OPINION

Mike Madigan does get to select his successor
Mike Madigan does get to select his successor The decision on who should succeed #MichaelJMadigan in the #22ndDistrict belongs to the voters, not to the news media media … Click to Read
Trump’s acquittal exposes the hypocrisy of the Far Left
Trump’s acquittal exposes the hypocrisy of the Far Left The lack of evidence, not cowardly Republicans, brought down the Democrat insurrection of impeachment conviction against Donald Trump. There … Click to Read
Seniors are pushed aside in Illinois COVID-19 vaccination program
Seniors are pushed aside in Illinois COVID-19 vaccination program Illinois isn’t even halfway through giving COVID-19 vaccinations to seniors and Gov. J.B. Pritzker is already talking about expanding … Click to Read
Trump trial driven more by politics than truth
Trump trial driven more by politics than truth There is absolutely no basis for a conviction of President Trump. Being an unpopular, misogynist and a self-centered egotist is … Click to Read
Who is Adam Kinzinger trying to kid?
Who is Adam Kinzinger trying to kid? After years of supporting former President Donald Trump trying to advance his own career, Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois’ 16th District … Click to Read
Slight slowdown in COVID-19 cases in Orland Park
Slight slowdown in COVID-19 cases in Orland Park Coronavirus COVID-19 continues its threatening levels in Orland Park, which has become the symbol of the anti-face mask movement because … Click to Read

News Wire

Building on Efforts to Protect Illinois Families, Gov. Pritzker Delivers Third Balanced Budget Proposal
Building on Efforts to Protect Illinois Families, Gov. Pritzker Delivers Third Balanced Budget Proposal Proposed Budget Does Not Increase Income Taxes, Closes Nearly $1 Billion in Corporate Tax Loopholes; Invests in Human Services to Strengthen Safety Net During Pandemic Crisis With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to hurt families across Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker proposed his third balanced budget, closing nearly $1 billion in corporate tax loopholes and holding overall state spending flat, while strengthening the social safety net. The proposed budget does not increase income taxes for hardworking Illinois families. The administration proposes significant government efficiencies, as well as strategically maximizing federal dollars and bending the cost curve of government through flat spending. The proposed budget: • ends $1 billion in giveaways to corporations; • strengthens safety net services for all Illinois residents in need; • protects education funding as the federal government directs billions to schools; • continues investments in economic development, infrastructure and the environment; • and creates a more equitable Illinois through criminal justice reforms. The Governor and the administration will continue to advance long-term structural budget improvements that continue the stronger fiscal trajectory Illinois was on before the pandemic while focusing on economic recovery for the hardest hit. Click here to review the Budget in Brief and the complete FY22 Budget Book. GOVERNOR PRITZKER’S STATE OF THE STATE AND BUDGET ADDRESS Good afternoon to the esteemed lawmakers who are joining us remotely, and to all the people of Illinois, who have endured so much this past year. Joining me today are two people essential to my work as governor: the incomparable lieutenant governor, Juliana Stratton, and my remarkable wife, First Lady MK Pritzker. As you’ve probably noticed, this State of the State speech looks a lot different than it has in the past. Standing inside a crowded room to deliver a formal address is not possible right now – nor would it be appropriate. But the people of Illinois need to hear from their Governor about where we are and where we’re headed – regardless of how unprecedented the times. Nearly no one alive today has lived through anything that could have prepared them for the past year. To gain perspective on these last 12 months, I looked for an anchoring moment in our history – a moment that can remind us of what we can endure and survive together. So today I’m coming to you from the Illinois State fairgrounds in Springfield. You see, over one hundred years ago, in October of 1918, a 100-bed emergency make-shift hospital was constructed here to care for Illinoisans afflicted with what became known as the Spanish Flu – because there was no more room at the hospitals. Doctors and nurses at St. John’s Springfield hospital, and those here at the fairgrounds alike were desperate. It seemed that as quickly as patients came in, they were dying even faster. And everything was made all the more dire because so many healthcare professionals were overseas on the fighting fields of World War One even as this microscopic enemy raged on the home front. One of the young nurses was a native of Loami, Illinois – a woman by the name of Hallie Staley Kinter. Many years later, when she was in her 80’s, Hallie recounted to oral historians at the University of Illinois how she and another nurse had worked together and about their pandemic experience. Hallie said, “In 1918 we had the flu epidemic. Which was a very difficult time. The doctors hardly knew what it was when it first came. And you’d have to have the windows open and the rooms were so awfully cold at night and, well, it was hard. Of course the other nurse, she went down with the flu, and then I followed shortly after. I made it through, but she died. And I always felt bad about that – she didn’t make it, but I did.” Last September, I hosted Memorial Services for those who’ve lost loved ones and friends in this current COVID pandemic. It was attended in person by a few of the family members of Illinoisans who had died of Covid so far and tens of thousands tuned in to attend remotely. I knew that the pandemic was far from over. But I also knew that people had not had a chance to collectively grieve. Indeed, so many Illinoisans who have lost family and friends to this terrible disease were not even able to have the full funeral services they might normally have had to celebrate the lives and mourn the loss of their loved ones. So on a beautiful early September night, in the Cathedral at the University of Chicago, Lieutenant Governor Stratton and I bore witness to the grief of several Illinois families – who came to speak to the memories of those who were loved and lost – and to represent our collective sorrow. One of the last individuals to give testimony that night was Lawrence LeBlanc, whose wife of 23 years, Joyce Pacubas-LeBlanc was an ICU nurse at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. Much like Hallie Kinter a hundred years earlier, Joyce rushed in where others feared to tread. Her husband said, “When the pandemic started, I asked her to please stay home. But she said no. That was her calling, that’s why she joined the nursing profession.” Joyce, a nurse for more than 30 years, passed away from COVID-19 on April 23rd, 2020. About 23,500 Illinoisans died from the Spanish Flu. As of today, we have lost more than 20,000 Illinoisans to COVID-19. The man who preceded me in this job by a century, Governor Lowden, issued a proclamation in October of 1918 telling residents, “It is advisable to prevent all unnecessary social gatherings for the present.” The Illinois Director of Public Health at the time, Dr. St. Clair Drake, warned citizens that “every community in Illinois will be affected by […]
Fire hydrants had to be dug out by firefighters while fighting apartment blaze
Fire hydrants had to be dug out by firefighters while fighting apartment blaze Firefighters in the Town of Cicero had to dig out fire hydrants to access water while fighting a fire that destroyed two apartments in a two-story, 12-unit apartment building on Wednesday morning. Fire Chief Dominck Buscemi said that fortunately there were no injuries in the fire that took under one hour to extinguish at 26th St and 56th Ct, but he said valuable time was taken to clear the hydrant. Buscemi urged residents in the Town of Cicero to clear snow from the fire hydrants near their homes in the event that an emergency situation arises. He said that between fires and emergency calls, firefighters are shoveling snow from around hydrants but noted there are more than 1,200 in the Town and that even when snow is removed one day, a storm the next can cover them up again. “Our firefighters are out there everyday digging out the fire hydrants in the Town of Cicero to ensure they are easily visible in the event of an emergency,” Buscemi said. “But there are more than 1,200 fire hydrants in Cicero and even when we clear them, a snowfall the next day or day after. Like we have seen almost everyday for the past two weeks, covers them up again.” Buscemi stressed that residents should monitor their hydrants and take a few minutes to clear the snow and ensure they stay visible. “The residents at this apartment building this morning never expected a fire,” Buscemi said of the fire that was reported at 7:50 am. “We were lucky that no one was injured and the fire was limited to only two of the units.” Buscemi said that more than 40 people lived in the 12 unit building and that two of the units were deem uninhabitable as a result of the fire. One apartment was completed gutted by fire while the second was seriously damaged by smoke. The majority of the residents were allowed to return to their apartments, but the Town of Cicero is working to find temporary shelter for two families in the two units that were damaged.
Mike Del Galdo named 1 of 8 Illinois “Best” local government lawyers
Mike Del Galdo named 1 of 8 Illinois “Best” local government lawyers Mike Del Galdo of the Del Galdo Law Group tapped as “Super Lawyer” for 11th Year in a Row A national legal magazine is out with its 2021 list of best Illinois lawyers naming eight Chicago-area attorneys as the state’s “super” local government lawyers, including Berwyn-based attorney Michael Del Galdo. “Super Lawyers” magazine, part of Thomson Reuters, just rolled out its 2021 list of top lawyers – “Illinois Super Lawyers” – and selected, among approximately 85,000 licensed Illinois attorneys, just 5% of Illinois barristers as “super lawyers”. Within its 70 practice categories reviewed, the magazine identified just eight state, local, and municipal attorneys as “super lawyers”, all of whom are from the Chicago-area, including Michael Del Galdo of the Berwyn-based, Del Galdo Law Group, LLC. Del Galdo has been named an Illinois “Super Lawyer” for 11 years in a row. Additionally, Law Bulletin Media continues to annually recognize Michael Del Galdo as a “Leading Lawyer” in the State of Illinois.” Founding his now 27-strong attorney firm in 1998, Del Galdo represents multiple park districts, school districts, municipalities, and other units of government in Cook, DuPage, and the collar Counties as the general counsel or special counsel, including: Village of Broadview, Village of Melrose Park; Village of Morton Grove, Village of Steger; Town of Cicero; City of Berwyn; City of Chicago Heights; Village of Stickney, City of Waukegan, City of Zion; legislative counsel for the Village of Dixmoor, among others. Del Galdo, also a leading election law and campaign attorney in Illinois, said that he owes his selection to providing 24/7 accessibility; unfailing attention to the fine print; and relentless monitoring and parrying of endless new state laws that annually alter the legal playing field in which local governments operate. “A mayor has to be able to reach you just as easily and quickly on a Saturday night as on a Monday morning,” said Del Galdo. “And your advice must obviously be cognizant of not only the nuances of current law, but also – and equally as important – looming changes to law coming from Springfield.” Del Galdo, added, “A good local government also needs to be able to work with lawmakers to change or blunt laws that negatively impact our mayors and school boards,” said Del Galdo. “That’s what I do. And that’s what makes our firm unique.” For more information on Michael Del Galdo and his law firm, visit his website at www.dlglawgroup.com.
Orland Park: McLaughlin slams Pekau’s political campaign lies
Orland Park: McLaughlin slams Pekau’s political campaign lies Three lies (and one just plain weird thing) Keith Pekau said during the Orland Park Chamber of Commerce Town Hall. At this point, we’re not sure if Keith Pekau even hears the lies he tells. During Wednesday’s Chamber of Commerce Town Hall (Feb. 10, 2021), Mayor Keith Pekau continued his campaign of misinformation. This is yet another example of the mayor’s tendency to manufacture political talking points and point fingers instead of taking responsibility and getting to work for Orland Park residents. Here are three lies (and one just plain weird thing) he said during the town hall. 1 – Claimed the Orland Square Mall is “probably the safest place to be in Orland Park.” Crime at the mall is real, and it’s one of the most common concerns villagers express. The mall has been “the site of where many increased incidents of violence have taken place during the past few years,” and Pekau was caught on video admitting he doesn’t like going to the mall without carrying a gun — yet he’s done nothing to actually address citizens’ security concerns. 2 – Tried to cover up his failure to aid small businesses. Pekau said the village “doesn’t have the money” to help small businesses recover from the pandemic, yet he was able to conduct a failed, frivolous lawsuit over the state’s mask mandate, and he wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars by forcing through this summer’s concert, food festival, and keeping the pool open — all using taxpayer dollars. At the beginning of the pandemic, he even attacked a fellow village board member for advocating that the village should support small businesses. 3 – Lied about the history of development on the I-80 Corridor. To cover up for his own failings on the development of the I-80 Corridor, Pekau played his classic move of pointing fingers and looking backward. Meanwhile he’s failed to make any progress on the development of the I-80 corridor in the last four years. Now for the weirdness — Pekau implied that he opposed the mask mandate and filed a failed taxpayer-funded lawsuit against the mandate, in part because he thinks babies could be arrested for not wearing a mask. We’re not even sure what to say about this one…but it’s certainly not a valid reason to oppose the CDC-recommended mask mandate and make it more confusing for businesses and residents to know what rules to follow so they can get back to work.

STATEWIDE NEWS

22nd District officials will name new successor to Madigan
22nd District officials will name new successor to Madigan By Ray Hanania After the surprise decision by Edward Kodatt to withdraw from the appointment to succeed Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan as the representative …
Kodatt selected to succeed Madigan by 22nd District community leaders
Kodatt selected to succeed Madigan by 22nd District community leaders Leaders of the 22nd Illinois House District voted to name longtime district resident Edward Kodatt as the successor to fill the seat held since 1971 …

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Young Wolves seize opener with 3-1 win over Griffins

The Chicago Wolves opened their 27th season with a 3-1 American Hockey League victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday night at Triphahn Center.

Forwards Tommy Novak and Seth Jarvis and defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald scored for the Wolves — the 19-year-old Jarvis tallying the game-winner in his first professional game — while 19-year-old forward Phil Tomasino added two assists in his first game as Chicago (1-0-0-0) captured its seventh home opener in the last nine years.

Goaltender Antoine Bibeau (1-0-0) rejected 22 shots to earn the win as the Wolves played for the first time since March 8, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a very young group, but with some experienced players,” said Wolves head coach Ryan Warsofsky. “I think they were really excited after a long time off. We were surprised at the pace and the physicality — just the coaching staff talking about it after the first period. It’s definitely a positive.”

The Griffins (0-1-0-0) scored first at 7:38 as veteran Kris Criscuolo capitalized on the visitors’ first power play of the season. He went to the net and knocked home a pass from Riley Barber.

The Wolves answered at 18:26 of the first as defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald jumped into the rush and fired after flying down the left wing. Goaltender Pat Nagle (26 saves) made the initial stop, but Novak flew in for an acrobatic rebound and the 1-1 tie.

Chicago took its first lead at 2:09 of the second on Jarvis’ power-play goal. Tomasino, Dominik Bokk and Jarvis — three NHL first-round picks making their North American professional debuts — connected on a perfect tic-tac-toe to find Jarvis open in the slot.

“I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time now,” Jarvis said. “It was great getting my feet wet and, obviously, scoring is going to make it pretty memorable, I think. On the power play, we have a bunch of young guys and it’s nice to do it with them and make plays with them.”

Fitzgerald gave the Wolves some breathing room at the 13:01 mark when he blasted a slap shot through traffic from the top of the left circle.

The Wolves face a quick turnaround as they hit the road for a 3 p.m. game Saturday against the Rockford IceHogs. The Wolves also added a 2 p.m. home game versus the IceHogs at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9.

#WEARETHEWOLVES#

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A critic of mainstream news media bias, Hanania advocates for peace & justice for Israel & Palestine, & the empowerment of Arabs in America.

Click here to listen to Ray's Political Podcast.

Hanania's columns are archived on his personal website at RayHanania.com. Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Hanania is President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group which provides communications services to governments and private businesses, and hosts writing training workshops, and publishes books.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

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Young Wolves seize opener with 3-1 win over Griffins

Young Wolves seize opener with 3-1 win over Griffins

The Political Pundit