Archive for October, 2009
October 31st, 2009
I see that Winnebago County is synchronizing the traffic lights on Perryville to make it easier for drivers to go from north to south and vice-versa.
That’s nice. Now, whatever happened to the synchronized lights on East State Street? Remember, it wasn’t that long ago when the city of Rockford ballyhooed the smooth traffic flow. They calimed you could go from the tollway to Fairview without stopping and back again if you liked.
I tried it, and it worked, mostly. But that was years ago. The system no longer works, if indeed it still is supposed to. I gather there have been more stoplights put in.
If any city traffic bureaucrats are reading this, perhaps they can enlighten us about whatever happened to the East State Street traffic light synchronization system.
October 30th, 2009
Congressman Don Manzullo, R-Egan, has filmed a video of himself, commenting on the House Democrats’ 1,990 page health care reform bill. Manzullo doesn’t like what he’s reading. The bill contains a hefty tax on medical appliances, which will add to the cost of health care for everyone, he says. It also has a dis-incentive for state’s to pass malpractice reform, saying the federal government will reward states who do not have caps on jackpot settlements. This, too, will drive up the cost of health care, he says. So, instead of ignoring the need for malpractice reform, this bill actually encourages lawyers to file more lawsuits!!!
See the video here
October 30th, 2009
Excellent Oct. 29 column by Peggy Noonan on the inability of government to be imaginative enough to solve problems. In short, whether it’s state, local or federal, our leaders dont’ have a clue. Read it HERE:
October 29th, 2009
Want to read the new, House of Representatives health care bill? It was just introduced today. The new bill has nearly doubled in page-count from the old one. The new bill, which does contain a mild version of a public option, is a whopping 1,990 pages.
And if you have a free weekend and nothing to do, here’s a link so you can read it yourself:
http://kingston.house.gov/Components/Redirect/r.aspx?ID=32748-1147446
October 27th, 2009
Andy McKenna, who quit the Illinois Republican chairmanship last summer, has joined the race for governor in the February 2010 GOP primary.
McKenna comes with a pre-packaged lieutenant governor running mate, state Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine. McKenna says he’s against raising taxes and says the state must make serious spending cuts. According to the Sun-Times he criticized spending $2.5 million on the lieutenant governor’s office even though the post is vacant.
Here’s a hint, Andy. Have your running-mate vow to quit the lite gov’s office if elected — because there’s really nothing for the lite gov to do except wait for the governor to be removed from office — and then reallocate the lite gov’s budget to debt reduction.
Meanwhile: I expect former attorney general and 2002 Republican governor candidate Jim Ryan to run again for the GOP nomination. He has a website, www.jimryan2010.com, and on it are printable petitions.
Ryan could have a good shot at the nomination because voters may feel guilty for snubbing the quiet candidate in 2002. Instead they went for the Elvis-singing, basketball-twirling, fast-talking Rod Blagojevich, and the rest is misery.
Ryan’s web site features a 2002 TV commercial that says, in part, “He’s faced his share of challenges. Some he could prepare for, some he couldn’t. But he never quit, and he never let us down. A man of integrity and strength, a governor who will make us proud. ”
The campaign could re-run that commercial, with the added words, “Remember what could have been? It still could be. Jim Ryan. For Governor.”
Ryan still has campaign consultant Dan Curry on board.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Elmhurst, another gov candidate, has hired Rockford native Wes Bleed as his communications director. Wes was, until recently, the longtime news director of WGN radio in Chicago.
October 23rd, 2009
U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan, makes it official Monday: He’s running for another term. Manzullo was first elected in 1992 and has been easily re-elected every two years since then.
Manzullo has no opposition in his party. Last week, Freeport Mayor George Gaulrapp surprised everyone — especially Manzullo — when he said he will run for Manzullo’s seat as a Democrat.
October 23rd, 2009
Soupy Sales, 83, has died.
The slapstick comedian who threw whipped cream pies in people’s faces, was watched by millions of Baby Boomers on TV. I never cared too much for Soupy, but I did watch him sometimes. I think his show was on Saturdays at noon. (I was more of a Lone Ranger fan.)
However, I must confess to attending a performance starring Soupy Sales in “Hellzapoppin 67.” Soupy was appearing in the show at Expo ‘67 in Montreal, Quebec.
My friend Steve Anderson and I traveled by bus to Montreal to go to the fair, a fantastic experience. No, not the bus ride. We hated that 24-hour ride (changed buses at Toronto) so much we turned in our return tickets in Montreal and bought train tickets back. Changed trains at Toronto, but the ride was much better.
We stayed for two weeks at my Aunt Maggie’s house in Dorval and took the CP commuter train every morning downtown, then rode the Metro and light-rail trains to Expo. We’d come home late at night and order chicken delivered from St. Hubert Bar B-Q. (The popular Quebec chicken chain started in Montreal in 1951, in a small shop on rue St. Hubert.)
Soupy’s death ironically brought back fond memories of a wonderful two weeks at what was probably the last really big-time, world-class World’s Fair. It was the era of the Cold War, and the Soviet Union and U.S. tried to outdo one another with competing pavilions. The Soviet one featured a simulated ride into space, an exhibit called  “Atoms for Peace” and exhibits describing Soviet life as the Soviets wanted it shown. Outside the steel and glass building with a sweeping, curved roof, was a giant hammer and sickle and the numbers 1917-1967. The U.S.S.R. was 50 years old in 1967.
The U.S. pavilion was completley different: a 250-foot high Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome that featured American pop-culture as well as science and technology. I recall an Elvis guitar, Andy Warhol paintings and Hollywood movies. We put our space technology on show, too.
Oh, and did I mention that the Trinidad-Tobago-Grenada pavilion had a superb steel-drum band that performed on an island in an artificial lagoon?
October 22nd, 2009
Here’s a news release Rockford Legal Director Patrick Hayes just sent out. It’s written in a language I’m calling “Purple Hayes”:
ROCKFORD – October 22, 2009 – The Rockford Police Department announced the
withdrawal of electronic control devices from daily use by the department effective
on the commencement of today’s afternoon shift at 4:00 p.m. The announcement was
in response to the supplier’s revised warnings, which modified the preferred target
area. The notice was received Wednesday afternoon, and the City took action today
following internal meetings on the content of the bulletin.
The modified warnings will require extensive review and potentially revision of
policies and training if the device is to be re-deployed. The police department will
continue its review of the bulletin, but in the interim determined the best course of
action was to withdraw the units from daily use.
Now, here it is in Chuckster’s English: Rockford Police will stop using Tasers at 4 p.m. today because the manufacturer advised police agencies not to aim the 50,000 volt weapons at people’s chests. Taser officials said Wednesday there’s a low risk of what they called an “adverse cardiac event” when people are hit in the chest.
The RPD will study whether to change the target area or whether to even use Tasers again.
See, Patrick, that wasn’t difficult, was it?
October 22nd, 2009
Gov. Pat Quinn was supposed to stop at Chicago Rockford International Airport late Thursday afternoon on his airborne trip around the state to announce his candidacy for governor.
We got the word in the News Tower from a veteran Democratic official, not from Quinn’s campaign. We waited for something from the Quinn campaign.
Thursday morning, nothing had come, so I called the veteran Democratic official again (OK, it’s Doug Aurand,) and he said Quinn was not coming to Rockford.
Oh, Quinn did do a nine-city fly-around, but Rockford was not on the flight plan.
I am disappointed. But I am not surprised. This is generally the way Rockford has been treated by Springfield politicians — for generations. It can be summed up in this oft-repeated quote from former Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago: “Rockford? Where’s Rockford?”
If only we could secede from Illinois and join the Badger State maybe we could get some respect.
October 22nd, 2009
Did you know Winnebago County has a song? Neither did I.
Chuck Newburg from down the block came across this song in a book published in 1902. It was one of three songs under the title of “A Trinity of School Songs, the county, the state, the nation.” The song lyrics were written by Harriott Wight Sheratt of Rockford, on Oct. 23, 1901.
This is sung to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic:
From the groves of Winnebago where the limpid water gleams,
Where the watch-fires of the Indians blazed along the rushing streams,
Where our fathers built their altars, where they dreamed prophetic dreams,
Our children lift their song.
Chorus:
God be with thee Winnebago,
Glory, glory Winnebago,
Hallelujah, Winnebago,
Our children lift their song.
2.
From the homes of Winnebago to where our mothers knelt in praer,
Where their cabin fires were lighted in this new world fresh and fair,
From the kingdom of the fireside where the happy children are,
They lift triumphant song.
Chorus last line: They lift triumphant song.
3.
From the fields of Winnebago where her golden harvests lie,
From the busy towns and cities underneath her sunny sky,
Lift the song of glad rejoicing, let all woe and discord die,
For God hath blessed the land.
Chorus, last line: For God hath blessed the land.
4.
Lift the flag o’er Winnebago, sacred flag to me and mine,
Flag our fathers bore in triumph o’er the battle’s deadly line,
Emblem of our righteous freedom, freedom born of law divine,
Our fathers’ flag and ours.
Chorus last line: Our fathers’ flag and ours.
5.
Grant O God of Winnebago, and of all the sons of men,
That the cannon’s lips be silent, that they may not speak again,
Let the sword drop from the scabbard, while the people cry amen.
Let Peace reign evermore.
Chorus last line: Let peace reign evermore.
OK, so the lyrics are archaic. They are also poignant, when you ponder this: At the beginning of the 20th century, this song expressed the hope that that cannons — I’m sure they were talking about the cannons of the 1861-65 Civil War — would be forever silent and that peace would reign.
The 20th century turned out to be the bloodiest, most violent and horrific century in the history of mankind.
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