- Smith declined to comment on Harlan’s statements.
Above is from: http://www.galesburg.com/news/20160907/sources-bustos-possible-contender-for-governor
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Walker follows Koch brothers’ agenda
Your Views: Walker follows Koch brothers’ agenda
letter to the editor
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
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Gov. Scott Walker has certainly done his part to advance the Koch brothers call for lower corporate taxes, less corporate regulation, restrictive management of elections, less oversight of industry (particularly in environmental areas) and more support for private education at the expense of public education.
The Manufacturers and Agriculture Tax Bill and the Enterprise Zone tax credit have cut $1 billion in taxes for “big” businesses in Wisconsin. This has been a budget disaster necessitating borrowing because of lost revenue!
Public school spending has been cut by the largest amount in state history while private school tuition was given a healthy tax break. Walker followed the Koch’s directive to attack UW faculty and kneecap the public university system with funding cuts and tuition freezes.
The environment came under attack with the passage of a mining bill that swept away environmental protections and authorized harm to wetlands and precious ecological sites. Regulations were relaxed on phosphorous discharge, shoreline zoning, landfills and high capacity wells.
Campaign finance laws were diminished while restrictions on voting were enhanced. Secret redistricting was completed out of the public’s eye and the election and ethics watchdog agency, GAB, was abolished.
Walker has proven his willingness to make Wisconsin a Koch subsidiary and in the process help two unelected billionaires in their effort to control the U.S. government and ignore the well-being of 300 million Americans.
JERRY HANSON
Elkhorn, WI
Above is from: http://www.gazettextra.com/20160907/your_views_walker_follows_koch_brothers8217_agenda
Powell email advising Clinton on personal email released
Former secretary of State Colin Powell advised his successor, Hillary Clinton, on how to circumvent federal records requirements in a newly released email exchange about how best to handle communications over digital devices.
The email, dated two days after Clinton was sworn into office in 2009, was released by Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. Cummings also included documentation showing that, during his tenure, Powell had sent classified emails over his private AOL account - but as of July, had still not responded to a request to contact his service provider to retrieve them.
"I had an ancient version of a PDA and used it," Powell said in the exchange with Clinton. "If it is public that you have a Blackberry," he said, "it may become an official record and subject to the law."
"Be very careful," warned Powell. "I got around it all by not saying much and not using systems that captured the data," he said.
The exchange shows that Powell gave Clinton “a detailed blueprint on how to skirt security rules and bypass requirements to preserve federal records, although Secretary Clinton has made clear that she did not rely on this advice," said Cummings. It "also illustrates the longstanding problem that no secretary of State ever used an official unclassified email account until the current secretary of State," said Cummings.
Republicans are pressing for additional investigations into Clinton's use of a private email server after FBI director James Comey declined to press criminal charges, even as he concluded that Clinton was "extremely careless" in her use of a private server. The email corroborates what Clinton told the FBI about Powell's advice to her, according to transcripts of her interview released last week.
In both 2014 and 2015, the State Department asked Powell to provide all of his records that were not in the agency’s record-keeping system. In March of 2015, Powell said during an appearance on ABC’s This Week that he no longer had emails from his personal account: “I do not have thousands of pages somewhere in my personal files," he said.
As of July, Powell still had not responded to a request to contact AOL. The Powell emails containing classified information had been identified by the agency's inspector general in February.
"The Republican obsession with Secretary Clinton has reached a fever pitch, and they have been using taxpayer resources to single her out in a desperate and abusive attempt to hurt her presidential campaign," said Cummings.
"If Republicans were truly concerned with transparency, strengthening FOIA, and preserving federal records, they would be attempting to recover Secretary Powell’s emails from AOL, but they have taken no steps to do so despite the fact that this period — including the run-up to the Iraq War — was critical to our nation’s history," said Cummings.
The release also shows the nature of Clinton's original solicitation for advice, dated Jan. 23 of 2009: "What were the restrictions on your use of your blackberry? Did you use it in your personal office? I've been told that the DSS personnel knew you had one and used it but no one fesses up to knowing how you used it! President Obama has struck a blow for berry addicts like us."
Powell has disputed the suggestion that he played a role in Clinton's decision to use a private system. “The truth is she was using it (her personal email) for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did," Powell told the New York Post in August. "Her people have been trying to pin it on me," he said.
Above is from: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/powell-email-advising-clinton-on-personal-email-released/ar-AAiCTsx?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Belvidere alderman proposing new city police station
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By Susan Vela
Staff writer 
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The Belvidere-Boone County Public Safety Building on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, in Belvidere. MAX GERSH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/RRSTAR.COM
By Susan Vela
Staff writerPosted Sep. 4, 2016 at 12:00 PM
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The Belvidere-Boone County Public Safety Building on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, in Belvidere. MAX GERSH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/RRSTAR.COM
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By Susan Vela
Staff writerPosted Sep. 4, 2016 at 12:00 PM
BELVIDERE — Alderman George Crawford’s proposal for the city to build its own police station separate from the Boone County Public Safety Building could get snuffed quickly.
For several weeks, health problems have prevented the 4th Ward alderman from making formal presentations to the Committee of the Whole about the benefits of the department and its 43 officers having their own home.
Also, some elected officials, including Boone County Sheriff Dave Ernest, are promising firm opposition.
“I’m very surprised and somewhat confused,” Ernest said. “Working together (and) being a partner only makes sense. These days, the regional approach is much more preferred. Ultimately, all our resources are being cut. It’s nice to be able to share those.
“We have to live within our means.”
The county spends about $1.5 million a year, with roughly half of the dollars coming from city coffers, for maintenance, operation and staffing required for the 41-year-old Public Safety Building, 615 N. Main St.
It houses the Belvidere Police Department, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Boone County Coroner’s Office and a dispatch center that serves both the city and county.
Crawford said he’d rather the city have its independence, especially as it pertains to the dispatch center.
“It would be better with our own police station," Crawford said. "I’m not saying totally break away from the county. We could pay them to use 911."
Crawford’s proposal is preliminary. He hasn’t chosen a location. There are no designs. He’s not sure how much it would cost.
Even if the city moves into the planning stages, Budget and Finance Officer Becky Tobin said the city can't afford to build.
“We would not have the means," she said. "We would have to sell bonds in order to fund something like that.”
Crawford has at least one supporter on City Council.
“I thought it would be a good idea,” said Ald. John Sanders, 5th Ward, declining further comment.
Others prefer a more cautionary approach.
“I want to see his information first,” Ald. Clayton Stevens, 1st Ward, said.
Boone County and Belvidere have severed other government partnerships. Boone County Board members voted 8-4 in February to give the city a 90-day notice to pull out from a decades-long agreement to jointly plan for economic development and other planning and zoning matters.
Belvidere Police Chief Jan Noble said he’d prefer the Boone County Public Safety Building expand than the city build a police station.
Now, the police agency’s patrol division and community policing coordinator are downstairs. The administrative, investigative and support staff portions are upstairs. Half of the sheriff's 119-employee staff work out of the courthouse basement.
“We have a very fragmented control of our employees,” Noble said. “We believe it could stand greater improvement. We just need more room.”
But in 2008, voters twice rejected tax increases to support a Public Safety Building expansion.
Boone County Administrator Ken Terrinoni said he’ll take a wait-and-see approach.
“It would be premature to comment,” he said. “We really need to visit with Belvidere officials and see what their goal is by proposing this.”
Susan Vela: 815-987-1392; svela@rrstar.com; @susanvela
Above is from: http://www.rrstar.com/news/20160904/belvidere-alderman-proposing-new-city-police-station
RRStar: Agenda items at Belvidere & Boone County Governments
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By Staff Reports
Rockford Register StarPosted Sep. 5, 2016 at 6:00 AM
In an effort to shed more light on what local government boards are up to each week, the Register Star will publish a brief look at key items up for consideration by elected bodies.
Belvidere City Council: Aldermen will convene at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Council Chambers, 401 Whitney Blvd., to discuss an ordinance establishing the city clerk’s salary as $66,356 in 2017, $67,020 effective May 1, 2018, $67,690 effective May 1, 2019, and $68,367 effective May 1, 2020.
Boone County Board: The Planning, Zoning and Building Committee will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 1212 Logan Ave. to discuss the Angelic Organics Association of Caledonia requesting a special-use permit to operate a learning center.
Election/Retention of Illinois Supreme Court Justices
Just Under Half of U.S. States Elect their Supreme Court Justices
Different Procedures for Selection, Retention, and Terms
The Illinois Supreme Court is the last stop for many of the state's most controversial issues. From pension payments to redistricting reform, the Court's influence is undeniable. In order to better understand the makeup of this important part of the Illinois judicial system, ICPR's research team looked into how U.S. states select and retain their Supreme Court Justices, and how long they are asked to serve.
Selection
The Illinois Supreme Court is made up of seven Justices who are elected from five districts in the state. By law, three of the Justices are always elected from the Cook County District. The other four Justices come from four districts outside of Cook County. Additionally, Illinois is one of 22 states to select their Justices in elections, but one of only of four states to do so with district-based rather than statewide elections. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kentucky also use district-based elections.
District-based elections date back to the 1848 Illinois Constitution. By 1870, amendments to the Constitution increased the size of the Illinois Supreme Court from three to seven Justices. In 1964, under the administration of Governor Otto Kerner Jr., the makeup, retention, and terms of the Illinois Supreme Court were significantly changed and approved by Illinois voters. The term length of Justices increased from 9 to 10 years, and retention elections were introduced. The same provision reduced the number of judicial districts from seven to five, but added a clause requiring three of the seven Justices to be elected from from Cook County. Mandating a single District to have a set proportion of the Court's members is not a practice used by any other states.
Supreme Court Selection Processes in U.S. States
Compiled by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
28 states use appointments to select Justices. Usually, the appointment decision is left to the Governor, but Virginia and South Carolina grant that power to state legislators instead. All states that rely on appointments also use a nominating commission before and/or a confirmation vote afterwards. Nominating commissions vary widely across states. Some are made up of existing state agencies, while others have specific membership requirements. The confirmation vote usually occurs in the State Senate, but some states, like Connecticut, require confirmations in both chambers.
Retention
Members of the Illinois Supreme Court can only keep their positions by winning retention elections. Retention elections are yes/no referendums on the justice’s performance. An incumbent Justice simply requires a yes-vote majority to stay in power. Retention elections, unlike Illinois’ unique selection process, are common. 20 states use some form of retention election.
Supreme Court Retention Processes in U.S. States
Compiled by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
As an example, most retention elections occur in states where Justices were appointed to the Court. Certain states send Justices back to the Governor, commission, or General Assembly for reassessment at the end of their term. New Hampshire and Massachusetts do not reassess their judicial selections, as their Justices are permitted to serve until the mandatory retirement age of 70. Rhode Island is the only state that grants their Justices a genuine life term.
Terms
The term length for Justices in Illinois is 10 years, which is fairly common. Nearly half the country uses term lengths of 8 or 10 years. All states have term limits between 6 and 14 years, except for the three aforementioned New England states and New Jersey. New Jersey is an outlier when it comes to term lengths. After being appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, Justices are given a provisionary term of 7 years. Upon reappointment by the governor and reconfirmation by the senate, Justices are granted a second term lasting until the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Supreme Court Term Lengths in U.S. States
Compiled by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
How Illinois Compares
Overall, Illinois' selection and retention procedures for Supreme Court Justices are unlike most other states in two key ways. First, Illinois elects Supreme Court Justices in District Elections rather than Statewide Elections. This is only done by three other states in the nation. Furthermore, Illinois requires that three of its seven Justices come from Cook County, a specific designation based on geography. This is not a practice used by any other state. Secondly, Illinois uses retention elections rather than competitive elections to retain its Justices. Most other states that require competitive elections to select Justices also require competitive elections to retain them. Taking these two issues into consideration, the question remains as to whether or not these procedures may have an impact on major and controversial decisions facing Illinois.
We would like to hear from you! Do you think the current Illinois Supreme Court selection and retention procedures are the best for our state? Send your comments to outreach@ilcampaign.org or reply to this email.
Contact: Sarah Brune at 312-436-1274 or sarah@ilcampaign.org
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