The Capitol Fax Blog » Morning Shorts

Thursday, May 31, 2007

* Ad touting Blagojevich still on the air

But under the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, statewide elected officials cannot be named or shown in ads or public-service announcements for state-administered programs. The law is often cited by Blagojevich as an example of his push for governmental reforms.

* Editorial: Make the right moves on mass transit

* Rep. Fritchey: State must renew 7% solution

* House Oks plan for county sales tax

“I really like the idea,” said state Rep. Roger Eddy, R-Hutsonville, who is also a school superintendent in Crawford County. “If lawmakers in Springfield aren’t going to do anything on a statewide basis, why not let the local residents decide?”

* Lawmakers approve license plate bill to support private out-of-state schools; more here

* Revising home value caps

* Eric Zorn: Giving new life to debate on death penalty

Any humane reform of the justice system that includes ending the death penalty, they say, must also include adding opportunities for lifers to earn their release. This side of the debate is behind the ongoing work of an Illinois House committee formed to study issues related to long-term incarceration, and it includes key members of the Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty.

* Governors start to back 2008 candidates

* County incapable of fixing juvenile center say critics

* State approves Cook Co. pension buyouts

* Sad day for alderman after dad’s ID arrest

- posted by Paul Richardson

10 Comments

- anon - Thursday, May 31, 07 @ 8:48 am:
i think your link to the morning short “Governors start to back 2008 candidates” is wrong

- Someone is getting it right..... - Thursday, May 31, 07 @ 8:56 am:
Check out the Page One story in today’s Wall Street Journal about the CA Guv and Speaker.

Maybe they can do some mentoring with RB and MJM.

- dan l - Thursday, May 31, 07 @ 9:06 am:

Any humane reform of the justice system that includes ending the death penalty, they say, must also include adding opportunities for lifers to earn their release.

Want to end the death penalty? Fine. Want to release a bunch of criminals out into the streets so they can kill/rape again? Absolutely not. Zorn s(_)cK5

- Gene Parmesan - Thursday, May 31, 07 @ 9:11 am:
“This is a continuation of a program that’s in place only because he [Assessor Houlihan] doesn’t do his job very well,” Brown said.

It’s about time somebody got to the root of the 7% “cap.”

- anon - Thursday, May 31, 07 @ 9:11 am:
Special Session question - Does the 3/5’s rule apply when in a special session? Rich - Perhaps you can fill us in as to the rules if and when there is a special session. thanks

- Pantha du Prince - Thursday, May 31, 07 @ 9:46 am:
There should be a stiff fine/penalty every time that ad touting Blagojevich has been aired.
And should come out of Milo’s pocket, not the Illinois state taxpayers.

- Underdog - Thursday, May 31, 07 @ 10:09 am:
dan l,

I think you and Zorn agree on this one. His article is pushing activists to either give up on ending the death penalty or give up on earned release. Here’s one of the last sentences in the article:

“If you want to wage a fight against the death penalty that has any chance of success, you have to accept life-without-parole sentences as the trade-off.”

- PalosParkBob - Thursday, May 31, 07 @ 10:44 am:
I think the press has done a pretty woeful job of informing the public about the causes of the deficits in the CTA and RTA.

What costs are escalating faster than the revenue growth from state, federal, and local sources? Are raises and increases in benefits the culprits? Are maintenance and operations costs out of line with the most efficient standards for Urban mass transit? Is labor productivity increasing or decreasing? Is litigation and insurance cost excessive? Are the metrics for adminstrative costs in line with better run systems?

These are the “why” portions of the journalistic 5Ws that are necessary for readers to understand the issue, but are typically neglected by the mainstream press.

All we’re typically told is that more is spent than is being given, and the Authorites will hurt the riders if the Authorities don’t get what they want.

I try to read as much as I can on these subjects, but find info lacking. Am I missing some info source that provides these “whys”?

- Sahims2 - Thursday, May 31, 07 @ 11:14 am:
The Gov. has turned the State of Illinois homepage into another diatribe expousing his great works - in clear violation of the ethics laws - this has been going on for quite some time now - it’s out there in the public realm, and not one ethics investigator has found it - oh that’s right, they can’t do anything on their own, they can only sit there and wait for someone to “rat” on someone else before they can act….what a farce!

- Roger - Thursday, May 31, 07 @ 2:33 pm:
Why isn’t anyone saying anything about SB1674 or HB4050? It’s going to be awfully tough for anyone in Illinois to get a mortgage. If you are concerned, read the bill and then call your rep or senator and tell them to vote no!

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