May 22nd, 2008 01:19pm
Don R. Gugliuzza
Magicians and politicians make their living by directing your attention to one hand (or object) while they do something with or to something else. The problem being that magicians are entertaining while politicians are not.
Right now people are totally upset about the price of gasoline. The politicians what you to vent your wrath upon OPEC and the big oil companies. While I’m not a fan of either, I understand that the role they play in our problem is not as large as the politicians want you to believe.
By the use of misdirection they have you look at OPEC and the oil companies so you don’t notice that most of the problem with high gasoline prices lies with what they did. By spending us into the largest deficit in our history, they have weakened the value of the dollar.Therefore, we have to pay more for everything that is imported. By removing the controls on investors they have allowed oil traders to become oil speculators. By caving in to the U.S. automakers and the oil companies, they have allowed the manufacture of vehiles like the Hummer and other big gas guzzlers. By not having an effective and sane energy policy, they have allowed this problem to go to gargantuan proportions.
But, to hear them tell it, everyone is guilty for the high gas prices except them. Their inaction, incompitence and complicity with the oil companies, automakers, speculators and deficit spending is a major cause of the problem. No more slight of hand or misdirection. Let’s call them on their stupidity, the selling of their votes, and their arrogance. Vote the scoundrels out of office.
May 21st, 2008 05:22pm
Audrey Haynes
Yesterday I was so distracted by those pretty pink pistols I forgot I don’t vote for Winnebago Board members. I live in Ogle County. And I’m telling you, we need a shakeup in THAT group.
I won’t even START a rant on the courthouse issue; others are taking on that battle. But while one little gem of a decision the Ogle County board made a couple of months ago escaped the public’s attention, it’s still gnawing at me.
According to the official minutes from the March 18 board meeting, board chairman Ed Rice told the group, “Some members of the County Board have felt infringed upon when they are being recorded and not knowing they are being recorded.”
Well, cry me a river. Poor, elected, accountable-to-the-public officials. They shouldn’t have to worry about what they say at a PUBLIC MEETING, should they? I mean, what if they something stupid, something they really MEAN? We can’t have THAT on tape now, can we? (And besides, how does one decide he or she is being infringed upon, anyway? Do they mean they feel their rights are being infringed upon? )
So, rather than deciding among themselves that they should, for example, think before they speak, they decided they will require anyone wanting to record one of their meetings to ask and get permission from the Almighty Chairman before starting to record. Nevermind that the LAW –a/k/a the Illinois Open Meetings Act–states: “any person may record the proceedings at meetings required to be open by this Act by tape, film or other means.” 5 ILCS 120/2.05.
Here are the members who voted in favor of this ridiculous resolution: White, Bowers, Colbert, Diehl, Gronewald, Hopkins, Horner, Huntley, Kenney, Nye, Scholl, Stahl, Swanson and Rice.
Ogle county voters: remember their names when you see them on your ballot.
Audrey Haynes
May 20th, 2008 12:46pm
Audrey Haynes
I can’t wait for the day I can carry around a fabulously fashionable Ruger in my favorite pink purse right next to my pink tweed wallet. (http://www.jimsgunsupply.com/DuraCoat/dc/DuraCoat_FLAMING_PINK_RUGER_95_030808.jpg) But to tell you the truth, the Glock is really calling out to me, too. (http://www.jimsgunsupply.com/DuraCoat/dc/DuraCoat_GLOCK_HOTPINK_030808.jpg)
WWYC? (What would you choose?)
I’m sure all those other women — like the 70 who called Winnebago County Board member Fred Wescott to push for a local concealed carry measure — are probably opting for the latter.
Oh wait, they weren’t all women? I wonder how many of them were? You don’t think this is a testosterone-laden issue, do you? But I digress….
As much as I anticipate finally getting the right to pack hot pink heat in my handbag, I think Chuck Sweeny was right on target the other day when he suggested Illinois needs a concealed carry law, not the county. Yesterday, Winnebago County Sheriff Dick Meyers said it’s “cut and dried”—there’s no way the county will be able to allow its citizens to carry concealed weapons. He said he’s talked to the attorney general and the state’s attorney and they say it’s just not possible. So come on, county board members, don’t we have more important things to do here in Winnebago County? Why do we want to spend time and money researching, arguing, writing proposals, etc., etc. when we have fix-able problems with do-able solutions that need to be addressed?
Who’s up for re-election this year? And where do they stand on this issue? Maybe it’s something voters oughtta be looking into.
Meanwhile, all you pink Glock lovers out there — get a hold of your state representatives and urge them to support the 2nd Amendment: the right to bear stylish accessories…I mean arms.
Audrey Haynes
May 15th, 2008 08:56am
Audrey Haynes
At Tuesday night’s Voters Panel meeting, we broke into small groups to discuss several “pocketbook” issues and what the government’s role in managing them is.
One decision my group made was unequivocally unanimous: NOTHING the candidates are saying on pocketbook issues is resonating with any of us.
The Mighty Dubya’s call to action (oops, I used the D word…someone is going to criticize me for being disrespectful to POTUS)….anyway, Dubya’s call to action, “GO SHOPPING,” hasn’t helped. While we’re eyeing that logo-clad Coach handbag while fondling an oh-so-British Burberry scarf, our creditors are rubbing their hands together in anticipation.
The personal debt many of us are racking up pales in comparison to the mountain of foreign debt this administration has managed to accumulate. GO SHOPPING! Oh, yeah, baby! Let’s see what a trillion borrowed dollars can do for America. Bombs and humvees and machine guns, oh my! But wait….sorry….!….we just have to draw the line at giving our Iraq veterans the care they were promised. That’s just way too extravagant.
What we members of the Voters Panel want to hear is a challenge, a call for sacrifice, a dare, even, for us to come together as one nation, under God, and — you guessed it —indivisible, to put this country back on track.
And if WE can sacrifice together for a shared purpose, so should our leaders. Let’s hold them to a higher standard. When they say “Go shopping,” let’s tell them to “Get packing.”
Audrey HaynesÂ
May 14th, 2008 12:08pm
Audrey Haynes
Last night, the Register Star’s Voters convened for the second time. I was shocked to learn that one of our most conservative members, Jeff Rushing, died of a brain aneurysm in late March. He was only 45.
I haven’t been keeping up with our blog for the past two months because I started a new, demanding job, but I want to express belated condolences to his family.
When I “googled” Jeff’s name last night to find out what happened, I came across something his stepdaughter had written about the man she called her “hero.”
“He was a die-hard Republican, and said we were all Republicans…we just didn’t know it yet.”
So today, I will put aside my bleeding-heart Liberal tendencies and become a Republican - just for a day - in Jeff’s memory. I’ll miss his contributions to our group….his ideas stopped many of us in our tracks and he made us think twice about important issues. I’m sure his children will carry on his legacy - even if they don’t know it yet.
Audrey Haynes
May 8th, 2008 01:10pm
Jon Murray
Ok, I know I have some nostalgia for the ‘70s and the back to nature and simple living lifestyle, but I’m thinkin’ the current economic crisis has roots in our desire to live way too big and way too fast. Here’s what’s behind my theory…people are wanting bigger houses, bigger cars, more fast food and just more toys. Along the way we’ve become a disposable society with little regard for anything used. Of course to acquire and live bigger and faster it takes more money. Lots more money!  We have created a never ending cycle of seeking much higher wages resulting in much higher consumer prices.   It’s almost a crazed frenzy of wanting more and more and it’s to the point of spiraling out of control.  I think we need to return to a lifestyle that encompasses more simplicity …recycling, growing our own, buying locally, making our own, shunning bigger cars and bigger houses, renovating old neighborhoods instead of building new subdivisions, fixing our cars and making them last longer, etc.  Â
Since I’m not an economist this theory may be completely off base, but I have a feeling there is at least some truth in what I’m saying.   You might think I sound like an old hippie, but, in our family we’re going to be seeking more of the simple life.  Â
 
Jon MurrayÂ
May 4th, 2008 11:15am
Jon Murray
I was listening to Prairie Home Companion last night (I know, it’s one of those liberal Public Radio shows). They were broadcasting from Bangor, Maine.  Anyway, I learned that most flights with servicemen and women returning from the middle east land in Bangor.  Has to do with the length of the runway and it’s location on the east coast. So, what the city of Bangor does is to ensure that there are at least 200 citizens of the Bangor area to meet each and every flight. This can be any time of day…24 - 7. They bring cookies, cheers and good wishes to those returning. This story brought a tear to my eye. Despite the the fact that this is a ridiculous conflict, I’m glad that the returning servicemen/women receive a reception that reminiscent of the homecomings of old.
Jon Murray
May 4th, 2008 11:04am
Jon Murray
Jimmy Carter has accomplished more in a week of negotiating in the middle east than what has happened in the past seven years of double talk and posturing from the Bush administration. Common sense, honesty, intelligence, a knowledge of history and people skills are the ingredients for successful diplomacy. Jimmy Carter has been the recipient of a lot of criticism over the the year, but, I sure miss his presidency.
Jon Murray
May 2nd, 2008 08:10am
Don R. Gugliuzza
Give the voters the option of recalling ineffective or corrupt elected officials in Illinois? What a stupid idea. Who can trust the same people who mistakenly elected those people in the first place, with the power to un-elect them? Apparently, the Illinois Senate is proud of the tradition in Illionois that sends a high percentage of Governor’s to prison. This is the same body of elected officials that allowed themselves a 10% pay increase and will, in all probablility get another pay increase of 11.7%. This is the same group that governs over a state that has a $3 billion shortfall, is slow in paying it’s bills, has a crumbling infrastructure and, in general, is mismanaged to historic proportions. Why in the world would they be afraid to let the electorate in this state be able to cull out the corrupt, self-serving and/or inept elected “representatives?”
Well, here’s a news flash for those Senators who voted against giving us the opportunity to vote on whether we want the ability to recall those that don’t deserve the public trust. We do have recall in this state. It’s called a general election. All we need to do is identify those Senators who voted against the constitutional amendment that would allow recall and vote against them in the next election. We need to bring democracy back to our state and our country. This would be a good start.
April 28th, 2008 08:53pm
Jon Murray
We cannot allow ourselves to become gasoline price “victims”! Sure, prices are up, I don’t like it (I drive 48 miles round trip each day) and it’s easy to complain about. The fact is, however, we can be in control of our destiny when it comes to travel and fuel use. We can choose to drive reasonably sized vehicles; we can purchase hybrid vehicles; we can car pool; and for you lucky ones who live close enough to work you can ride your bikes.  I’m not sure that politicians can do anything about the high prices. What we can do, however, is insist that our politicians provide for more incentives for gas conserving vehicles for both the consumer to purchase and the manufacturers to develop. Furthermore, we can expect our government to encourage and demand for increased research and development for more high tech batteries and hydrogen as fuel sources. For a country as technologically advanced as the US, it’s pretty hard to accept that we are still years away from reasonable options in alternate fuel technologies. There is no overwhelming reason to drive gas guzzlers. Do we really want to give the oil producers the kind of control over us that is currently happening? Let’s take control and use lemons and make lemonade!
Jon MurrayÂ
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