Illinois was named among four states with the largest pension fund gaps. Recession-plagued states diverted scarce money away from pensions to pay for more immediate concerns, leaving a $757 billion hole in the retirement funds covering millions of public employees, according to a study released Monday.
The Pew Center on the States found 34 states failed to maintain safe levels of money in the pension funds, which most experts agree is about 80 percent of long-term obligations. Four states – Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky and Rhode Island – didn't even have 55 percent of the money they'll need in the long run.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Nancy Jones' retirement Tuesday, along with a host of other changes within the department in response to a series of scandals stemming from alleged mismanagement within the morgue and medical examiner's office. Jones took heat in January after news broke that the county morgue was "double-stacking bodies" to cope with overcrowding and a lack of state funding, according to Jones.
Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) on Tuesday unveiled a new push to enact a national voter ID law ahead of the 2012 elections. His proposed Federal Elections Integrity Act would require voters to present a government-issued photo ID in order to vote in federal elections. “Current federal law requires those voting in federal elections to be American citizens,” Walsh said in a press release. "We have seen plenty of examples of people lying about who they are, and convicted felons, dead people, and illegal immigrants voting. This bill is just common sense," he added. "The American people understand that it makes no sense that a photo ID is required to get a library card or board an airplane, but not required to do something as sacred as voting."
The Tails of Hope founder had heard that a family in the community was trying to get an organization to get their cats out of their garage so they could renovate it. is a no-kill animal rescue and adoption nonprofit based in Highland Park, so Moyer naturally felt compelled to offer her help. What she saw in the garage shocked her -- and, as she told Patch, she's seen a lot.
Arlington Heights was named among Chicagoland’s 10 most infidelity-friendly neighborhoods according to a new membership survey conducted by extramarital affairs site AshleyMadison.com. Topping the list was Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.
You are now demanding the acquisition of an item, unrelated to the act and not mandatory to have, to carry out an existing legal right. It is no different of a requirement than if voting required everyone to have an iPhone.
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/04/09/Okeefe-Holder
My story has as much factual backing as McCloud's paranoid rants. But who cares for proof when you can just spout out random stories and pretend that they are facts?
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/05/26/left-mobilizing-massive-vote-effort-in-wisconsin
And even if it had happened, you would have found one instance. One. Uno. Out of how many voters each year? As my links stated, Florida, in the 12 years since 2000 has had looked at a whopping total of 178 alleged cases. Right now, this hotbed of fraud is investigating three voter registration issues, NONE pertaining to actual voter fraud. The best thing they can do is to make up voter fraud rather than deal with the facts that show that it just plain doesn't happen.
Apparently get out the vote efforts are criminal in your paranoid world. Ok dude. Whatever.
Maybe if you say it and click your ruby red slippers together, it'll happen. But until then, facts rule reality, delusions rule your world.
Why are people who are otherwise reasonable about the necessity for an i.d. card, even in the most mundane situations, against using one to prove who you are when voting in elections? Here's an anecdote from a recent Republican primary.. A guy enters the polling place. He walks up to a table where an old man is organizing his file cards and voter roster, etc.. the voter asks "is this where the dead people vote"? and without looking up or skipping a beat, the poll workers says "Democratic primary is down the street".
If there is a problem with the current voters registration system, why not fix what we have instead of creating a whole new bureaucracy? What am I missing?
On a side note, in order to register, at the very minimum, all you really need is a current utility bill that shows an address, with no real proof that is is indeed YOUR utility bill. I don't think a whole new bureaucracy needs to be created. There is nothing difficult or costly in asking "may I please see your ID?" Require ID to be shown at the polls so it is truly a one person - one vote system where the voter must prove they are eligible to vote. I simply do not see the problem with this.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/6720892-418/tea-party-rep.-joe-walsh-sued-for-100000-in-child-support
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/The-312/July-2011/Joe-Walsh-Child-Support-and-Other-Debt-Problems/
Just something you failed to mention, Anne. Attack his personal character all you want, but the fact is he is a far better congressman than Melissa Bean ever was, hands down, and would be far better than Duckworth as well. And if someone who has such a lengthy fiscally irresponsible history as you allege he does has done such a better job while in office than Melissa Bean did, what does that tell you about the candidates the Democratic party keeps putting against him? That's the scary reality.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/19/joe-walsh-child-support-t_n_1438158.html
Regarding the choices........ he was the lesser of 2 evils as far as I was concerned (as Melissa Bean represented the ideology that doesn't represent my concerns). And I'd rather take a flawed candidate than a candidate that will contribute to the partisan chaos that is Democratic Party Politics as it stands today.
"Like many families we have had our share of issues and made our share of mistakes over the years," the statement read. "Having resolved these issues together and cleared up these mistakes in private, we now agree that Joe is not and was not a deadbeat dad and does not owe child support." Given the fact there was an agreement, and his ex's words above, technically speaking, your posts are slanderous toward Walsh. Just saying.
Like it's Joe's fault he cannot decide where to run initially because of a political stunt by the state's democrats to redistrict everything because they didn't like the way the old District 8 voted? Sorry, but voting for Duckworth is also telling the state's democrats that you are okay with them stepping on voters' feet and redistricting to their liking. It shows how much they respect the people's votes to begin with. They don't. They lost an election fair and square, so they re-district everything in a political stunt to try and gain their house seat back. Clearly, you aren't someone who likes Walsh, so for you to say his views only represent himself is ridiculous. The majority of people wouldn't have voted for him in the last election if that was the case. So perhaps you should go check your facts about why Walsh is running where he is first before accusing him of not knowing where to run. That's the fault of the state's democrats because the re-districted everything. He stayed in District 8. THEY were the ones that moved the district's boundaries, not him. What you call a "self-promoting tour" is considered listening to his voters to others. If he didn't go out and meet everyone, you'd be screaming he doesn't have time for voters, so give it a rest. Your arguements are biased and lack accurate facts.
I am also allowed to have a personal opinion, regardless of my line of work. My statements are far from ridiculous. Duckworth ran a mean-spirited campaign last time and lost. Again, as I predicted above, here come the insults. So thanks for proving my point. You claim you can't find Walsh in District 8? Ummm, he only holds meetings seemingly every week locally, which he publicizes in great, great detail. I'd be more than happy to let you know where he is next time he holds a town hall. There have been literally dozens of them, something almost anyone on this board for either side can verify. So don't tell me about facts when all I do is offer them and constantly check them. I'll give it a rest when people like yourself stop insulting, slandering and spreading misinformation about people. That's when I'll stop. Until then, you'll have to deal with it. I live in the old District 8, sorry to ruin your day. The one I and others voted for Walsh in, after I twice voted for Bean, only to have her disappear on everyone locally. And what did democrats in Illinois do to show how much respect they had for us voters? The re-districted everything, a huge slap in the face to the voice of the People.