July 26, 2017
MONEY TRAIL POINT TO VICTORS IN 2018, 2019

Follow the money. Those politicians who have are usually those who win, although there could be some notable exceptions, like Joe Berrios and Rahm Emanuel. ATTACHED IS A 2017 FUNDRAISING CHART detailing cash-on-hand as of 6-30-17 and 2017 fundraising by candidates for state, county and Chicago office, and by area state legislators and aldermen. The upcoming governor's race will feature spending of historic proportions. Full Article...


July 19, 2017
ILLINOIS' "REFORMS" ARE NON-REFORMATIVE

If, as now looks likely, Rahm Emanuel wins a third term as Chicago’s mayor in 2019, he can attribute his triumph to two unlikely people – Pat Quinn and Pate Philip. The ubiquitous Quinn, Illinois’ governor from 2009-15, was a longtime political gadfly, and will go into posterity as the man who reduced the size of the Illinois House from 177 to 118, thereby wiping out the Republican Party in Chicago, wiping out the Democratic bench in Chicago, and making it possible for Mike Madigan to remain as speaker now and forevermore. Quinn’s “Legislative Cutback Amendment” to change the state’s Constitution passed overwhelmingly in 1980, but eliminating 59 state representatives, effective 1982, didn’t realize any appreciable savings. Philip was the Republican Senate president in the mid-1990s, when Republicans dominated the legislature. Until that time, Chicago had a bifurcated election system, with a partisan election for the citywide offices of mayor, clerk and treasurer, entailing a primary and subsequent election, but non-partisan elections for the 50 aldermen, with runoffs if no candidate received a majority, as was the case since the 1930s. At that time, every ward has two aldermen. Effective 1999, Chicago had non-partisan primary/runoff system, with no party designation, no party primary, and a runoff if no candidate received a primary majority. The result of these so-called “reforms” was pernicious and counter-productive. Full Article...


July 12, 2017
ECONOMY BOOMS UNDER TRUMP'S PRESIDENCY

Mike Madigan, like that poetic old gray mare, just ain’t what he used to be. The speaker is no longer the undisputed master of Springfield. He has failed his members; he has failed his party; and he may have insured the 2018 re-election of Illinois Republican governor Bruce Rauner. By passing a personal and corporate income tax hike, and a $36.1 billion budget, Madigan has done precisely what he has been trying to avoid for over 700 days – namely: hang the blame on the Democrats. Madigan wanted to get a bi-partisan deal, with Rauner and the Republicans “signing on,” so as to make legislative Democrats immune from attack in 2018. He failed. Rauner has been portrayed as heartless and insensitive, but now he has the opportunity to redefine himself based on his character, not his actions (or inaction). Much of the Rauner agenda, including workers’ comp reforms, curbing unions and term-limits fell by the wayside, but it is the Democrats who enter 2018 on the defensive. Full Article...


July 5, 2017
ECONOMY BOOMS UNDER TRUMP'S PRESIDENCY

Contrary to prevailing opinion, America has really not gone to hell since the advent of the Trump Administration. Gasoline prices are the lowest since the early 2000s, lower than $2-per gallon in many localities, and hovering around $2.50 in the Chicago area. The controversial XL pipeline is under construction, bringing Canadian crude oil to refineries in the Gulf. Domestic oil and natural gas drilling has exploded and American energy dependence on OPEC and the oil cartel has diminished significantly. Based on history, Republicans will suffer loses in 2018. But it is by no means certain that Trump will not win in 2020. Full Article...


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