Politics: June 2009 Archives

"In God We Trust" is good enough for the federal government, but apparently not so in Waukegan where the city's new mayor has banned an opening prayer at City Council meetings, instead opting for a "moment of silence." Wouldn't it be nice to silence politicians for a long time, instead of just a moment?

After having a prayerful invocation since the 1990s, Mayor Robert Sabonjian has made the City Council ungodly by removing this usually uneventful paen to the Almighty. Prayers for public bodies usually don't cause a stir. In this case, the mayor's heavy hand may do the opposite. Just another case of Christians being pushed to the background. Next thing you know, there go the downtown Christmas decorations.

The Hound doesn't recall getting rid of the opening prayer as one of the mayor's campaign platforms. Perhaps this is part of his cost-cutting moves, because the city paid $50 to Bishop Joseph Coburn of the All Nations Church of God Holiness in Christ for each of his twice-a-month invocations.

If saving money is the ultimate goal, then perhaps the mayor and City Council can call dial-a-prayer to petition the Lord. That's free.

A funny thing happened to Keith Turner on his way to the Lake County Board. He didn't make it. The Waukegan Democrat tapped to replace Waukegan Mayor Robert Sabonjian on the board tapped out like they do in ultimate fighting cage matches.

On Thursday, Turner sent out a release saying he will be appointed to Sabonjian's District 8 seat, one of three vacancies or soon-to-be-vacancies on the County Board. On Friday, he sends another saying he is tapping out, this four days before he's supposed to take the oath of office.

Now, there are rumors swirling around Turner about his sudden change of plans. Like there was something in his past that came to light. That powerful Lake County Democratic Party chairman, state Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, told Dems on the County Board to oppose Turner's taking the Sabonjian seat. As for Turner, in a letter to supporters Monday, he said he made the decision to withdraw from consideration "on Friday morning after receiving confirmation of test results related to a medical condition."

OK, The Hound accepts that and hopes it's nothing serious. But then Turner spews: "I realize that the timing of this decision will generate a degree of speculation and rumor and though there was tremendous pressure placed upon the Democratic board members, I want to assure you that my decision was not made due to any political pressures or considerations exerted upon me from any quarter or in any way influenced by the lack of support I received from the Democratic Party." Huh?

And, depending on this medical condition, he says he intends to run for the seat in 2010.

What is it with Democrats that they can't fill open seats? Let's see, anybody recall how Democrats filled a U.S. Senate seat? Bet Republicans won't have this problem when it comes to filling the vacancies caused by resignations of District 19 Rep. Michael Talbett of Lake Zurich and District 18 Rep. Pam Newton of Vernon Hills. Isn't that why political parties have precinct committeemen and township and district organizations?

Or is this part of the continuing rift in the once-mighty Waukegan Democratic machine. After all, they couldn't elect a Democratic mayor in April. Maybe they're just tapped out.

While human service professionals gear up to protect their jobs in the realm of the tentative Illinois budget, businesses aren't taking plans to increase taxes lying down. Take the American Beverage Institute which is lobbying to stop the increase in liquor taxes in order to stem the tide of red ink overtaking state government.

The Legislature has decided to add nearly three cents in additional taxes to the price of a six-pack of beer, 13 cents on a of bottle wine and 80 cents on a fifth of the hard stuff. The liquor tax hike, lobbyists say, would put a strain on distillers and sellers, while putting an additional 4,500 people on the state's unemployment rolls. That's on top of the nearly 20,000 jobs the hospitality industry says it's lost because of the recession.

Let's see, tax booze or tax constituents. If you were a lawmaker, how would you vote? Duh! Especially since the tax hike is estimated to generate nearly $115 million annually.

But here's the argument the liquor industry is really hammering as the still tax awaits Gov. Pat Quinn's signature: Raising the price of a drink hurts low-income taxpayers the hardest. They say one-third of the booze in the state is consumed by Illinoisans with incomes under $50,000 a year. Guess the rich are different than you and The Hound, after all.

There's only one answer to creeping alcohol taxes: The advent of backyard stills and the proliferation of moonshine sales across Illinois. Pass the corn licker, Snuffy!

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is going around the state poor mouthing about what will happen if the Legislature doesn't increase the income tax 50 percent. That social service agencies will suffer and in turn so will the state's most vulnerable residents --- low income families. Quinn has used this mantra at several photo op set ups. The usual photo op is Quinn surrounded by sad-looking kids.

What the governor doesn't understand is most Illinoisans don't care. Most of us are lucky we've got jobs or haven't had to take a month's furlough rather than a mere week. We could care about the less fortunate. Heck, we are the less fortunate.

How come the first call is always for a tax increase? How come every politician runs for office and says he or she wants to run government like a business, but when the going gets tough they just print more money at the taxpayers' expense? How come the governor doesn't name a blue-ribbon commission (we now have two in his short tenure) to look into government efficiency at the state level?

Because it's easier to raise taxes than work hard at working hard. It's easier to guilt trip taxpayers currently hurting in this economy to keep funding the nanny state, rather than the Prairie State.

Start cutting governor, because The Hound doesn't believe state lawmakers want to face the wrath of an irate electorate in next year's elections.

It seems Rod Blagojevich wasn't the real stumbling block to get anything accomplished in Springfield after all. Even with his hairness out of the picture, lawmakers and Gov. Pat Quinn, Blago's successor and one-time running mate, couldn't agree on how to bail out Illinois government from the billions in dollars we're in the hole.

Surprisingly, it was the same people who put us in this mess, the Democratic leadership who followed Blago down the yellow brick road to wrack and ruin, that continued to look toward tax increases without looking at cutting spending. Hello, Illinois Senate. They still don't get it.

Amidst people being asked to take furloughs and give back pay hikes, a statewide unemployment rate licking at the 10 percent range, along with some of the largest companies in the state and nation going into bankruptcy, aka General Motors, our lawmakers want to raise taxes and fees. If Illinois voters don't punish these ladies and gents at the polls next year, it's time to think about moving to America's Dairyland.

It's interesting to compare how Illinois pols tackle a budget crisis compared to Wisconsin. Up north, Gov. Jim Doyle has issued an executive order forcing all state employees to take 16 days off over the next two years. The order applies to 69,000 state workers. In addition, Doyle has rescinded a 2 percent pay raise for non-union workers and asked union workers to give up the raise or face the layoff of 400 state workers.

That is expected to save $121 millon over the two years the furlough is in effect. Not much considering Wisconsin has a $6.6 billion budget shortfall. But it is something.

Matter of fact, Lake County government and forest preserve officials could take a lesson from Gov. Doyle, who, like Pat Quinn, is a Democrat. You didn't hear Quinn talking about state worker layoffs as a first resort, now did you? This guy is so over his head he's beginning to make Blago look like a statesman.

Gov. Quinn wants to expand video poker and raise taxes. That's a good start for a re-election campaign, eh, governor?