.

— Upper-income households. Starting Jan. 1, individuals making more than $200,000 per year, and couples making more than $250,000 will face a 0.9 percent Medicare tax increase on wages above those threshold amounts. They’ll also face an additional 3.8 percent tax on investment income. Together these are the biggest tax increase in the health care law.

Who Wants a Tax Increase?

By Teri O'Brien -

Ever the demagogue, Barack Obama crisscrosses the country, continuing to campaign, despite winning last month’s presidential election. Polls show that 60% of Americans support raising taxes on “the rich,” and he’s determined to keep stoking the fires of class envy to maintain the political advantage that he sees awaiting him after we “plunge” off the “fiscal cliff.” By doing so, he’s hoping to start off his second term making it clear that that’s “not going to play that game that I will play,” the “game” being abiding by the Constitution and allowing Congress to control the debt ceiling. Predictably, here we have the breathtaking arrogance and lawlessness that he demonstrated in his first term, now on steroids. Yet, one prominent, even legendary, member of the Jurassic media says that if there is a recession, Barack Obama will own it. Who is he, and is he right?

Civic Committee deems Illinois' pension mess "unfixable"

CHICAGO - Earlier this week, the Civic Committee wrote a letter to Commercial Club members about how disappointed they are that Illinois' voters chose to keep the same people in office that led to the state's $200 billion pension deficit. After sounding the alarm consistently about the coming financial disaster and being outright ignored by the voting public, the committee has determined the situation to be "unfixable."

Taking contributions from younger teachers amounts to "fraud," they told their members in the letter,  because those contributors will never have their money returned to them in promised pension benefits. 

The group offered three steps that needed to be taken when current lawmakers return to the post-election veto session: 

Civic Committee memo to members of the Commercial Club

What does it mean to vote Democrat in 2012?

By John F. Di Leo -

The Democratic Party has undergone many a migration over the centuries; it’s unrecognizable from the party originally started by Madison and Jefferson to oppose President Washington’s economic  agenda.

From its inception, though, one thing has never changed: the Democratic Party has always been, in some way, the pro-slavery party.  

Defender of slavery for the first century, then the opponent of reconstruction after the Civil War, the Democratic Party has always been a supporter of the elites, and in some way a supporter of the oppression of some group -sometimes the Blacks, sometimes the Asians, sometimes Catholics, sometimes Native Americans.  

This much has never changed: the Democrats have never lacked for some group to blame for whatever was going wrong.

Dixon group uses Reagan image to promote sales tax hike

By Ulysses S. Arn - 

DIXON - Early Saturday morning "We are Dixon," the group behind the effort to pass a one percent sales tax increase in Lee County, held a small rally along Dixon's riverfront in front of a statue of the city's favorite son, Ronald Wilson Reagan.

Dixon police chief Danny Langloss and Dixon Main Street executive director Josh Albrecht spoke to supporters of the tax increase for about 15 minutes, focusing mainly on the planned $10-15 million sports complex that the Dixon School District plans to build with the expected $1.2 million in annual revenue the tax would bring.  They touted the sports complex and the county wide tax increase to pay for it (and building repairs for the other Lee county school districts) as a quality of life issue.  Yet at no point during this brief rally was a very important subject touched on by the proponents of the tax increase - that being the taxpayers.

Thankfully for the taxpayers of Lee County someone was at this rally who had their best interest(and wallets) in mind, me.

Quinn rated Governor with worst fiscal policy in the nation

WASHINGTON DC - Cato Institute released their 11th bi-annual Fiscal Policy Report Card on Governors this week, and Illinois' Governor Pat Quinn scored a 16, the lowest grade of the nation's state CEOs. The report grades governors on their fiscal policies from a limited-government perspective. The governors receiving an "A" are those who cut taxes and spending the most, while the governors receiving an "F" raised taxes and spending the most. The grading mechanism is based on seven variables, including two spending variables, one revenue variable, and four tax rate variables.

Pat Quinn of Illinois took office after his predecessor, Rod Blagojevich, was impeached and removed. Unfortunately, Quinn is following the same approach that earned Blagojevich an “F” grade from Cato in 2008.3 In 2009 Quinn signed into law a $1.1 billion tax increase. In 2011 he pushed through a massive $7 billion tax increase, which included higher individual income taxes, corporate taxes, and estate taxes. Quinn raised the top individual income tax rate from 3 to 5 percent, and raised the top corporate rate from 4.8 to 7.0 percent. Illinois corporations pay a special tax on top of the basic rate to bring the overall rate to 9.5 percent. In 2012 Quinn approved a large cigarette tax increase. Quinn also spends too much, and he has tried to paper over the state’s fiscal problems by issuing billions of dollars of bonds to cover unpaid state bills and to fund the state pension plan.

Chris Matthews on Suicide Watch, Jim Lehrer on LSM Excrement List

By Teri O''Brien - 

As usual, Barack Obama's apologists are incapable of accepting the reality that their guy is an unqualified, affirmative-action assisted, thin-skinned empty suit, so they are blaming his pathetic performance in last night's debate on the moderator. From the Politico story entitled, "Colorado presidential debate: Media piles on moderator Jim Lehrer:"

The loser of Wednesday night’s debate, according to many pundits and political commentators?

Moderator Jim Lehrer.

Free Phones and the Loss of Freedoms

By John F. Di Leo -

Statistics are odd things.  They can grab one’s attention; they can utterly fascinate, or they can make one’s eyes glaze over.

Election seasons are a great time for such examples – candidates, parties, and commentators all use statistics to make their points, but all too often, the important issues are lost in the shuffle of challenges or defenses to the statistics.

The modern welfare state presents such a problem.  Consider the “rise of the Obamaphone” in recent years, as a three-decade-old policy of providing the most indigent with a subsidized landline has been translated by the current administration as a commitment to provide 12.5 million voters with the latest cellphones.  Honestly, shouldn’t the recipients be offended that their party hopes their votes can be bought with a free phone?

First, the statistics:  there were about 7.1 million federally-subsidized cellphones in 2008, and that number nearly doubled to 12.5 million during the Obama presidency.  Politicians are sure that these statistics will affect the November elections, especially with the news that about a million of them are in Ohio, the battleground of all battlegrounds.

Kansas' Huelskamp objects to USDA takeover of school lunch programs

The debate about the new federal school lunch program is just heating up and moms aren't happy about what's going on with their kids. Tuesday, Illinois Review editor Fran Eaton wrote about the school lunch debate and urged the real Nutrition Nannies to re-assume their parental rights to make choices for their kids. The "hungry kids" debate continued this morning, when Congressman Tim Huelskamp of Kansas took it to the national level on CBS morning news. Nationwide, taxpayers are funding the lunches of 31 million school age kids now getting between 650 and 850 calorie lunches, approved by the USDA.

Paul Ryan Choice Signals Plan to Go at the One Head On

By Teri O'Brien -

In a little over an hour, Mitt Romney will formally announce, from the deck of the U.S.S. Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia, that he has chosen Rep. Paul Ryan as his V.P. choice. I was surprised, and delighted, by this news. I assumed that Mitt would go with the safe choice, Tim Pawlenty. I am happy to be wrong. The selection of Paul Ryan is an excellent one because:

Obama Campaign's Desperation Strategy: Insult Your Intelligence

By Teri O'Brien -

The Obama campaign's desperation has driven them to resort to stunningly outrageous lies, lies so ridiculous that the only explanation is that you are dumber than a box of rocks. Actually, I think they are suing in Ohio for voting rights for boxes of rocks. Someone called me and told me that, a very credible source.

Submitted for your consideration:

Mitt Romney Paid $3M in Federal Taxes in 2010, GE Paid ZERO

Even though he was allegedly a "lifelong Republican,"back in January 2011, Barack Obama selected General Electric's CEO Jeffrey Immelt to head his Jobs Council. I'm not sure I'd put that credential on the resume, big fella.  Mr. Immelt has been called Obama’s Pet CEO. Perhaps that's why Mr. Obama has refrained from demagoguery about the fact that for the last two years, GE has paid ZERO in federal taxes. This isn't something I heard from one of Harry Reid's imaginary friends. From ABC News: 

Corruption, Crony Capitalism and Obama’s Crypto-Communism

By Teri O'Brien -

Today we focus on corruption, crony capitalism and the redistributionist policies of Obama and his merry band of Marxists. Since the Jurassic media shows no interest in investigating and reporting on the lawlessness of the Obama administration, we’re fortunate to have the tireless fighters of government corruption and secrecy, Judicial Watch, who are always at the tip of the spear in the fight. Christopher Farrell, Judicial Watch’s Director of Research and Investigation, will join us to tell us the latest about their terrific work, including the New Black Panther Party case.

Why would Eric Holder’s Justice Department dismiss a slam dunk voter intimidation case against these racist thugs? Are the denials about the involvement of higher-ups in the decision true? In addition, we’ll ask Mr. Farrell about Judicial Watch’s exposure of your tax dollars being funneled into the coffers of another racist bunch of “community organizers,” La Raza.

Obama's calls for tax hikes for those making $250,000 or more

By Meghan Keenan -

President Obama called Monday for Congress to pass another one-year extension of tax cuts for household incomes less than $250,000 in the coming weeks. This plan would leave the issue of whether to extend the cuts to everyone until after the election.

In January, the 2-year extension on the Bush tax cuts that President Obama and Congress agreed on in 2010 will end. 

Obama said that extensions for the rich are “least likely to promote growth” and are a key reason why the federal government has shifted from the surpluses of the 1990s to the deficits that began during George W. Bush’s presidency and continue today. “We can’t afford to keep that up, not right now,” he said. “I just believe that anybody making over $250,000 should go back to the income tax rates we were paying under Bill Clinton.”

Forget the Birth Certificate. Will Obama’s Undoing Be His Social Security Number?

By Teri O'Brien -

While the Inside-the-Beltway geniuses obsess over the Romney campaign’s missteps, and his family vacation, hoping that we won’t notice the reeking stench of our stagnating economy, we in Real America count the days until the voters can undo the bad hiring decision they made in 2008. Even many members of the crowd of slobbering sycophants that helped sell the Obama brand now realize that the packaging was very misleading, as painful as it is for them to admit. This week we’ll ask whether Barack Obama’s undoing will not be the rotten economy, but his manufactured biography. It’s increasingly clear that in 2008 the public was completely had, duped into electing a fictional character. Now, a dogged detective is demanding answers. Will Susan Daniels get Barack Obama disqualified from the ballot in Ohio?

Of course, we can’t depend on Ms. Daniels and the other tireless patriots who have been insisting that Barack Obama is not an Article II “natural born citizen” to rid our country of the scourge that is the Obama presidency. Is the Romney campaign as lame as his opponents in the Lame Stream Media suggest? Were you satisfied with his response to the Supreme Court’s contorted decision on Obamacare and the anemic job numbers released last Friday? If you could give him advice, what would you tell him?

Ignore Your Candidate's Flip-Flops

By Sam Pierce -

Happy Independence Day! That seems to be harder to proclaim as each year passes and our electorate sinks deeper into the abyss of dependence. Perhaps we are celebrating a good run, now irretrievably gone.

Independence Day isn’t the subject of this post, however. I follow some proggie dingbats on Twitter (some of which are Obama campaign staff) and I couldn’t help but notice how they are on the attack over Mitt Romney’s shifting positions on Obamatax and its associated mandate. In the interest of honesty, I should point out that I am sympathetic with their position to a degree. The premise that Mitt Romney and his ardent supporters are flopping and flipping  (and flailing) like John Heinz-Kerry’s Rhode Island docked (for tax-avoidance purposes) yacht caught in a violent storm out at sea, seems to be sadly and sickeningly accurate. The Obamorons are all a-Twitter… but something is missing.

Barack Obama, International Man of Mystery, Rescued by Chief Justice Roberts

By Teri O'Brien -

Thursday morning when I first heard the results of the Obamacare decision, I recalled some words from John Roberts confirmation hearing back in 2005, when he quoted Professor of Law John MacArthur Maguire, who referred to law as the “the wise restraints that make men free.”

Until I read the decision, I assumed that he must be finding some way to show great deference to Congress. In fact, it was just the opposite. As the always brilliant Justice Scalia points out in his dissent, Justice Roberts didn’t interpret the statute. He rewrote it, and he did so in direct contravention of not only the Founders’ plan, as expressed in Federalist Papers, but also in the legislative history. That’s a legalistic way of saying Congress knew what it was doing, and it specifically rejected versions of the Affordable Care Act (I laugh every time I hear that name) that called the “penalty” a “tax.”

Roberts engaged in ridiculous gymnastics, sophistry really, first correctly stating that stretching the Commerce Clause to the point of penalizing those who don’t buy something would make the federal government’s power nearly unlimited, then proceeding to write an opinion that makes the taxing power of the federal government nearly unlimited.