Illinois Marathon Pundit

2010-02-14T18:10:00.001-06:00

2009-09-17T08:23:00.002-05:00

Finland, Finland, Finland.
The country where I want to be,
Pony trekking or camping,
Or just watching TV,
Finland, Finland, Finland.
It's the country for me.

You're so near to Russia.
So far from Japan,
Quite a long way from Cairo,
Lots of miles from Vietnam.
Monty Python, "Finland," 1980.

And quite some distance from Houghton, Michigan, on the Upper Peninsula. The. U.P. is the only place in America where people of Finnish descent. Wikipedia states (and I don't have any reason to question it) that 16 percent of the population of the Upper Peninsula claims Finnish ancestry, and it is the only place in the United States that has counties with a plurality of residents with Finnish blood.

Once I entered the Keweenaw Peninsula--the U.P. has its own peninsulas--I began to notice Finnish-surnamed roads.

The Finnish wave of immigration to the Upper Peninsula occurred in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many of them found work as loggers or toiling in the then- thriving copper and iron mines.

Houghton is known, at least in Michigan, as the home of Michigan Tech University. Finlandia University is Houghton's other college. The streetlight poles of downtown Houghton alternate American and Finnish flags.

Mining will be the subject of my next few Upper Peninsula Upventure posts.

2009-09-08T09:50:00.002-05:00

The Tea Party Express came to Mishawaka, Indiana yesterday afternoon. About 2,000 Hoosier patriots, joined by many of the Michigan brethren, gathered around in Battell Park, next to a band shell dedicated to Americans who served during World War I.

It was the twentieth stop of the 33 city tour, which will end on Saturday in Washington--on the steps of the US Capitol.

A few minutes after the Express visited New Lenox, Illinois, --which had 10,000 attendees, I spoke with Blue Star Mom Deborah Jones, pictured on the right, by telephone.

I asked her what had been the response so far to the rallies, and she replied. "Phenomenal. Absolutely, positively overwhelmingly encouraging. A sleeping giant has awakened within people who are finally getting out of their easy chair to come out and say, 'We haven't been proactive in our lives as far as the direction of our government.'" Johns than rattled off every imaginable level of government that citizens can get involved in--the Tea Party movement isn't just about President Obama--although the lion's share of the focus in Mishawaka, and presumably other stops, has been the overreach of Obama and Congress.

The neat thing about these rallies, in my opinion--are you reading this Nancy Pelosi?--is that these are truly grass roots events. Johns told me, "I can't tell you how many people I've heard from that have said that we have never come out to a political event or a protest event in their lives."

I can say the same thing. Several people told me that yesterday, and I heard similar sentiments at the four other Tea Parties I've attended.

The rally began with the Pledge of Allegiance and an emotional performance of Our National Anthem by Diane Nagy. She handed over the microphone to Lloyd Marcus, who sang his "American Tea Party Anthem."

Some of the speakers danced, and well, what they lacked in technique they made up with enthusiasm. Female volunteers, the quickly assembled "Lloydettes," created a line dance.

After we finish the bus tour, that have to be proactive in their cities, in their towns, in their state and local governments, they've got to organize themselves and bring forth good conservative candidates in their cities and towns to make a difference in government.

San Diego radio host Mark Williams spoke first, and although he didn't sing, he hit quite a few high notes, including this "We have an entire city--Washington DC--occupied at the moment by the left extremes of our national mental disease."

Clearly he doesn't like the way our nation is being run, and he declared to those currently in charge, "They can have my country when the pry it from my cold, dead fingers."

He added:

We are a nation of the people, by the people, for the people, not of the politicians, by the politicians, for the politicians. No socialism, no Marxism, no fascism--read the Constitution, Washington!"

Deborah Johns then spoke, and she turned the podium over to Kenneth Gladney, a black conservative who was selling "Don't Tread on Me" flags at an August St. Louis protest. He was confronted by man, an African American reverend, who hurled racial epithets at him, and he was then knocked on the ground by a couple of SEIU members "Who knocked me on the ground and started stomping on me." Six people were arrested.

Rivoli Review, a husband and wife act, performed "U.S.S. of A.," and later they sang "A Bit Fat No. They are on the right--that's Mark Williams in the foreground.

That's all for now. Look for Part Two tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, the Tea Part Express continues:

Here are the upcoming stops:

2009-09-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

Interest in last night's town hall meeting held by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). I arrived at 4:15pm, doors didn't open until 5:00pm, but there were already 100 people in line to get into the Niles West Auditorium, along with 100 protesters and onlookers on Oakton Avenue--a busy thoroughfare in Skokie.

At 6:00pm, a half hour before the scheduled starting time, the auditorium's 1,300 seats were filled. In her opening remarks, the Evanston Democrat said there were "maybe 500-600 people outside."

About Schakowsky: She is arguably the most liberal member of the House of Representatives and an advocate (although she didn't say so last night) of a single-payer health care system.

Many in the audience did support single-payer. I was sitting in the media area, next to what I'm calling "activist alley," and basing my belief on the shouts--and mutterings--I heard.

More on "activist alley" later.

As for the crowd, my guess is that it was 60-40. Sixty percent in favor of Jan and ObamaCare, 40 percent against. Although that minority asked slightly more than half of the questions.

In her introductory remarks, Schakowsky stated, You know, "Ted Kennedy had said (health care) had been the great issue of his time," which was greeted by cheers--and boos. Unfazed, she continued: "This is great issue of my life. This is really the issue, more than any other, that has brought me to the Congress, health care--the dream of having affordable quality health care available to all Americans."

Well, who could be against that?

But my retort comes from P.J. O'Rourke, "If you think health care is expensive now, wait until it's free."

Schakowsky predicts health care reform will pass by the end of the year.

The inevitable question about government-run health care was asked early on: "If it's such a good deal, then why won't the 535 members of Congress sign up for it?"

Her reply was, "There are suggestions that if we think that is so great, why don't we have an option of joining it." She continued, "I agree with that, I agree with that." But she didn't make a pledge to sign up for ObamaCare--if it passes.

Section 431a of House Bill 3200, the health care reform bill, will require the IRS to divulge financial information in order to determine who receives affordability credits. Initially, she wasn't able to answer that question. That part of the legislation was brought up again, an audience member told her what page of the bill (Page 195) it was on. Her answer was, "Let me look for this again later, I'm not finding it."

Later never came, and the town hall went on for another half hour.

Schakowsky was asked about ObamaCare coverage for illegal immigrants, she flatly denied that the bill would cover them, but the Washington Examiner's Mark Tapcsott disagrees.

Only once did Schakowsky--spin excluded--attempt to veer the town hall into another direction. She announced that she would read some "very poignant stories" about health care from constituents. Smelling a rat, the audience booed, and she started taking questions.

Activist alley: Tom Mannis of Chicago News Bench and I were able to snag media seats near the front of the auditorium. In the row behind us were the first arrivals, who, based upon the small talk they made before the town hall started, were Democratic Party activists. Whenever a conservative questioner used words such as "socialism," they cackled, booed, shouted "Shut up!" or "Get on with it!" Granted some of the questioners were in serious need of brevity--on both sides of the issue--but they didn't shout "Shut up!" when the libs rambled."

One woman made a point of thanking the troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, one of the alley cats sarcastically muttered, "Let's have three wars."

Now, exactly who is president right now?

I don't know if these were "astroturfers" I had warned about in earlier posts, but if it looks like a duck...

One questioner brought up the problems of Canadian government-run health care, and Schakowsky had a young woman named Colleen, who has dual American and Canadian citizenship, talk about how great Canadian ObamaCare is. Was she an astroturf plant?
We'll never know.

Oh, SEIU was there.

Speaking of that government union, an attendee questioned Schakowsky about the 2003 video, available on YouTube, where the Obama clearly lays out the "Trojan horse" strategy to institute single-payer health care. "My question is, was (Obama) lying then, or lying now."

She didn't directly answer that one.

But she threw in this "Capitalism sucks" statement:

My job, when I took the oath of the office, I did not swear to protect the profits of the very rich (insurance) companies.

The Sckakowsky town hall was among the better 90 minutes I've spent. Not many minds were changed, certainly not mine nor that of Schakowsky.

About the congresscritter: Until last night I had only scene her in action at community events at where she and her assistants staffed a table. I'll give her credit: She didn't lose her cool, and although she had difficulty (self-inflicted?) in answering a couple of tricky questions, I believe her when she said she read the House Bill 3200.

Although there is some nuance about her, Schakowsky is an old-school Great Society liberal. She lives for that stuff. Now I happen to believe--and I'm far from alone on this belief--that liberalism a failed system to run a government. Schakowsky needs to be replaced, although the Gerrymanderers in the Illinois General Assembly have carved a safe seat for her. That could change by 2012. The Land of Lincoln will probably lose a congressional seat, and a new district might be fashioned for the inevitible return of Rahm Emanuel to Congress.

I would love to see a well-funded conservative, or even a moderate, oppose Schakowsky in 2010.

2009-08-09T20:23:00.001-05:00

The Who - Finale of Tommy 1975
by IvorTheEngineDriver

2009-06-01T08:49:00.000-05:00

After 101 years in business, once might General Motors has filed for bankruptcy protection. It's stock--once viewed as the bluest of blue chips--is trading under $1 a share.

For decades GM was one of the 30 stocks that comprised the Dow Jones Industrial Index, but no more. It was kicked off today, replaced by Cisco.

I fear the worst is yet to come for "Government Motors." The feds own 70 percent of the corporation, the Obama administration's policy on unions is to placate them, and the type of cars Government Motors CEO Barack Obama wants to build could just be a cleaner version of the East German Trabant.

Technorati tags: Obama politics Barack Obama automobiles cars automobiles auto news general motors

2009-05-15T13:13:00.000-05:00

I have officially declared May 16 Levi Parsons Morton Day!

But just who was he?

Morton served as vice president under Benjamin Harrison, his term ran from 1889-1893.
He also was a also a congressman, an ambassador, and governor of New York.

A minister's son, Morton was born in Shoreham, Vermont on May 16, 1824. The successful businessman began his career in commerce at the age of 14 at a New Hampshire country store. Eventually becoming a store manager, Morton later moved into banking.

In 1872, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad put its mail line through a little settlement that was dubbed Morton, in honor of the man, Levi Morton, who provided the financing to the railroad. When the village was incorporated in 1895, it was renamed Morton Grove.

Which is where I live.

In 1878, Morton was elected to Congress as a Republican, representing a New York district. Two years later he turned down the opportunity to be James Garfield's running mate.

Instead he accepted President Garfield's offer to serve as ambassador to France. If "Garfield" and "ambassador to France" sounds familiar, well, you know your history. That position was the very appointment nutjob Charles Guiteau expected to receive from Garfield. Claiming God told him to pull the trigger, Guiteau, the word's most famous dissapointed office seeker, shot Garfield, who died of his wounds a couple of months later.

Had Morton said "yes" to Garfield's vice presidential offer, he would been our 21st president.

Morton was popular in France, and the ambassador placed the first rivet into the Statue of Liberty; he was the US official who accepted the gift of the statue from the French government.

After Democrat Grover Cleveland won the presidency in 1884, Morton resigned his ambassadorship, but four years later was finally elected vice president.

But by the end of his first term, Benjamin Harrison was not popular with Republican party bosses--they sought to dump the president at the Republican National Convention in favor of Ohioans William McKinley or John Sherman.

Harrison won out--in the short term--but Morton was his sacrificial lamb, Whitelaw Reid, also from New York, took his place. But the Republican ticket went down in defeat in the fall, losing to former president Grover Cleveland.

Two years later Morton was elected New York's governor, and he was a candidate for president in 1896. But McKinley's forces crushed his bid, and the 72 year-old Morton left politics.

But he didn't retire from private life. In 1899 he founded the Morton Trust Company, ten years later it merged with five major financial institutions, including J.P. Morgan and Company, where he served on the board of directors until he finally retired at the age of 85.

Morton died on May 16, 1920--his 96th birthday--in Rhinebeck, New York. He outlived every vice president except John Nance Garner, Franklin Roosevelt's first vice president, who once quipped that the office "wasn't worth a warm bucket of piss."

Happy Levi Parsons Morton Day!

2009-04-15T19:11:00.001-05:00

What a difference six weeks make. We were pleased when 400 patriots showed up to protest high taxes and Barack Obama's expansion of government--in the president's hometown.

At noon, over 2,000 freedom lovers showed up in Chicago's Loop to do the same thing--only louder.

American and "Don't Tread on Me" flags, sign--both handmade and professionally printed, and many people wearing patriotic garb, as wells as "USA" chants filled the Kluczynski Federal Building Plaza at 230 S. Dearborn

The Heartland Institute's Brian Costin served as the event's master of ceremonies, and after the singing of the National Anthem (Do they do that ACORN rallies?), syndicated radio host Mancow Muller grabbed the microphone for a wild ride from "The Cow."

Mancow thanked "the almighty God for this making this day." He liked the signs, singling out ones featuring Ayn Rand as well as a couple of others: "How dare you steal my future," and "Don't spread my wealth, spread my work ethic."

Muller's deep baritone scolded the members of America's most notorious community organizing group: "Hi ACORN...you are a morally bankrupt organization and you're going straight to Hell." A few ACORN members were there to protest the rally.

And then he mocked the president: "This is the greatest country in history of the world, now join me as I change it."

Mancow's speech then took a surprising turn. Noting that he had never seen a crowd filled with so many people like himself, Mancow asked the crowd to turn to people next to them, and introduce yourself. Which everyone did. Well, I couldn't see what the ACORN protesters were doing.

John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute also spoke, and he channeled the crow, "The politicians are failing." He then led a "We must lead" chant. It's the people, not the politicians, who must lead. And he has a site, Wemustlead.com, and he encouraged the crowd to e-mail him at john@wemustlead.com. And then....he gave out his cell phone number. Which I'm not going to post. But I have it.

Kristina Rasmussen, who is also with the Illinois Policy Insitute, reminded the crowd, almost all of whom were from Illinois, that Governor Patrick Quinn wants to raise state income taxes...which I just paid a few hours ago...by a whopping 50 percent. Oh, Rasmussen's work has appeared in the National Review Online, the Washhingon Post, CNN and Investor's Business Daily.

Other speakers included com, Fox News Contributor Jonathan Hoenig of Capitalistpig.com, Americans For Prosperity's Joe Calomino, and Eric Odom of the DontGo Movement, a co-founder of the Tax Day Tea Party.

On the south end of the plaza is a post office. It was filled with people--mailing their income taxes.

Chicago's Tax Day Tea Party was a success. Several people I spoke with told me that not only had they never attended a protest before, they had never even considered going to one. Until now. It was a friendly crowd, as far as I know there were no fights--there were a few verbal altercations when the few liberals in the crowd spoke up, and the Ron Paul people rubbed a few people the wrong way. As for the police, it was probably one of the easiest large protest assignments they've ever had.

2009-03-20T08:13:00.001-05:00

And it was inevitable that some of these people pushed back...
The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury.

It's all these 'gatherers' and 'sharers' going around counting and measuring and taking off to storage. They do more gathering than sharing and we never see most of the stuff again.
Hob Hayward, Hobbit farmer, The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien.

Get up off your arses men
Don't let 'em think you're getting lazy
Get up out of your easy chairs
We gotta lot to do out there, well ain't we?
"Get Up," The Kinks.

We are nation that has a government, not the other way around.
Ronald Reagan.

Are you tired of government bailouts of failed companies? Does the coverup by the Democrats over the AIG bonuses have you steamed? Are you angry about our nation's march to socialism?

Then show up at a Tea Party near you.

I was at the Chicago version of the Nationwide Chicago Tea Party last month, with little notice we got 400 patriots to show up.

The Tax Day Tea Party will take place, of course, on April 15. The theme is "Repeal the Pork, Cut Taxes." Once again the Chicago edition will start at Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington Street. But it will start at noon this time.

If you don't live near Chicago, then there is probably a Tea Party near you.

Click here to find what is going on in your state.

Or join the Facebook group.

As far as I can gather, there's at least one Tax Day Tea Party in almost every state.

What to do at the party? Bring signs, a loud voice, and a patriotic state of mind.

Let's be heard!

Let freedom ring!

Technorati tags: business news government politics chicago illinois tea party Chicago Illinois bailouts aig democrats

2009-03-17T09:51:00.001-05:00

Since the Great Depression is a popular topic during our current economic turmoil, I thought today would be a good time to write about the Civil Conservation Corps.

If I run north for my daily workout, I run past a CCC-built picnic shelter. This one, built with Joliet limestone, is in Harms Woods in Skokie.

Scattered throughout the Forest Preserve District of Cook County are similar structures. On Archer Avenue in southwest suburban Willow Springs, there is a monument to the CCC workers.

Here's some more about the CCC, from Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism:

Perhaps no program better represented the new governmental martial outlook than the Civil Conservation Corps, or CCC. Arguably the most popular program of the New Deal, the CCC mobilized some 2.5 million young men into what could only be called paramilitary training. CCCers mostly worked as a "forestry army," clearing dead wood and the like. Enlistees met at army recruiting stations; wore World War I uniforms; were transported around the country by troop trains; answered to army sergeants; were required to stand at attention, march in formation, employ military lingo--including the duty of calling officers "sir"--read a CCC newspaper modeled on Stars and Stripes, went to bed in army tents listening to taps; and woke to reveille.

After the CCC was approved by Congress, FDR reported, It is a pretty good record, one which I think can be compared with the mobilization carried on in 1917." The Speaker of the House boasted of the CCC's success: "They are also under military training and as they come out of it the come out improved in health and developed mentally and physically and are more useful citizens and if ever we should become involved in another war they would furnish a very valuable nucleus for our army." Meanwhile, the Nazis were establishing similar camps for virtually identical reasons.

During warm weather weekends, the Harms Woods shelter is popular with picnickers, on light-jacket days the fireplaces are blazing.

About an eighth of a mile south of the shelter was a CCC-built public washroom, a little brother of sorts, also built with Joliet limestone. It was a notorious spot for male/male sexual trysts.

Some stuff I just know.

The Forest Preserve District demolished it two years ago.

Technorati tags: government history geology cook county books jonah goldberg fdr great depression skokie

2008-11-20T08:23:00.001-06:00

Six months ago I hopped in my car, drove south on Interstate 57, and began my second travel blogging series. I meant to do a summary post in August, but the recently concluded presidential campaign took too much of my time.

My first was My Kansas Kronikles, that journey took place in July, 2007. I picked Kansas for a couple of reasons. It was the only Midwestern state I hadn't visited. And Thomas Frank, who wrote What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America. Frank made the claim in that book that Kansas is the nation's least popular vacation destination.

I found plenty of things to do there, as I did in Mississippi.

Why Mississippi? Like Kansas, I hadn't been to the Magnolia State. And as I started to do research for this trip, I learned there are a lot of worthwhile places to see.

And great people to talk to. When you meet a Mississippian, you've met a friend. Howard Hite, a salesperson at Tupelo Hardware--where Elvis Presley purchased his firs guitar--and Dorothy Love Turk, who gave me a guided tour of the Jim Henson museum in Leland, were the first among equals.

Okay, it's easy for me to write..."Oh, those Mississippi people are so nice." Travel writers, who are generally sycophants for the tourism industry, pen such statements all of the time.

But I offer proof: Mississippi, which usually ranks near the bottom in state income rankings, regularly tops the lists of the most generous states in regards to charitable giving.

If you are a history buff--Mississippi is for you. Several Civil War battles took place there, I visited two of those battlefields, Corinth and Vicksburg. Indian mounds are scattered throughout the state.

If you love music, Mississippi is also for you. Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, and spent his early years there. Numerous blues artists trace their roots to the Delta region. Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music, was born in Meridian.

Are you a nature lover? Mississippi is for you too. The Natchez Trace Parkway takes drivers through endless pine forests, a cypress swamp, the Pearl River, and fields of wildflowers.

Of course the western boundary of the Magnolia State is the Mississippi River. I didn't make it there, but southeastern Mississippi reaches the Gulf of Mexico.

Dedications:

Of great assistance to me was Marlo Carter Kirkpatrick's book, Mississippi Off the Beaten Path. The trip would still have been enjoyable without it, but not as much so.

Appreciation goes to Levois of It's My Mind for recommending that I visit the Delta town of Mound Bayou, the first municipality in Mississippi founded by freed slaves.

Thanks also to the local and state government officials who offered me encouragement as posted entries about my trip. I hope my efforts sends people, and their wallets, your way.

Below are my prior 41 posts of "My Mississippi Manifest Destiny." As I did during my Kansas trip, I ventured a across the state line a few times.

Take your time and review the posts at your leisure. I will have this entry on my blog roll.

2006-03-13T09:31:00.000-06:00

Missed parts one and two? Don't worry, they're here:

Jamaica, yo problem, part one: The island by foot
Jamaica, yo problem, part two: The island by car

Having miraculously survived the drive to Negril and back, my wife, daughter and I headed out to Ocho Rios from Montego Bay, a distance of 67 miles for our second day of Jamaica behind the wheel.

It couldn't take too long to get there, could it?

We managed to drive about five miles from "Mobay," before a policemen, backed up by a second cop with an M-16 rifle draped over his shoulder, motioned us to pull over.

I later found out such random stops are common, but who knows? Maybe I hit damaged a curb while the day before?

We stopped on the side of the road, the first cop looked at us, asked us where we were going, then said we could leave. But he told us "to be careful."

After what I went through during my drive the day before, I intended to do just that.

Just as on the way east, the roads were pretty awful at least until the town of Falmouth. There, the North Coast Highway became an American style multi-lane highway. Perfect.

But that just lasted just a few miles. Then the North Coast Highway became a gravel road--a graded surface awaiting asphalt--but still unpaved.

It's not done yet. Then road "improved" to a pothole pocked ribbon of (mostly) concrete...then it was a gravel again with an occasional blessing of a patch or two of real highway.

You won't find any mention of the poor road conditions in the Jamaica tourism books, such as the one I purchased, Frommers' Jamaica, but the bad roads of the island are a primary concern of tourists, as well as Jamaican citizens.

While we were in Jamaica, there was a convention to pick the successor to retiring Prime Minister P. J. Patterson

Here's what Jamaica Gleaner columnist Dawn Ritch had to say about Patterson:

Patterson said roads would be his legacy. Yet, he has been building a northcoast highway for several years that is way over budget by about three times, and way behind schedule. A pregnant woman recently had to be taken to hospital in a wheelbarrow from Cascades, because the access road broke away two years ago and the Government couldn't bother to fix it. Roads will have to be the legacy of somebody else, not the Most Honourable.

That's not the only problem Patterson's successor faces, as Ritch continues:

In a sham policy to bolster the net international reserves and to spend on massive public sector projects, the Prime Minister and his Finance Minister have borrowed overseas at commercial rates. This was done in order to avoid the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank which lend at much cheaper rates. Only profligate governments borrow at commercial rates. Institutional support at cheaper rates is always available for developing countries, but it comes with restraints.

Jamaica, yo problem!

A quick flashback to Montego Bay: During a walk to the end of Gloucester Street, "the Hip Strip," I met a man who said he lived in Philadelphia for 16 years, he called himself the "King of America." After I told him I was from Chicago, he said he'd been there and visited Louis Farrakhan's mosque at 73rd and Stony Island on Chicago's South Side. (He got the address right.) He offered to give me a personal tour of the "slums of Jamaica." He said to look for him at the Pork and Knockers II bar, his hangout, to finalize the arrangements. I had planned to take "the King" up on the offer, but after two days of driving on Prime Minister Patterson's North Coast Highway, I could only imagine the decrepit condition of the "slum roads."

East of Falmouth, we met Cornell Benton and Brenton Neisch, pictured here. As with the towns west of Montego Bay, the individuals we met east of there were much friendlier, and not interested in trying to "hustle us," as they do in Mobay.

We had two goals in Ocho Rios. The first was to visit Dunn's River Falls, the second was to fulfill a promise to our daughter: A swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Cove.

Because it took us almost three hours to travel the 67 miles to Ocho Rios, we decided to head to Dolphin Cove first.

"Little Marathon Pundit" had her dolphin swim, and as you can see, she had a blast. Unless you're a PETA member, I highly recommend it. (But the cost of the swim is steep: $185 US.)

Dunn's River Falls closes at 5:00PM, we got there at 4:50PM--they wouldn't let us in.

Time to head back to Montego Bay.

That's Discovery Bay at twilight on a cloudy day. It's where Christopher Columbus, the first European explorer to reach Jamaica, anchored in 1494. There's a small park there honoring the famous Italian. But the legacy of Columbus is viewed differently in Jamaica than it is in the United States.

From Frommers' Jamaica:

In 1513 the first African slaves reached Jamaica, and in 1520 sugarcane cultivation was introduced. In the 1540s the Spanish Crown grudgingly offered the entire island to Columbus's family as a reward for his service to Spain. Columbus's descendants did nothing to develop the island's vast potential, however. Angered by the lack of immediate profit (abundantly available from gold and silver mines in Mexico and Peru), the Spanish colonists accomplished very little other than to wipe out the entire Arawak population. Forced into slavery, every last Arawak was either executed or died of disease, overwork, or malnutrition.

Night came for us, and it began to rain. Then the road disappeared. Well, it seemed that way. Even the finished portions of the North Coast Highway seemingly have no drainage system. The old portions of the highway, and of course the gravel sections of the roadway certainly don't have one.

It was raining hard. At least we were in a car. Jill Dolan, a friend-of-the-blog from Park Ridge, Illinois told me she and her husband rented motorcycles and got caught in a rainstorm on that same highway. They took shelter in a church, a structure with two and a half walls and a few boards for a roof. The "pastor" demanded cash from them for use of the shelter.

Since I couldn't see the road--there was too much water--it was a struggle to stay on the road. By some miracle, I avoided driving into one of those car-eating potholes I viewed on the way to Ocho Rios, but I did find myself driving--against traffic--on the right, that is the wrong side of the road--during the deluge. I couldn't find the left side in the muck, so I honked the horn like a maniac--and the oncoming traffic yielded. A very close call.

Finally, we made it back to Montego Bay. The streets of Mobay had turned into small rivers from the rain--with rocks, mud, and garbage sprinkling the streams. If Montego Bay has a street drainage system, it doesn't work too well.

We made it back to our hotel safe and sound--and without smashing our rental car.

My nerves and blood pressure still may not have recovered from the experience.

Now I know why street "ganja" sales are so prevalent in Montego Bay. The sellers are only trying to calm the nerves of tourists.

In part one of Jamaica, Yo Problem I wrote of the increasing popularity of the all-inclusive resorts on the island, such as Sandals. Resort shuttle buses take the guests around--tourists don't have to drive. Considering the roads, and the persistant haggling as well as the "Mobay hustle" that occurs in Montego Bay, the appeal of the all-inclusives are is clearly obvious.

As I stated several times before, the goal of this series is to ignite a "Travel blogging" boom. I hope it happens.

Technorati tags: Jamaica Vacation Carribean

2006-02-05T22:21:00.001-06:00

Ninety-five years ago, in the tiny village of Tampico, Illinois, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born.

President Reagan in his autobiography, An American Life, wrote:

I was born February 6, 1911, in a flat about the local bank in Tampico, Illinois. According to family legend, when my father ran up the stairs and looked at his newborn son, he quipped: "He looks like a fat little Dutchman. But who knows, he might grow up to be president one day.

And it happened.

At the time of Dutch Reagan's birth, Tampico reached its population peak of 820 people.

I visited Tampico last fall, its population is under 800 now. And it seems smaller than that. It was a humbling experience for this American to come to such a modest village, and knowing that decades earlier, a future leader of the Free World came into a village so modest, that few people in Illinois at the time--let alone in the United States--knew Tampico existed.

Reagan loved to call America as the "shining city upon a hill."

Tampico is not a city, and referring to is as a village seems to be a stretch. A slow driver can circle the town in five minutes.

Reagan grew up with the belief that any boy can grow up to become President. The first three years of his life were spent in Tampico; then the Reagans moved from town to town in northern Illinois, returning to Tampico for a year in 1919, before the family settled, finally, in nearby Dixon.

To really capture the life that Dutch, and his brother Neil, nicknamed "Moon," a reader can explore this novel about idyllic early 20th century life--written from a boy's perspective--by another son of northern Illinois, Ray Bradbury, in Dandelion Wine.

Of course in An American Life, Reagan did a pretty good capturing the flavor of small town life in the second decade of the last century:

A pair of toddlers intent on plucking some refreshing shards of ice from the back of the wagon, we crawled over the tracks beneath a huge freight train that had just pulled in. We'd hardly made it when the train pulled out with a hissing burst of steam. Our mother, who had come out on the porch in time to see the escapade, met us in the middle of the park and inflicted the appropriate punishment.

From that town came the Great Communicator.

95 years later, other kids come to Tampico, in the back seat of their parents' car, or by school bus, to see where Reagan's storied life began: They see where Dutch came from, and ponder how Dutch first became a famous actor, a governor, then President of United States.

Since he came from Tampico, the tiniest of towns, then surely any boy--any girl--can grow up to become President.

That belief, that hope, is Dutch Reagan's last gift to America.

Ronald Reagan, February 6, 1911

2006-02-05T21:49:00.000-06:00

2006-02-03T20:35:00.000-06:00

2006-02-03T01:14:00.000-06:00

2006-02-01T17:18:00.000-06:00

A Metro East Republican finally makes issue of ESL vote fraud

2006-01-19T21:16:00.000-06:00

On Marathon Pundit, I've posted many times about the East St. Louis Vote fraud trial. Hat tip to Cal Skinner on this on.

Matt Hawkins is running for St. Clair County Clerk, and he's making some noise.

From the Edwardsville Intellegencer:

Hawkins said he chose to run for St. Clair County Clerk because of what he calls a "moral void" in the St. Clair County Democratic organization. "In their inability to make improvements in the electoral system that need to be made so that we don't have questions about whether this candidate was actually elected or not," he said.

Springfield update

2006-01-17T23:18:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Mark Gordon:

‘Keno For Kids’

By now you’re all aware of the Governor’s media campaign to promote a $3 billion construction program. Governor Blagojevich has a steep hill to climb to win Republican support after three years of broken promises, fiscal mismanagement and ‘Pay to Play’ politics.

The Governor wants to borrow $2.3 billion for road projects, $425 million for mass-transit projects and $500 million for school construction plans, according to media reports, but has offered the Legislature few details or information about the plan. Having already more than doubled state debt, the latest push would make Illinois the second most-indebted state in the nation, behind only California. With the state’s pension liability included, Illinois is in debt to the tune of more than $60 billion.

To pay some of the debt, the Governor reversed an earlier pledge not to expand gambling in Illinois, by unveiling a plan to introduce Keno in Illinois. The Governor’s action prompted the Arlington Heights Daily Herald to comment, “…the governor who once vehemently opposed expansion of gambling has flipped more precisely than a dolphin at a Sea World show …”

In addition to the gambling expansion, published reports say the plan would be paid by taking about $200 million a year from the state's Road Fund and using $35 million generated from unspecified “increased tax revenue.”

Lottery Firm Hired Blagojevich Pal

Adding to the Governor’s problems, the Chicago Tribune reported Jan. 12 that in November “one of his longtime confidants became a lobbyist for the gambling company likely to run the new game.”

John Wyma, who served as a top aide to Governor Blagojevich when he was in Congress, was hired by GTECH Corp., while the company was in the middle of discussions with the Governor’s office about Keno, according to the Tribune story. GTECH already receives about $27 million from the state for operating lottery games.
While Senate Republicans have long supported the idea of a capital improvement program, they have insisted that it must be done in a fiscally sound way, with contracts awarded ethically and with legislators having a fair, equitable, and detailed list of projects.
No Trust in Governor

A key hurdle for the administration is the widespread lack of trust in Blagojevich. The Governor’s latest claim that there is “surplus” money in the state’s road fund left many legislators scratching their heads, since the administration has yet to release funds for numerous projects approved years ago.

State Sen. Christine Radogno told the Illinois State Journal-Register, “If we had extra money in the road fund, we would be doing more road projects. I don’t buy that there’s this extra money just sitting around.”

Her comments were echoed by Illinois House member Bill Mitchell of Forsyth, who told the newspaper, “For three years, he ignored us. Now it’s an election year, and it’s like: Eureka! He’s found downstate this year.”

Governor’s Early Retirement Plan Falls Flat

Like many other Blagojevich Administration programs, an early retirement incentive pushed by Governor Blagojevich in 2004 fell far short of its goal. According to a recent analysis by the bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the Governor’s early retirement incentive program drew only 542 participants, far fewer than the 3,000 employees who were expected to take advantage of the program.

In reality, even the small number of people who signed up for the program is a misleading figure, because the Commission also estimated that all but 100 would have left state government at the end of that year anyway.

The program contained significant up-front costs – $23.4 million in lump sum payouts – in exchange for the hope that down the road the state will see offsetting savings in reduced pension payments. The pension payout program joins the Administration’s prescription drug program, flu shot program, “phantom” efficiency initiatives and numerous other programs that have promised much but failed to deliver.

What Do Senate Republicans Want?

The Governor’s call for a major new construction program has prompted the question: what will it take to get Senate Republicans on board? (Because new borrowing requires a 60% majority vote, Republicans would have to support any bond program).

Since last spring, Senate Republicans have been consistent in what it will take to win their support for new borrowing for construction projects.

It must be fiscally responsible – which means the money to repay the debt must come from a real source that is identifiable and definable and any borrowing must comply with the state’s Debt Responsibility Act, authored by Senate Republicans. The Governor’s proposal uses non-existent “surplus” road funds. In his first three years he has diverted millions of dollars from the state road fund to pay for the general operation of state government and now is claiming there is a “surplus” in the fund.

It must be done ethically – that means competitive, responsible contracting for the work. The latest revelation of his close ties to a Keno firm’s lobbyist is just one more in the ongoing “pay to play” pattern of the Blagojevich administration.

It must be open – that means legislators need to know before a vote is taken, exactly what projects will be undertaken and when they will be done. The administration has yet to produce a detailed plan of how and where it will spend the money. No responsible legislator can vote for a program without knowing what they are supporting.

It must be fair – That means funds should be distributed based on need, not political expediency. The Governor’s disdain for most of the geography of Illinois is legendary. Not helpful was the Governor’s recent decision to use $1 million in tax dollars to take care of his political base in Chicago by rebuilding a private church – while at the same time repair and construction projects that were approved years ago in other areas of the state sit waiting for funds owed them.

Finally, the Governor must somehow restore the trust that he has squandered over the past three years. Possibly the biggest hurdle to overcome is the simple fact that legislators feel they cannot trust the Governor to ever keep his word. They fear that no matter what commitment

More trouble for East St. Louis

2005-12-22T22:47:00.000-06:00

It's former police chief has been found guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice.

From the Belleville News-Democrat:

Former Police Chief Ron Matthews was found guilty Wednesday of perjury and of two obstruction counts after a six-day federal court trial that included allegations of widespread City Hall corruption.

After about three hours of deliberation, jurors found Matthews guilty of all three charges -- perjury, conspiracy to commit obstruction and attempted obstruction of a grand jury investigation.

He was accused of attempting to prevent a firearm from being used as evidence against a friend, and lying to a grand jury.

In his closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith described the case against Matthews, which resulted from

Topinka taps DuPage County state's attorney as running mate

2005-12-15T22:26:00.000-06:00

Joe Birkett is a friend-of-the blog. Go Joe!!!

From ABC 7 Chicago:

They are the new Republican party ticket in the race for governor. Republicans are hoping they are the dream team to defeat incumbent Rod Blagojevich next year.

Judy Baar Topinka made it official Thursday. She introduced DuPage County state's attorney Joe Birkett as her running mate, saying he will be the new sheriff in town.
Judy Baar Topinka is a popular and well-known state treasurer, with budget expertise running for governor. Joe Birkett is a veteran state's attorney, who prosecutes political corruption, running for lieutenant governor, and that, in the eyes of some Republicans, makes them a "dream team," even though they disagree on social issues like abortion.

Morris Redskins win Class 6A football championship

2005-11-27T18:29:00.000-06:00

Read all about it in the Chicago Tribune, free registration required. There were two articles in today's sports page about Morris, none mentioned the nickname. Coincidence? Not likely.

Technorati tags: Mascots Morris, Illinois Illinois High School

Welcome Eric Zorn readers!

2005-11-23T08:58:00.000-06:00

As I noted yesterday, Marathon Pundit was asked by the Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn to participate in his regular Month in Review feature on his Tribune blog, Change of Subject. Eric's November month in review is here.

Oberweis burned on illegal immigration issue

2005-11-09T08:05:00.000-06:00

It was a poor choice of issues, illegal immigration, for Obererwies to use in the 2004 senate campaign. Yesterday, that choice looked even more ill-advised.

From the Daily Herald:

Gubernatorial candidate Jim Oberweis was accused Tuesday of talking out of both sides of his mouth — railing against illegal immigration while having his Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg stores cleaned at subminimum wage by those same illegal immigrants.

“He says that we should not be here, but then he hires us, abuses us and gets rich off our work,” said Rosa Ramirez, 41, at a press conference put on by Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

Ramirez was referring to a campaign advertisement Oberweis aired in the 2004 campaign for U.S. Senate in which he said he would move to stem the tide of 10,000 illegal immigrants entering the country each day. Oberweis has not made immigration reform a part of his gubernatorial campaign.

Ramirez and Jorge Ibarra, 35, said an Oberweis subcontractor stiffed them in May out of promised pay of $700 a month each for about 100 hours of work each and instead gave her and Ibarra just $350 each or $3.50 an hour, well below the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour and Illinois’ minimum wage of $6.50.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=116276

Tom Roeser on the attack....

2005-11-08T21:59:00.000-06:00

Hmmm....not having his Sun-Times column has liberated him, it seems.

On his still fairly new blog, "On the Other Hand."

Former statehouse speaker Daniels to retire

2005-11-08T21:58:00.000-06:00

And I did not know this, but Lee Daniels is a marathon runner. Hat tip to Cal Skinner! (So is, he says, Tom Cross and Pat Lindner.)

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

The longtime former head of the Illinois House Republicans who was forced out of his leadership post amid a federal investigation plans to retire from his legislative seat at the end of his term in 2007.

Rep. Lee Daniels (R-Elmhurst) said he has accepted the chairmanship of a $3.5 million capital drive for Sanguin Services, a Cicero-based nonprofit that's geared toward people with disabilities.

"After three decades of serving the 46th District in Springfield, there are new opportunities for me to continue my public service while I spend more time both with my family, friends and law practice," said Daniels, a partner in the Bell, Boyd & Lloyd law firm.

Or maybe she won't run

2005-11-08T09:06:00.000-06:00

From CBS 2 Chicago:

Topinka Says Gubernatorial Bid Not Official
(Chicago, IL) -- Judy Baar Topinka is mulling over the possibility of running for governor in 2006, but says she is not ready to confirm anything yet. The Illinois state treasurer told reporters on Monday she is getting her petitions and campaign war chest together, and is ready for a brutal race, but she stopped short of confirming her candidacy. Topinka is considered the favorite in a crowded Republican field. One poll has Topinka getting 31-percent of the primary vote, more than twice that of runner-up Jim Oberweis, and some polls have her running close to incumbent Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Topinka to run for governor

2005-11-07T11:10:00.000-06:00

I had written her off and expected her not to run. Still, my opionion, is that voters may be looking for an outsider fromo the executive branch of state goverment.

We'll see...

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

State treasurer Judy Baar Topinka will run for governor, changing her mind and getting in the race only after getting assurances she'll receive massive campaign-funding help, her top aide said today.

Topinka "decided to go for it," said aide Nancy Kimmee.

Just weeks ago, Topinka wasn't going to jump into the crowded Republican primary field, convinced that she would survive but without the millions of dollars needed to mount a viable campaign against Gov. Blagojevich, who faces no Democratic primary opposition.

East St Louis has temp US Atty

2005-11-06T13:32:00.000-06:00

He's just in for 120 days...he'll be busy.

Hat tip to Cal Skinner, who pointed out a typo to me on Marathon Pundit.

From the Belleville News-Democrat:

A senior member of the U.S. Justice Department's policy-making staff will serve as U.S. attorney for Southern District of Illinois for the next 120 days, the department announced Friday.

Edward E. McNally will replace U.S. Attorney Ronald J. Tenpas, who is scheduled to step down Nov. 21 after two years. Tenpas is leaving to serve as associate deputy attorney general, a senior Justice Department job focused on policy making.

McNally, 49, is a native of Illinois who is returning to the Prairie State after a five-month stint as senior counsel to the Justice Department's assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division.

Latest on the George Ryan trial

2005-11-01T07:46:00.000-06:00

From the Daily Southtown:

A man who negotiated hundreds of leases for the Secretary of State's office testified Monday the office broke from accepted practice when it struck a deal with a friend of George Ryan.

Jim Esslinger, a former property management administrator in the Driver's Services Department, said he was directed in 1997 to relocate a driver's licensing facility into a building in South Holland owned by Ryan friend Harry Klein. The feds say Klein had treated Ryan to years of free stays at his Jamaican home.

Esslinger said he typically evaluated at least three sites before choosing one for a licensing facility. But not this time.

Testifying at Ryan's public corruption trial, Esslinger said he hadn't heard of a need to relocate to South Holland from Lake Calumet but was following directions from superiors.

More Blago trouble...

2005-10-31T08:54:00.000-06:00

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

At least one official hired by Gov. Blagojevich's administration wore a hidden recording device as part of the federal government's ongoing investigation of the governor's hiring practices, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

The person wore the wire for an undisclosed period of time, a source familiar with the probe said. That source confirmed the feds' tactic on the conditions that the individual who was wired not be identified and that those who have been recorded not be named.

Besides the wire, investigators also have interviewed several potential witnesses regarding the Democratic governor's hiring practices, the source said.

The disclosure about the wire comes after a week of both triumph and tribulations for Blagojevich, a first-term Democrat expected to seek re-election next year. His groundbreaking $45 million program to provide health insurance for up to 250,000 uninsured Illinois children flew through the General Assembly, but he was dogged by three rounds of federal subpoenas being delivered to his administration.

Technorati tags: Blago
Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich

Missed this one on Joe Birkett...

2005-10-30T19:52:00.000-06:00

Good friend of the blog, Joe Birkett, had a fund-raiser in Elmhurt, the heart of DuPage County.

LAW ENFORCEMENT POISED TO TURN OUT FOR JOE BIRKETT

WHEATON -- DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett has gained the
endorsement of nearly every Republican State's Attorney, Sheriff and
Coroner in Illinois should he decide to run for Governor. Some of
the officials will be among those who attend a law enforcement
fundraiser for Birkett on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
at the Diplomat West banquet hall, 681 W. North Ave., Elmhurst.

The fundraiser is open to the press.

"In this climate of corruption, law enforcement officials across
Illinois understand that this state needs a leader who can restore
trust in government," Birkett said.

Welcome to Illinois Marathon Pundit

2005-10-30T19:37:00.000-06:00

I've created this blog--the Prairie State Home Companion to the middle-size blog of middling repute, Marathon Pundit!