Archive for February 24th, 2009
February 24th, 2009
Here’s Congressman Don Manzullo’s take on Obama’s speech.
“Following weeks of unprecedented spending, it was good to hear President Obama talk tonight about the need for fiscal responsibility as we move our country forward. As our nation recovers, we must quickly end this government spending spree that is heaping massive amounts of debt on our future generations. Unfortunately, Congress plans to pay off our bills by increasing taxes on Americans instead of cutting wasteful spending. These tax hikes – which include the return of the job-killing death tax – will especially hurt our small business owners, who create 70 percent of all new jobs each year. Why in these dire economic times would we intentionally hurt the segment of our economy that has the best chance to put people back to work?
“Instead, the government should tighten its purse strings and cut spending as all Americans are doing in these difficult times. The people I represent are worried and hurting, and I appreciate President Obama’s urgency in trying to return us to prosperity. I will continue to reach out to the President and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what we can to improve the lives of all Americans.”
(END
February 24th, 2009
As I expected, police union representative Doug Block won Rockford’s Democratic mayoral primary, with 48 percent of the vote. Coming in second with 22 percent was Democratic state central committeeman John Nelson, a perennial Democratic candidate who ran because he and other Democrats don’t think Block is really one of them.
Independent Mayor Larry Morrissey will now face Block and Republican John Harmon in the April 7 election. There’s a Green candidate, too, Jesus Correa VII.
You’d think Morrissey would have the advantage because he has a tested organization and he has fund raising ability. However, the news hasn’t been good in recent months for Morrissey. The hole in Rockford’s budget keeps growing. First it was $7 million. Then $7.5 million. Then $8 million. Now it’s $8.6 million. The lousy economy means people aren’t spending, and that means they’re not paying sales taxes. Housing values are declining, and that affects property tax revenues.
He’s going to have to make extremely unpopular budget cuts. Mayors and governors all over America are having to do the same thing. But that doesn’t make it any easier.
Morrissey’s first term has been fraught with conflict as he sought to change the judicial system, the school system, the police department and public works. He did succeed with public works, but there’s still an uneasy relatioship between rank and file cops and the Morrissey-backed chief, Chet Epperson. Monday’s report on crime in the Forest City didn’t’ help matters: Crime is up, crime is down, the chief reported. It all depends on whose reporting method you use. That’s not what residents want to hear. They want to know if the city is getting safer, or not.
The city should stick to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting method, same as just about every other police department in the USA. It’s the only way to compare how we’re doing with other cities.
Harmon, a veteran in local politics who lost his bid in 2008 to be re-elected to the Winnebago County Board (he got beat in the GOP primary) is at minor leaguer who will not be a serious factor in this race, although he could be a spoiler if there’s a close race between Block and Morrissey.
Block will have to convince voters why they should put the police union in charge of City Hall. That will be a tough sell. And he’ll have to tell us how he will cut nearly $9 million out of the budget without touching the police or fire departments.
Voters should demand minute details, not foamy language about cutting a couple of people out of the mayor’s office.Huge cuts will be needed to balance the budget.
Luckily for Block, the heavy lifting will be done by Morrissey and the current City Council. The budget must be passed by the end of March; the election is April 7.
And then, I’m sure Block will go out and roundly criticize it.
February 24th, 2009
The Democratic Party rules Rockford’s 5th ward, meaning that Venita Hervey, veteran school activist, will be the alderman replacing Vic Bell, who’s been alderman since 1971!
Vic backed Venita,and I have no doubt she’ll be a vigorous champion of southwest Rockford. She beat Evelyn Barmore, 73 percent to 23 percent.
Hervey helped attorney Bob Howard of Evanston represent People Who Care during that epic school deseg/discrimination lawsuit.
February 24th, 2009
Wow. We thought it was going to be a non-event, this election. But not in Machesney Park.Voters have thrown out incumbent President Linda Vaughn in the Democratic primary and replaced her with Tom Strickland, a persistent critic. Under Vaughn MP made tremendous progress, developing a steady source of sales tax on the Illinois 173 corridor. Her defeat puts community development chief Karen Lemmons, the brains of the MP outfit, on shaky ground.
Lest Strickland gloat too much, he won with very few votes, 821 to 731, a 90 vote margin.
Hardly anybody voted.Vaughn should have done some more campaigning.
February 24th, 2009
Now it’s time for the Republican response. Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, the GOP’s rising young star at 37,
speaks from his executive mansion in Baton Rouge.
He starts out by noting the historic nature of Obama’s presidency. “Like the president’s father, my parents came from a distant land.”. (Jindal’s parents came from India.)
He says his immigrant father would tell him, “Bobby, Americans can do anything. I still believe that today. There’s no challenge we can’t overcome when we pull together.”
Jindal says Republicans are ready to work with new president when they can agree, and come up with better ideas when they can’t.
He sets out the fundamental difference between the Republican and Democratic parties:
“The strength of America is not found in our government, it’s found in the strength of our citizens.”
To solve America’s problems, Jindal says, “Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes, but by empowering people.”
The best way to create jobs is to cut taxes, he said. That’s more efficient and cheaper than massive stimulus spending.
Jindal, like other Republicans, misspoke about the $8 billion high speed rail investment in the stimulus package. He said the money is for a mag-lev line from Disneyland to Las Vegas. That’s wrong. It’s not there. Period. The money isn’t designated to a specific project, and it will probably not be used for the Vegas line.
Jindal says Republicans want Americans to have universal access to affordable, private health care coverage. But he doesn’t say how that will come about.
For education, his prescription is to give scholarships to parents to use in private and parochial schools.
And he said it’s no time to cut funding for troops..
Jindal admits that the GOP “got away from its principles” by going along with big government spending. “We lost your trust, and rightly so.”
Jindal’s message is that the Republicans really are in the process of becoming a conservative party.
February 24th, 2009
Altogether, Obama’s speech was detailed, inspiring, challenging. He’s put lots of heavy lifting on the agenda.
February 24th, 2009
Obama ends with an inspirational call to action. Hope is alive:
We are not quitters.
These words and these stories tell us something about the spirit of the people who sent us here. They tell us that even in the most trying times, amid the most difficult circumstances, there is a generosity, a resilience, a decency, and a determination that perseveres; a willingness to take responsibility for our future and for posterity.
Their resolve must be our inspiration. Their concerns must be our cause. And we must show them and all our people that we are equal to the task before us.
I know that we haven’t agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.
And if we do – if we come together and lift this nation from the depths of this crisis; if we put our people back to work and restart the engine of our prosperity; if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, “something worthy to be remembered.” Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
February 24th, 2009
Ever since Ronald Reagan brought hero Lenny Skutnick to his 1982 State of the Union speech to recognize for jumping into the cold Potomac River to rescue passengers of a crashed, sinking airliner, presidents have repeated the Great Communicator’s popular gesture. Only thing is, it’s been greatly expanded. Now, governors do it at their state of the state speeches. Heck, even Mayor Larry Morrissey does it at his State of the City speech.
And now, Obama is doing it too, calling out several folks in the gallery to illustrate key themes of his speech. Boring.
February 24th, 2009
Obama says there’s a recommitment to diplomacy:
In words and deeds, we are showing the world that a new era of engagement has begun. For we know that America cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them without America. We cannot shun the negotiating table, nor ignore the foes or forces that could do us harm. We are instead called to move forward with the sense of confidence and candor that serious times demand.
To seek progress toward a secure and lasting peace between Israel and her neighbors, we have appointed an envoy to sustain our effort. To meet the challenges of the 21st century – from terrorism to nuclear proliferation; from pandemic disease to cyber threats to crushing poverty – we will strengthen old alliances, forge new ones, and use all elements of our national power.
February 24th, 2009
He says we won’t torture:
To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend – because there is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America. That is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists – because living our values doesn’t make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger. And that is why I can stand here tonight and say without exception or equivocation that the United States of America does not torture.
In words and deeds, we are showing the world that a new era of engagement has begun. For we know that America cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them without America. We cannot shun the negotiating table, nor ignore the foes or forces that could do us harm. We are instead called to move forward with the sense of confidence and candor that serious times demand.
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