The Beast

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-rally-minnesota-october-2018/h_5ed677700957726c3147d5ebe726b690 What a fucking liar. That sack of crap is so full of it, any educated voter knows what the democrats stand for. His supporters eat this up but I hope the rest of the American public doesn’t.

I wish the redistricting would be done by an independent commission, something my moderate state representative (David Olsen) is proposing. I’m just talking about what will happen if the unpaid liabilities hit the fan and they need to cover them somehow, hence the property tax increase. Unless I am wrong and the general assembly would cut services or raise income taxes first.

Both options are garbage and make me cringe. I don’t know what I will do if property taxes go through the roof and I can’t pay my mortgage.

I can’t trust that Pritzker would do this. I can’t trust Rauner either, but it is more likely that a republican would say this as opposed to someone like Pritzker. And SS2K5, I just read what your property taxes were and my stomach dropped as a new homeowner in the northwest suburbs.

Beware Jeanne Ives in 2022 then. I’d take Rauner over her any day of the week.

Mitch McConnell is a despicable human being. First for Garland and now for his pre-emptive “we will vote this week” garbage. He’s a partisan sack of crap. Unless Kavanaugh lied and the FBI found something, he will get confirmed. Hopefully voters boot out some GOP in the senate in 2020 and 2022 in case 2018 is already a lost cause.

I bet they all will vote yes, unfortunately.

Can someone with a finance background explain this to me? Is this really an issue or is this just business? https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/casten-shades-truth-story-about-business-meltdown

So it has to go to the DOJ first before congress? If the DOJ didn’t release it you would have to think the administration would lose the 2020 election.

So they either halt the investigation or Mueller releases something soon? Hopefully he gets to finish his investigation.

Exactly. They are their own issue and need to pay into the pensions. And it is definitely a whole different issue, they are going to suffer consequences from all of the borrowing they are doing someday and won’t have enough Cook County taxpayers to fund their problem, unless it is a whole statewide issue.

If Madigan was out, there’s at least a chance that the person getting in could work with the governor (whoever that is) to fix problems. Then, if they don’t want to fix the financial issues, they will be voted out. Term limits wouldn’t hurt either party, as would independently drawn maps to eliminate gerrymandering. I would vote for Rauner to try and get a change to the pension system as opposed to Pritzker who may never address it. You are right that we can’t worry about a future election and given Trump’s and Pence’s “popularity,” Ives would probably lose. I suppose you’re on to something about a bad budget rather than no budget. I wish we could have a balanced budget where services could be provided, taxes could be reasonable and we aren’t overspending, but it might be a pipe dream. i would like to see Madigan work with Rauner but that might also be a pipe dream. We will see what happens, Pritzker will probably win anyway. At least you and I agree on rich assholes taking over executive branch roles!

I didn’t know the last budget was that way but I also don’t like how the constitution is written. I don’t think people need to be taken advantage of, but I also don’t think people need to live on such high salaries in retirement since they should be cutting back. I’m not saying the solutions I am proposing are perfect, but eventually we will not have a choice and will need solutions instead of just partisan bickering.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/nbc-5-governor-debate-rauner-pritzker-493878531.html Why is it so hard to find a candidate that is level headed, likeable and electable? It’s either Rauner or Pritzker but damn do they need to focus more on the issues to engage Illinois voters.

McNeil and Parkins is not entertaining at all. Spiegel and Parkins were doing just fine and I think Hanley and Goff got shafted too. Lots of meatball fans got their way when Bernstein got moved and Goff and Spiegel went to the bullpen. I hope Bernstein goes back to afternoons someday and maybe pairs with Parkins, with Spiegs taking the morning slot again with someone else, maybe Holmes or McKnight.

I started reading it but then it got cut off. I hope he is doing well, I think DeCastro made a mistake with some of his firings.

I would like the amendment to come into play so we can adjust pensions; however, I would want comprehensive pension reform where new teachers pay something into the pension system but put in some to a 403(b). Retirees would get benefits but they would not get a cost of living increase like they do now. Those about to retire would get their pension, but those who are in the system would pay less. The remainder of funding would come from the state, with the requirement being that pensions eventually will be phased out. I also don’t think an administrator necessarily needs $150,000+ when they hit retirement since they should be cutting back like others have to. There has to be some solution to the problem. Thanks for the heads up - I will have to look up what the 403(b) includes in my wife’s district.

I wonder what sick reason there is for her needing to be at the same table as him. She should just do this in private with the committee with him out of the room.

She’s a few years into the pension system and is going to get a 403(b) to supplement a pension she might not got. What about the increase in property taxes? Will that occur to fund the pensions?

Daniel Biss was who I voted for in the primary since he wasn’t entirely in bed with Madigan and made some mention of pension reform. I would prefer a progressive tax as well. I am concerned with the pension problem being spread over to the taxpayers and that it will be in the form of a property tax increase. I am concerned that Pritzker won’t solve the financial issues the state faces and that he will be in lockstep with Madigan. Madigan is 76 years old and eventually will have to step down or pass away. One of my concerns is that if Pritzker gets elected, he will draw a challenger in Jeanne Ives the next time the election is held. I would not want Ives as governor, we already have someone like her in our federal government (Pence). I like the progressive tax Pritzker proposes and I would like the state to legalize marijuana and tax the crap out of it. I worry that he will work with Madigan and the financial issues won’t get fixed. My wife is a teacher and I know she’s worried she won’t get anything to retire on, she would have to contribute to her 403b to guarantee she would get something for retirement. And like I said, I’m worried about property taxes increasing as a new homeowner as a result of the impacts of Illinois’ financial state. I don’t particularly care for either Rauner or Pritzker and I think Pritzker is likely to win. I’d like to vote for someone I like, but for me it comes down to my money and property taxes, at least locally.

So, Illinois voters, do we think Pritzker or Rauner is going to win? For the state, I am considering splitting my ballot for Rauner since I don’t know that I can trust Pritzker to come up with a solution for the pension issue. (My wife is a teacher and pays into the pension system and may not receive her pension when she retires many, many years from now. We can’t afford higher property taxes as a solution either.) I’m not thrilled with Rauner but I don’t like Madigan either.

What are the chances that either: - The FBI investigates before a confirmation. - She doesn’t show up Monday and they confirm him anyway. - She shows up and they give testimony, then his confirmation gets voted down as most of the democrats and Collins, Flake and Corker vote him down?

Is the party still fractured over what happened at the convention and with the super delegates? I really doubt Trump would have lost to Sanders. The next primary elections will have to be fairer with the super delegates out of the way. Let’s see what happens and if Biden, Harris, Warren or Gillibrand will be the nominee, to name a few. I also liked the mayor of New Orleans as well.

What does your race look like and what does the Illinois sixth congressional district’s look like?

I bet she testifies and announces that she will testify the morning of or just show up to testify for her own safety. To announce she is testifying now seems somewhat premature.