Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

This comment sums up most of the sentiment I've heard regarding the proposed new AMTRAK/bus/taxi/space shuttle/casino/airport building (you know, I'm exaggerating. We blew our shot at the casino under the previous regime. The city of LaGrange says thanks...again:

What are we doing accepting $6 million from the State of Illinois when the State is not paying Quanada, Blessing Hospital, Walter Hammond Day Care, Cheerful Home etc, etc, etc?  It looks like the Democrats only SAY they care about the people...when what they really care about is physical projects that promote the city.  To heck with the human services. A study that costs $30,000.  By the way, how much did the city have to pay for the Obama visit?  I suppose the new terminal money is coming from China by way of Durbin by way of Quinn. Durbin's been in so long he is now King...we can't turn him down.  Human services first please!!!!!

The only people I've heard support this are either in City Hall or are getting a check from City Hall.

When Alderman Tony Sassen (R-4th Ward) suggested he wanted to study the issue before being Mayor John Spring's rubberstamp on the $6 million manna from Springfield, Spring asked rather petulantly "Are you saying we should give the money back?" Director of Administrative Services Gary Sparks followed by every politicians answer to taking pork by the fork "If we don't take it, somebody else will."

Hence lies the problem.

I know the Quincy/Springfield/Chicago Axis likes to act like they are riding to the taxpayers rescue with projects such as this. But there is an issue here:

We don't need it.

Just because Springfield borrowed more money it doesn't have for capital projects that aren't needed doesn't mean you have to accept it. You're telling me this city doesn't have $6 million in needed street repairs?

Remember the stimulus wish list sent to Washington back in November of 2008? This thing wasn't even on that. I don't think many of these other projects have been funded. Some of the parking lots are being done via the TIF expansion.

This was labelled as a "long-term project" by city officials in February. Five months later, we're told the check is in the mail? Really? That election in November surely doesn't have anything to do with this, does it?

Spring throws a fundraiser for Quinn and a fundraiser for Sullivan and, PRESTO!, $6 million for a new bus and choo choo barn. If it's that easy, Mr. Mayor, get the down payment on your hydro project. We were supposed to have an equity partner in place by late June, early July at the latest. Guess what? July ends Saturday.

If getting that $6 million was that easy, quit spending $120,000 on a lobbyist who just happens to work with the former mayor who was so prominent in your campaign commercials, the ones that claimed the low unemployment rates, remember? How's that working out? Don't worry. Menard's and Qdoba to the rescue.

(Wait a minute, let me interject: "Adams County had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state." That's comforting to the folks who had one of the 3,000 jobs that have fled this county over the last five years.)

The state bonded for the $500 million capital handout. Bonded money eventually has to be paid back. That payback is what takes money away from schools, medicaid and human services...and pensions. Lord, don't get me started on pensions.

But, hey, everybody else is getting a new train station. We should have one too. Really?

If this new train/cab/mall/food court is going to make the riverfront blossom, great. It will make a nice addition next to the condos behind Kutter's.

Maybe Courtesy Rides can use it too.

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Posted on Monday, July 26, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

From weeklystandard.com: But Schilling's efforts to distinguish himself from the incumbent haven't yet paid off: Hare still remains a favorite. Illinois-17, which is gerrymandered to benefit Democratic candidates, has been represented by a Democrat for over two decades.  It favored Barack Obama by a 15-point margin in 2008, and went for Democrats John Kerry and Al Gore in the previous two presidential elections.  Hare is the preferred candidate of labor leaders in a district whose workforce is 23 percent unionized. And Hare’s fundraising has drastically outpaced his opponent’s.

Click here to read the entire piece.

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Posted on Thursday, July 22, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

If you see this billboard somewhere in the middle of Quincy, take a picture and e-mail it to news@quincynews.org.

The first three people to respond will get new QNO t-shirts. The next three will get QNO coolies.

You can't win if you don't play.

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Posted on Tuesday, July 20, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

From nationalreview.com:

"If the election for Congress was being held today, and all you knew about the two candidates was that one was a Republican, and the other was a Democrat, for whom would you vote?” Among all voters, 44% support the generic Republican candidate for Congress and 35% support the generic Democrat candidate.

Phil Hare’s image rating is “upside down,” with 27% of voters having a favorable opinion of him, and 41% having an unfavorable opinion of him.

Among all voters, 27% approve of the job Phil Hare is doing and 43% disapprove.

Among all voters, only 24% responded they would reelect Phil Hare, 50% think it is time to give someone else a chance to do a better job and 26% are undecided on the question.

“If the election for Congress was being held today, for whom would you vote if the candidates were Bobby Schilling, Republican, or Phil Hare, Democrat?” Among all voters, Bobby Schilling leads Phil Hare, 45% to 32%, and 23% are undecided. The bulk of Bobby Schilling’s support is being driven by male voters. Among men, Bobby Schilling leads Phil Hare by 28 points, 54% to 26%. Among women, it is a much closer race, with Bobby Schilling leading by 1 point, 37% to 36%, and 27% are undecided.

The Hare campaign dismissed the results. From Maggie Depoorter, political director for Friends of Phil Hare:

"This poll isn’t worth the paper it was printed on. It’s a Republican automated poll—plain and simple. It is no surprise that Mr. Schilling is trying to create the illusion that he is winning this race, but a 13-point lead doesn’t even pass the laugh test. The fact that this partisan poll was released just as the independent Gallup organization shows Democratic candidates for Congress ahead by six points nationwide makes it even more ridiculous.  As everyone knows, the only poll that matters is the one on Election Day and Congressman Hare intends to win that one comfortably."

UPDATE: Schilling campaign manager Terry Schilling read QNO and has this response:

"With the unemployment rate having doubled, the national debt having risen by over $5 trillion and more taxes being pushed on to the middle class, it's no wonder why the Hare campaign seems so testy and defensive. Maybe they should release their own internals showing otherwise. This isn't the best year to be an unapologetic tax and spender."

Click here to read the rest of the results.

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Posted on Monday, July 19, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

From sj-r.com: People can’t seem to get enough of Rod Blagojevich. On Thursday, shortly after SJ-R.com made nine of the former governor’s profanity-laced tirades available for download as cell phone ringtones, they spread rapidly across the web.
 
By the start of the weekend, the “bleeped” clips had been downloaded or listened to 44,454 times. The ringtones were featured online by the Huffington Post, USA Today’s political blog, multiple Chicago media outlets and Jim Romenesko’s media news website, which is widely read in media circles. More than 1,200 people (and counting) have “recommended” them to friends on Facebook.

Click here for the entire story.

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Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

I hope back when Mayor John Spring was in his coaching days, his playbook had a little more diversity than his politics.

But his mantra is a familiar one and one we have seen from politicians for years: "I'm in charge and I'm smarter than you."

Ever since the Illinois Economic Recovery Commission Report was released a couple of weeks ago, Spring has had little public comment on it. In fact, when Governor Pat Quinn tabbed Spring to co-chair the commission, he was suprisingly low-keyed about it.

But when the Chicago Tribune and Crain's Chicago Business began peeling back the layers of the report and QuincyNews.org relayed that information to the thousands who read this Website on a weekly basis, Spring took offense. He would not respond to a question from QuincyNews.org and then chastised aldermen who responded to my inquiries.

Spring's superior nature returned as he told aldermen and others that they needed to read the full report. The report recommends raising income taxes and sales taxes as part of the plan for Illinois' economic recovery.

But is this a surprise? Spring has often bristled when a question from the media isn't of a softball nature.

And part of Spring's playbook is included in the report (page 95 on the pdf):

Too often, in exploring the connections between Illinois government and Illinois’ overall economic
health, commentators and stakeholders resort to “cherry-picking,” carefully selecting a few statistics or
indicators out of context to make a case for or against a specific policy or reform. However, to make
strategic, thoughtful recommendations on policies and procedures that will help Illinois to recover from
the current economic recession and position our state for swift and durable economic growth in the future,
it is necessary to consider the total economic impact and influence of Illinois government.

That's right, boys and girls. You are too stupid to know that paying higher taxes is good for you and good for the state of Illinois.

And from the cover letter Spring co-signed and sent to Quinn as he endorsed the report:

Personal integrity and leadership will help restore faith in our government as we address our fiscal crisis.
However, no state can hope to attract business and create a vibrant, jobs-producing economy if its budget is
dangerously out of balance. Tough-minded, honest budgeting and transparent long-term planning are needed to
put our State finances on a solid foundation. All interested parties must be willing to sacrifice for the long term
benefit of our state. Illinois cannot afford a continuing shortfall in the revenues necessary to meet our vital
obligations.

Now we know Spring supports revenue enhancements, even though he says they aren't necessarily tax and fee increases. I wonder what his definition of sacrifice is? Not driving his taxpayer-funded car to politicial fundraisers?

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Posted on Thursday, July 15, 2010 by Administrator

Quincy Tea Party Joins with the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition who created this Resolution in Condemning the NAACP decision

Quincy Tea Party Resolution

July 14, 2010

Whereas, the National Coalition for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded to advance the position of minority groups, and

Whereas a hallmark of the NAACP has been to do the important work of identifying and exposing remaining vestiges of racism and discrimination, and

Whereas the NAACP vocally stands against the discriminatory and harmful practice of labeling people with a broad brush, and

Whereas the NAACP decided to launch their 101st National Convention with a resolution condemning the Tea Party movement and labeling millions of their fellow Americans who subscribe to the movement as "racists", and

Whereas the "Tea Party movement" is a label applied to patriotic Americans who have expressed their political free speech in the grand tradition of all that is American, that being the spirited expression of viewpoints in a 100% peaceful manner, and

Whereas, it is a hallmark of America that we settle our disputes civilly and avoid the gutter tactic of attempting to silence opponents by inflammatory name-calling, and

Whereas the very term "racist" has diminished meaning due to its overuse by political partisans including members of the NAACP, and

Whereas, the NAACP had an opportunity to preserve some semblance of legitimacy by standing up for Ken Gladney, the victim of a vicious racist battery conducted by a black avowed communist, even labeling him an "Uncle Tom", but chose instead to use the opportunity to mock the St. Louis Tea Party, and

Whereas, the NAACP has refused to denounce the New Black Panther's call to murder white cops, white Americans and their babies, and

Whereas, the NAACP does its entire membership a grave disservice by hypocritically engaging in the very conduct it purports to oppose,

Now therefore be it resolved that the Quincy Tea Party joins the St. Louis Tea Party to condemn the NAACP for lowering itself to the dishonorable position of a partisan political attack dog organization, and,

Be it further resolved that the Quincy Tea Party joins the St. Louis Tea Party calling on similar organizations to join in unanimous condemnation of this despicable behavior, and

Be it further resolved that we demand that the NAACP withdrawal their bigoted, false and inflammatory resolution against the tea party for any further consideration, and

Be it further resolved that these organizations call on the Internal Revenue Service to evenly apply their standards and consider the tax-exempt status of the NAACP considering the degree to which they are engaging in habitual partisan political behavior.

Adopted unanimously, this day, July 14th, in the year of our Lord, 2010.

A copy of this resolution shall be sent immediately to the NAACP at: washingtonbureau@naacpnet.org

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Posted on Monday, July 12, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

Oh boy.

From abcnews.com: First Lady Michelle Obama brought renewed energy to the NAACP today, delivering the keynote speech at the annual convention one day before the nation's largest civil rights group is expected to condemn what it calls racist elements in the Tea Party movement.

Click here for the whole story.

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Posted on Sunday, July 11, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

Because some people seem to care about this story and because QuincyNews.org is the first local news organization to be up and running on this beautiful Sunday morning, I offer the following before I make my kids cinnamon rolls and head to God's country for the third time in eight days:

From yahoo.com: Bahamian police captured a teenage U.S. fugitive Sunday, bringing to an end the "Barefoot Bandit's" two-year flight from U.S. justice, a senior police official said.

Click here for the whole story.

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Posted on Thursday, July 8, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

Tour de Fat at The Abbey at 8 p.m. Two very fine QNO advertisers joining forces to spread the gospel of good beer.

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Posted on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

Before John Spring was re-elected as mayor (primarily because he told us he could deliever the goods to Quincy via his connections with Durbin, Obama, Scholz, Sullivan, Pope Benedict, etc.), the city issued a wish list to Washington regarding how it wanted to spend its stimulus dollars.

Here's the wish list of road projects submitted in 2008, in case you forgot:

North 5th Street bridge reconstruction: $3,200,000

36th and Columbus Road traffic signal installation: $500,000

Parking Lot I (6th & Hampshire) reconstruction: $200,000

Parking Lot A (7th & Jersey) reconstruction: $300,000

Parking Lot D (6th to 7th on Vermont) reconstruction: $300,000

Koch's Ln.--24th to 36th, reconstruction and resurfacing: $1,500,000

Payson Road--24th to 36th, resurfacing, curb, gutter widening: $1,100,000

48th St.--State St. to Harrison, widening to four lanes, curb, gutters: $750,000

Wismann Ln.--24th to 30th, widening to four lanes, curb, gutters: $600,000

Columbus Rd./Wismann Ln. to I-172, resurfacing: $500,000

Wismann Ln., 36th to 48th widening to four lanes, curb, gutter: $750,000

Columbus Rd.,36th to 48th, resurfacing: $700,000

54th St. to Broadway, widening and resurfacing: $450,000

Here are the stimulus package projects that Spring outlined at Tuesday's City Council meeting, which end up being 4 miles of milling and resurfacting with $1.25-million in stimulus dollars:.

Those roads include Bonansinga Drive from Broadway to Cedar; North 18^th from Broadway to Chestnut; Harrison from South 24^th to South 36^th; Jefferson from Illinois 57 to South 12^th; and South 8^th from the stone arch bridge to Illinois 57. Yeah, lots of job creation there. Recovery Summer, my eye.

Please notice that none of the roads on the to-do list were on the wish list.

So if these stimulus projects weren't on the city's wish list, who selected them? Are folks in Washington determining which local projects will be done.

The parking lots are being done via the TIF expansion and Payson Road was completed, but not with stimulus dollars.

Of course, Spring has so much influence that we shouldn't be paying Michael Alexander and Associates at least $120,000 from 2008 to 2010 to lobby for our interests, but we are.

Another project from that 2008 wish list: Mid American Intermodal Port Build Dock on Mississippi River: $4,500,000. Yeah, GREDF paid Alexander to lobby on that one too. Alton's port authority got the grant.

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Posted on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

The Chicago Tribune has this right:

We hope it doesn't come to this, but it's possible the state's Democratic kingmakers didn't just saddle us with embarrassingly ineffectual U.S. Sen. Roland Burris — they saddled us with a $30 million special election to pick a senator to replace Burris for maybe four weeks...

Illinois is in this boat because U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and other Democratic leaders didn't want a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama. They thought the law didn't require it. A federal appellate court ruled last month that, yes, it did.

State law lets the governor fill the vacancy by appointment, but only until a special election is held so voters can choose their own senator, the court said.

Judge Diane Wood of the 7^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had to resort to diagramming sentences to explain this conclusion, which shows the law needs a rewrite. To reach its decision, the court examined state law through the lens of the 17^th Amendment, which says senators are to be elected by citizens, not legislatures.

Durbin & Co. had viewed it through the what's-best-for-us lens. At first, they expressed alarm that disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich got to choose. Then they realized that a special election means the people got to choose. Even worse!

So they abandoned their calls for new law to set a quick special election. They swallowed their objections to Burris. Burris was a weak candidate and, it turns out, a liar. But the Dems wanted a Democratic placeholder, and they got one.

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Posted on Thursday, July 1, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

A little running banter of coffee vs. tea:

From Roger Davis in comment regarding Quincy Tea Party leader Steve McQueen meeting Newt Gingrich:

Mr. McQueen and Phil Hare have something in common they both can't tell the truth.

I am Roger K. Davis and yes I am running for the 17th Congressional seat against Phil Hare and Bobby Schilling, and yes when I started the Coffee Party in Quincy, not because I believe in there political philosophy but because they wanted to sit down and talk things out and treat everyone with respect and dignity.

I invited Mr. McQueen and his Tea Party group to come and have Coffee with us he told me no thanks it would be like serving them liberal kool-ade.
I also asked to speak to his group as a Congressional Candidate he told me no thanks again, he said that him and his group are supporting Mr. Schilling.

For Mr. McQueen I did ask and was invited to talk to groups that supports Mr. Hare, this does not sound like some one that wants Non-Partisan politics. And just in case Mr. McQueen wants to say he can not remember this here is a copy of the email I sent and Mr. McQueens reply.

From Roger Davis <rogerkdavis2010@gmail.com>
to"mwd2002@comcast.net" <mwd2002@comcast.net>
Date Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 11:52 AM
My name is Roger K. Davis and I would like to talk with you about two things if I may.
One is me talking to your group as a candidate for the 17th Congressional District as a Green Party Candidate.
Two is inviting your group to coffee since I am trying to start a coffee party group here in Quincy and I believe that yes each group has those who are far left or right but most of us are in the middle and have a lot more in common on the issues.
My contact info is rogerkdavis2010@gmail.com or phone me at 217-506-0850
Please give me a call so we can talk about this

Tank You
Sincerely
Roger K. Davis

fromMwd2002 <mwd2002@comcast.net>
to Roger Davis <rogerkdavis2010@gmail.com>

DateTue, Mar 30, 2010 at 6:44 PM
Subject Re: intro
Mr. Davis,
While I appreciate the invitation I must respectfully decline. There a few points where our missions align, but the liberal founder of the Coffee Party alone would be a major red flag for us. After studying the Coffee Party website it is evident that the Tea Party already gives a voice to Americans that want to see cooperation in government. While we have this voice there is currently no evidence of cooperation in government, nor is the democratic process in a place where it addresses our collective will or our challenges, so we will repair this at the ballot box. The Quincy Tea Party is already supporting candidates that work toward positive solutions and will hold those that obstruct them accountable in November.
It seems we are already doing everything listed in the Coffee Party mission statement. As I am sure you can understand I have a responsibility to the mission and goals of the Tea Party and based on the information at the website any joint venture would be the equivalent of me serving up liberal Kool-Aid.
Again, the founding of the Coffee Party and not your particular group is a major issue and alludes to the assumption that we are silly enough to fall for the"lets have lunch with a liberal" tactic which would be considered offensive at best. The left has not been kind to Tea Parties locally or nationally, so I am sure you can see why we are not inclined to want to have a carry-in.
The Quincy Tea Party has endorsed Bobby Schilling for Congress, as we recognize that he represents the type of man that listens to his constituents. I have to credit you, I am amazed that you emailed, but I do respect you for having the guts to do so. Actually, you earned my respect and if I wasn't voting for Bobby I would consider voting for you. Of course, I would vote for Saul Alinsky over Phil Hare.
While I personally believe that there is an ulterior motive behind the Coffee Party, I am man enough to admit it when I am wrong. Time will tell.

Good luck in your journey.
Respectfully,
Steve McQueen

McQueen's response Thursday morning:

Roger,
I assume that we are on a first name basis based on your unprovoked rhetoric. Either that or we are campaigning against each other. In either case the coffee party was a liberal move that had the lifespan of a fruit fly.

I am shocked that a congressional candidate has time to trifle with the Tea Party. By the way how is the campaign going? Running for Congress must be fairly simple if you can direct so much of you time to coffee and tea parties. Is this really a strong campaign strategy?

Good luck in November.
Steve

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Posted on Monday, June 28, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

Hat tip to Righty1:

The people of Chicago will now be full citizens again. The thugs will have to be more careful now. Daley has always been on the side of Chicago's thugs and he is anti-cop. Chicago cops hate Daley and his henchmen.

Check out the cop website: http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/

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Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 by J. Robert Gough

Quincy Mayor John Spring was absent from Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting.

The reason? He was involved with a political fundraiser for State Senator John Sullivan (D-Rushville) at the Quincy home of lobbyist Mike McClain.

There was some buzz throughout the City Council chambers Monday night regarding the event. Multiple sources confirmed the reason for Spring’s absence.

To be fair, the mayor does not receive his $93,000 salary in the same manner as the aldermen, who are paid per meeting and are normally paid even when they are absent, regardless of the reason.

But presiding over the City Council meeting is one of the main functions of the mayor’s job, rather than attending fundraisers on the public’s dime. Spring typically attends Sullivan fundraisers, including driving his Quincy taxpayer-paid city car, to a fundraiser last year at Hamilton’s Deer Run Golf Course.

Spring was also a co-host of a fundraiser for Illinois’ Senate Democrats last October along with several other people. That event was also held at McClain’s east end home. 

The spin is that there were several people involved who could assist the city with grant monies and other facets of the hydropower project and it was necessary for the mayor to meet with them. I thought we were paying former Mayor Chuck Scholz’s business partner $60,000 this year to handle that for us. Actually, according to these records, the city gave Michael Alexander a 100 percent raise as he was paid $30,000 last year and $30,000 the year before.  

Bottom line: Spring skipped a City Council meeting to attend a political fundraiser. Perhaps he could run that by the City’s Ethics Commission. Oh wait, the Ethics Commission, last time I checked, hasn’t met in years and still isn’t listed on the City Website, even though Spring recently appointed a new member to the commission (who is also a former Spring campaign contributor…I’ll tell ya, this stuff just writes itself).

And why is Sullivan having ANOTHER fundraiser now on top of his annual golf outing in July? I know, money is the mother's milk of politics and I even get having the Senate Democrat fundraiser here last October, but another one?

And I’m not the only one asking. One Adams County Democrat (who has been on a ballot before but wished to remain anonymous to avoid retribution for speaking out) posed this question to me a few weeks back:

“Why the hell (do) Spring and Sullivan need to do fundraisers now when Georgia Volm and Reg Ankrom are the ones running this year?  Thoughtless or selfish or a power play by them, I think.   Our side doesn't have (a prominent local Republican businessman) to run to for ten grand per candidate.”

That’s not to mention other Democrats trying to run this November including Donna Hildebrand-Veile for Regional Superintendent of Schools, Chris Scholz for judge and Brent Fischer for Sheriff, although Scholz and Fischer probably won’t be hurting for funds.

Another Democrat told me Sullivan is actually pretty good about sharing his fundraising largesse with local Democrats. Of course, you can see how Sullivan, Spring, et al do in that department by going right here.

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