Last week, four thousand home-school family types descended upon the Illinois State Capitol for the hearing concerning SB136--that lovely little bit of poison that would require all home-school families to bend over for the State Bored of Edukashun.
OK, let's spell it correctly, and define it correctly: The Illinois State Board of Education, which produces only dreadful outcomes for its students: 30% of the 8th graders test 'proficient' in reading, and 26% of 8th graders test 'proficient' in math.
And, the good Senator Maloney wants to impose the control of the state over the families who decide to keep their kids away from this mess. Sweet.
The four thousand folks did not take up residence in the rotunda, bang drums, scream, curse, cut work, get phony physician sickness slips, hold up signs comparing Senator Maloney to Hitler. It was so quiet, the staff opened the door to the hall, so more people could hear the testimony.
Now, according to the Left (and the Obama White House), these people are monsters, and the union members and missing senators in Madison are heroes.
OS scratches his head....
In any case, sunlight being the best disinfectant, Sen. Maloney thought better of his bill, since it could not be passed in dark of night, and withdrew it. Until next time.
So, for now, Illinois homeschool parents are spared having the sheriff at the door, arresting the parents, with the implied threat of removal of children, for not registering with The State, as happened in New York last year.
Sunlight doing what it does, and sheriffs being elected, it appears the locals were, well, pissed about this, and the sheriff felt obligated to aggressively backpedal, once his role was revealed.
In the meantime, for all who are interested, the Illinois Homeschoolers have founded a PAC.
Wonder if someone might be running against Maloney? It's the only solution, ultimately...vote the bastards out of office, by humiliatingly large margins, so they don't come slinking back.
Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Illinois SB 136: Home Schoolers Push Back Against A Venal State Government
Lessee, now, ya'll. The Great State of Illinois is facing a $15 billion (that's with a 'b') budget deficit this year.
(And ya got'cher $80 billion in unfunded pension obligations on top of that, by the way.)
The bond rating is worse than Mexico. Taxes have been raised, and businesses are fleeing.
The public schools are a shambles.
(If you view this link, scroll about half-way down the page to see how students in 4th and 8th grade fare on national reading and math assessments. Gow'-won! Double-dog dare you to see for yerself.)
So, what do the Dems who run the Illinois legislature want to do?
Easy! Require every home-school family in the state to register and submit to the State Bored of Edukashun, the people who brung yew the stellar results listed above.
As one might imagine, the families are not amused, and descended (peacefully) upon the state capitol to register their feelings. They, unlike the public school teachers of Wisconsin, did not stage a 'sick-out' of their taxpayer-funded jobs in order to rally and curse the legislature.
If you 'do' Facebook, the group is named 'STOPSB136'.
If there is one 'snapshot' example needed of why Illinois is in such shambles, this should do.
The home-school families pay every tax levied for the support of the state's failed school system, and undertake the expense, hard work, and often reduced earnings that home-schooling imposes upon the parents. In turn, their kids generally do much better academically, are probably not much worse off socially, and are physically much safer than their peers in publik educashun. To be sure, there are some true LooneyTunes amongst the home-schoolers, and OS has met his share. There are also some lazy parents who do not truly get the job done, and again, OS has met a few of those as well. But, on the whole, in the aggregate, the home-schoolers far outperform the state-run sector; and since they do not consume the resources of the state while paying taxes to it, they are actually net contributors to the fiscal bottom line.
Makes the Left apoplectic, the thought that someone out there is succeeding.
Without them.
Here's an idea for the Illinois legislature: Leave them the hell alone. You've got other, more pressing matters to attend to. Like a $15 billion deficit, a bond rating worse than Mexico, and $80 billion in pensions you can't pay.
And a GOP Congress that will not bail your sorry selves out.
Good luck, boyz.
(And ya got'cher $80 billion in unfunded pension obligations on top of that, by the way.)
The bond rating is worse than Mexico. Taxes have been raised, and businesses are fleeing.
The public schools are a shambles.
(If you view this link, scroll about half-way down the page to see how students in 4th and 8th grade fare on national reading and math assessments. Gow'-won! Double-dog dare you to see for yerself.)
So, what do the Dems who run the Illinois legislature want to do?
Easy! Require every home-school family in the state to register and submit to the State Bored of Edukashun, the people who brung yew the stellar results listed above.
As one might imagine, the families are not amused, and descended (peacefully) upon the state capitol to register their feelings. They, unlike the public school teachers of Wisconsin, did not stage a 'sick-out' of their taxpayer-funded jobs in order to rally and curse the legislature.
If you 'do' Facebook, the group is named 'STOPSB136'.
If there is one 'snapshot' example needed of why Illinois is in such shambles, this should do.
The home-school families pay every tax levied for the support of the state's failed school system, and undertake the expense, hard work, and often reduced earnings that home-schooling imposes upon the parents. In turn, their kids generally do much better academically, are probably not much worse off socially, and are physically much safer than their peers in publik educashun. To be sure, there are some true LooneyTunes amongst the home-schoolers, and OS has met his share. There are also some lazy parents who do not truly get the job done, and again, OS has met a few of those as well. But, on the whole, in the aggregate, the home-schoolers far outperform the state-run sector; and since they do not consume the resources of the state while paying taxes to it, they are actually net contributors to the fiscal bottom line.
Makes the Left apoplectic, the thought that someone out there is succeeding.
Without them.
Here's an idea for the Illinois legislature: Leave them the hell alone. You've got other, more pressing matters to attend to. Like a $15 billion deficit, a bond rating worse than Mexico, and $80 billion in pensions you can't pay.
And a GOP Congress that will not bail your sorry selves out.
Good luck, boyz.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Ruh-Roh: Rahm Emmanuel Declared Ineligible For Mayoral Candidacy By Illinois Court Of Appeals
HT Second City Cop
Here's the news, just in.
Early voting begins Jan. 31.
This will, of course, be fast-tracked to the Illinois Supreme Court.
If he loses there, be assured he will venue-shop at the Federal level. But, can any Federal judge realistically claim jurisdiction over a city election?
But then again, they've claimed jurisdiction over school districting for over forty years now...
Rahmbo can't claim it's about civil rights. His opponents include a Black Woman(check!), a black Hispanic guy(check!), and a white Hispanic guy(check!).
This could get interesting. What's he gonna do with alllll that money he's extorted--I mean gathered--for his mayoral candidacy?
The real issue is: Is Rahmbo a Chicago resident? Or is Chicago his own Rotten Borough?
The guy renting his house has an opinion:
Emanuel, a former North Side congressman, had served Obama in Washington from January 2009 until October. When he left for the White House, Emanuel rented his North Side home to Rob Halpin.
Halpin refused to move out when Emanuel returned to Chicago and briefly staged his own run for mayor.
Halpin applauded the ruling. “Now I feel vindicated by the court,” Halpin told WGN-AM radio.
Residency, Halpin said, is “one of the rights that goes with the rent payment.”
Halpin said “it’s very clear that only one resident” could be attached to a single residence, “unless it was some sort of hippie commune.”
(The wheels on the bus are coming off, coming off, coming off...)
Here's the news, just in.
Early voting begins Jan. 31.
This will, of course, be fast-tracked to the Illinois Supreme Court.
If he loses there, be assured he will venue-shop at the Federal level. But, can any Federal judge realistically claim jurisdiction over a city election?
But then again, they've claimed jurisdiction over school districting for over forty years now...
Rahmbo can't claim it's about civil rights. His opponents include a Black Woman(check!), a black Hispanic guy(check!), and a white Hispanic guy(check!).
This could get interesting. What's he gonna do with alllll that money he's extorted--I mean gathered--for his mayoral candidacy?
The real issue is: Is Rahmbo a Chicago resident? Or is Chicago his own Rotten Borough?
The guy renting his house has an opinion:
Emanuel, a former North Side congressman, had served Obama in Washington from January 2009 until October. When he left for the White House, Emanuel rented his North Side home to Rob Halpin.
Halpin refused to move out when Emanuel returned to Chicago and briefly staged his own run for mayor.
Halpin applauded the ruling. “Now I feel vindicated by the court,” Halpin told WGN-AM radio.
Residency, Halpin said, is “one of the rights that goes with the rent payment.”
Halpin said “it’s very clear that only one resident” could be attached to a single residence, “unless it was some sort of hippie commune.”
(The wheels on the bus are coming off, coming off, coming off...)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Illinois Is BROKE, Ya'll! So Now They Demand Bi-lingual Education For Preschoolers
File under 'You just can't make this stuff up!'
From the Chicago Tribune, 13 September 2010:
As the school year begins, Illinois becomes the first state to mandate that public schools with preschool programs offer a bilingual education to 3- and 4-year-olds who don't speak English.
Under the new regulations, school officials must determine whether students speak another language at home and measure how well they speak and understand English. They then must offer those who need it a seat in a bilingual preschool class, where they study basic academic skills in their native language as they learn English.
But from Carpentersville to Champaign, local school districts are hurrying to comply with the requirements that come without additional funding, even as they brace for another year of dwindling reserves and funding delays.
What are they thinking?
Or, are they assuming, like Kuhlifornia, that no matter how outrageous the behavior, TheOneWe'veBeenWaitingFor will bail them out?
Please, ya'll. If you're registered to vote in Illinois, vote these clowns out.
We don't have any money to send your way, and even if we did, we wouldn't.
From the Chicago Tribune, 13 September 2010:
As the school year begins, Illinois becomes the first state to mandate that public schools with preschool programs offer a bilingual education to 3- and 4-year-olds who don't speak English.
Under the new regulations, school officials must determine whether students speak another language at home and measure how well they speak and understand English. They then must offer those who need it a seat in a bilingual preschool class, where they study basic academic skills in their native language as they learn English.
But from Carpentersville to Champaign, local school districts are hurrying to comply with the requirements that come without additional funding, even as they brace for another year of dwindling reserves and funding delays.
What are they thinking?
Or, are they assuming, like Kuhlifornia, that no matter how outrageous the behavior, TheOneWe'veBeenWaitingFor will bail them out?
Please, ya'll. If you're registered to vote in Illinois, vote these clowns out.
We don't have any money to send your way, and even if we did, we wouldn't.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Welcome To Illinois, Our Newest Third-World Country
Bloomberg weighed in with this little gem of a story that the State of Illinois is flogging its debt to other parts of the world, having run short on investors in this country foolhardy enough to part with their cash.
Illinois, The Great State of Illinois, is now paying higher interest rates than that paragon of political and economic stability, Mexico. OS understands El Salvador and Honduras are gaining on them.
(Unlike Mexico, Illinois does not have oil, gas and silver reserves in the ground to actually pay the money back. They've got coal, and agricultural output, and a crumbling city of Chicago that Rahm Emanuel wants to take over--that should work well! They've got Blago, a legislature that can't shoot straight, and Obama hung around their necks like a ripe road-kill 'possum. Sign me up for some-o'that-there Illinoize paper, Bubbah! What could go wrong?)
Shhh, don't tell anybody overseas...let them find out for themselves...remember all those sophisticates in Europe love our President, who after all did tout his deep experience in shaping Illinois.
Illinois, The Great State of Illinois, is now paying higher interest rates than that paragon of political and economic stability, Mexico. OS understands El Salvador and Honduras are gaining on them.
(Unlike Mexico, Illinois does not have oil, gas and silver reserves in the ground to actually pay the money back. They've got coal, and agricultural output, and a crumbling city of Chicago that Rahm Emanuel wants to take over--that should work well! They've got Blago, a legislature that can't shoot straight, and Obama hung around their necks like a ripe road-kill 'possum. Sign me up for some-o'that-there Illinoize paper, Bubbah! What could go wrong?)
Shhh, don't tell anybody overseas...let them find out for themselves...remember all those sophisticates in Europe love our President, who after all did tout his deep experience in shaping Illinois.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Athens On Lake Michigan: Illinois Cannot Pay Its Bills, Won't Raise Taxes, And Cannot Borrow
Even the Yew Nork Times can no longer avert its eyes from what has happened to the state that sent us all The Winner of The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, whose cronies have run the place for years.
It's worth the time to read, if only to see how the cracks in the official story line that The One, having been elected, would lead us all to The Promised Land. Remember?
So, here's a taste of reality in Illinois:
...Illinois is caught between blue state convictions about social safety nets and a red state aversion to taxes. For years, the Democratic-controlled legislature has passed budgets that are, in effect, in deficit. Lawmakers routinely skip around the state’s balanced-budget law, with few consequences. (Republicans are near monolithic in voting against any tax increases and borrowings. When one broke ranks to try to keep the pension solvent, he was stripped of a committee position, reducing his pay and pension.)
The state’s income tax burden is not terribly high — Illinois ranks in the bottom half of states — and its government is not terribly large. (The budgets in New York and California, per capita, are much larger). Even if the state cut out all family and human services spending, more than half of the budget deficit would remain.
As comptroller, Mr. Hynes has trained his attention on the public and nonprofit agencies that rely on state money; he tends to roll his eyes at the notion that slashing alone is a solution.
Let's remember, this is a state run by The One's friends, where Himself cut His political teeth. This is the model he knows an endorses, the one set into motion when he moved to Washington.
It's worth the time to read, if only to see how the cracks in the official story line that The One, having been elected, would lead us all to The Promised Land. Remember?
So, here's a taste of reality in Illinois:
...Illinois is caught between blue state convictions about social safety nets and a red state aversion to taxes. For years, the Democratic-controlled legislature has passed budgets that are, in effect, in deficit. Lawmakers routinely skip around the state’s balanced-budget law, with few consequences. (Republicans are near monolithic in voting against any tax increases and borrowings. When one broke ranks to try to keep the pension solvent, he was stripped of a committee position, reducing his pay and pension.)
The state’s income tax burden is not terribly high — Illinois ranks in the bottom half of states — and its government is not terribly large. (The budgets in New York and California, per capita, are much larger). Even if the state cut out all family and human services spending, more than half of the budget deficit would remain.
As comptroller, Mr. Hynes has trained his attention on the public and nonprofit agencies that rely on state money; he tends to roll his eyes at the notion that slashing alone is a solution.
Let's remember, this is a state run by The One's friends, where Himself cut His political teeth. This is the model he knows an endorses, the one set into motion when he moved to Washington.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sovereign Default Hall Of Shame: May I Have The Envelope?
(H/T to Mish, the one and only Chief Rabbi of Economics)
Mish points us to the latest Credit Default Swap quotes.
It's sort of like golf: The higher your score, the worse your situation.
So, drumroll puhleezzze, for the Sovereign Default Hall of Shame!
Venezuela
Greece
Argentina
Pakistan
Ukraine
Dubai/Emirate of
Iraq
Illinois/State of
Portugal
California/State of
Wait-a-minit-thar, bubbah! OS gots a question or toooh 'bout this heah' list!
Illinois ranks below Pakistan, Iraq, and Dubai? Two of those states are in war zones, and one of them is run by a profligate royal family.
Now, where izzit that The Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize hails from?
Isn't that Illinois?
Didn't He serve in the state senate there and vote on spending bills that now have to be paid for?
And isn't that guy Chavez in Venezuela someone The One and his posse positively admire?
And isn't Argentina that country that wants to get another war underway over the Falkland Islands, with the active help of The Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize and Miss Hillary?
And isn't California the place that keeps voting Democrat, and building the welfare state, and is overrun with Mexicans--and isn't that where Miss Nancy Pelosi hails from?
Aren't they trying to do to the country what they did to their states?
So, if these folks and their friends are the True and Only Path of Enlightenment for both the government and economy, how come anybody with a buck to invest in sovereign debt runs away from them?
Maybe they know that these folks always take societies and their economies over the cliff?
Mish points us to the latest Credit Default Swap quotes.
It's sort of like golf: The higher your score, the worse your situation.
So, drumroll puhleezzze, for the Sovereign Default Hall of Shame!
Venezuela
Greece
Argentina
Pakistan
Ukraine
Dubai/Emirate of
Iraq
Illinois/State of
Portugal
California/State of
Wait-a-minit-thar, bubbah! OS gots a question or toooh 'bout this heah' list!
Illinois ranks below Pakistan, Iraq, and Dubai? Two of those states are in war zones, and one of them is run by a profligate royal family.
Now, where izzit that The Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize hails from?
Isn't that Illinois?
Didn't He serve in the state senate there and vote on spending bills that now have to be paid for?
And isn't that guy Chavez in Venezuela someone The One and his posse positively admire?
And isn't Argentina that country that wants to get another war underway over the Falkland Islands, with the active help of The Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize and Miss Hillary?
And isn't California the place that keeps voting Democrat, and building the welfare state, and is overrun with Mexicans--and isn't that where Miss Nancy Pelosi hails from?
Aren't they trying to do to the country what they did to their states?
So, if these folks and their friends are the True and Only Path of Enlightenment for both the government and economy, how come anybody with a buck to invest in sovereign debt runs away from them?
Maybe they know that these folks always take societies and their economies over the cliff?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Kinda' Gives An Entirely New Meaning To The Term 'Red State': Illinois, Obama's Home State, Is About To Melt Down
Gosh. If you spend way way way more than you take in, borrow borrow borrow the rest, one day, you'll have a several billion dollar shortfall in the ole' state budget.
From the WSJ:
Illinois lawmakers were in disarray Thursday as they groped for stopgap measures to address a $13 billion deficit equaling nearly half of the state's general-fund revenue.
The state faces one of the nation's worst budget crises, spilled over in part from the broader national economic crunch, and its current bond ratings lag only California's. But the confusion in the legislature indicates that serious steps to fix state finances won't be taken until after the November elections—if then.
Illinois lawmakers have little appetite for drastic spending cuts. An income-tax increase proposed by Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is going nowhere. Even temporary steps, such as borrowing to make pension payments, have stalled. Illinois is months late on many of its bills and has no plan for catching up.
The legislature may push the problem to the governor's office by granting Mr. Quinn emergency budget powers and adjourning Friday, about three weeks earlier than usual.
Yeah, baby! Talk about-cher' profiles in courage!
And they don't have a Reagan or a Bush to blame for it. The One is in the White House, and if he ponies up $20 billion or so to bail Illinois out, with no chance of repayment, then Katie-Bar-The-Door on Election Day.
Does sort of make one reconsider that definition of 'Red State'.
Tennessee, on the other hand, is grappling with a shortfall of about 100 million--a lot of money, but Democrat Governor Bredesen and the Republican-dominated legislature stoked away a bunch of cash during the good times. So now the argument is about if and how much of those funds to tap versus how much to cut. They'll get through it, and won't be adjourning early. It won't be pleasant, but everyone will survive.
Read more about the knock-on effect in Illinois at Doug Ross Journal.
From the WSJ:
Illinois lawmakers were in disarray Thursday as they groped for stopgap measures to address a $13 billion deficit equaling nearly half of the state's general-fund revenue.
The state faces one of the nation's worst budget crises, spilled over in part from the broader national economic crunch, and its current bond ratings lag only California's. But the confusion in the legislature indicates that serious steps to fix state finances won't be taken until after the November elections—if then.
Illinois lawmakers have little appetite for drastic spending cuts. An income-tax increase proposed by Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is going nowhere. Even temporary steps, such as borrowing to make pension payments, have stalled. Illinois is months late on many of its bills and has no plan for catching up.
The legislature may push the problem to the governor's office by granting Mr. Quinn emergency budget powers and adjourning Friday, about three weeks earlier than usual.
Yeah, baby! Talk about-cher' profiles in courage!
And they don't have a Reagan or a Bush to blame for it. The One is in the White House, and if he ponies up $20 billion or so to bail Illinois out, with no chance of repayment, then Katie-Bar-The-Door on Election Day.
Does sort of make one reconsider that definition of 'Red State'.
Tennessee, on the other hand, is grappling with a shortfall of about 100 million--a lot of money, but Democrat Governor Bredesen and the Republican-dominated legislature stoked away a bunch of cash during the good times. So now the argument is about if and how much of those funds to tap versus how much to cut. They'll get through it, and won't be adjourning early. It won't be pleasant, but everyone will survive.
Read more about the knock-on effect in Illinois at Doug Ross Journal.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Pardon Me, Mr. President, Weren't You In The Illinois Senate?
So, how did you, The Wan, fail to notice the fiscal freight train bearing down on your state?
If each household in Illinois owes $25,000 just to make the pension plans of the state employees whole, where will they find the money to fund their own pensions, or kids' educations, or house purchases, car purchases, small business start-ups, etc.?
Just wondering...because today you assured us that it is now 'impossible' that the United States will fall into an economic depression.
If each household in Illinois owes $25,000 just to make the pension plans of the state employees whole, where will they find the money to fund their own pensions, or kids' educations, or house purchases, car purchases, small business start-ups, etc.?
Just wondering...because today you assured us that it is now 'impossible' that the United States will fall into an economic depression.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
It's A Trick Question
Q. What's the westernmost city of Poland?
A. Chicago, Illinois
Over one million people of Polish extraction live in the environs of Chicago. OS has visited factories there that are run in Polish. Polish neighborhoods, radio stations, food, churches...on it goes.
And, running to replace the disgraced Rod Blagoevich, Republican Adam Andrzejewski is visited by and receives the endorsement of none other than Lech Walesa, leader of Poland's Solidarity Labor Union, and later President of Poland. Between him, Pope John Paul II, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan, the Soviet Union was totally outnumbered and outmatched. They never fired a shot, and brought the entire evil enterprise to its knees.
Walesa stood up to the Socialist Powers That Be in Poland, and nothing was ever the same. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and his acceptance speech is an indictment of the latest awardee.
His career has had many ups and downs since those days, but he stood alone and changed the world. That should count for something. He's the last of the quartet from those days available to speak.
One gets the sense that his visit is about much more than a Republican primary. The man has something to convey to us. The Chicago press studiously ignored the visit of the Nobel laureate, probably sensing he would not tell them what they wish to hear, speaking on behalf of a man they have reason to fear.
WALESA (via translator): The United States is only one superpower. Today they lead the world. Nobody has doubts about it. Militarily. They also lead economically but they're getting weak. But they don't lead morally and politically anymore. The world has no leadership. The United States was always the last resort and hope for all other nations. There was the hope, whenever something was going wrong, one could count on the United States. Today, we lost that hope.
A. Chicago, Illinois
Over one million people of Polish extraction live in the environs of Chicago. OS has visited factories there that are run in Polish. Polish neighborhoods, radio stations, food, churches...on it goes.
And, running to replace the disgraced Rod Blagoevich, Republican Adam Andrzejewski is visited by and receives the endorsement of none other than Lech Walesa, leader of Poland's Solidarity Labor Union, and later President of Poland. Between him, Pope John Paul II, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan, the Soviet Union was totally outnumbered and outmatched. They never fired a shot, and brought the entire evil enterprise to its knees.
Walesa stood up to the Socialist Powers That Be in Poland, and nothing was ever the same. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and his acceptance speech is an indictment of the latest awardee.
His career has had many ups and downs since those days, but he stood alone and changed the world. That should count for something. He's the last of the quartet from those days available to speak.
One gets the sense that his visit is about much more than a Republican primary. The man has something to convey to us. The Chicago press studiously ignored the visit of the Nobel laureate, probably sensing he would not tell them what they wish to hear, speaking on behalf of a man they have reason to fear.
WALESA (via translator): The United States is only one superpower. Today they lead the world. Nobody has doubts about it. Militarily. They also lead economically but they're getting weak. But they don't lead morally and politically anymore. The world has no leadership. The United States was always the last resort and hope for all other nations. There was the hope, whenever something was going wrong, one could count on the United States. Today, we lost that hope.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)