Thursday, November 19, 2009

Manzullo defends 'savage religion' comment

The most commented story at this McHenry County newspaper. 

Comments (206 comments) | CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo said Tuesday that his comment that suspected terrorists imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay follow a "savage religion" has been misinterpreted.

Click on the following or at comments to read more:  Northwest Herald | Manzullo defends 'savage religion' comment

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Oprah Winfrey to End Her Talk Show - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com

sun will set on the Oprah show as its 25th season draws to a close on September 9, 2011,”

Oprah Winfrey (Image provided by Jason Merritt/FilmMagic/Getty Images)will end her iconic daytime talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” in 2011 as she prepares to start a cable channel of her own.

Oprah Winfrey to End Her Talk Show - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com

Ogle sheriff faces layoffs

Police Union and County maybe renegotiating in Oregon, IL .  Ogle county has a population of  51.032 (2000) 763 square miles versus Boone County’s 41,786 (2000) 282 square miles.

Ogle County Looks to ... [Ogle County] approved a $11.7 million budget for the 2010 general fund, $1.8 million less than this year’s budget.

More than $1 million will come out of the five budgets managed by Ogle County Sheriff Greg Beitel, who oversees spending for the sheriff’s department, corrections, building and grounds, emergency communications, and the county’s Emergency Management Agency.

cutting 17 full-time and eight part-time positions. We may have to take patrol officers and put them in corrections. It’s not safe for the public, and it’s not safe for the officers.”

cuts, combined with $700,000 to be taken from the county reserves, mean the 2010 budget will balance without raising real estate taxes, County Administrator Meggon McKinley said.

“The committee worked hard to see that taxes did not increase,” she said.

The reserve fund had $4.5 million when the 2008 fiscal year ended Nov. 30. Dwindling revenues cut the fund to $1.5 million by June 30, before real estate taxes were paid.

Nonunion and some union employees agreed to the wage freezes. Members of the Fraternal Order of Police, who fall under the sheriff’s umbrella, did not. Departments in which employees agreed to the wage freezes will be protected from the layoffs.  FOP members have said they are willing to discuss the issue further, Beitel said.

We’ve got four patrol officers on duty now to cover more than 700 square miles and sometimes that’s not enough. The cuts will leave us with three and maybe only two on duty,”

saukvalley.com | Ogle sheriff faces layoffs

Ill. unemployment hits 11 percent: Associated Press Business

 

11 percent between September and October, bringing the rate to its highest mark since August 1983.

Click on the following for more details:  Ill. unemployment hits 11 percent: Associated Press Business News - MSN Money

Blog Count for the last 30 days: 861 visits; 462 separate visitors ------Blog count since 9-25-2009: 1226 visits; 573 separate visitors

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State Police release October statistics

district 16 troopers issued a total of 533 citations and 617 written warnings. Troopers also assisted 115 stranded motorists

Click on the following for more statistics:  The Belvidere Daily Republican. - State Police release October statistics

South Elgin retires K-9, may not replace

It costs quite a bit to get it started and get it going," as well as allowing the officer/handler an hour off each shift to cool the dog down, the chief said. "We are looking at it to see if it is worth it to the people of South Elgin to keep a program up that may not be cost-effective."

Click on the following for more details:  South Elgin retires K-9, may not replace it :: The Courier News :: Local News

Lisle latest town to ban video gambling

Lisle is a village of approximately 25,000 in DuPage County. 

village board didn't feel the tax revenue potential from video gaming machines in any way outweighed our concerns about the social consequences and adverse effects on quality of life gambling can have on a community," Mayor Joseph Broda said in a written statement.

Other DuPage County communities that have banned gambling include Addison, Bloomingdale, Glen Ellyn, Naperville, West Chicago, Wheaton, Winfield and Villa Park.

those that allow video gambling will receive 5 percent of each machine's profit

Click on the following for more details:  Daily Herald | Lisle latest town to ban video gambling

Gitmo divides Manzullo, Gaulrapp

 Mayor George GaulrappGaulrapp [Democratic candidate for Congress] supports the move, noting that 340 international and domestic terrorists already are held in federal prisons in the U.S. Among them are those convicted in the first World Trade Center bombing, such as Ramzi Yousef, and Robert Reid, the shoe bomber.

Given the history of the federal prison system’s safe handling of such prisoners, Gaulrapp said, the rewards of job creation and economic growth outweigh any potential risks.

Click on the following for more details:  Northwest Herald | Gitmo divides Manzullo, Gaulrapp

Schaumburg businesses cautious to react to tax

The village currently has no municipal real estate tax. 

theirs will be the lowest municipal property tax around apart from Elk Grove Village's and insist Schaumburg's investment in business infrastructure remains second to none.

Though it's adding another layer of taxes to what property owners already pay, Schaumburg's portion will end up as only about 8 percent of the total paid to all taxing bodies, village Finance Director Doug Ellsworth said.

recommendation for a property tax that would bring in $23.7 million next year, helping fill an existing $17.6 million hole in the budget caused by dwindling sales taxes and other consumer-based fees.


Potential tax bill increase

Woodfield Shopping Center
$1.4 million

Schaumburg Corporate Center, 1501 Woodfield Road
$460,000

Zurich North American building, 1400 American Lane
$435,000

Woodfield Preserve Office, 10/20 Martingale Road
$373,000r

Motorola, Algonquin and Meacham roads
$356,000

Streets of Woodfield
$325,000

Hyatt Regency Woodfield, 1800 E. Golf Road
$160,000

IKEA, 1800 E. McConnor Pkwy.
$159,000

Click on the following for more details:  Daily Herald | Schaumburg businesses cautious to react to tax

FACT CHECK: Guantanamo detainees and U.S. prisons

Check out the arguments and the facts:

FACTS: Convicted terrorists already are held in U.S. prisons. Federal Bureau of Prisons director Harley Lappin said more than 340 international and domestic terrorists currently are incarcerated.

FACTS: Detainees would be overseen by the military and would not mingle with other federal inmates, said Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman Felicia Ponce

FACTS: The Department of Defense does not allow detainees to have visitors. Phil Carter, deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee policy, said detainees' only visitors at Guantanamo Bay are attorneys, the Red Cross and diplomatic and law enforcement personnel.

FACTS:the bureau of prisons would employ about 800 to 900 people, including 250 to 300 people moved in from other facilities to quickly get the prison up and running. Carter said the defense department would have as many as 1,500 military, civilian and contractor personnel there. The majority would be military.

FACT CHECK: Guantanamo detainees and U.S. prisons | Daily Chronicle

Dekalb County budget approved

nearly $74 million Fiscal Year 2010 budget, which is a slight increase over the 2009 budget and doesn’t cut services or employees. It also has no tax increases, and property taxes are not expected to go up for the average homeowner.

The transfer of $1.64 million will clear out a fund that had been set up to save for a new jail.
The jail and courthouse expansions are now being paid for by selling bonds rather than saving a little at a time, the county board decided last month. However, the transferred amount will be restricted to building purposes within the general fund.

Click on the following for more details:  County budget approved | Daily Chronicle

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