Calling Steve Chapman…
ArchPundit
The City of Chicago is trying to take a bike shop that’s been in the neighborhood for 35 years to put up….
To no one’s surprise the Developer is pals with the Alderman.
What John Kerry Needs to Read if He Thinks He’ll Ever Run for President Again
Read the whole thing, but do not drink liquids or be in a place where laughing so hard you cry is unaccepteable.
25 Least Influential People
Sangamon State Grad Ward Churchill clocks in at #20. Leading ArchPundit to ask yet again, who the fuck is this guy and why the fuck is the conservative blogosphere bitching about such a loser?
In at #18 is Pat Sajack with no known Illinois ties, but raises the question of if a dork farts on his own web site–does he make any noise if no one is listening?
At #12 is departed Trib Columnist and emotional schlockmeister Bob Greene. Word is he is trying to get a gig as a college professor ensuring a steady supply of young women to hit on–and be rejected by as he ages.
At #9–Alan Keyes beats out fellow primaryist Steve Forbes. After all, Keyes was in Florida for the Schiavo fiasco, while Forbes was on The Apprentice looking dorky as ever.
The Wisdom of Nugent
Apparently he’s for Enron accounting in increasing the roles of the NRA
Speaking at the NRA’s annual convention Saturday, Nugent said each NRA member should try to enroll 10 new members over the next year and associate only with other members.
Effing brilliant.
Lance Is Retiring
After his attempt for a 7th Consecutive Win at the Tour de France.
Pretty good for a guy who is supposed to be dead.
I had a professor in grad school who used to hold annual, “I’m not Dead Yet” parties. He and Lance were kindred spirits.
In other news, a decision on Tyler Hamilton’s doping trial is scheduled for today. It doesn’t look good for Hamilton, though here is his defense
House of DeLay
Frankly, the entire web is so confusing, most people confuse what DeLay scandal one is talking about. To solve that problem, the DCCC put together a fantastic primer, Tom DeLay’s House of Scandal will keep you up to date on why close DeLay associate Jack Abramoff appears ready to talk.
A description of the effort to keep him around is available at the New Yorker.
Cross Attacks Dunn’s Plan to Send Money to the Formula
Tom Cross attacks Dunn’s position to send more money into the formula instead of into categorical assistance. Why? Because that is where suburban districts get most of their cash. Using the example of Palatine that I’ve been using for some time due to comments about the District–Palatine gets about 3% of its funding from the state under the general formula. It gets over 8% of its funding from categorical assistance which John Patterson’s article does a good job describing.
It’s hard to fault Cross for representing the concerns of relatively well off suburban districts, but frankly, the greatest need is in inner ring suburbs and rural areas where an increase in funding of the formula would help the most.
Over time categorical aid has become more significant for two reasons. First, and most legitimately, schools do a lot more than they used to including more special ed, more transportation and more special needs requirements mandated by the feds and state government. Second, relatively well off districts know they won’t get a ton from the general formula, have pushed state reps to put increases in categorical aid instead of the general fund formula.
Patterson’s article is good at pointing out the basic issues and much better than most school funding articles. Kudos for a good job.
A stain on the House
I personally want Tom DeLay around for the midterms, but it’s not looking good when the Republican Trib calls on him to step down and takes a shot at Denny for letting him stick around (of course, Denny doesn’t ‘let’ DeLay do anything–DeLay ‘lets’ Denny be Speaker since DeLay doesn’t have the votes.
But Republican leaders have to go beyond that. They can’t continue to aid the efforts by DeLay to dodge responsibility. The worst example is this: After the Ethics Committee rebuked DeLay for the third time, the GOP leadership neutered the Ethics Committee. The Republican chairman of the committee, Rep. Joel Hefley, was removed from his post over his objections, and the committee rules were changed so either party could block an investigation of a House member.
Republicans can argue that the committee chairmanship was due to rotate. But the rules change to block investigations was an incredibly blind and arrogant tactic. Don’t blame DeLay for that one. Blame House Speaker Dennis Hastert for letting it happen.
Hastert may be calculating that his friend DeLay can survive this ethics mess without doing too much damage to his party before the 2006 midterm elections. But the decision to stop the Ethics Committee from effectively doing its business stains the entire GOP leadership.
A Gallup poll released last week said only 38 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job, while 54 percent disapprove. Mr. Speaker?
Republicans have enjoyed a good, decade-long run in control of the House. Maybe so good they’ve forgotten that they took power in large part because voters were fed up with the arrogant, ethically questionable practices of Washington. It would be ironic if the GOP lost power for the same reason.
20 Years of Talking–Solution–Keep Talking!
So what happens when you do that? You leave two unsustainable districts into one–and districts that are doing fine never have to accept consolidating Districts–leaving the pool small for those that do consolidate.
That doesn’t solve anything, it just prolongs the problem.