17,000 new jobs for a grand total of over 4,000 per million residents, putting the Puerto Rico third behind Washington and Montana in jobs created by the federal stimulus bill, according to a Monitor analysis of new stimulus figures released by the White House.
In Puerto Rico, school bathroom repairs, road rebuilding, and public housing renovation are among the key job-drivers.
Big winner on economic stimulus and jobs is … Puerto Rico? | csmonitor.com
if someone arrested refuses to take the breathalyzer test, attorneys are on hand to immediately go to a judge on call to ask him or her to sign a warrant. If the judge signs the warrant, that means the court is ordering the defendant to give a blood sample.
If the defendant continues to refuse, the court can follow with contempt sanctions and charge the defendant with felony obstructing justice.
Click on the following for more details: No-refusal weekend in Kane County :: Beacon News :: Local Newsless than 10 percent of those students who reported illness on Oct. 19 and 20 actually had flu-like symptoms.
absenteeism "likely was due to a combination of several different causes of illness in conjunction with non-illness-related absences."
8 percent of students reported flu-like symptoms; about 20 percent reported respiratory illness that was not flu-like; about 22 percent reported gastrointestinal illness; about 50 percent reported a variety of symptoms.
Health Department: No flu outbreak in SC :: Beacon News :: Local News
Oak Park-based FBOP Corp., Chicago’s third-largest locally headquartered bank holding company, was seized Friday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
when the federal government seized mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the height of the financial panic, wiping out more than $800 million in Fannie and Freddie preferred stock held by FBOP. That put the $18.6-billion-asset bank holding company, owned solely by CEO Michael Kelly, into a capital hole it couldn’t fill.
Click on the following for more details: FBOP fails, U.S. Bancorp the buyer | Crain's Chicago Business
The $2.5 billion received in Illinois was second only to California's $8.1 billion, according to the figures
Of the 24,448 jobs created or retained in Illinois from the historic spending package, the state reported that 14,330 jobs were in the education sector.
Click on the following for more details: Stimulus gave state 16,000 school, highway jobs -- chicagotribune.com
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The Saudi authorities, fearing that the hajj [pilgrimage to Mecca] could turn their holy city into a petri dish for viral mutations and a hub for spreading a new pandemic wave around the world, are working hard to head that off. They have asked some worshipers, including pregnant women and the elderly, not to make the trip, which is scheduled for the last week of November
pilgrims are advised to wash their hands frequently and bring their own surgical masks and hand sanitizers
Click on the following for more of the details: Saudis Try to Head Off Swine Flu Fears Before Hajj - NYTimes.com
The writer, a former chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is chairman of the China-U.S. Exchange Foundation, a nongovernmental organization dedicated to fostering dialogue and openness.
1949--The average life expectancy was 35 years. Infant mortality reached a high of 20 percent. The overall illiteracy rate was 80 percent. There was little organized education, no health care and no means of social security. The national treasury was empty, the economy bankrupt. There was no industry to speak of and little basic infrastructure.
2009-China's economy has become the world's third-largest. Life expectancy has reached 73 years; infant mortality is down to 1.5 percent. The illiteracy rate has fallen to 5 percent. A nine-year education has become available to all children. Health care and social security are improving. Modern industries are being developed. Roads, railways, airports and ports blanket the country. In the areas of democracy, the rule of law and human rights -- including the rights of 55 minorities -- China has made enormous progress. At no other point in history has so much improvement been made for so many people in such a short period.
THEY INCLUDED:
labor leaders, senators, lobbyists, business executives and liberal activists as he sought to revive the faltering economy, plan health-care reform, confirm a Supreme Court nominee and pass a huge stimulus package.
White House releases six-month log of visitors - washingtonpost.com
Rights activists in the northern Mexican border city of Tijuana have hung 5,100 small white crosses on the fence straddling the U.S. frontier to commemorate migrants who have died trying to cross.
The protest coincides with preparations for Mexico's Nov. 1 Day of the Dead holiday. The crosses represent the number of migrants estimated to have died in the 15 years since the United States toughened border security.
Click on the following for more details: 5,100 crosses at Mexico border mark migrant deaths - SignOnSanDiego.com
cholesterol-lowering statin drugs like Lipitor and Zocor.
people who were taking these drugs when they caught seasonal flu and had to be hospitalized were twice as likely to survive than those who were not on such medicines.
There might be justification for trying these drugs now in certain patients not doing well on any other treatment, said Dr. Ronald Turner of the University of Virginia, a prominent virologist who had no role in the new study.
Daily Herald | Study: Cholesterol drugs may improve flu survival
subcommittee recommend to the County Board that bars and other liquor establishments in unincorporated parts of the county be allowed to install video gambling machines.
Click on the following for more details: Kane Co. takes step toward video gaming :: Beacon News :: Local News
This was just reported by Cal Skinner in Crystal Lake.
the question of whether an advisory referendum will be put on the February 2nd primary election ballot will be voted upon November 3rd.
Click on the following for more details: McHenry County Blog |
The two page letter intended for the information and use of management was obtained under the Freedom Of Information Act after county officials had made oral reference to the document. The letter does not affect the CPA report dated July 14, 2009 which is available at the county’s website: http://www.boonecountyil.org/
Click on the right hand tab, “Annual Audits”, then click under Audits “Fiscal Year 2008”.
In the management letter the auditor is seeking to “strengthening internal controls and operating efficiency” through five request or suggestions. Please read them for yourself.
Item #5 is quite unbelievable—the Treasurer’s tax Collector account has over $1,000,000 which the Collector should determine “who this money belongs to, whether it is the County, other taxing bodies, or the state as unclaimed property.”
Click on the photocopy to enlarge:
approved a campaign finance reform bill backed by Democrats
lawmakers blocked approval of ending free transit rides for seniors, strengthening regulations of cemeteries and expanding options for video poker machine operators.
Lawmakers wrap up, go home until January - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register
Mundelein, Gurnee Round Lake Beach, Waukegan and North Chicago - were capped by 11:15 a.m. today.
That means the 4,143 vaccine doses that had been expected to last through Sunday already have been allocated. Clinic hours scheduled for Saturday and Sunday have been canceled.
Click on the following: Daily Herald | Lake County H1N1 sites out of vaccine again
land-based casino could be a partial solution to Chicago’s financial crisis, but only if it’s government-owned because City Hall has to “deal with all the repercussions of gambling,” Mayor Daley said.
Click on the following for the full story: Daley: Casino in Chicago should be government-owned :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: City Hall
But lawmakers said today it would be wrong to take away a benefit from the elderly. They also said the CTA can't be trusted to provide honest figures about its budget problems.
A spokeswoman says Senate president John Cullerton has concluded he lacks the votes to cut back the free rides
Click on the following: Effort stalls to end seniors' free rides :: The SouthtownStar :: News
AN ACCIDENTAL DISCLOSURE
Document was found on file-sharing network
The 22-page "Committee on Standards Weekly Summary Report" gives brief summaries of ethics panel investigations of the conduct of 19 lawmakers and a few staff members. It also outlines the work of the new Office of Congressional Ethics, a quasi-independent body that initiates investigations and provides recommendations to the ethics committee. The document indicated that the office was reviewing the activities of 14 other lawmakers. ….
The investigations by two separate ethics offices include an examination of the chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee on defense, John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), as well as others who helped steer federal funds to clients of the PMA Group. The lawmakers received campaign contributions from the firm and its clients. A document obtained by The Washington Post shows that the subcommittee members under scrutiny also include Peter J. Visclosky (D-Ind.), James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.), Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) , C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.) and Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.).
The document also indicates that the House ethics committee's staff recently interviewed the staff of Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) about his allegation that a PMA lobbyist threatened him in 2007 when he resisted steering federal funds to a PMA client. The lobbyist told a Nunes staffer that if the lawmaker didn't help, the defense contractor would move out of Nunes's district and take dozens of jobs with him.
Together, … seven legislators have personally steered more than $200 million in earmarks to clients of the PMA Group in the past two years, and received more than $6.2 million in campaign contributions from PMA and its clients in the past decade, according to an analysis by Congressional Quarterly and Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Washington, Oct 29 -
The U.S. House today approved another $280,000 in federal funds to help McHenry County officials ensure abundant and safe drinking water for residents for generations to come.
The funding, secured by Congressman Don Manzullo, is included in the FY 2010 Interior-Environment conference report, which the House passed today. The bill also includes a Continuing Resolution to keep the federal government operating through Dec. 18. As a result, the bill must be passed by the Senate and signed into law by midnight Saturday when the prior continuing resolution expires.
Manzullo previously secured $295,000 in federal funds for the McHenry County Groundwater Protection program two years ago. That funding helped pay for the installation of observation wells and equipment to monitor groundwater supplies and quality throughout the county. The new funds will be used to develop a 3-D hydro-geologic modeling project and a groundwater flow modeling project to provide a much more exact measurement of the county’s groundwater resources.
“The preservation of abundant, safe groundwater supplies is especially vital for McHenry County because – unlike the other collar counties of Chicago -- it does not have access to Lake Michigan water and relies solely on aquifers for drinking water,” Manzullo said. “I congratulate county and community leaders for coming together three years ago and creating the McHenry County Groundwater Protection Task Force, and recognizing groundwater preservation is key to McHenry County’s superior quality of life. That’s why I requested and secured these funds that are vital to McHenry County’s future.”
River Reach subdivision over whether golf carts, which have become a common mode of transportation, should be legalized.
residents driving the carts outside of a golf course setting are breaking Illinois Vehicle Code on roads that weren’t built or set up with speed limits catered toward carts.
Neighbors upset over golf carts - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
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Marengo resident Maddie Morse, 5, waited patiently for more than 90 minutes today to receive her H1N1 flu vaccination at the Boone County Health Department clinic.
See Comments section: emmazmom: ….
Why are people from McHenry County getting free flu shots in Boone County? Boone County tax dollars hard at work. Can't they go to their own County Health Department
Click on the following for more details: Crowds await H1N1 vaccine at Boone clinic - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
Republican Bill Brady [Rep. Candidate for Governor] is proposing a law requiring the state to disclose all the bills it receives from businesses and contractors. The information would be posted online, and the state would be required to pay the bills in the order they’re received
Click on the following for the rest of the story: Brady seeks more disclosure of Illinois debts - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
begin the process of moving forward with layoffs for six city personnel - three in the police department, two in the fire department, and one street department employee. The motion will move forward to a final vote at next week’s council meeting.
Click on the following for the details: The Belvidere Daily Republican. - City council moves forward with proposed lay-offs
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SPRINGFIELD - -- Lawmakers are thinking about scaling back free bus and train rides for all but the poorest seniors to help cash-strapped transit agencies, a move that carries the risk of alienating a large group of voters with little more than three months until the primary election.
those 65 and older still wouldn't have to pay full fares -- half-price rides are a federal requirement.
Click on the following for more details: Lawmakers reconsider free rides for seniors -- chicagotribune.com
Aon Corp., the world's largest insurance broker, is offering to cover companies against the risk of their offices being shut by the swine flu pandemic.
Since April, more insurers have excluded cover for pandemic building closure and now very few inclusive policies exist, according to Aon.
Click on the following for more of the story: Aon to offer coverage against H1N1 flu | Crain's Chicago Business
Within 21 days of a foreclosure being completed, the new owner, most often the lender to the previous owner, must make a good faith effort to identify residents of the property; notify residents that they have acquired the property; inform residents that the property has been the subject of foreclosure; and provide contact information for resident concerns and repair requests.
Tenants will have a minimum of 30 days to move after the eviction hearing if the tenant is evicted under the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law.
Nationally, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, renters make up about 40% of the families facing the loss of their housing due to foreclosure and more than one in every five foreclosed properties is a rental property
Click on the following for more details: New State Law Goes Into Effect to Protect Renters Impacted by Foreclosure
Click to enlarge the photocopies:
On September 16 the County Board sent back to committee the Sheriff’s request for a new squad car to replace one destroyed in an accident. Base upon board discussion regarding car usage and department needs, the subcommittee requested a report on current mileage of the entire fleet of Sheriff vehicles. The above records were submitted to the committee and the entire board. Based upon committee recommendation the board voted on October 21 to approve the car purchase. The vote was 11-1, Mr. Mattison voting opposed.
The above records were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and contain no material of sensitive nature. The FOIA request and the Sheriff’s response is shown below:
Several vehicles that are deleted, are cars personally used by Sheriff Wirth and his administrators. From what I understand their mileage was supplied to board members, however Lt. Gay does not believe that my FOIA request includes these cars. You can be judge of that.
President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday threw his weight behind a proposal to build a nuclear-powered space ship and give Russia an edge in the space race.
Perminov described the proposed nuclear-powered spaceship as a "unique breakthrough project," but offered few details.
ship will have a megawatt-class nuclear reactor, as opposed to small nuclear reactors that powered previous Soviet satellites
We never talk about using them for earth-to-orbit launch,…. "The way they have always talked about it in NASA missions is for use in deep space."
Click on the following for more details: Daily Herald | Russian space chief proposes a nuclear spaceship
St. Charles police are pitching a new local ordinance that will make public urination or defecation illegal in the city for the first time. Unlike many other local communities, there is no law in St. Charles that specifically addresses the phenomenon of people relieving themselves in public.
"in or on a public street, alley, sidewalk, yard, park, building, structure, plaza, public or utility right-of-way, or other public place other than a restroom, or any place in public view. Offenders caught in the act would received a citation with a $25 fine under the proposed law.
Click on the following for the reasons for the new law: Daily Herald | St. Charles looking to curb public urination
Here is an on the ground report regarding Afghanistan. Check back and see what Mr. Brenton is up to.
Afghanistan Journal: Hal Bernton has been a staff reporter for The Seattle Times since 2000. He has roamed widely around the Northwest for regional reporting and to help in the newspaper's military coverage. His oversees assignments have taken him to Russia, Algeria, Aceh Province in Indonesia and Iraq in December of 2003 and January of 2004.
Seattle Times reporter Hal Bernton, on assignment in Afghanistan, shares his observations about life in a country now in its third decade of war.
Click on the following: Afghan Journal | Seattle Times Newspaper
A 50-year-old Crystal Lake man has been the first person in McHenry County whose death has been attributed to the H1N1 flu.
had medical conditions that increased his vulnerability to the virus, according to a news release from the McHenry County Department of Health.
Northwest Herald | CL man is McHenry County's first H1N1 death
The Belvidere Police Department is looking for a man in connection to a Sunday morning sexual assault.
Police say a female victim was assaulted in the 200 block of Highline Drive in Belvidere.The suspect spoke English but had a Spanish accent, police said. He was wearing a red baseball cap with white stitching, a red hooded sweat shirt, red sweat pants and work boots.
Anyone with information on the crime can call the Belvidere Police Department at 815-544-2135 or Crime Stoppers at 815-547-7867.Click on the following for more details on the story: Belvidere police search for man involved in sexual assault - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
Without doing anything, the city would face just over $1 million in deficit this year and just over $2 million the following year
[Suggestions form the retreat]:
eliminating janitorial service for city hall. Each department head would be responsible for their area and working collectively on common areas.
lay off three police department personnel and transfer $620,000 from the utility fund to pay for other police salaries.
layoffs would be two fire department personnel, and a transfer of $380,000 from the utility fund to pay for other fire salaries.
converting two building department personnel from full-time to part-time.
[Furloughs for fire and police departments]--the IAFF and the IUOE have contracts expiring in the spring 2010, the FOP’s contract doesn’t expire until 2011 and includes a wage increase of more than 3 percent for 2010. The furlough needs to be negotiated; it cannot be forced on the personnel.
Click on the following for more of the details: The Belvidere Daily Republican. - City budget retreat presents limited revenue, difficult choices
snatched up $7,672,968 worth of delinquent taxes and attached up to 18 percent interest to the bill.
“I’d say that 99 percent of the time, people redeem their taxes and you get paid your interest. It can be a good investment if you know what you’re doing.”
Tax sales can be risky, though, and people like Beasley often spend hours researching parcels they plan to bid on before attending the sale
bid a percentage rate with a cap at 18 percent. The auction caller accepts the lowest bid to win. The property owner then has 30 months to buy back the taxes
But if 30 months pass and the property owner still hasn’t redeemed the taxes, the tax buyer lays claim to the property
Click on the following to read the complete details of how it works: Bidders snatch up delinquent taxes - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
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The following is the teaching faculty’s salary schedule:
2009-10, 2008-09 plus 4.60% 2010-11, 2009-10 plus 4.75%
Lane Minimum Maximum Lane Minimum Maximum
L7 49,071 96,377 L7 51,402 100,955
L6 47,276 92,561 L6 49,522 96,957
L5 45,483 88,393 L5 47,643 92,592
L4 43,688 84,494 L4 45,763 88,508
L3 41,892 80,596 L3 43,882 84,424
L2 40,098 76,698 L2 42,002 80,341
L1 38,303 73,009 L1 40,123 76,477
Lane Advancement
Faculty will be eligible for lane advancement on the faculty salary schedule by successfully
completing pre-approved graduate courses as follows:
1. Graduate courses in the faculty member’s teaching area.
2. Graduate courses in education such as: Community College, Educational Psychology,
Philosophy of Education, Administration of Higher Education, Guidance, Evaluation and
Testing, Educational Statistics, Instructional Technology, or Adult Education.Applications for coursework approval shall be submitted to the appropriate Dean at least thirty (30)
days prior to commencement of the graduate course. Evidence of coursework completion must be submitted to the Dean as provided in Section 7.1.2.
Faculty members shall not be advanced to a lane for which the degree has not been earned. For example, a faculty member who has not been awarded a Master’s degree shall not be advanced to the Master’s lane or beyond until the degree is awarded and the coursework completed. A faculty member who has not been awarded a Doctoral degree shall not be advanced to the doctoral lane.
The initial step placement will be rounded to the nearest whole number (with .5 rounded up to the next number) and the initial step placement will not exceed Step 6.
All current faculty members will be advanced one step for each year of service from their step placement on the 2007-2008 salary schedule for each succeeding year of the contract.
Within each lane --a year of additional experience will be rewarded by $1000 or more per year of experience.
looking at the third short-term borrowing plan in recent months to allow the state to pay its bills from November to February
spokeswoman for Comptroller Dan Hynes, said the state borrowed $1 billion in May and another $1.25 billion in August. All that borrowing and the new borrowing – topping $3 billion – is to be repaid by next summer.
State borrowing $1B more to keep running - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register
Commodities-hungry China is pulling Brazil, Chile, and others out of recession. But Mexico and Central America, dependent on US sales, are lagging.
China has overtaken the US as largest trading partner for both Chile and Brazil. Other commodities exporters, particularly those with strong ties to China, are also rebounding, including Peru and Argentina.
The Inter-American Development Bank estimates that remittances [from US] to Latin America and the Caribbean will fall by 11 percent this year.
will be confined to families whose total household income is $200,000 or less.
City officials say that roughly half of Chicago’s 400,000 homeowners will be eligible for relief. Grants will range from $25 to $200, with the amount of relief based on family income and the size of the tax hike.
A $25,000 income and a $350 tax hike would trigger a $200 grant, for example. The average check is expected to total $150, city officials said.
Daley's 2010 budget includes property tax relief :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: City Hall
Lawmakers in both parties fret that large budget deficits preclude more stimulus, lest the burden of debt outweigh the benefit of deficit spending. Both arguments are wrong.
If anything, ongoing economic problems are a sign that stimulus needs to be bolstered. Deficits are a serious issue, but the immediate need for stimulus trumps the longer-term need for deficit reduction.
The Senate could take a step in the right direction by extending unemployment benefits without further delay. That is the single most effective way to boost consumption
Next, Congress and the administration should agree on ways to ease the dire financial condition of the states
Without another round of effective stimulus, the worst recession in modern memory will likely become — at best — the weakest recovery in modern memory.
Click on the following for this editorial: Editorial - The Case for More Stimulus - NYTimes.com
New report from Tribune Watchdog Section.
Frail and vulnerable residents of nursing homes throughout Illinois are being dosed with powerful psychotropic drugs, leading to tremors, dangerous lethargy and a higher risk of harmful falls or even death, a Tribune investigation has found.
Thousands of elderly and disabled people have been affected, many of them drugged without their consent or without a legitimate psychiatric diagnosis that would justify treatment, state and federal inspection reports show.
Tribune identified 1,200 violations at Illinois nursing homes involving psychotropic medications since 2001. Those infractions affected 2,900 patients.
unprecedented review of more than 40,000 state and federal inspection reports found that nursing homes ranging from "five-star" establishments on the North Shore to run-down facilities in urban neighborhoods have been cited for improperly administering psychotropic drugs.
In 2003, an 83-year-old woman without a diagnosis of mental illness was placed on Haldol -- among the most dangerous antipsychotic drugs -- two days after being admitted to the Heartland Health Care Center in Moline
Click on the following for more details: Compromised Care: Psychotropic drugs given to nursing home patients without cause -- chicagotribune.com
She kept a fairly low profile as she worked with her book's ghostwriter.
"Going Rogue" catapulted to No. 1 on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com after HarperCollins announced in late September it had moved up the release date of 1.5 million copies from spring to Nov. 17.
Click on the following for more of the story: Daily Herald | Palin receives $1.25M for book retainer
Taxpayer money, around $15 billion
tough year for the auto industry has turned into an especially trying one for Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler dealers. Sales are down almost 40 percent versus 27 percent for the industry.
Dealers are impatient for details about Marchionne's five-year game plan -- to be announced on Nov. 4. Many say calls to headquarters have gone unreturned or they're told to wait as the CEO tries to keep his plans secret until next month.
only vague assurances of seeing a redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee in the spring and a new Chrysler 300 large sedan sometime next year
Clunkers windfall all but bypassed Chrysler because it lacked enough fuel-efficient models on lots to meet demand
The automaker stopped building 2009 Calibers and won't ship 2010 models with improved interiors until November.
Click on the following for more details: Daily Herald | Dealers anxious as Chrysler stays mum on car plan
Interested parties are asked to send a letter and resume expressing interest and qualifications to Boone County Board Chairman Bob Walberg, 601 N. Main St., Belvidere, IL 61008.
Boone planning commission has three vacancies - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
AMCORE reported a $156.4 million loss in its third quarter.The company’s revenue plummeted to just $34.7 million, the lowest quarterly total by more than $9 million this decade, and because the value of the company’s assets continues to decline, it shifted $60.3 million more into its loan-loss reserves to cover future loan failures.
The losses continue to chip away at AMCORE’s operating capital. The company said in the earnings release that it had $430 million in bank capital at the beginning of the quarter and still had $350 million at the end of the quarter and that potential future credit losses can be covered by its remaining capital
Click on the following for more details: AMCORE losses accelerate - - BusinessRockford.com
initiative has rescued nearly 900 children, led to the conviction of 510 pimps, madams and their associates, and seized $3.1 million in assets, according to the FBI.
Most of the children recovered through the project have been girls, who usually become victims of traffickers around the age of 12, Allen said. He estimated that 100,000 children are still involved in sex trafficking in the U.S., adding that the problem is growing partly because of the recession
Within 48 hours of hitting the streets, one-third of runaways are lured into prostitution or pornography, according to research by the Klaas Kids Foundation, a nonprofit established to help find and rescue missing children..
Click on the following for more of this story and its particular’s for Seattle: Local News | Children rescued in prostitution sting | Seattle Times Newspaper
properties get reassessed on a rolling basis every three years and may not fully capture recent declines in property values.
phasing out of a state-authorized program implemented earlier this decade to soften the tax blow of then-soaring home values. North suburbs received those benefits before south suburbs, so now north suburbs are feeling the pain of the phaseout earlier as well.
consider the situation in Northlake, which straddles the dividing line between the north and south assessment zones. In the part of the town north of North Avenue, the median assessment is up 20.9 percent. But south of North Avenue, the median increase is 8.7 percent
Click on the following for more of the story: Double-digit property tax increases in city, Cook County suburbs -- chicagotribune.com
based in Custer in central Wisconsin, is one of nine organizations to receive such funding from the Department of Energy for similar projects.
Midwest Renewable Energy Association will work with universities, colleges and other groups in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio to train 200 solar instructors in the next five years.
Click on the following for more details: JG-TC.com > Ap-state-il > Wis. nonprofit gets $3.3M grant for solar training
A weekend pass – good for unlimited rides Saturday and Sunday – would increase from $5 to $7 for adults and children over 11.
Click on the following for the Chronicle’s complete view: Our View: Metra's fare hike? It's fair | Daily Chronicle
"resolution authority" over non-bank financial firms for months, viewing it as one of the most important tools for dealing with future crises.
give a government agency the power to take over a failing firm and dissolve it outside of the bankruptcy process, injecting money if necessary to make the unwinding orderly. Shareholders and creditors of the failing company would incur losses, and the financial industry would foot the bill for any bailout.
Click on the following for more details: Bill in works to let U.S. dissolve failing firms - washingtonpost.com
expected to create 2,000 jobs and will likely be operational by 2011. Administration officials said the deal will indirectly create another 3,000 jobs once the plant is fully operational, expected in 2014.
Fisker, which will pay the old GM $18 million for the facility and equipment, is getting tax incentives from the state of Delaware,
The car is expected to cost about $39,900 after tax incentives.
Fisker, which was started two years ago, recently received a $528 million loan from the Department of Energy and will use some of those funds to make the Delaware plant operational. Fisker is producing another electric vehicle, called the Karma, that is expected to come out in the summer and will cost about $80,400
Click on the following for the rest of the story: A maker of electric cars plans to use old GM plant in Delaware - washingtonpost.com
published reports that estimated his fee at $100,000.
Along with Bush, former secretary of state Colin Powell, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, retired football great Terry Bradshaw and a host of professional speakers spoke on a stage decorated with red-white-and-blue signs that said "Motivate!" and "Achieve!"
Read the rest of the story by clicking on the following: George W. Bush is a hit on the motivational speakers' circuit - washingtonpost.com
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Chicago is a leader in green roofs. The city installed more than 534,000 square feet of green roofs last year
landscape installer is about $16 an hour, compared with $30 an hour for a roofer, according to the unions.
Moore Landscapes showed it is industry practice to hire landscapers to install green roofs.
the unions took their dispute to the National Labor Relations Board. Last month, the board ruled in favor of Moore Landscapes Inc
Click on the following for more details: Cityscapes: Roofers, landscapers in a turf war over Chicago's green roofs
WOODSTOCK – The McHenry County Board will make the choice as to whether to ban video gambling or put it to a referendum.
Its Liquor and License Commission on Monday did not choose one or the other, but decided to forward both ideas to the County Board
Click on the following for the compete story: Northwest Herald | Video gambling to go before full County Board
2,500 laid-off employees will be permanently cut from the company and 550 others will be brought back to work by the end of next year.
The workers are among more than 22,000 laid off earlier this year as Caterpillar dramatically scaled back production due to weaker demand amid the global economic downturn. The Peoria-based company has cut 16 percent of its work force, which now stands at just above 94,000.
it's important to remember that we are not close to the record-breaking demand we experienced from 2004 through 2008."
Daily Herald | Caterpillar permanently cuts some jobs, begins rehiring other workers
State Journal-Register of Springfield, the Bloomington Pantagraph and the Decatur Herald-Review, filed the lawsuit Friday in Logan County Circuit Court. They say officials in Logan County have illegally withheld the paperwork
Click on the following: Daily Herald | 3 Illinois newspapers file lawsuit seeking records
This is a very informative summary regarding the swine-human connection with H1N1 flu.
Many experts think pig farming presents a serious and overlooked risk to public health. Proof of that assertion — indirect but indisputable, in the opinion of virologists — is the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza.
Click on the following for the story: Health | Studying the H1N1 connection between pigs and people | Seattle Times Newspaper
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area. The village's water system is not affected, and no private wells are believed to be in the area
Surrounding the factory are a number of homes, as well as the Prairie Trail bike path
volatile organic compounds east of the abandoned Toastmaster factory on Washington Street.
Daily Herald | Land in downtown Algonquin could be contaminated
Supreme Court decided in 1982 that illegal immigrants and their children are as entitled to a public school education as American citizens. They’re also entitled to other protections provided in the 14th Amendment, including due process and equal protection provisions, the ruling said.
Emergency care must be provided regardless of a patient’s residency status. In McHenry County, hospitals within the Centegra Health System take the law a step further, said Kim Kubiak, Centegra spokeswoman. Illegal immigrants don’t need to have a medical emergency to receive treatment of any type….but hospital officials do track the dollar amount of “charity care” it provides, Kubiak said. From July 1, 2008, to June 30, the hospital system provided about $3 million in charity care to people who couldn’t pay, she said
The Office of Immigration Statistics estimated that the number of illegal immigrants living in the United States declined from 11.8 million in January 2007 to 11.6 million in January 2008, according to data released in February.
Read the rest of the story by clicking on the following: Northwest Herald | Illegal immigrant population difficult to determine
In counties with population greater than 75,000, an elected county auditor serves the county. The county auditor is a check to the actual payments done by the county treasurer. An auditor does not make day to day decisions of a County Administrator. An auditor makes few if any decisions regarding county government but rather serves as a reporter of performance.
Here are some of duties performed by the auditor in neighboring McHenry County. McHenry’s population is 260,077 (2000) compared to Boone’s 41,786(2000).
To fulfill this mission, the McHenry County Auditor's Office will:
During such harsh economic times as today it is hard to consider paying for another profession position—county auditor. But what about the difficulties which the county board is currently having in reaching a budget. The major questions appear to be “what exactly are our revenues and expenditures”. It seems that bringing more expertises to financial analysis and control is prudent and money well spent.
Counties with populations under 75,000 are authorized to appoint an auditor. See below for the legal requirements.
(55 ILCS 5/3‑1002) (from Ch. 34, par. 3‑1002) Sec. 3‑1002. Auditors in counties of 75,000 population or less. In counties of 75,000 population or less, as determined by the last federal census preceding the date of appointment, the presiding officer of the county board with the advice and consent of the county board may appoint and employ a county auditor whose term of office shall be 4 years and until a successor is appointed and qualified. Every county auditor appointed pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall hold office until the first Tuesday of May, 1961, and until a successor is appointed and qualified. A successor shall be appointed and take office on the first Tuesday of May, 1961, and every 4 years thereafter, for a term of 4 years and until another successor is appointed and qualified. The qualifications and oath of office of such county auditor shall be the same as apply to other county officers. Each county auditor shall, before entering upon the duties of the office, give bond in such penalty and with such security as the county board shall deem sufficient, which bond shall be substantially in the form required by law to be given by the county clerk. Said bond shall be filed with the county clerk on or before the date the county auditor enters into the duties of the office. In case of a vacancy in the office of county auditor caused by death, resignation, or removal from office, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the presiding officer of the county board with the advice and consent of the county board. If the auditor is temporarily unable to perform his or her duties for any reason, the deputy auditor, if there is one, shall assume the duties of the auditor until the auditor is able to resume his or her duties or until a replacement for the auditor is chosen. (Source: P.A. 86‑962; 87‑401.)
widespread in 46 states, a level that federal officials say equals the peak of a typical winter flu season.
H1N1 virus has killed more than 1,000 Americans and hospitalized over 20,000.
The emergency declaration, which Mr. Obama signed Friday night, has to do only with hospital treatment, not with the vaccine. Government officials emphasized that Mr. Obama’s declaration was largely an administrative move that did not signify any unanticipated worsening of the outbreak of the H1N1 flu nationwide. Nor, they said, did it have anything to do with the reports of vaccine shortages.
Click on the following: Obama Declares Swine Flu Outbreak a National Emergency - NYTimes.com
Once completed, the Lovell center will be the first health-care facility operated jointly by the VA and the Navy
over a decade on joining the VA Medical Center with the Naval Health Clinic in North Chicago," said U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. "We have finally cleared this last legislative hurdle. The new federal health center will improve the quality of care for veterans, service members and their families in North Chicago and stands a good chance of being replicated as a cost-saving measure across the country."
Click on the following for more of the story: Bill will merge North Chicago VA, Great Lakes clinic :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State
The state is trying to increase capacity for testing people for the H1N1 flu, anticipating a "surge" in demand in the coming months.
Now, the Illinois Department of Public Health labs can handle testing of about 130 cases a day. But the state has recently bought three new machines for about $300,000 that could increase capacity to between 250 and 1,000 tests a day.
Click on the following for more details: State gears up for more H1N1 testing
President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.
Click on the following for more details: Obama declares swine flu a national emergency - Yahoo! News
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Stimulus plans of ARRP bonds for McHenry County criticized by NY Times.
Under the recovery act, McHenry County has the authority to issue $27 million in low-interest bonds for private projects. Mr. Houser put a plan to the county board to issue $15 million in low-interest bonds to build a ballpark for a minor league baseball team.
A problem with stimulus funding, experts say, is that dubious projects too often jump to the head of the line. Projects with political backing win funding, regardless of merit, while more worthwhile projects languish for decades.
Click on the following: Special Report - Rebuilding the global economy - Lots of Stimulus Money — and Concerns About Where to Put It to Work - NYTimes.com
Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Provena billed patients in a manner that “concealed the availability of charity care” and sent poor patients to debt collectors. “These practices undoubtedly prevented needy patients from even applying for charitable care, much less receiving it.
.New Cook COunty Ordinance…Hospitals subject to the Ordinance must provide financial assistance at least equal to 4.5% of total hospital expenses. Hospitals not meeting this standard are required to pay the County a fee equal to the difference between the cost of financial assistance provided and 4.5% of the hospital’s total expenses.”
Click on the following for more details: A Push To Strengthen Charity Care In Cook County | Progress Illinois
$6 billion stimulus program to clean up the toxic legacy of the arms race, which is one of the biggest sources of direct federal contracts in the $787 billion stimulus act
team of workers is using $212 million in federal stimulus money to clean up the 65-year-old, six-acre dump, which was used by the scientists who built the world’s first atomic bomb
More than $1.9 billion is being spent at the Hanford site in Washington, the home of the nuclear reactor that made the plutonium for the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki.
Nearly 73,000 people have applied for stimulus jobs cleaning up nuclear sites since the program was announced, the Department of Energy says, and more than 10,800 positions have been saved or created with the money
Click on the following for more details: Carefully Cleaning Up the Garbage at Los Alamos - NYTimes.com
Illinois will likely lose one of its 19 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives if noncitizens continue to be included in the reapportionment process based on the decennial Census. Currently, reapportionment of House seats is based on the total number of residents counted in the Census, whether citizens or noncitizens
"It is critical that Illinois's two senators demand that Majority Leader Reid allow a vote on the Vitter-Bennett amendment, making it possible to ensure that everyone is counted, but that only citizens determine
how political representation is apportioned."
Click on the following for more details: 2010 Census May Reduce Illinois's Representation in Congress | Reuters
Glen Carbon is near St. Louis.
[they] want the state to essentially forgive all sales taxes there so the revenue could pay off bonds to build it.
A bill creating that unprecedented "STAR" (sales tax revenue) bond arrangement passed the Legislature earlier this year, but Quinn, citing an estimated $15 million annual loss in revenue to the state, issued an amendatory veto to cut the tax break in half.
Click on the following for the rest of the story: Legoland interested in development seeking tax breaks at Glen Carbon - STLtoday.com
Here is an update on what has occurred on the Tribune’s various investigative reports. Not only was there the University of Illinois clout admission story; there was:
Crestwood's tainted water
DNA testing
By Megan Twohey
Emergency rooms and the uninsured
By Jason Grotto and Bruce Japsen
Allergens
By Sam Roe and Ted Gregory
Cigarette taxes
By Daniel Simmons
Bogus parking tickets
By Jon Yates
Eye doctor under fire
By Deborah L. Shelton
Ambulance equipment
By Judith Graham
Red-light cameras
By Bob Secter
Elevator inspections
By Azam Ahmed
Click on the following for a short summary of these other stories: Catch up on Tribune watchdog reporting -- chicagotribune.com
the city liquor commissioners this week decided against exploring guidelines for bring-your-own-bottle restaurants
Sycamore created a BYOB license earlier this year when a pizza restaurant approached the city about the concept. No controversy has erupted.
DeKalb has something Sycamore doesn't have in numbers, though – thousands of underage college students. DeKalb would need to craft guidelines that ensured 18- and 19-year-olds aren't imbibing at local restaurants. That and other guidelines are doable, though.
Mayor Povlsen said Thursday that, when he learned a few months ago about the work performed by Masonry Works, he asked that the purchasing policy be reviewed by the city council.
“I don’t like to give the appearance of anything that might be construed as inappropriate,” Povlsen said.
The city council on Monday is scheduled to consider prohibiting or limiting work that aldermen can do for the city. Povlsen said that he would like to see an ordinance created that, at minimum, requires disclosure of funds paid to an alderman or to his or her employer for work on city projects
Click on the following for more details: DeKalb contracts for alderman prompt policy talk | Daily Chronicle
I attended the Tax on Time meeting on Thursday morning at Belvidere Township Hall. Curt Newport, Boone County Treasurer, reported that a tentative agreement has been reached with the parties involved. Chrysler’s bankruptcy lawyers will pay the tax bill and a small “penalty”. The remaining penalty will be considered an unsecured debt by the bankruptcy court and grouped with other unsecured Chrysler debts.
Payment should be coming soon but no date was disclosed.
Bill Pysson
Do taxpayers in Belvidere think their aldermen would forego a tax increase if Belvidere’s population exceeded 25,000?
Huntley cut spending by almost 20 percent.
It will be more of the same in 2010 as the village continues to cope with declining sales tax revenue and a weak housing market.
Officials said they did not intend to balance the budget with higher taxes, although the village gained additional taxing powers when its population surpassed 25,000
approved a policy Thursday that formalizes the process for applying for financial incentives. The policy requires each business seeking help to submit a formal application that includes a business plan, evidence of its financial health and proposed improvements to surrounding infrastructure.
Click on the following for more details: Daily Herald | More spending cuts for Huntley as sales tax revenue drops again
The Boone County Budget is available at: http://www.boonecountyil.org/; once on the site follow these direction to speed your search. Click on left column item “county budget”. In the center of the page that follows is “Fiscal 2010 Proposed Budget”, click on that title.
Here are some highlights of the report. Click on the photocopies to enlarge.
Highlights by preparer:
| FY 2009 213 Full time employees | FY 2010 198 Full Time employees |
| 63 Part time | 65 Part time |
| 276 Total | 263 Total |
| Click on the photocopies below to see the individual department’s employee numbers. |
Proposed Real Estate Tax Rates and levy—Projected 2.9% increase in real estate tax receipts.
Fund balances beginning and projected ending, FY 2010 for 24 funds.
The following speech was delivered to the Board last evening, before they voted to make public the FY 2010 budget. Pat has preached to his fellow board members since December 2008 that they faced tremendous revenue shortfalls. His predictions in that regard varied with that of the county’s administration and proved to be closer to reality.
10/21/09
To: Boone County Board & Public
Re: 2010 Boone County Budget
From: Patrick B. Mattison, County Board Member District 3
My perception of revenues for the Boone County Government is they will be substantially less in the coming year than they are this year--and this year, depending upon which figures are being used--expenditures exceeded revenues from $600,000 to $900,000, not including unexpected costs like having to drill another test well ($10,000) on the landfill next to Maple Crest because of potential toxicity. If it tests positive, the cost may substantially escalate next year. The Boone County Board Finance Committee, in December 2008, adopted a policy of a balanced budget for each operating fund in which expenditures do not exceed current revenues. If current revenues are less than expected or expenditures are greater than expected due to an emergency, the board will reduce other spending to maintain a balanced budget." It passed unanimously. Expenditures exceeded revenues from $600,000 to $900,000.
As I understand the 2010 Budget scheduled for layover tonight, there is a $275,000 deficit projection.
The projected Budget has not been reviewed by the total Boone County Board.
Substantial costs that may impact the 2010 budget, to name a few:
* Unknown Landfill expenses
* 3 percent raises for non-union personnel
* Selective raises for Elected officials from 3.5 percent to 5 percent
* Purchase of vehicles for the Sheriff's department ($100,000+)
* Replacing a Dispatcher ($35-$50,000)
* Unknown IMRF mandated retirement costs that will impact other tax levies because of Tax Caps
Tax revenues that will be down:
* State Income Tax ($200,000?)
* Boone County Public Safety Building Sales Tax ($200,000?)
* Boone County Sales Tax 1/4 Cent ($200,000?)
* Boone County Sales Tax 1 Cent ($220,000?)
* Business and Residential owners will seek to lower their assessed valuations, and the Boone County Property Tax will be impacted ($100,000's?)
The figures given me from the administration office indicate the reserve balance at the beginning of Fiscal year 2009 was $3,557,078. On October 10, 2009, the reserve balance was $2,910,933. If we are to maintain a reserve of 2 to 3 months for emergency, with a $13.1 million budget we are at our reserve limits now.
As Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana has written, relative to the economy, "We ain't seen nothin' yet. What we are being hit by isn't a tropical storm that will come and go, with sunshine soon to follow. It's much more likely we're facing a near permanent reduction in state tax revenues that will require us to reduce the size and scope of our state governments."
Reducing the size and scope of the Boone County government should be our debate and on the table. We will not be able to sustain raises! We will not be able to sustain full work weeks! We will not be able to fund vehicles for every deputy in Boone County and have extra Pool cars. We need to explore managing for efficiency, rather than spending. We should explore using facility on a 2 shift basis. We should explore outsourcing in every area possible (maintenance, copying, plowing).
My suggestion is we go back to the table and work until we balance the budget based on conservative and realistic projections!
Boone County residents may be hours away from getting their first glimpse at what could be the county’s fiscal year 2010 budget.
Included in the budget are 3 percent raises for nonunion employees and wage freezes for select department heads, including those from the Highway Department, Health Department, assessor’s office, Planning Department and County Administrator Ken Terrinoni.
Click on the following for more details: Vote could make Boone budget public - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
What is new here?
Republican Don Manzullo says he'd both cut taxes and end burdensome regulations he says stifle entrepreneurs.
His other proposals include increasing the meals and entertainment tax deduction for small businesses to 80 percent. He also wants to make it easier for small businesses to band together to purchase health insurance at more affordable group rates
Click on the following for more details: Manzullo unveils jobs plan - - BusinessRockford.com
Dec. 14-- offer of the state-run facility could end nearly 30 years of notoriety as a hotel built with a state loan to politically connected investors who had fallen $30 million behind in paying the debt.
Click on the following for more details: Illinois treasurer sets date to auction hotel - Kansas City Star
that found government, law enforcement and the nursing home industry have failed to manage the younger residents who shuttle into the facilities from jail cells, shelters and psychiatric wards.
Nancy Flowers, a regional state ombudsman who handles patient abuse complaints in Evanston, said crimes within nursing homes are not always reported to police -- and police reports are rarely shared with the state inspectors who monitor the facilities.
Experts attribute drop to tougher laws and the recession
32 drivers ages 16 to 19 were killed in the first nine months of this year. That number is less than half the total teen driver deaths, 69, in the first nine months of 2007, the year before Illinois adopted sweeping changes in graduated driver licensing (GDL).
tripling the length of time for a learner's permit, tougher passenger restrictions and extended night-driving limits. Another measure raised the age at which teen drivers can use cell phones behind the wheel from 18 to 19.
Click on the following for more details: Teen driver deaths decline sharply in Illinois -- chicagotribune.com
St. Charles East High School will be closed for the rest of the week because of widespread illness among the students.
Nearly half of St. Charles East students were out sick by the end of classes Tuesday, prompting district officials to shutter the school and cancel several upcoming activities.
No other schools in the district saw absence rates higher than 10 or 11 percent, Schlomann said, but officials continue to monitor attendance patterns — especially as it relates to siblings of East students.
970 students call in sick, closing school :: Beacon News :: Local News
The tent is part of the hospital’s influenza response plan,
At one point, up to 20 people were in the waiting room with symptoms, she added
Kishwaukee Com-munity Hospital set up an alternative receiving site Tuesday outside of its emergency department to deal with an influx of patients reporting flu-like symptoms.
Kish Hospital sees increase of patients with flu-like symptoms | Daily Chronicle
This number is unbelievable—the trend for even larger commuters over time may mean that Boone County will also have a larger % of workers travel outside the our county in the future. One of the story’s comments says it all: Cost of living is less expensive in McHenry County, but the limited number of jobs in the county don't pay enough to support our families. Therefore we have to commute.
two-thirds of residents [McHenry County] traveled outside the county for work – which might explain why residents’ commutes are so long. That number had increased from 2004, when only about half of the local population traveled beyond county lines for work.
Click on the following for more details: Northwest Herald | Have job, will travel
![Richard Daley]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vgxC3PXYiVY7mO78ovdyjUO7wYN6zkpbSNMxIM444is93Wwm2cU2yV_wAuNSs7qNXnxj2x2rGtSmD6Awh77FjuiiSTn5hDzuwtQ75Zw0hhEcn9942n4PrQsBFyUrjxDXNfigakzxJMeGiCHPSmC7_1SeiQ3a9ZpmpR3Clc2x1-AamRgOXAB2des0x3es3VvtLxzFIM34sqGDe_Stvu3Pa4F1uDOeUUsOMBtXlvttc89n7my9upEL8iJTfvrU0otkftlOSCwk1utpdAUDkG2nxkn0YG=s0-d "Richard Daley]")
