A Chicago Blog

A new low:

Wolf Blitzer and David Duke discussing the zionist conspiracy … priceless

And the media’s adoration of them. From Carol Marin’s column yesterday:

In the March primary, of the four Republicans running, Topinka was the only one who risked everything in making the race. Millionaire businessman Ron Gidwitz had an investment firm to return to, dairy magnate Jim Oberweis had an ice cream empire, and state Sen. Bill Brady, a managing real estate broker, had more years left in his legislative term. Topinka, a public servant for 26 years, was the only one of them who had no independent wealth or other full-time career.

The notion that it’s admirable that Topinka “risked everything” to run for Governor just shows how out of touch Marin and the Chicago press are with the people of Illinois. All of Topinka’s faults were because of her having too much on the line. Bold leadership very rarely comes from the inside, because those on the inside have everything to lose. The outsider risks a little cash, but ultimately has a life to fall back on, making him (or her) much less inclined to sell principles for patrons.

Marin’s column is actually about the role of women in politics. (hat tip Archpundit)

This is getting some play around the blogosphere, though I’m not sure what the big deal is.

Also, Hilzoy at Obsidian Wings is making the case that Obama is a serious policy wonk because his name shows up on obscure but important legislation. Of course, only a wonk would believe this makes some one a wonk. I’d say it makes him a smart politician. The paradox of running for president from the senator is the pressure to have done something, and the reality that anything you do can be held against you in a campaign. Considering this, wonkish bills are pretty safe. No one’s going to bash Obama over his support of generic test regulation. His support of non-proliferation is perhaps the most daring … even though it seems a bit dated.

The truth is, we won’t really now how superb his political vision is until we hear him take on the big issues like social security, education, and Medicare.

This from UK’s Independent:

Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together.

Actually, we’d probably sooner give up our red meat than our cars. What do you think? Honda or Prime Rib?

No mistakes … and that’s all anyone can ask for. Rex didn’t look like the QB we saw the first few games of the season, but more important is that he didn’t look like the Rex we’ve seen the last few week. I’m satisfied … for now.

Seriously, that’s it. I’m done. Tom Delay is “blogging” now.

You know these are desperate times when your choices are a tax increase or a bigger tax increase. The Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago released a report last Wednesday imploring us to own up to the “hard choices” (code for tax increases) we have to make to get the state out of its $106 billion budget hole. You heard right–$106 BILLION.

The Civic Committee recommends we raise the personal income tax by 1 percent, the sales tax by 1 percent, and extend the sales tax to cover services in order to take about $4.6 billion in new revenue from taxpayers. Reforming state pensions and medicaid will allegedly yield another $1 billion in new revenue through government savings. All this new revenue is supposed to stave of the imminent pension crisis and increase the state’s education funding formula.

So let’s make sure we’ve got the facts right: Illinois’ state government has irresponsibly run up a $106 billion tab and to fix it the government is going to tighten its belt by $1 billion, while taxpayers have to tighten theirs by $4.6 billion.

My only question is whether Menards sells pitchforks? I hope so.

The people of this state are inundated every week with stories of government fraud and abuse. Whether it’s an alderman’s kid getting a job he isn’t qualified for, or city employees collecting improper workman’s comp, or contractors having backroom deals with the city, or bureaucrats getting kickbacks for steering contracts to friends, or a Governor’s child getting a $1,500 dollar birthday gift, or whatever else it might be next week. And still, taxpayers are the ones expected to make “hard choices.”

The Civic Committees is right of course, the state’s finances are in a mess. It’s so bad that it really is difficult to see any way out that doesn’t include raising taxes. In fact, the Civic Committee’s recommendations are the best our state’s leadership has been able to come up. We can’t blame our business leaders for seeing the writing on the wall: it’s either a big tax hike or a bearable tax hike.

But the problem with the Civic Federation’s strategy is that the state’s spending glut is so out of hand no Illinoisan has any reason to think Springfield will behave differently with $5 billion more in the bank. That’s like giving a credit card to an alcoholic uncle and expecting him not to buy a round for the house. Almost to prove the point, the day after the Civic Committee’s report was released the Governor’s Health Care Task Force announced plans for 3.5 billion dollar universal health program.

Making the situation even more complicated is the widespread belief that new revenue is needed to repair growing funding disparities between suburbia and the inner city. A good chuck of the Civic Committee’s new funds are earmarked for education, $1.6 billion worth, $400 million or so for Chicago Public Schools.

CPS chief, Arne Duncan, was quoted in the Sun-Times saying he’d be able to “transform” Chicago’s schools with this new money. But it isn’t clear how. CPS expenditures have increased $452 million since 2002 and 60 percent of 4th graders still score “below basic” on NAEP reading tests.

Voters are concerned about funding gaps between Chicago’s public schools and those in the suburbs. The dirty little secret is that CPS has its own funding gaps. Let’s compare Whitney Young to Pope (where 95 percent of students are low-income) before we start worrying about New Trier and Wilmette. Of course, before we can do so we have to demand CPS publish those numbers.

Truth is, unless you give that $400 million directly to parents, there’s no reason to believe it will make any appreciable difference in the lives of most of Chicago’s school kids. Just like $5 billion dollars won’t have any appreciable effect on Illinois’ financial situation.

Maybe the state does need more money? Maybe a tax hike is inevitable? That’s not the point. There’s a principle at stake here; it’s called government accountability. Tax increases should be off the table until voters can have some measure of confidence their money is well spent and that politicians are willing to make “hard choices.” Until then, and I think I speak for many of us not feeding at the government trough, leave me alone.

The Sun-Times Breaks Down the Mayor’s Patronage Army
Huntley on the Civic Committee Plan
Latino Group to Boycott Carpentersville
Who Will Be Obama’s Replacement?

Yeah … that’s a bold vision. The Civic Committee is rolling over on the tax swap idea (HB750) I suppose, issuing a report this morning urging the state to do something about $106 billion in debt. The Civic Committee’s answer: raise taxes now because it will cost more to raise taxes later … and in the mean time pension bills could go unpaid and the state’s credit rating could go to crap (we probably deserve it).

Oh yes, and be sure to give the Chicago Public School system at least $400 million dollars in new funds because it would, how did Arne Duncan put it, “transform public education in Chicago.”

Would it? The problem is that since 2001 CPS spending has gone up by nearly $452 million. And yet there hasn’t been anything resembling a transformation in Chicago’s schools.

In 2002 66 percent of 4th graders were reading below basic requirements, in 2006 that number was down to 60 percent. Only 6 percent of kids have improved beyond “below basic” reading skills as a result of $452 million in new spending. This works out to roughly $75 million per percentage point improvement. Theoretically then getting all Chicago children out of the “Below Basic” column (at least using CPS) would cost Chicago an additional $4.5 billion (doubling the CPS budget), or approximately $1,600 PER TAXPAYER per year. This would increase per pupil funding to approx. $23,000 per student, which is enough to fund half a teacher’s salary.Sound like an efficient organization to you? One teacher for two children?

Yeah, I can’t wait to see Arne Duncan “transform” Chicago Schools with $400 million.

Maybe we should just transform Chicago’s schools (i.e. make them run efficiently) and then worry about the funding … what do you think?