Chicago Daily Observer

Illinois, the home of John Deere and Caterpillar, is one of the great export economies in the United States. Literally tens of thousands of UAW jobs are dependent upon exports from Illinois factories to overseas markets.

So when our Illinois Democratic Congressional delegation claims to be pro-union, I suggest we examine their voting record on one of the most important trade pacts to come before Congress this session.

A free-trade pact with Colombia, a major player in mining industries (and a huge consumer of Illinois Heavy Equipment) was just voted down by a 224–195 margin in the House.

9 Illnois Democrats voted against the deal. Only 1 Democrat, Melissa Bean, voted for it (Bobby Rush was not voting).

So Bill Foster, Jesse Jackson Jr., Rahm Emmanuel, Dan Lipinski, Danny Davis, Jerry Costello, Jan Schakowsky, and Phil Hare…you just voted against Illinois Union Members, Illinois Employers, Illinois Retirees and Illinois ... Read More...

How much wasteful spending goes on each year in Illinois? Yesterday, the Illinois Policy Institute released its 2008 Piglet Book, which details more than $686 million in wasteful spending alone. Highlights (or, rather, lowlights) include:

· $4 million for a Ford Technical Training Center in Chicago
Heights
· $1 million for the Illinois film office in Chicago
· $920,000 for the Chicago Aerospace Education Initiative
· $550,000 for the conservation of pheasants
· $500,000 to administer the tanning facility permit act
· $156,000 to Southern Illinois University to refurnish cabins at
the “Touch of Nature Environmental Center” at Southern
Illinois University – Carbondale
· $40,000 for the Springfield Figure Skating Club
· $35,000 for the Prairie Aviation Museum for a display gallery
in Bloomington

There’s a lot more where that came from, including protections for “fur-bearing mammals” ... Read More...

he Chicago Park District is so short of funds it’s cutting programs, raising fees, and telling community groups that if they want a playlot, soccer field, or running track, they’ll need to raise the money themselves. Nevertheless, it has somehow found roughly $22 million to spend on Streeterville real estate for its central office. The district has been renting there since 2001, and officials say the conversion to ownership, which the board approved in February, will save about $720,000 a year in property taxes.