Archive for August, 2006

Hastert Where Are You?

Author: treesfieldssky

Aug 17

Once again residents of the 14th district try to speake to J. Dennis Hastert their absentee representative. This week he is in Arizona and southern California raising money for other Republicans. Some fools are paying a $1,000 just to have their pictures taken with him.
Yet right here in his own districts constituents without checkbooks in their hands are ignored.

He thinks he has this election sewed- up. However there are many grassroot groups working to bring him down. From peace groups to immigrant rights groups, etc coupled with being investigated by the FBI, and other federal investigators for the Turkish FBI tape scandal, his ties with Abramoff, his other ties to lobbyists, and his unethical land deals, this November there is going to be a shock wave come out of the 14th district that is going to catch the national media flat footed again, as John Lasesch pulls the upset of the decade, maybe of the century. Read the rest of this entry

7 Comments
Filed under: Political Campaigns

New Equation: Pig Poop = Black Gold

Author: yinn

Aug 13

In an earlier article about converting landfill gas into usable energy, I commented, “I bet we could do amazing things with hog poop.”

How about this: University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) researchers putting pig poop into a pressure cooker and turning it into a fairly pure crude oil. From today’s Chicago Tribune:

At the U. of I., the accelerated version of the Earth’s oil production pipeline begins with a machine that looks like a giant malt mixer, which blends the chunky raw swine manure into a thick brown slurry. The appliance sits on a table surrounded by rolls of toilet paper used to clean up any unfortunate messes, the remnants of which are splattered on the wall behind.

“We have to make sure there are no big chunks,” said [graduate student Rong] Dong, wearing a white lab coat smeared with dark brown stains.

Read the rest of this entry

3 Comments
Filed under: Energy & Environment

Bob Pritchard & Fundraising

Author: yinn

Aug 4

State Rep. Bob Pritchard is the incumbent this fall and fair game for scrutiny. However, this is not really about him so much as it is about the general need for campaign finance reform in Illinois.

From a Daily Chronicle report on the defeated May 2004 IL House legislation to ban horse slaughter in the state:

Rep. Bob Pritchard, R-Hinckley, opposed the ban on horse slaughter and said it failed because fellow lawmakers realized it would be unconstitutional and a threat to the agricultural industry. He also said the ban would have had a negative effect on the DeKalb County economy. Cavel is slated to employ about 40 people.

“This is about jobs,” Pritchard said in a statement. “The defeat of this bill today is a victory for employment in our community, for broadening our local tax base and helping our school districts. It’s an economic shot in the arm.”

According to the the Illinois State Board of Elections, DeKalb’s horse slaughterhouse has also been an economic shot in the arm for Rep. Pritchard:

Cavel International Inc. 108 Harvestore
DeKalb, IL 60115 $500.00
12/22/2003 Individual Contribution
Citizens for Pritchard

Cavel International Inc. 108 Harvestore
DeKalb, IL 60115 $300.00
10/12/2004 Individual Contribution
Citizens for Pritchard

Cavel International Inc. 106 Havestore Drive
DeKalb, IL 60115 $1,000.00
6/25/2005 Individual Contribution
Citizens for Pritchard

In an earlier disclosure, I find that attorney Brett Brown contributed $350.00 to Pritchard’s PAC. Brown has represented Cavel.

I won’t be snide. I’m gonna say right out that I would better have trusted the motivation for Pritchard’s vote if his PAC hadn’t accepted money from Cavel and company.

Another thing that bothers me is when candidates get a lot of money from outside their constituencies. Read the rest of this entry

5 Comments
Filed under: Political Campaigns, State Campaigns

The Airlines & the Jail

Author: yinn

Aug 2

Everybody knows that the county jail is full. Another referendum this fall, same as two years ago, will ask voters to approve a 1/2-cent hike in the local sales tax–a “public safety” tax–to fund expansions to jail-related programs and services.

What’s plain is that the decision had to be made about whether we are going to house our own prisoners or transport them to facilities in other counties, and the county board has made it. What maybe hasn’t been so plain is how they came up with the number they’re asking for, and how two airlines fit into the tax picture–in a big way. Read the rest of this entry

3 Comments
Filed under: Payment Due?