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Newsletter from State Rep. Keith Sommer
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - Posted 5:43:08 PM by State Rep. Keith Sommer
Close Races Predicted
Area races for judge, sheriff, treasurer, and county clerk are drawing to a close. Give your favorites your support. On the state level, it looks like the head bashings for Governor are too close to call. I’m predicting a few surprises next Tuesday night!
Quinn’s State of the State Address
Gov. Quinn’s recent State of the State Address nearly put everyone to sleep after he droned on for nearly eighty minutes. He talked and talked, but he failed to say how he would cut state spending and narrow the budget gap. He did, nevertheless, proudly name himself “Soy Boy!”
Buffalo Bob & Howdy Doody
The public would have had a difficult time getting a seat in the House Gallery to hear the Governor’s speech. Most seats were tagged “reserved” for the Blagojevich and Quinn appointees who gladly applauded when their strings were pulled. And yes, Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody were among my favorites as a kid. Little did I know I was subconsciously being prepared for politics at an early age.
Prisoner Release / Gag Order / Asleep?
The Governor’s recent release of 1,700 plus prisoners has startled many - but it is his apparent issuing of a “gag order” on the topic that has raised some basic questions. What is he trying to hide? Who really made these decisions? It reminds me of the airline pilots who were “asleep at the controls” and overshot the Minneapolis Airport this fall. “Ground to Quinn! Ground to Quinn!”
Underwear Bomber / Guantanamo
We sure haven’t heard much about sending terrorists from Guantanamo to rural NW Illinois lately. If the feds couldn’t keep the Underwear Bomber off that flight to Detroit, how are they going to protect the nuclear plant near the Thomson Prison?
Stop School Mandates
I have joined with Rep. Roger Eddy in sponsoring House Bill 4711 that would not allow the state to pass on costly mandates to our local schools without providing the money to implement them. Makes sense doesn’t it?
University Police Chief Paid $199,000
Did anyone else read the story about a university police chief in Illinois being paid a $199,000 salary? And they say budgets can’t be cut?!?!
Free Museum Pass / Did You Get One?
I returned the free pass for Chicago museums that was mailed to me last month. It would have given me and my family free entry to the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry and many others for all of 2010. There is surely something ethically and legally wrong with such an offer and acceptance. Did you get one of these passes worth hundreds of dollars? I didn’t think so!
Chair Lifts Getting Costly
A new state regulation requires even our smallest churches and public places to register and pay annual fees for the inspection and operation of a simple chair lift. Churches in Deer Creek and Chenoa have asked for help from this approximate $600 yearly cost. Reps. Sacia, Black and myself are trying to exempt these and other small churches from being treated as commercial operations.
Home Schoolers Debate
I was honored to serve as a judge for the debate tournament held at Bradley University involving hundreds of home-schooled students from throughout the Midwest. These young people did a better job than most legislators do on a good day. Way to go!
Methodist Men’s Club / Schools
Thanks to the invitation of Bud Pittenger, I spoke a few days ago to the Morton Methodist Men’s Club. They were just as interested and enthusiastic as the students from Lexington Elementary, Washington Middle School, Eureka Middle School and Parkside Junior High that I also talked with this month.
Your Comments
Your thoughts and comments on topics of the day are always welcome and greatly appreciated. It’s an honor and a privilege to represent the good people of my district in Springfield.
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watchdog wrote on 1/27/2010 at 09:45:16
I can remember a similar proposal about 20 years ago that was to require the state to fund all mandates on local taxing bodies. The idea found its way to file 13 before it got on the table for consideration. With the current appetite of both federal and state governments to spend more and more of the taxpayers money, I think it is more likely the proposal to require state funding of school mandates will die the same death. It is impossible to understand such an idea when it is already a proven fact the State is not making on-time payments to schools or anyone such as health care providers and others, the money they are entitled to now. This "fuzzy" math and accountiung practices of both levels of governments is beyond stupidty. One plus one still equals two.
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