Mayor Davlin Challenged

Tuesday evening the Springfield City Council approved an ordinance that would give alderman access to personnel records as it pertains to their jobs funding the various departments. This ordinance past over the objections of the Mayor and the two legal hacks from the CWLP and police unions.

With the new makup of the council, the Mayor no longer will be allowed to operate unchallenged and it appears that there is not a single alderman that is going to take their marching orders from the Mayor blindly; which is a far cry from the likes of Chuck Redpath.

Speaking of Redpath, he was on 1450 WFMB this morning blabbering away that the council needs to know their place. Well I have news for Chuck Redpath, the council apparently knows their place a lot better than you did; they so far refuse to stick their head in the sand and just take whatever the Mayor says as gospel.

Now we will see if the Mayor has the wherewithal to actuall veto the ordinance, I would give 3 to 1 odds he just signs the ordinance.

It is time

I have been waiting for months now with anticipation for Senator Fred Dalton Thompson to announce his decision on whether to seek the Republican nomination for President. So far, the Senator has only formed an exploratory committee and gave a few speeches.

Considering the field of Republicans who have already announced, Thompson would be the hands down choice for conservatives, and yet, we still wait.

Time is running out on the Senator, staffers will only wait so long for a candidate to make his/her decision and the available funds is also dwindling; a fact that I am sure the Democrats have not missed. Recently, the LA Times made an attempt to paint Thompson as an abortion flip flopper - the question is why? Are they scared that Thompson represents the best chance the Republicans have next fall? Are they afraid that Thompson has face recognition with his portrayal of District Attorney Arthur Branch on the NBC series Law and Order? Or are they just afraid that a fresh face will shake this race up and turn it on its head?

Only the LA Times knows, but this much I do know - it is time for the Senator to either get in or get out.

Smelling like a rose in a barn.

It is now Monday night, and with the deadline of Wednesday (as per Dan Hynes) for a new budget looming large, its time for Mr. Madigan to call the Governors bluff.

The illustrious Governor of Illinois has threatened to shutdown the state government if he does not get his way with the budget, despite the fact that he has come up with nada ways of paying for his spending packages; unless of course you count the ill-fated GRT (Gross Receipts Tax) which has already been shot down by the legislature.

I could be proven wrong, but I just do not think this Governor has the cojones to actually receive a budget passed by the two chambers and just sit on it for 60 days and then veto it. Even if he did, I believe its time for Madigan to call him on it and force him to actually shut everything down.......the ball is in Madigans court at this point.

Hanging in the balance of course is the Illinois State Fair, which is scheduled to begin Wednesday with the 4H cattle and showmanship shows that evening. It would be a real shame if this hairdo Governor put his political showmanship above that of these kids who have worked their tails off all year to get this point.

Come on Madigan, if you handle this right you really could come out of the barn smelling like a rose.

Most Compelling video

From time to time I receive an email from a friend, business associate or family member with a link to a video or clip; most of the time they are humorous in nature. Seldom do I come across a video that pulls at my heart strings.......well here is one that did just that.

No politics involved, just a video that expresses a 15 year olds view......

http://www.youtube.com/v/ervaMPt4Ha0&autoplay=1

I hope that you will find it as moving as I did.

18th Congressional seat could be a barn burner

From the rumor mill:

With Congressman Raymond Lahood deciding not to seek relection next year, the 18th Congressional Seat race could turn into the barn burner of the decade. Two popular politicians are being touted as the answers to each parties success in holding on or gaining the seat.

From the Republican side there is talk that Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson coming off of his landslide reelection would be the perfect choice; he has voter appeal, an outstanding track record as sheriff, no major baggage to contend with, charismatic, and is popular with both Republicans and Democratic voters. I would agree that Williamson would be a great choice and with the recent personnel moves within the sheriffs department, it is a better than 50% bet that Neil will toss his hat into the ring.

The only issue is, he does not currently live in the 18th and would have to move out of Chatham; but that is not the first time a politician has moved for political reasons.

On the Democratic side there is the current Springfield Mayor, Tim Davlin. Davlin also is coming off of a landslide victory, is charismatic, can talk it up with the best of them and has a huge warchest available. He is tight with Dick Durbin and as much as it pains me to say, he would prove to be a formidable candiate if for no other reason than he is quite good at making lemonade from lemons when it comes to bad press.

The mayor does have some issues which he will have to contend with, his volatile relationship with the Springfield City Council, his handling of the budget issues, his secret deal with the Sierra Club, and his relationship with the Governor. On the other hand, Peoria is a Democratic stronghold and would have excellent curb appeal with the voters there.

If I were a betting man, I would call this a horse race at this point between these two; Williamson if he is able to articulate his positions clearly would have the inside edge, but with his good ole boy personality, it will take more than just a half hearted effort.

Rumors are flying about

I ran into a State Rep tonight at a convenience store on the South East side of Springfield and they hinted that there was a good possibility that the Illinois Legislature would be voting on a budget Thursday.

Is there actually a light at the end of the tunnel or is this another one of those high hopefuls that never materializes beyond the figment of my imagination stage?

Customer Service - Something AMFAM need work on.

I came across a situation today that I thought I would share with you. Let me preface by saying that I am sure we can all agree that when it comes to service related industries (such as insurance companies), taking care of the needs of the customer are vitally important and honesty is ALWAYS the ONLY policy.

A friend of mine described the following ordeal he has experienced with American Family Insurance Company and it brought up the issue of customer service front and center. Back in May AMFAM apparently informed him that they were going to be increasing his rate; as it turns out the rate increase was over 60% from last year to this year. His homeowners policy was set to expire / renew on June 1, and they did not inform him of what the rate amount was going to be until approximately two weeks before its due date. You can be sure they had already invoiced the mortgage company for the money.

Like the rest of us, he was livid. With only one claim in his life on a home (amounting to less than a thousand dollars) there was little justification for that type of rate increase. As I am sure you would expect he started shopping the business. Within two days he had executed a new policy with a new carrier at a rate amount significantly less than what AMFAM wanted. He called his old agent and (listen carefully this is important) said the following "You are to cancel the homeowners policy effective immediately".

What part of that does anyone not understand? He is emphatic as to exactly what he said, and I have no reason to doubt him. If you made that statement to me I think even half drunk I would understand that you wanted the HOMEOWNERS POLICY cancelled immediately and without delay.

As it turns out, his agent was either not listening, did not care, or just wanted to get rid of him as a customer, because she cancelled his auto policies as well. He spent the next week and a half operating a motor vehicle without insurance. You can also bet that had their been a loss, AMFAM would have denied the claim and hung him out to dry.

It apparently took over ten phone calls to the corporate offices of AMFAM in order to get the issue resolved; or so it seemed at the time. Prior to this cancellation his auto policies were paid by AFT (automatic funds transfer) from his checking account. It seems that both the corporate offices of AMFAM and the agent were not very diligent in getting things set back up correctly because NOBODY mentioned to him that the AFT was not restored. A little over a month later the carrier cancelled the policy again because of what they claim was non payment.

Where was the agent in all this? MIA. Even after speaking to her two weeks before the cancellation and telling her specifically to restore the AFT, she did not get it done; now, the carrier has basically told him, go find another insurance carrier - we really do not want your business.

To top it all off, he was talking to another agent about the problem, hoping to get it resolved and found out that his agent was spreading several lies about the matter, which could only be to cover her own ineptness.

Now to some of you, this is no big deal - I certainly am not what one might call an insurance company hater and I have defended them on numerous occasions but when you are mandated by state law to carry auto coverage, as an insurance company you do not cancel a policy without making damn sure that is what the customer wanted.

I have been with my carrier for over 20 years, I would have considered AMFAM but this episode certainly makes me pause, because if there is one thing that I demand as a consumer - its customer service and if you make a mistake (such as the agent did originally) you admit it and go on.

Baseballs, they should be BANNED!

Since the Governor of Illinois wants to use the overtime session to implement some of his more dracoanian gun laws, I suggest the legislature also ban baseballs; because it is apparent after a minor league coach is killed by a line drive shot baseballs are too dangerous and we need governmental help in protecting ourselves.

Come on Gov, let's ban those nasty things........a kid has a better chance of getting clipped by a baseball in this state than he does of getting shot.

BAN 'EM I say and BAN 'EM NOW!

Health Call

Men have historically avoided doctors, hospitals, clinics and other medical services. As a result, we have paid a huge price.





The number one killer of men is prostate cancer; and the statistics are even more sobering.





This year alone, more men will die of prostate cancer than women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.





If you are 40 or older and have not had a prostate exam, I strongly suggest you take action. If diagnosed in its early stages, prostate cancer can be treated effectively, left unchecked you can be certain that your days on earth will be far fewer than planned.

Horseing drunk

Police in Virginia arrested a man and woman for attempting to ride horses while intoxicated.



The couple, Eric Scott Kyff, and Laura J. Allen were reportedly arguing near the police depot Thursday, when police officers Lonnie Myers and Tim Chilton charged them with public intoxication, the Media General News Service said.


Kyff and Allen reportedly wanted to "travel home several miles by horseback to avoid drinking and driving," police told the Media General News Service reported.
Kyff even "took off along the railroad tracks" but didn't get far before Chilton stopped him, said a police spokesman.
The two where taken to the Culpeper County Jail where they were held until the morning. Their horses were also held and returned upon their release.

Tanished

When I think of baseball, many names come to mind - Reggie Jackson and he 3 home runs in game six of the '77 World Series; Rollie Fingers and his performance in the 1982 split season as a relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers; John Smoltz and his ability to move from his role as a starter to one of the best relief pitchers in baseball history and back again as a successful starter; and lest we forget the unfortgettable Harry Doyle (Major League).





I am sure you did not miss the fact that I did not name Barry Bonds. It is without a doubt that Barry Bonds has been a formidable player throughout his career. and up until the past few years his accomplishments have been without question. Fans, players and coaches alike may question his attitude, but his true abilities and accomplishments were without blemsih.





That is until the Steroid debacle arrived on the scene.



Bonds has had accusations levied against him of steroid use and I will admit that so far there is no evidence to suggest otherwise; that is, if you ignore the fact that a Federal Grand Jury hearing evidence that he (Bonds) had previously lied under oath about steroids.



No matter what the truth is, Bonds' reputation is now tarnished and when he breaks Hanks record, there will always be an asterick next to his name.



It could have all been avoided if he had just discussed the matter in detail several years ago. Admitting after the fact is never as good as coming clean (if he did use steroids) in the beginning.

The ONLY reason John McCain is losing ground

The media has been talking up the tailspin that presidential hopeful, Senator John McCain finds himself in these days, with the talking heads placing the blame at McCains support of the Iraq war.

The truth is the war has nothing to do with it at all. Although over 70% of Americans currently want the U.S. to withdraw its forces from Iraq, those Republicans who vote in the primaries have generally supported the war from the start. Of those, 68% still support the President and his war policies and believe that the U.S. can still win.

Those are the voters that John McCain needs in order to win, but he lost them decisively when he teamed up with Senator Edward Kennedy to create an amnesty bill for illegal aliens. Conservatives by and large are law and order individuals, they believe in the right to bear arms, they believe that most law enforcement officials are honest and hard working, they believe in the death penalty, and they believe that if you want to live and work in the United States, you need to enter the country through proper channels and do so legally. What they do not believe in is rewarding illegal behaviour.

John McCain may very well believe that the bill was the right thing to do, but as for winning this election, it was the worst mistake he could have made.

Politics is TAME

There has been this argument for several years now that politics has become too mean spirited and devisive; well it certainly is better than it used to be.

Take the state of Kentucky as a perfect example. Before any officeholder can be officially seated, from the Governor to the constables of the commonwealth, they must renounce DUELING!

For those uninformed among us, dueling is where two individuals each with a loaded pistol, stand back to back and walk off a number of paces (steps), and then upon reaching the beforehand agreed to number, turn and fire. Whichever one is left standing is the winner.

The oath is still used to this very day.....makes one wonder what would happen in Illinois if Hot Rod and Maddog Mike really wanted to fight it out?

Where is personal Responsiblity today?

Josh Hancock, a 29 year old St. Louis Cardinals picher, was killed in a vehicle accident in April. At the time of the accident, the police reported that he was not only speeding, not wearing a seat belt, and was talking on his cell phone; but he was also intoxicated.

Hancock was killed when he slammed his vehicle into a second vehicle being assisted by a tow truck along side of the road.

Apparently his father does not think that any of those were Joshs' fault. He father has filed a lawsuit agains the tow-truck driver, the driver being assisted by the towing company, and the manager of the restaurant where Hancock had been drinking.

If you drink and drive, you must accept the consequences of your actions and although Josh may have paid the ultimate price for his actions, those of his father reflect society's belief that its always someone elses fault. Personal responsibility lies with all of us; well that is unless your last name happens to be Hancock.

I can only hope that the courts do the right thing and throw this case in the circular file where it belongs.

Illinois Health Care

The illustrious Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, has been holding the state legislature hostage to special sessions in an attempt to force them to include a new comprehensive health care plan in the states budget. He has all but said until he gets that, he will not allow the members of the House and Senate to return home for the summer.

Contrary to what the press is reporting, there is a budget on the plate; the Illinois House has already passed a budget but Senate President Emil Jones has so far refused to call it for a vote. In addition, the legislature has already overwhelmingly rejected the Governors Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) on businesses.

So in order to help the stalemate, I have a proposal for a health plan to cover those not currently insured.

1. If you do not currently have health insurance, you can sign up for a state financed plan provided the following conditions are met:

A. You are gainfully employed, or if you are not currently employed you must have not been fired for cause from your previous employment.

B. The State of Illinois will only cover you for up to 18 months, at which time you will have to either receive insurance from your employer or have made arrangements to purchase private insurance.

C. You will have an out of the pocket maximum of $7,500.00; comparable to many existing insurance plans currently offered in the private sector.

D. Your premiums will be based upon your annual household income.

E. ER visits will require a co-pay of $200.00.

F. Office visits will require a co-pay of $30.00.

G. all other charges will be handled on an 80/20 split.

H. You must enroll in and pass a money management course, which among other things teaches you how to manage your income vs. expenses and how to plan for unplanned expenditures.

I. You will only be allowed to enroll in the state program twice, with no less than an 18 month break between the two.

Ok, there you have it, those are the basics of my plan, is it perfect? Hell no, is it cheap? No again, but it does provide a bridge for those without coverage and with the time limits it forces people to make responsible choices as to their own lives. Pick it apart, but one thing I would not be willing to compromise on is the time limits, or the limitations regarding the employment.

Email regarding Duane Chapman

I received an interesting email early this morning from a reader that was asking why I am so "angry" with the "Dog"? "He is a good Christian and deserves your support".

Well, here is my reply:

I have no idea as to what Duane Chapman's relationship is with G-d, and to be honest it is really none of my business. What I do know is that Duane Chapman has been arrested for 16 felonies. If he had been arrested once, I very well could be convinced that it was a case of mistaken identity. If he had been arrested twice, you could probably convince me that he had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If he had been arrested three times, you MIGHT be able to convince me that he was just hanging out with the wrong crowd......but people, he has been arrested more times than I have fingers and you cannot convince me that an overwhelming majority of them were lawful arrests.

Duane Chapman is a criminal, pure and simple. Do I believe that he can atone for those wrongs? Sure, I suppose he can; but let us consider that according to the FBI, for every arrest or conviction a criminal gets away with three other crimes. So if we do the math, and I give him a huge benefit of the doubt as to the FBI's statistics, he has committed over 24 felonies. He may be able to atone for those crimes with his G-d, but as far as I am concerned, he could not possibly repay society for them.

The only other issue I have is the states of Hawaii and Colorado allowing him to engage in bail bonding and bounty hunting. In my opinion he has not earned the right to perform that type of work with his criminal history.

So there it is again......for the last time; unless of course Duane is shipped off to Mexico in which case I will write another post wishing him well on his trip!

You can't fix Stupid

Ron White, a member of the Jeff Foxworthy Blue Collar Comedy Tour, coined the phrase "You can't fix Stupid" and it is no more appropriate than today.

Linda Wagganer, 44 of Springfield, IL allegedy robbed the CVS Pharmacy on Sangamon Ave around 6pm on July 12, 2007. According to police she entered the store, took a bag of M&M's to the counter at which time she demanded the cashiers money, afterwhich she ran out of the store.

So far so good right? Apparently Ms. Wagganer in her excitement of completing her first robbery FORGOT TO TAKE HER PURSE (which included her ID) with her.

Thanks MS. Wagganer, you alone have provided all the scientific evidence one needs to validate Mr. White.

Lahood Decides Against Bradley

Congressman Ray LaHood has taken himself out of the running for President of Bradley University; or so he says. Actually, it has been reported from reliable sources for the past several weeks that LaHood would not be a finalist; which leaves one to believe that LaHood was told this and his announcement is nothing more than a face saving statement.

Congressman LaHood might be a Republican, and if I was faced between voting for him or a Democrat I would probably cast my vote his way all the while holding my nose.

LaHood has a long history of making comments that are anti-Israel and some have even bordered on being anti-Semetic; depending of course on who you talk to. I do not believe that he is an anti-Semite, but I do believe that the Congressman has a huge amount of animosity that he directs toward Israel.

I was sort of hoping he got the job, we already have enough enemies of Israel in Washington.

Libby Commutation

President Bush has issued Lewis Scooter Libby a commutation of his 30 month prison sentence, while leaving in place the $250,000.00 fine, and his probation. Those on the left are screaming that this is somehow a miscarriage of justice and we even have the likes of a liar, Joseph Wilson, calling for an investigation into the Presidents actions.

I hate to break the news to Mr. Wilson, but the Presidents ability to grant a pardon, commutation of a sentence is granted under Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution and there is no authority to reverse such action. His decision in these matters is absolute. Congress can whine, they can dance, they can scream, they can hollar, hell they can hold hearings from now until doomsday and the fact of the matter is it will not change the Libby Commutation one iota.

President Bush has issued far fewer pardons and commutations than any President in history; we can compare that to the 456 that President Clinton issued, a vast majority of them during his last days in office. Jimmy Carter issued over 500 pardons and commutations, and let us not forget the king of Democrats, Franklin D. Roosevelt who issued an overwhelming 3,687 pardons and commutations during his terms in office.

We can contrast this with the 77 issued by George H. W. Bush and the 406 by Ronald Reagan.

Its a common practice for Presidents to issue pardons and commutations, and to call this anything more is just playing politics.

It seems the Democrats are forgetting history, is that just a lapse in memory or convenience?

See ya!

I was not going to comment on the Rosie/Elizabeth flap that occured this week, primarily due to the fact I have never watched the view and will not for reasons that are just not important; however, I changed my mind. I have only one thing to say about Rosie leaving the view:


"Hey Rosie, don't let the door hit ya in that big fat ass of yours on the way out!"

I do not like Donald Trump, he is an egotistical, pompus ass but when it comes to Rosie, he was dead on the mark!

Now, that is the last word I will utter on that tub.