March 2009 Archives

The Hound was looking to leave Lake County the other day for points south and determined with all the construction going on it's like a maze trying to move around here in one's vehicle.

Route 41, Grand Avenue and Washington Street are all ripped up in Gurnee; Green Bay Road work has begun in North Chicago; the Tri-State's still a construction zone. Route 45 work will start soon; O'Plaine Road has bridge work. Now comes word Interstate 94 in Wisconsin, from the Lake County line to Milwaukee will be under construction for the next seven years! Help!

Apparently, this I-94 work up north is a time to celebrate and roll out the barrels --- orange construction barrels. The seven-year, nearly $2 billion project will expand the gateway to vacationland to eight lanes and make other improvements. This rebuild will be the largest transportation project the state has ever undertaken. They must really want Flatlanders' tourism dollars.

This work doesn't appear to be a stimulus-driven project, although it is expected to create more than 2,300 jobs before it is scheduled to be done in 2016. It was about time the work got underway. That section of the interstate is about 50 years old and is the most widely used freeway in the state carrying 150,000 vehicles per. It will cost the state about $750 million on the project.

Since the Tri-State Tollway work in Lake County, I-94 in Wisconsin was looking a little shabby. But The Hound still needs help in getting the heck out of here. Any cut-through suggestions?

Once, we were known as the Land of Lincoln. After the Illini loss to the mid-major Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in Thursday night's NCAA early exit, we are a land of losers. The Cubs haven't won a World Series in over a century; the Bears look confused and training camp doesn't open for several months. The Bulls and Blackhawks --- put a fork in them for post-season sizzle.

Plus, we'll soon be paying more in taxes and license fees. Which is why The Hound is starting a petition drive to have the top tier of counties --- our own Lake, along with McHenry, Boone, Winnebago, Stephenson and Jo Daviess --- pull up stakes and head north to Wisconsin.

Let's face it, once corporations see what they'll pay in taxes under Gov. Pat Quinn's tax hike proposal, all the jobs will be in Kenosha County anyway. We might as well emigrate north legally, before the exodus begins. Besides, before Illinois became a state, we were part of the Wisconsin territory, which went as far south as the lower end of Lake Michigan.

Certainly this is a drastic step for those of us who consider ourselves flatlanders, but we have no choice. At least the Packers have at least won a few Super Bowls since 1986. It is time to escape the State of Taxation and head to greener and cheesier pastures.

Write or call your legislators and ask them to begin the process of leaving Illinois. Only Winnebago County would have to change its name (Rockford County?). There is no Lake County in Wisconsin, nor the others.

The Hound believes Wisconsinites would welcome us with open arms. After all, Illinois green has made Wisconsin green for decades. It's time for reciprocation. Saddle up!

This is really rich. After eight years of Democratic rule in Illinois which has taken the state to the brink of bankruptcy, now Gov. Pat Quinn wants to hike the income tax rate 50 percent.

The Hound believes George Harrison had it right in "Taxman": "Should 5 percent appear too small/Be thankful I don't take it all." Yikes, in the midst of the Great Recession, the governor wants to increase taxes. Only in Illinois.

Who was minding the store all these years lawmakers were writing a blank check for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, D-Not Indicted Yet, and all the government agencies with their hands out? And, didn't Blago call this one when he got impeached. He said once he was out of the way, Quinn and lawmakers would be raising taxes. What a seer.

Quinn's proposal floated Friday and to be offered to the Legislature on Wednesday calls for the income tax on individual wage earners rising from 3 percent to 4.5 percent; on business from 4.8 percent to 7.2 percent. If that jump in the corporate rate isn't a job killer, The Hound doesn't know what is.

Hello, Wisconsin, The Hound can hear Lake County business leaders saying. Especially considering Lake County's jobless rate is hovering around 9 percent already. Hey, governor, ever thought of cutting spending for a change? Like, lawmakers' salaries?

The reason Quinn, formerly Blago's lieutentant governor, is calling for this massive tax hike and infusion of money is the state owes $11.5 billion. So, the governor figures a tax hike is the way to go. Whoa, these guys daily increase the target-rich-environment for Republicans next year.

The Hound has two words for Pat Quinn: Richard Ogilvie. And for those who don't know who that is, Google it.

We now see why Chicago-based Northern Trust quickly returned that $1.6 billion in federal TARP money: Its president and CEO earned $6.1 million, most of it in stock and option awards, last year. If they can give out bonuses that big, they don't need no stinking TARP funds.

If Frederick Waddell is the norm and not the exception in this industry --- at the root of the economic meltdown --- no wonder the Average Joes and Janes don't trust the banking bailouts. However, his compensation last year was down from the $14.4 million he earned in 2007. All this can be found in the firm's regulatory filing it deposited last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Perhaps, though, Waddell earned his keep. Northern Trust, after all, has been profitable, even after sponsoring lavish parties and concerts during the Northern Trust Open at a posh Los Angeles area country club last month.

Yet, it seems systemic of the banking industry and if cable networks are looking for a new reality series, The Hound has a suggestion: "Bashing the Banker".

The show would pit different bankers versus each other to find which one could waste more on inane lifestyles and investments than the next. Sort of like "The Real Housewives of Orange County" and its various spinoffs from Atlanta to New York. Then a panel of judges, like in "Top Chef", gets to grade each of the bankers on how profligate they are. The winner gets a bonus; the loser gets flogged.

This idea has legs, The Hound believes. Everybody else is bashing them so it's time for reality to set in.

It would appear the city of Waukegan needs to test its emergency alert telephone system, the one that failed miserably when the water plant malfunctioned and residents should have been told immediately there was a possible problem with their drinking water. Turns out nobody got sick because the water hadn't been contaminated. Still, they need to test this puppy citywide and The Hound has some suggestions:

1) Anytime a Republican is spotted campaigning in city wards, residents should be alerted.

2) Time for Mayor Hyde's nap? Let everybody know!

3) When starting work on the sports complex at the former Orchard Hills Golf Course, only notify the golfers still lamenting its demise.

4) Election Day notices should be sent out telling voters to: "Ignore the man behind the curtain".

5) Reviews of all Genesee Theatre shows should be sent to residents' homes so they know which ones to miss the next time they come through town.

6) Every Feb. 14: Jack Benny birthday alerts!

7) "The smelt are running!"

Those are just a few suggestions city officials should take to heart. There must be more...

Like early Christmas presents, here comes the rollout of candidates for 2010 to bump U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, D-Lameduck, from office. First to launch an "exploratory committee" is one-term state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, while Burris has www.supportburris.com is a legitimate site that could be used if
the Democrat decides to seek a full term. The Giannoulias Web site is www.alexiforillinois.com, or at least according to his press release. And so it begins.

Despite numerous calls to resign because of revelations about how he was appointed to the seat by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Burris has hunkered down in the bunker and even Gov. Pat "The Unmighty" Quinn has backed off calls from black ministers and lawmakers to leave Roland alone. This after he has changed his story
multiple times. And probably will again.

Another possible Democratic candidate is William Daley, brudder of Da Mare of Chicago, who was a Clintonista cabinet member. And, there's more out there, trust The Hound on this one.

If the GOP doesn't mess it up, the next junior senator from Illinois could be a Republican. Lake County's own Congressman Mark Kirk of Highland Park is one of those eyeing a run for the seat next year.

Recall that The Hound in the above paragraph said GOP won't mess it up. Remember that the party in the Land of Lincoln has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory numerous times, so there is always that possibility. This even with a plethora of scandals foisted on voters by the state's Democratic pols.

By all rights, 2010 should be a Republican year in Illinois. But then, The Hound remembers GOP leaders putting up Alan Keyes to run against Barack Obama in 2004. Uh, is Keyes available?

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