Letters & Commentary

Capitol Fax

Rich Miller's commentary on State Government

A few weeks ago, I asked a top Republican what his party's plan was in the ongoing war over campaign finance reform.

"We are not for some sham ethics bill," the official said, then added with tongue slightly in cheek, "We stand with the reformers, until they capitulate, then I'm not sure where we stand, but I'll let you know."

The Republicans are badly outnumbered in both the Illinois House and Senate, they don't raise as much money as the Democrats, their party has been on the outs with voters since Gov. George Ryan went down in flames and President George W. Bush alienated most of the state.

So the Republicans did the politically smart thing and eagerly professed their undying love for reform and pledged their never-ending loyalty to those plucky reformers - all the while using the reform issue and the reform groups as a partisan sledge-hammer against the Democrats. It was a smart political play.

The assault started when Gov. Pat Quinn's reform commission issued its report. Several of the commission's recommendations were unworkable, and even some commissioners admitted that there were flaws in their report, but the Republicans demanded a vote on that document as it was, without changes. They were denied by the Democrats and the media immediately picked up their howls of outrage. Coverage always follows conflict and the Republicans used that hard rule of the universe to their advantage at every opportunity.

After the governor's commission disbanded, the Republicans latched on to a coalition of reformers called Change Illinois.

"Any proposal not fully endorsed by Change Illinois will not have my support," House Republican Leader Tom Cross defiantly declared last week.

Well, "capitulation" came just a few days after Cross' declaration of alliance, and he and the rest of the Republican Party were left in the dust.

Change Illinois agreed to a provision which allowed legislative leaders and party committees to contribute money to candidates without any limitations during general elections, but capped those contributions in primaries. The proposal had been almost universally slammed by the state's major newspaper editorial pages as worse than no reform at all and had been flatly rejected by the Republicans for potentially concentrating even more power into the hands of legislative leaders.

After praising the reformers and vowing to stand with them for most of the year, the Republicans resorted to attacking the reformers when they cut the deal. Rep. Suzie Bassi (R-Palatine), for instance, suggested that the reform coalition may have been "bought out."

But the legitimacy conferred on the reform groups by people like Leader Cross for the past several months made the Republicans' angry reaction look more than a little hollow. Any suggestion that the reformers had been somehow bought off just isn't believable.

The Republicans and the other critics are probably right about the bill's merits. Not capping the contributions made by the caucus committees and the party organizations while capping everybody else's contributions isn't exactly fair and certainly does nothing to address the massive spending by those entities during general elections.

Ironically, or perhaps intentionally, the House Republicans may suffer the most from this contribution cap during primaries. History has shown that it's a rarity for a Democratic legislative primary to drastically impact the outcome of a general election (although there may be one next year in Chicago, of all places). But the House Republicans have fought off organized primary assaults from their own party's Right wing for decades. They spent a fortune because if those ultra-conservative candidates prevailed in the primary then the Democrats would have a good shot at picking up those seats in the general election.

There are a few curious aspects to the bill. For instance, the language which bans political parties from making campaign contributions in primaries expires right before the petition process begins for the 2014 campaign. So, if Attorney General Lisa Madigan decides to run for governor in that election and her father, House Speaker Michael Madigan, is still the state Democratic Party chairman, the cap could disappear for her just in time for the campaign.

That may sound like a convenient gift, but it will probably cause some real headaches for Ms. Madigan. Another high-profile fight like this one over Speaker Madigan's resistance to reform just before the campaign season starts could be a disaster for the daughter.

Why Your Representatives Should Make You Mad as Hell

By John W. Whitehead

October 29, 2009

"I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell, 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore.' Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad!...You've got to say, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it."Howard Beale, Network (1976)

Imagine a world exempt from parking tickets, where gym membership is free and health care is second-to-none. In order to receive these benefits, you also only have to work two, maybe three days a weeka time period during which you will be shuttled around in a nice car. The other days of the week you can spend at home with your family. Luckily, every weekend is a long weekend and you won't have to be back at work until Tuesday evening.

This job description might seem too good to be true, but for our so-called "representatives" in Congress who enjoy incredible job perks ranging from free meals to membership in swank health clubs, all at taxpayer expense, it seems that there is such a thing as a free lunchliterally and figuratively!

Congressional salaries are certainly generous enough, with members of Congress receiving $174,000 a year on average, and people in leadership positions making more. However, for many Congressmen who belong to the so-called "Millionaire's Club," this is negligible in comparison to their net worth. (Senator John Kerry (D-MA), who heads up the club, has a net worth of $167.8 million, while Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), at the lower end of the spectrum, boasts a net worth of $5.6 million dollars.)

Incredibly, American taxpayers are underwriting lavish perks for these very same millionaires, as well as their congressional cohorts. The perks being enjoyed by those in Congress have provided comic relief for many a talk-show host, but contrast these perks with the plight of the average taxpayer struggling just to make ends meet, and you'll find this is no laughing matter.

For example, while veterans were being forced to suffer poor service and deplorable conditions at Walter Reed Army Hospital, politicians were being whisked up to Ward 72 at the very same hospital via a "golden elevator," where they can enjoy medical treatment surrounded by chandeliers, fine china and original artwork. Should members of Congress or their staff not be able to make the trip to Ward 72, a private, on-call doctor is also on hand at the Capitol. Furthermore, while 47 million Americans struggle without any kind of health insurance, those in Congress receive superb, discounted health coverage which cannot be denied them because of their age or a preexisting condition.

On top of their six-figure salaries and the millions in taxpayer dollars spent to maintain offices in their home state and in the nation's capital, Congress also enjoys other benefits such as free life insurance, a generous retirement plan for life, 32 fully reimbursed road trips home a year, and travel to foreign lands. Then there are the "extras," including discounts in Capitol Hill tax-free shops and restaurants, free reserved parking at Washington National Airport, use of the House gym or Senate baths for $100 a year, free fresh-cut flowers from the Botanic Gardens, and free assistance in the preparation of income taxes.

Unfortunately, there's more. While more than 15 million Americans are currently out of work and the rest of the nation is laboring longer hours for less pay, Congress enjoys a three-day, Tuesday-to-Thursday work week. Believe it or not, since returning to session, the only time the House of Representatives has actually voted on a Friday was when they approved a 5.8 percent increase in their own budget.

Then there's the way Congress manages the nation's checkbook, running up deficits and spending outlandish sums of money on pork barrel projects. If you or I were to manage our finances this way, we'd quickly find ourselves out on the streets.

As for abuses of office, they run the gamut from neglecting their constituencies to engaging in self-serving practices, including the misuse of eminent domain, earmarking hundreds of millions of dollars in federal contracting in return for personal gain and campaign contributions, having inappropriate ties to lobbyist groups and incorrectly or incompletely disclosing financial information.

Pork barrel spending, hastily passed legislation, partisan bickering, a skewed work ethic, graft and moral turpitude have all contributed to the public's increasing dissatisfaction with congressional leadership. Thus, it is little wonder that a recent CNN poll shows Congress with a 29 percent approval rating. You'd be hard-pressed to find employees with such dismal performance evaluations getting a pay raise of any kind. Conveniently, Congress doesn't have to worry about that since they voted in 1989 to give themselves an automatic raise every year.

Congress should be America's representative body, yet too many of its members bear little resemblance to those they have been elected to represent. Many of our politicians live like kings. Chauffeured around in limousines, flying in private jets and eating gourmet meals, all paid for by the American taxpayer, they are far removed from those they represent. Such a luxurious lifestyle makes it difficult to identify with the "little guy"the roofers, plumbers and blue-collar workers who live from paycheck to paycheck and keep the country running with their hard-earned dollars and the sweat of their brows.

Does this make you mad as hell? It should. There is no reason why the American people should be taking this kind of abuse from people who supposedly are representing them.

The average American understandably feels helpless and disconnected, yet whose fault is it really? As the old maxim goes, people get the government they deserve. For too long, Americans have failed to hold their elected representatives accountable. Thus, the onus is on us, "we the people."

Let this be the starting point for you to turn the television sets off and do something about these problems. Whether or not you agree with their politics, the Tea Party Protesters have set a good example for what needs to be done. Get involved. Get organized. Find out who your representatives are. Contact their offices. Review their records. Keep track of what they're doing and how they're voting. Make your voices heard to the representatives who are doing a poor job of representing you, and if they don't listen, take action and remove them from office.

Doctors and ObamaCare

By Jane Ryan Carrell

As we watch the gyrations in the Congress to pass ObamaCare, we have a sense that this is not your average bill. We believe that it will seriously affect our lives and our medical care, and will greatly raise our taxes/insurance premiums, and greatly increase the national debt, nevermind what politicians say.

So preoccupied are we, we haven't given much thought to the legislation's dramatic effect on those providing healthcare ­ doctors and medical staff. A September 16th report of 1,376 early responses to a survey of 25,600 physicians currently in practice nationwide, showed that 65% of respondents oppose HR 3200, the House version of healthcare passed in August. The poll was an Investors Business Daily/PIPP poll, mailed to currently practicing physicians August 28. It has been attacked by proponents of ObamaCare as lacking scientific rigor. Still, over 1,300 respondents provided additional written responses. These statements deserve our attention.

We think OUR LIVES will be changed by ObamaCare. What about DOCTORS? Among doctors opposed to the plan, one described the plan as "typical government, throwing trillions of dollars in one swoop to 'fix' the system. They need to slow down, dissect the system and fix it properly." This doctor must have heard about the Utah state plan, which lowered both state costs and the premiums of the insured, but took two years of thoughtful work to accomplish it.

The Massachusetts plan mandating insurance coverage, like the proposed national plan, has the highest premiums in the nation, more than twice what they were 10 years ago. Thank you, government interference!! Also in Massachusetts, the Medical Society found that the number of patients who reported difficulty in getting care has already risen by 50% up to a quarter of the patient population. (Sept. 16, 2009, Boston Globe, Robert Weisman)

One doctor, voicing ethical concerns, said, "There will be mandated protocols, long waits, rationing of care, infringement upon a doctor's right of conscience, abortion paid for by (tax) dollars, with eventual euthanasia and infanticide."

Another doctor wrote, "Between the government and insurance companies, I now only collect 28% to 30% of billed charges. No other business can function at that rate." Expect serious numbers of early retiring physicians. The U.S. is currently 15,000 doctors short. Dick Morris reports that, while the number of elderly people in the U.S. is expected to grow by 60% over the next decade and a half, the number of doctors will increase by only about 6%. A shortfall of 125,000 doctors is expected by 2025.

The fact is that Medicare and Medicaid are currently busting state and federal budgets. The Baby Boom Generation is about to hit Medicare like a hammer. To "pay for" ObamaCare, most House and Senate versions of legislation REMOVE half a trillion dollars from Medicare over the next ten years. Does it make sense, when a program is already bleeding dollars, to vastly increase its use, while cutting its funding? And this President can stand there, smiling, and assert that the government takeover of healthcare will be "revenue neutral?"

I've got a bridge in London you can buy, if you believe that one.

Hate Mail

I read the letters to the editor every week in the Prairie Advocate. Sometimes I agree completely with a letter, sometimes only parts and sometimes not at all. If I feel strong enough about my disagreement then I write a response of my own. When I do I state that I have a disagreement with a particular letter or part of it. I have noticed that in the published letters that that is the way others also express themselves.

I have a very good person friend named Paul Gonzalez. Paul is a Liberal Democrat and I am a Moderate Independent so we do not see eye to eye on many political issues. We have at times got into heated debates on some issues. That has not altered our friendship. We play golf together, go out on our boats with our wives and visit one another.

Paul has written several letters to the editor expressing his views. There are many out there who disagree with some or all of Paul's beliefs including the editor and me. There is however one individual who rather than respond in the Prairie Advocate has responded using the U.S. Mail directly to Paul's home. That in itself is not necessarily wrong but what is wrong is the fact that these letters use foul abusive language. The letters are postmarked from Palatine, Illinois with "Sarah Palin" as the return address and signature. Whoever the person is (could be a man or a woman) obviously does not have the "guts" to use their own name. Unfortunately it takes good and bad to make a world. Whoever you are you are definitely one of the bad.

I am sure that editor Tom Kocal himself has received these kinds of letters (emails). I thank you Tom for not publishing these kinds of responses.

Harry Cello

Lake Carroll, IL

Publisher's Note: Yes, I do receive unsigned letters quite frequently. Many times, the writer brings up pertinent issues that need to be a part of community dialogue. In Paul's case, it is unfortunate that "Sarah" can't behave as a free American and take the opportunity and responsibility to conduct a civil discourse in a free newspaper. I have one on my desk that I received last week that was "signed" by Havmi Tongncheek from Savanna. Because of the topic, I can understand why the writer would not want his/her name associated with it. If you see this, Havmi, please reconsider. I'd love to print your letter.

No C­­­­­­­p
In This Paper

Mr. Cello obviously missed my point (Guns At Rallies, 10/14/09). My comments were aimed at sending a message about having the right to ­­­­­­­­­ and ­­­­­­­. It was also about free ­­­­­ ­­­­ ­­­­­­ . I wished to portray ­­­­­­ ­­­­­ and the ­­­­ ­­­­­ ­­­­­ not being ­­­­­ ­­­­.

I didn't mean ­­­­­ ­­­ ­­, I just don't want to lose my ­­­­­ ­­­­­­ because it ­­­­ ­­­­­­ and ­­­­­­ ­­­­ to ­­­­ ­­­­­!

Thanks for hearing me out, Mr. Cello. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

Your Brother American,

Richard D. Kocal

Antioch, IL

Local Libertarians' Basic Principles

I'm a member of the Carroll County Libertarian Party. As a new formed group in our community we felt people might not know are views. Our group will be evolving as we grow, but these are our basic principles.

Personal Accountability. We believe each person having freedom to live as they want, but taking responsibility for their own actions, words, and deeds.

Amendment Protection. We believe our rights should be upheld, and protected, and we further believe they are worth defending.

Privatization. We believe in Less Government control and lowering taxes. Taking on more personal responsibility for ourselves and each other. Giving back to the community and helping one another, instead of relying on the Government to give us a hand out.

Transparency in Finances. To us that means, when the County Board votes on the finances for the year, we all should have full disclosure in a public forum.

We are also hoping to get more like minded people who are interested in standing up for their Liberty to run for local offices.

Our first meeting will be Nov, 9th, at 7pm, at the Carroll County Courthouse meeting room. Please come and share your views with us.

Terry Davies

Lanark, IL

This isthis isI mean this isyour senator!

Don't look now, but the rest of the world is laughing at us.

Call it Blagojevich's Revenge or whatever you like, but Illinois' accidental senator made such a fool of himself during a recent Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on czars that a Republican takeover of his seat in 2010 is now quite possible.

A transcript of his "dramatically incoherent" testimony on Oct. 21 was first made public by David Weigel of the Washington Independent. Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune picked it up and now the whole world knows how incompetent he really is. No doubt that had something to do with his decisaon not to run for his own seat next election.

You can ­ you must ­ read the entire transcript by googling to "roland burris has a lot of questions," but here are a few samples just to tempt you.

"This has being a constitutional and political science student, I mean, this is Political Science 101 or Political Science, maybe, 1000. The panel's just been terrific.

"And I have so many thoughts just rolling through my head, I don't even know where to start. I mean, this is this is the meat that caused us political scientists to even exist, because you're dealing with these major issues of the separation of powers and the creation of this country and whether or not you want your president to really have the powers that you granted it (sic), and whether or not the Congress, which is on similar or equal footing, can then control or muscle in on those powers of the president."

Or how about this gem: "I mean, you can see all the questions that are just flowing through my process here, as we try to talk about czars and policy-makers. This is even bigger than than czars. I mean you're you're wrestling with this this just wonderful document that's created 200 and plus years ago that created our entity and this thing called separation of powers. We haven't even gotten into the judiciary side of this, which could also raise a whole lot of other questions.

"So, Mr. President (sic), I really don't have many questions, I just I got more questions than I have answers, Mr. Chairman, in reference to this, because I I just sit here and listen to the experts talk, and every time there was a statement made, there's a there's a new question come to my mind, well, what about this? What ifs What if? What if? And and so, I find this so fascinating, and I'm I'm certainly going (to) read each and every one of you all's testimony. I don't know how I'm going to get back to to, you know, the hearing again to try to follow up on this but, Mr. Chairman, I would imagine that our grandchildren are going to be still wrestling with this same problem."

Sen. Burris concluded with these memorable lines: "you just heard what my distinguished senator from Utah says, that who the gatekeeper is to stop the information from getting to the president. So, you know, I'm more frustrated than I am with questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, this is this is I mean this is. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm done."

Or, as Porky Pig of Looney Tunes fame used to say, "Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-That's all folks!"

Sincerely,

Richard O'Connor

Pearl City, IL

'Return America To The People'?

Congressman Manzullo made an appearance in Freeport on Monday Oct. 26, to announce his bid for re-election to the U.S. Congress in Nov. 2010. The Congressman stated a couple of points about his campaign. He will emphasize the point that got him elected in 1992 "Return America to the people" and that he is often approached by family and friends who tell him that they don't recognized our government anymore.

On the first statement "Return America to the people". What does this statement mean? The American people elected a Democratic majority to Congress in 2006 and a Democrat for President in 2008. We, the majority of the American people did this! This is what democracy is all about. The Constitution of this country hasn't changed! The American people are still running this country through their representatives in Washington. This is typical of the Party of "no". As soon as they lose elections they only know two things to offer; for every problem, cut taxes and after that, spread hate and fear.

About his friends and family not recognizing this country. Again, what does this mean? This is just another statement by conservatives to try and covey to their supporters that under a Democratic majority is not the same country. How so? Why are conservatives allowed to make statements without any facts backing them up? Or without the corporate media challenging them? The majority of the American people elected someone other than conservatives and suddenly the country is not recognized. This is not what most of the American people and the world think! We can't all be wrong. If there is one thing I have learned about conservatives is that while they talk a good game about democracy, they sure don't know how to practice it when they are in the minority!

I have news for Congressman Manzullo. Government is for all Americans, from all Americans and by all Americans! We are still the United States of America; we are still the American People. I guess Mr. Manzullo and his supporters would like to get back to when the Republicans were running this country; totally ruined the economy with their failed policies, to the point that we find ourselves in the worst recession since the great depression, got us in two failed wars, doubled the National debt from 5 Trillion to 10 Trillion dollars, spied on citizens, attacked Iraq which had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks of 9/11 ­ a war which killed over 100,000 innocent people, the republican Congress gave up any over sight of the Bush administration and so on. I can go on and on but there is not enough space to highlight all of the failures of the Republican Congress and administration during the last eight years. Mr. Manzullo talks about keeping people employed and the economy strong but he voted with the rest of the Republicans in the House against the stimulus package ­ which by the way is starting to turn the economy around ­ and the auto industry bail out even though Chrysler has an auto Plant in his district and unemployment in northwest Illinois is much higher than the rest of the State and the nation. According to Freeport's Journal-Standard of Friday, Oct. 30th, unemployment for the nation and the region is as follows: Nationally 9.8%, Illinois 10.5%, Winnebago county 15.5%, Rockford 17.2%, Stephenson county 11.6% and Freeport 13.5% He is also against real health care reform. So, those 45,000 people who died every year due to lack of health insurance are not American people?

Let me repeat myself one more time. We are the American People, We are in the United States of America, and we have elected the Democrats to run the country. Deal with it! This is the Democracy the conservatives love to talk about, but to them it only applies when they win the elections.

Paul Gonzalez

Lake Carroll, Il.

Capitol Report

By Jim Sacia,State Representative, 89th District

It's a good bill and it deserves to pass. Senate Bill 1896 sponsored in the House by my good friend Representative Ron Wait (R-Belvidere), as amended, creates a new procedure for the presentation of testimony and arguments to the Prisoner Review Board (PRB) in its consideration of parole petitions.

The legislation came about, believe it or not, due to situations that had occurred in which prisoners were paroled and released from prisons without the prisoners' victims or their families being notified. Imagine being the family of a murder victim and finding out that the person convicted of killing your loved one is back on the street and you weren't even given an opportunity to testify at the parole hearing. Current law requires that the state's attorney or prosecutor of the case receives 15 days notice of the parole hearing. There have been situations in which prosecutors tried but were unable to make contact with victims' families during that 15 day period, so no one attended the PRB hearing. With no one present to protest, the offender becomes a free man.

Ron's legislation requires 30 days notice before a parole hearing. On Wednesday evening we passed the bill out of the Criminal Law Committee with unanimous bi-partisan support. I expect the same when the bill reaches the House floor. It's common sense legislation and we need to endorse it.

On Thursday morning I had the privilege of joining my good friend Captain Tim Becker, the Governmental Affairs Chief for the Illinois State Police, ISP Director Jonathon Monken and fellow legislators in presenting the keys to a new state police squad car to Trooper Alexander Diaz of Chicago. This was the first squad car purchased by the Illinois State Police with the $1.00 per license plate assessment in Senate Bill 450 that I had worked very hard to pass into law. Many state police troopers are in squad cars that have logged more than 200,000 miles. Trooper Diaz turned in his 1998 Ford with 251,000 miles on the odometer.

Senate Bill 2248 surfaced Thursday and is causing a significant stir. Should it become law, it could be highly invasive for residents with commercial driver's licenses. Representative Kevin Joyce (D-Chicago), a man I greatly respect, agreed that should this bill have the unintended consequences that are perceived by the Illinois Truckers Association, he will draft a follow-up (trailer) bill to correct the problem. As currently written, if you get stopped on your snowmobile or boat and are found to have been drinking at all, you may be subject to a zero tolerance policy and lose your commercial driver's license. The bill passed out of the House on a vote of 79-33.

I learned earlier this week that Walter Johnson, who was running for State Representative in the 89th District, had decided to withdraw his name. Walter is a good man and I wish him well in his future endeavors.

As always, you can reach me, Sally or Barb at or e-mail us at . You can also visit my website at www.jimsacia.com. It's always a pleasure to hear from you.