By Steve Rhodes
1. Half-man, half-cow questions president’s identity.
Posted on April 29, 2011
Dick Durbin Hates The Internet
Jesse Jackson Jr. Also An Ignorant Economic Illiterate
1. By Melissa Leu/Illinois Statehouse News:
Illinois’ online sales tax law may soon go national.
A plan proposed by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called the “Main Street Fairness Act,” would create a national law that forces online retailers to start collecting sales taxes on purchases made over the Internet. Amounts will be based on each state’s already existing sales tax rates.
Posted on April 28, 2011
Should The Nation’s Unemployed Be Buying New Apple Computers?
By The Onion
Panelists discuss how owning a top-of-the-line MacBook or an iPad 2 is actually essential to finding a new job.
Posted on April 25, 2011
Illinois Farm Team Deploying To Afghanistan
From Springfield To Kunar
“A group of about 60 Illinois National Guard soldiers is getting ready to spend a year in Afghanistan working with the country’s farmers,” AP reports.
“The guard says the 14th Agriculture Development Team is made up of soldiers from around Illinois. Their backgrounds and professions make them good candidates to help develop Afghan agriculture. They’ll work with farmers on their growing techniques and with government on agricultural infrastructure.”
Posted on April 22, 2011
Hazing Freshmen
By The Beachwood Freshmen Affairs Desk
“Freshman hazing a tradition in Illinois General Assembly.”
We have some suggestions:
* Embarrass a freshman by making them complete an ethics course.
* Freshmen are required to wear Michael Madigan’s dirty laundry on the floor.
* Disable a freshman’s “Present” voting button.
* Assign a freshman to read a bill and report back to the caucus. Then pretend to care.
Posted on April 20, 2011
The Rich Aren’t Like You & Me; They Don’t Pay Taxes
By The Beachwood Tea Party
1. “Still scrambling to file your taxes? You’ll probably take little consolation in hearing that the super rich pay a lot less taxes than they did a couple of decades ago,” AP reports. “And nearly half of U.S. households pay no income taxes at all.”
2. The Real GE Scandal.
3. Over The Last Five Years, Boeing’s Total Tax Rate Was 4.5 Percent.
4. A Little Extortion Never Hurts The Bottom Line.
See also: New Caterpillar CEO’s Compensation Quadruples.
Posted on April 18, 2011
Here We Go Again
By AP
President Barack Obama kicked his formidable fundraising operation into action Thursday in Chicago, telling supporters his 2012 campaign will focus on fixing the country’s money problems without doing harm to “the America we believe in.”
Posted on April 15, 2011
Illinois Legislators Oppose Freedom Of Information
By Andrew Thomason/Illinois Statehouse News
The Illinois Legislature might make the state’s Freedom of Information Act less open.
A measure moving through the state Senate would restrict some records that are available to the public. The plan comes a little more than a year after sweeping changes in the law made it easier for the public to access public records through Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act.
“I think a lot of the changes that are being proposed right now are premature at best,” said Josh Sharp of the Illinois Press Association. “And a lot of them are just not at all in the public’s interest.”
Posted on April 13, 2011
Save The Data!
By The Sunlight Foundation
Many important government transparency programs may be cut by Congress. Help us defend them.
Posted on April 12, 2011
Enduring Freedom: Spc. Joshua Smith
Produced by Staff Sgt. Joshua Peargin
This edition features SPC Joshua Smith, a Metal Worker from Chicago, Ill.
Posted on April 11, 2011