Wednesday, January 26, 2011

FactChecking Obama’s Address | FactCheck.org

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Summary

We found no outright false factual claims in Obama’s State of the Union address, but we did note some that were arguable, and some promises that may prove unrealistic.

  • He called his Race to the Top initiative “the most meaningful reform of our public schools in a generation.” That’s debatable. Some independent experts say Bush’s No Child Left Behind program had a greater impact.
  • The president set a goal of generating 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from “clean” sources by 2035. That’s ambitious. The first large-scale “clean coal” plant has yet to begin operation. And Obama counts nuclear energy as a “clean” source, despite the unresolved waste issue.
  • He set a goal of giving 80 percent of the U.S. population access to high-speed rail in the next 25 years. But the U.S. only has one high-speed rail line in operation now.
  • He said his new health care law will slow rising health care costs. But the office of Medicare’s chief actuary estimates the law won’t have much impact on costs, and there will be a slight rise in total spending as more people gain coverage under the law.
  • He said “exports are up” since he set a goal of doubling them in five years, which is true. But the rise so far falls short of the pace required to meet his goal.

On other factual matters we found the president’s statements to be accurate, or reasonably so. He said the U.S. subjects businesses to “one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world,” which is borne out by the Word Bank and other studies. He said U.S. engineers gave the nation’s infrastructure a grade of “D,” which is true. That rating was issued by the American Society of Civil Engineers. And he said U.S. workers are unexcelled in productivity, which is true according to one ranking and nearly true by other measures.

Click on the following for more details:  FactChecking Obama’s Address | FactCheck.org

A Short History of MIG/DEWANE Landfill: Where are We?

The following history of the site as an EPA site is taken from the internet:  http://www.epa.gov/region5superfund/npl/illinois/ILD980497788.htm

The yellow highlighting has been provided for your convenience. 

CURRENT STATUS:  See page 3—Based upon a consent decree in January 2006 gas wells and groundwater monitoring has been completed.  In late 2010 additional ground water monitoring is scheduled.

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

MIG EPA 1

MIG 2

MIG 3

MIG 4

MIG/DEWANE Landfill Concerns

The following information is available form the US EPA at:  http://cfpub.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.contams&id=0500551

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

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Remember:  MIG stands for “Money in Garbage”

Zoning Board approves Kelley Road Farms request - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

 

A major source of contention is a 60-plus-foot-wide driveway Tortorici and Nelson share with neighbor Steve Sextonson, his wife and other easement holders.

The unincorporated Caledonia Township couple want to use their homegrown vegetables and other ingredients to create sauces and other recipes in their FDA-approved kitchen to sell items online, in small boutique retail outlets and at their private dinners at 722 Kelly Road to be attended by no more than 30 guests.

a result of concerns building in recent weeks, the Belvidere-Boone County Planning staff added restrictions into the special use which would restrict the couple to hosting two parties a week, between the hours of 7 and 11 p.m. and with low lighting, if any, for a guest parking area. There are a total of 15 restrictions, including an operating season for the onsite dinners.

Click on the following for more details:   Zoning Board approves Kelley Road Farms request - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

The following additional information regarding Kelley Farms was taken website of  Angelic Organics  :http://www.learngrowconnect.org/taxonomy/term/50

Kelley Road Farms

Website:

http://www.kelleyroadfarms.com

Contact Name:

Preferred name: Tom Tortorici

Contact Phone:

773-262-0783

Best Time To Call:

773 262-0783

Contact Email:

tom@t2designinc.com

At Kelley Road Farms, we are looking to produce a quality, higher-end, gourmet food product line for distribution in retail outlets and restaurants wanting to carry or use a locally-grown and produced product. The key signature ingredients to our products will be grown ourselves. We also hope to partner with other growers to provide specific ingredients, ie. herbs, root vegetables, etc. We will do this all in a bio-dynamic way without the use of chemicals or pesticides. Every attempt will be made to ensure that our practices are as sustainable as possible.

Training & Employment Opportunities:

1st year trainee opportunity

Address:

722 Kelley Road
Caledonia, Illinois 61011 United States

Informal Day Visits:

Yes

Additional Information Regarding Day Visits:

Will need advanced notification to make sure someone is there & dogs are stowed.

Directions:

722 Kelley Road, Caledonia IL between Beloit and Caledonia Roads

Sen. Brad Burzynski to retire - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Burzynski, 55, gave no particular reason for his retirement except that “it’s time and I want to move on to other things in my life.”

Burzynski recommended longtime DeKalb County Treasurer Christine J. Johnson as someone he would like to replace him, but Burzynski has no say in that decision.

Click on the following for more details:  Sen. Brad Burzynski to retire - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Galesburg Clinic Pharmacy might close - Galesburg, IL - The Register-Mail

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OSF spokesman Jon McKee said the health care group had offered to compensate Hy-Vee for the loss of revenue if the pharmacy stopped selling oral contraceptives.
McKee said Hy-Vee’s corporate office had not responded to attempts to negotiate a new agreement that would keep the pharmacy open.
The real issue is that Hy-Vee needs to step up for community and let us know what their preferences are,” he said. “We would love to keep the pharmacy open.”
A letter of termination was sent to Hy-Vee last November but McKee said the supermarket chain has not responded.
The pharmacy has been open for 36 years. It’s not clear if jobs would be lost as a result of the pharmacy closing. Hy-Vee may offer to relocate staff.

Click on the following for more details:  Galesburg Clinic Pharmacy might close - Galesburg, IL - The Register-Mail

OSF pharmacy in Galesburg closing because of religious beliefs

GALESBURG — A Galesburg clinic will soon lose its pharmacy in a dispute over the sale of contraceptives.
A health care group owned by the Sisters of The Third Order of St. Francis, or OSF, took over the Galesburg Clinic last fall. OSF follows Catholic teachings and won't allow the sale of contraceptives.
The pharmacy is run by the Hy-Vee grocery chain. Employees say they've been told the business will close March 4.

Click on the following for more detailsOSF pharmacy closing over birth control dispute - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Egypt's protests, told by #Jan25 - Monitor.com

The scope of the protests is "unprecedented," says former Monitor Cairo correspondent Dan Murphy. The success of Tunisia’s protests made the difference, indicating to Egyptians that maybe their protests could have some results this time around.

The Egyptian government appears to have shut down Twitter, though Egyptians still accessed the site using proxies or simply by calling friends outside the country and having them tweet for them.

Videos posted on Youtube and similar sites showed protesters tearing down the many posters of President Mubarak throughout Cairo and the rest of the country.

Searching "protests in Egypt" turned up more than 1,000 photos on Flickr. Dozens of videos were uploaded to Youtube. Facebook remained unblocked while Twitter became more limited, and events, pages and groups filled with a steady stream of updates.

Click on the following for more details; it appears that CS Monitor is constantly updating here and on related sites:  Egypt's protests, told by #Jan25 - CSMonitor.com

Franks plans to bring back sales tax holiday

State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, issued the following news release about a bill he filed in Springfield:

Motivated by the need to help Illinois families make ends meet during these harsh economic times, State Rep. Jack D. Franks (D-Woodstock) introduced legislation Monday that will implement an annual sales tax holiday on back-to-school items.

House Bill 258 is an extension of Illinois’ 2010 sales tax holiday trial, which Franks helped pass. The measure would implement a 10-day sales tax holiday in Illinois on clothing and school supplies each year. The holiday does not make merchandise tax-free, but does significantly reduce the sales tax rate to just 1.25% throughout the state.

Click on the following for more details:  Northwest Herald | The Bulletin Board

McHenry County Referendum could let residents elect County Board chairman

 

… staff Monday to prepare a resolution for a binding referendum on the 2012 ballot. If put before the voters and approved, the chairman would be chosen by the voters rather than the 24-member board.

State law allows counties with fewer than 450,000 people to either elect the chairman as a County Board member or elect the chairman without having been first elected to the board. A chairman elected independent of the board has a four-year term under state law, while a chairman who is also a board member is elected to a two-year term.

If the referendum is put forward and approved, it would not mean that the County Board would attain home rule status, as is allowed under the Illinois Constitution. In order to become a home rule county, which would give county government expanded taxing and regulating power, voters would have to expressly approve it and approve electing a full-time county executive.

Cook County is the only Illinois county with home rule status – Will County has an executive form of government, but without home rule power.

Click on the following for more details:  Northwest Herald | Referendum could let residents elect County Board chairman

Belvidere Schools Hosts Mobile Food Pantry

 

This one-day only event will take place on Thursday, January 27 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Boone County Center.

There will be no charge to recipients and no ID is required. Individuals are asked to bring bags, laundry baskets, or boxes to carry their food.

Food will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

There will be no charge to recipients and no ID is required. Individuals are asked to bring bags, laundry baskets, or boxes to carry their food.

Food will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

Click on the following for more details:  Belvidere Schools Hosts Mobile Food Pantry

Boone County to conduct count of area homeless - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

 

anyone living in emergency shelters, transitional housing or places not meant for habitation is considered homeless.
If you know someone who is homeless, contact one of these Belvidere agencies from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in order to fill out a survey: Belvidere Police Department, 615 N. Main, 815-544-9626; RAMP, 530 S. State, Suite 103, 815-544-8404; Janet Wattles Center, 475 Southtowne Drive, 815-544-4849; or United Way, inside the YMCA, 220 W. Locust, 815-544-3144.

For more information on the PIT count or the Boone County Homeless Project, contact Danice Loveridge at 815-509-9445 or office.bchp@gmail.com

Click on the following for more details:  Boone County to conduct count of area homeless - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star