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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Boone County receives bid of $181,900 for the farmland on Route 76
Eleanor Muck has bid $181,900 for the 30+ acres on Route 76. On October 21 the Roads Subcommittee vote 0-5 to approve the bid. On Wednesday the committee of the whole will consider the bid.
Ill. lawmaker apologizes for ’savage religion’ comment
In a statement, Manzullo said he was not referring generally to Islam, but to terrorists who “believe and practice a violent, anti-modernity version of Wahhabism in which they seek to impose a new caliphate, similar to the extent of the Ottoman Empire during the Middle Ages, and sharia law stretching from Indonesia to Europe.”
He said Islam is a “religion of peace” and that the vast majority of its adherents are “men and women of good will.”
He added: “Nevertheless, I apologize for any misunderstanding of my comments and I will endeavor in the future to clarify my remarks to make it absolutely clear that America is not opposed to Islam, but that we are fighting terrorists who believe in a savage, perverted, and violent form of Islam.”
Click on the following for more details: Ill. lawmaker apologizes for ’savage religion’ comment | The Wire | STLtoday
Rep. Don Manzullo apologizes for 'savage religion' comment.
Chicago Tribune 'Breaking News' website reports:
Rep. Don Manzullo, who opposes the idea of moving terrorism suspects to Thomson Correctional Center in his northern Illinois district, issued a qualified apology today after a comment that critics viewed as insulting to Islam.In an interview with television station WREX in Rockford that was aired Monday, the Illinois Republican said of terrorism suspects: "These are really, really mean people whose job it is to kill people, driven by some savage religion."
Click on the following for more details: PSB: Progressive Illinois Politics:: Rep. Don Manzullo apologizes for 'savage religion' comment.
Illinois town prefers detainees over unemployment
“We need this to help our community, our communities around us and us are hurting big,” said Thomson Village President Jerry Hebeler after a private meeting with federal officials and community members.
Click on the following for more details: Illinois town prefers detainees over unemployment - STLtoday.com
Officials learning about FOIA updates
Key changes to the Freedom of Information Act
- Shortens the time frame for governmental bodies to respond to public-records requests from seven business days to five. The amount of time for an extension also is cut to five days.
- Limits the instances when governments can reject records requests. Imposes fines of $2,500 to $5,000 on units of government that "willfully and intentionally" violate the FOIA and mandatory attorney's fees.
- Grants authority to the public access counselor in the Attorney General's Office to review whether certain records should be disclosed. That person also may issue binding opinions dealing with open government.
- Caps the amount that governments may charge for copying records. The first 50 pages in black and white will be free, and additional pages will cost a maximum of 15 cents a page. Charges cannot exceed actual costs.
- Requires a public body to provide records in an electronic format if requested and if feasible.
Other Questions which are answered:
Q: Can a Freedom of Information request be denied if it is issued to the incorrect person within an organization?
Q: What if the Freedom of Information officer is on vacation?
Q: When does the clock start on the five-day timeline? What is a "business day" or "working day"?
Click on the following for more details: Officials learning about FOIA updates - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com
State’s top court to hear case about George Ryan's pension
an appeals court ruled that Ryan could keep part of his state pension — as much as $65,000 a year — even though he was convicted of federal corruption charges from his time holding state office.
Previously, the state had ruled to deny Ryan his entire state pension.
Lisa Madigan’s office will oppose Ryan, arguing the decision of the state pension board that Ryan shouldn’t get any of his pension is correct.
Click on the following for more details: State’s top court to hear case about George Ryan's pension
Illinois Legislator’s Pension
Our fine lawmakers get a pension after as few as four years in office. Their benefits as a share of salary rise as much as 5% per year of service — more than twice the rate earned by ordinary state workers. And since the General Assembly has its own retirement system, lawmakers don't have to share the loot with state police, university professors, health-care workers or prison guards.
As a result, a lawmaker with 20 years on the job can retire at age 55 and get 85% of his or her final salary.the House speaker and Senate president, minority leaders, deputy and assistant leaders, etc. — make as much as $95,312 a year.
Click on the following for more details: Greg Hinz Blog | Crain's Chicago Business
Ron Wait opposed to Gitmo in Illinois
In reaction to Governor Quinn’s plan to sell the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois to the federal government for use as a prison and detention facility for terrorists, I have signed on to House Resolution 762 calling for the immediate halt of the negotiations. Just because Obama has failed to follow through on his campaign promise to close Guantanamo Bay does not mean we should bail him out and ship terrorists within 100 miles of Belvidere and Rockford . This is a completely irresponsible plan from Governor Quinn just to help out his buddies in Washington .
Thomson Correctional Center was built in 2001 as an adult male maximum-security facility with 1,600 cells and a separate 200-bed minimum-security unit. Currently, only the 200-bed minimum-security unit is open due to state budget constraints. The center was controversial during its construction due to the negative impact on the environment, especially being so close to the Mississippi River .
I am calling for the correctional facility to be used as a conventional 1,600-bed maximum-security prison as originally intended. I am also not opposed to the sale of the facility to the Federal Bureau of Prisons as long as it is used as a conventional 1,600-bed maximum-security prison as originally intended. A 1,600-bed prison fully operating would be wonderful for the local economy. Restructuring the prison as a federal detention center for up to 200 detainees will house far fewer prisoners and create much fewer jobs. Not only are we risking the safety of our citizens, we will be creating far fewer jobs than the Democrats are promising.
People have warned the Obama administration and the American people that the persons detained in Guantanamo have allies around the world who can be expected to respond to these detentions with an ongoing threat of homicidal violence that will stretch indefinitely into the future due to the culture of militant Islam.
Thank you so much for reading my E-Newsletter. I hope that Governor Quinn will come to his senses and abandon this plan to bring terrorists into our state. With your continued support, I am confident that we can accomplish these feats and address the issues that matter to us the most. Again, thank you and God bless.
Wonderful free service from Secretary of State
Beginning this month, the State of Illinois is offering a new service connected to your driver's license. You can click on the link below and add two emergency contacts to your license data. Therefore, if you are incapacitated in some way, your license can be scanned and the emergency contacts retrieved so your loved ones can be contacted. It only takes two minutes to complete.
Please click on the following and follow the instruction: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/ecd/home.html
The following is taken from that site.
Welcome to the Secretary of State's Emergency Contact Database
This database allows Illinois instruction permit, driver's license and identification card holders to enter their emergency contact information into a voluntary, secure database. Starting in August 2009, in the event of a motor vehicle crash or other emergency situation where a person is unable to communicate directly, law enforcement may access this database to help them reach the person's designated emergency contacts.
If a person holds both an Illinois driver's license or permit and an Illinois identification card, the emergency contact information can be entered for both cards in one transaction. The information will only be associated with the record(s) selected by the participant.
Participants can add, modify, or delete their emergency contact information at any time by visiting this web page. Any modifications or deletions will overwrite all previously entered information. Previously entered emergency contact information will not be displayed, in order to ensure the privacy and security of the information. Participants can print the page containing their emergency contact information upon completion for their records.
Participants may select one or two persons as their emergency contacts, and are encouraged to share their participation with the emergency contacts they have chosen.
It is the responsibility of the holder of the driver's license, instruction permit, temporary visitor's driver's license and/or identification card to enter accurate data into the required fields, as well as to update contact data should any data change after initial enrollment in the emergency contact database. The Secretary of State assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the data entered by the holder of a driver's license (including commercial driver's license), instruction permit, temporary visitor's driver's license and/or identification card and disclaims any liability for damages, costs, and/or expenses, including, without limitation, consequential damages, arising or resulting from any inaccurate data or failure to update contact data.
Read the Frequently Asked Questions
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