Trenches of Democracy

(Rob Winner photo)
At a time of record fuel prices, where 20% of the price is already taxes in Chicago, Illinois Congressman Foster and Senator Durbin have a unique solution. More taxes.

Do something help energy costs and regular citizens? No, they said raise taxes. Raise taxes on the bad guys. Declare congressional attack on the oil companies. Investigate, tax, and regulate oil companies into submission.

Rather then revise backwards oil industry regulations or liberate our domestic oil reserves, Durbin and Foster want more taxes. Rather then make good energy policy, these Illinois politicians seem to think they can extort oil executives with endless investigations and threats of taxation.

(crossposted from the Kane County Chronicle)

ELGIN – As the price of fuel remains at all-time highs, the area’s federal legislators believe the time has arrived for the federal government to grab the attention of oil companies.

Thursday, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., stopped in Elgin and Aurora to pitch a series of proposals he believes could bring some relief to motorists and business owners throughout the country…

But investigations are just one step in the process, Durbin and Foster said.

They also suggested levying taxes on oil companies’ “windfall profits.”

While critics charge such taxes will do little to bring down prices, Foster said the taxes could be used to spur oil companies to develop alternative energy sources.

“I’d like to see a higher fraction of their profits go into alternative sources of energy, instead of just handing out dividend checks,” Foster said.

Tags: Durbin, Elgin, Foster, fuel prices, gas, Illinois, Kane County Chronicle, oil

With the present mess down in Springfield, it couldn’t hurt…


Rutherford pushing for recall amendment by Diane Wilkins, Marion Daily 3-26-08

I find it humorous that Lt. Governor Pat Quinn is quoted in support of the measure. He commented, if the “recall is even on the books[, it] makes all of us as officeholders in the executive branch and every other branch be on our toes, not just on Election Day, but 365 days a year[.]”

Pat Quinn for Governor 2008!

Tags: Blagojevich Governor, Illinois, Quinn, Recall, Rutherford

This google video just crossed my desk, regarding Hillary Clinton and Peter Paul.

Normally I prefer state and local material, but since Hillary is from Illinois, there is some connection. More importantly, she’s skilled in Illinois’s ugly political traditions.

Clinton Clout

Tags: Clout, Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Illinois, Peter Paul

This morning I was entertained to find the Sun-Times posted calls played before the jury in Rezko’s ongoing trail.

Three Calls stood out as my favorites:

Stuart Levine-Jacob Kiferbaum call on April 18, 2004 at 10:04 a.m.

Stuart Levine-Jacob Kiferbaum call on April 18, 2004 at 11:50 a.m.

Stuart Levine-Steven Loren call on April 21, 2004 at 8:03 p.m. *Explicit Language, and Union connection at end

The Sun-Times also has a nifty Eye on Rezko Blog by Natasha Korecki, the Federal Courts Reporter. I think I’ll add it to my RSS feed and blogroll.

Tags: calls, Clout, Court, Illinois, Levine, Rezko, Trail, wiretap

Among reporters, Kass has the corner on the combine. He proudly confirms it in tomorrow’s editorial. If you can’t wait, click here.

“What do you call that Illinois political class that’s not committed to any party, they simply want to make money off the taxpayers?” Fitzgerald said. “You know what to call them.”

What?

“The Illinois Combine,” Fitzgerald said. “The bipartisan Illinois political combine. And all these guys being mentioned, they’re part of it.” (read more)

Tags: Clout, Combine, Illinois, Kass, Levine, politics, Tribune

Political Clout - Stuart Levine is Talking

“Tape shows Levine in awe of Rezko clout” Chicago Tribune

“Levine’s calls show arrogance, mocks system” The Daily Herald

Tags: Blagojevich, Clout, Illinois, Levine, Rezko

My fallen political hero, former state senator Steve Rauschenberger, speaks candidly about Barrack Obama and the state of Illinois politics on Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz.

Tags: Berkowitz, Illinois, Obama, Public Affairs, Rauschenberger

Bureaucrats leading modern Labor movement

Recent highlights from a union article by Bethany Jaeger in February’s copy of Illinois Issues:

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• Nationwide, workers in the public sector had nearly five times the union membership relative to the private sector in 2006.

• While national union rates have dropped from 20% of the labor force in 1983 to 12% in 2006, Illinois union laborers were at 17% in 2006.

• Last year unions succeeded in urging the legislature to raise the state minimum wage to $7.50 an hour. Furthermore, this wage will increase by 25 cents a year to $8.25 in 2010.

• Labor union groups donated a combined $2.2 million 2005-2006. They’re also one of the top five political campaign donors since 1993, donating a collective $5.6 million, nearly all of it to Democratic candidates.

• 90% of AFSCME political campaign contributions from 1993 to 2006 went to Democrats according to studies from the University of Illinois in Springfield.

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Doug Whitley, president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, comments union influence will dominate “as long as the unions have a stranglehold on Democratic politics and that there is this symbiotic relationship between elected office and public employee unions.”

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So what’s next? Edward Smith, Laborers’ International Union of North America vice president and Midwest regional manager, adds, “Our No. 1 priority is a capital bill because without a capital bill, there’s no jobs. And without jobs, there’s no health insurance. Without jobs, there’s no pension. Without jobs, there’s no money to put food on the table, send your kids to college, school.”

This is where Gov. Blagojevich’s new “Illinois Works” capital program comes in.

(to read “Collective Action” click here)

Tags: Illinois, Unions