Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘OP/Ed’ Category

Editorial: The AI vultures are monetizing the dead. Your old emails might be worth millions.

Posted in AI, Chicago Tribune, Data Center, OP/Ed, Privacy on August 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Spirit Airlines data has never been more valuable | Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

If you recently left a job, it’s likely you lost access to your old inbox and the saved records of those tedious Zoom or Teams meetings. Leaving such digital detritus behind now is part of life. But we doubt you anticipated your employer being able to make money from what you had to say while gainfully employed.

Consider what just happened with the remains of what used to be Spirit Airlines, the bankrupt ultra-low-cost air carrier. Earlier this month, Google was the winner of a highly competitive auction not for the dead airline’s planes or equipment but for the corpse’s data trove. Reportedly, the treasure included 100 million emails and 500 million Teams messages, not to mention a ton of lines of code.

Why did Google blow $10 million on such seeming scrap? To train its artificial intelligence agents.

We’ll try not to get too in the weeds here, but in essence the Spirit purchase was like buying a massive business-school case study with bots as the intended students.

By seeing what humans did in actual life, the AI creepy-crawlies can learn about, well, what humans did in actual life. It doesn’t matter if they did what they did well (and, in the case of Spirit, it all failed in the end). It’s all about using this specific business as a way for AI to learn how an airline actually operates in real life or, yet more generally, how humans typically work together in organizations.

And you thought those AI agents were merely ingesting books and newspapers. Nope. They are looking at your old out-of-office replies and ill-considered rants on Teams.

Read on here.

Read Full Post »

Why Pritzker needs a transformational appointment for IDNR | Opinion

Posted in FPDCC, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Resident Spotlights, Springfield, The State Journal-Register on August 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Argyle Lake State Park

By Wendy J. Paulson | Special to The State Journal-Register

Governor JB Pritzker has built one of the strongest climate action records in the country– and now has the chance to make it even stronger. Healthy, resilient nature is a key part of the equation, one that can drive more economic investment to the state.

A transformational appointment for the next Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) can extend his leadership through visionary investment in nature.

IDNR’s mission is to steward the state’s natural resources for the health of ecosystems and the well-being of residents. That extends beyond state parks and nature preserves to ensuring that all of Illinois’ lands and waters are healthy and beautiful.

People choose where to live based on quality of life. Nature plays a big role in that choice. Access to parks, trails, clean water, and vibrant natural areas is exactly what makes a place feel compelling.

It’s why families put down roots, why young professionals choose one city over another, and why retirees decide to stay. Businesses know this too. When they’re deciding where to locate and how to attract talent, they look for places their employees want to live. Investing in Illinois’ nature and open spaces isn’t just good for our ecosystems — it’s an investment in the very things that make people want to build their futures here.

As a former Chair of the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Conservation and Policy Council, I saw firsthand how good leadership can nurture the land and the communities that depend on it. Deer Grove East Forest Preserve is one such success story. Once degraded agricultural land, it was restored back to thriving wetlands, woodlands, and prairie.

An economic analysis of the restoration work found that every dollar spent on restoration delivered an immediate $2 return from jobs and economic activity. In the long term, it delivered a whopping $6 return from flood control, water quality benefits, and recreational activity. Today, Deer Grove is one of the most visited public open spaces in Cook County. At the scale of the state, the health and economic benefits of this type of conservation are indisputable- and within reach.

Cook County voters understand this and responded in 2022 by passing, with an overwhelming majority, a ballot measure that increases investment in nature by $45 million a year. The five collar counties followed suit in 2024, generating over a billion dollars over the next twenty years for nature.

That kind of success shows just how much appetite there is for this work. The moment is ripe to bring it to scale statewide, so all Illinoisans can benefit from access to nature.

There’s real headroom here. Illinois has lost more than 99% of the state’s original prairie and over 85% of its historic wetlands, and ranks 49th in the nation in protected natural areas per capita – which means many of our natural habitats remain fragmented.

As climate change reshapes ecosystems across the country, Illinois has the chance to step up and play a leading role.  A transformational leader at IDNR could turn the page for Illinois public lands, tackling the state parks capital backlog and reconnecting natural habitats.

We love the Prairie State. Governor Pritzker loves it too. A transformational appointment for the IDNR is his opportunity to write the next chapter of that legacy.

Wendy J. Paulson is executive chairman of the Bobolink Foundation and served as past chairman of The Nature Conservancy of Illinois and past chairman of The Conservation & Policy Council of Cook County. She lives in Barrington, IL. 

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Why Pritzker needs a transformational appointment for IDNR | Opinion

Source

Read Full Post »

Editorial: Alarm bells are ringing loudly in electricity markets for Illinois’ clean-energy law

Posted in BOHICA, Chicago Tribune, Cost of Living, Ethics, OP/Ed, Politics, Springfield, Topics Of Interest, Unions on August 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Tall electrical towers follow a north-south pathway through Barrington Hills in 2023. | Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Electric bills are a sore spot with consumers and for good reason.

They would be set to go quite a bit higher in the next few years but for an artificial cap the regional power-grid manager serving Commonwealth Edison’s territory and all or parts of 12 other states has imposed on the price paid to power generators for promising to deliver when most needed. That cost, reflected in the electric bills all of us pay, is established via an auction held ahead of time by PJM Interconnection, operator of this regional grid that includes northern Illinois.

PJM (one of several U.S. regional grid overseers that reports to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) ran its auction just last month for the delivery year beginning June 1, 2028, and ending May 31, 2029. And the results delivered a stark — but largely unnoticed — warning for the Chicago area.

The cost of “capacity” in the period was capped at $325 per megawatt-day, about the same as ratepayers are charged now. But, based on the bids PJM got from generators and other providers, if there had been no price cap, the capacity charge just in the ComEd territory would have been more than double at nearly $777 per megawatt-day, far higher than any such price ever recorded by PJM.

In every other part of the PJM footprint, which runs east from here to the mid-Atlantic, the cost would have been higher without a cap as well. But it “only” would have been about $555 per megawatt-day.

If that price in the ComEd territory had been allowed to stand, monthly electric bills for residents of single-family homes would be increasing $35 to $77 beginning in mid-2028 for that reason alone, according to ComEd. Those in apartments would be paying $17 to $38 more.

You may be wondering why you should care if regulators and politicians have worked to keep such disastrous outcomes from occurring. The reason, as we’ll explain further below, is that price controls of this sort reduce supply and risk future shortages. In other words, which is worse? Nosebleed electricity prices or rolling blackouts when temperatures soar?

That said, why is northern Illinois such an outlier? PJM didn’t say in their auction release. But Joseph Bowring, the independent market monitor for the PJM region (he serves as sort of a referee for the market, assessing bidder behavior and other things), wasn’t so reticent. He told RTO Insider, a trade publication, that the state’s clean-energy law, the 2021 Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, is responsible.

Editorial continues here.

Read Full Post »

Editorial: What do Democratic socialists want? We took a look at their platform.

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on July 31, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Democratic candidates Juliana Stratton and Maria Peterson | Photo courtesy Maria Peterson’s Facebook page

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Who doesn’t love a good wish list? Come dream with us right here.

First step, we abolish capitalism. Without that most ultimate of evils? No more bills. No more debt. We’re all carefree now.

That’s the basic premise of the Democratic Socialists of America’s vision. If you haven’t looked at the platform lately, we offer you the following condensed version.

In addition to abolishing capitalism (step one), the DSA proposes eliminating the Senate and the Electoral College, subordinating the presidency and Supreme Court to Congress, and placing major industries under public ownership.

Housing, health care and energy all become public goods.

Oh, and we don’t need defense or public safety, so we can defund the Pentagon and get rid of prisons. The lamb will live among the wolves and will not be bitten.

While it’s tempting to dismiss all of the above as fringe politics, that might be a dangerously cavalier approach for sensible Democrats. The DSA’s influence has grown inside the Democratic Party, and both Chicago and New York, no small burgs, are governed by mayors who openly identify with the movement.

Editorial continues here.

Read Full Post »

Socialists make their pitch | EDITORIAL CARTOON

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Chicago Tribune, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, OP/Ed, Organizations, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, School Districts, Scott Stantis, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on July 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Scott Stantis | The Baltimore Sun

Related: “Editorial: Graham Platner’s implosion should be a dire warning to Democrats. Is the party listening?”

Read Full Post »

Editorial: Our neighbors are rethinking income taxes. How about it, Illinois?

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Chicago Tribune, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Fat Bastard, Girlie man, IDOT, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Tollway, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Transparency, Unions on July 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Lawmakers work in the Missouri House chamber on April 21, 2026, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri is asking voters whether to gradually eliminate its income tax and shift more toward taxing consumption. (David A. Lieb/AP)

Missouri, Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin all are thinking creatively about taxes

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Illinoisans often assume high taxes are simply the unavoidable cost of living in the Land of Lincoln. But just across our borders, states are making some very different choices.

Missouri is asking voters whether to gradually eliminate its income tax and shift more toward taxing consumption. Indiana continues to emphasize fiscal restraint and has approved further tax reductions. Wisconsin used part of a multibillion-dollar surplus to enact income tax cuts and has continued debating additional relief. Iowa phased out its graduated individual income tax in favor of a flat rate of 3.8%.

Maybe you think Missouri is making a mistake or Iowa has gone too far. Maybe Wisconsin will reverse course. That’s not our point here. What stands out for us is that our Midwestern neighbors are at least practicing some creative taxation thinking.

Take what is going on in Missouri. On Aug. 4, voters get the chance to weigh in on whether Missouri should fundamentally rethink how it taxes its citizens; specifically whether the Show-Me State should gradually shift its tax burden away from income and toward consumption.

Ironically, Missouri currently has the very tax structure Illinois progressives have long sought: a graduated income tax. Even so, its top marginal income tax rate (4.7%) is lower than Illinois’ flat rate (4.95%).

Missouri’s average combined state and local sales tax rate also remains far below the rate in Illinois. Approval of the amendment could eventually narrow that gap, depending on how lawmakers implement the shift. Even then, Missouri would have a long way to go to match Chicago’s 10.25%.

Article continues here.

Related: “(Meanwhile) Income tax CUT on Missouri ballot; Illinois may see more outmigration”

Read Full Post »

Editorial: Mayor Brandon Johnson says Chicagoans want a ‘revolution.’ How about competence, Mr. Mayor? (OUCH!)

Posted in Chicago Tribune, ComEd Four, Cook, County, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb Bunny, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Overhead, Politics, Unions on July 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Mayor Brandon Johnson points to where he signed his name and wrote “The greatest frickin’ city in the world!” at a ceremonial beam-signing event at the construction site of the new Concourse D project at O’Hare International Airport on April 23, 2026. | Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

We met recently with Robert Isom, the chief executive officer of American Airlines Group. Isom was in Chicago to reinforce his airline’s newly expanded commitment to Chicago, as writ large by the coming return of his airline’s nonstop flight from Chicago’s O’Hare airport to Tokyo Narita, a vital dual-hub addition to our city’s international connectivity that had been gone for seven years.

Isom told us he had met with some of the city’s business and political leaders and had many productive conversations. When we asked him what his airline needed from Chicago, he answered, in essence, that it was crucial the city remain a major business center. There will be connecting passengers at either end of that Tokyo flight, of course, but connections can be made at several hubs, many of which have cheaper landing fees than Chicago. Isom was making the point that the route needed substantial hometown demand, too. And that was dependent on the health of business in Chicago.

An American Airlines jet taxis at O’Hare International Airport on April 23, 2026. | Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune

That upbeat meeting was in our heads when we read this truly unfathomable statement by Mayor Brandon Johnson, from a recent press conference:

“The progressive movement is alive and well. We just have a few obstinate individuals that are more aligned with the interests of corporations that are ultimately stalling what could be a full-out revolution in this city, and the people of Chicago want it.”

We suspect we’re on the list of Johnson’s “few obstinate individuals,” along with assorted aldermen who do not enjoy mayoral favor, and we take pride in that. And, for the record, we agree with the mayor that the progressive movement is alive and well. Look no further than New York City to confirm that claim.

But Johnson didn’t stop there: He simply cannot stop trashing a business community that is trying like heck to promote growth and public safety even as City Hall insists on demonizing its honorable intentions.

Editorial continues here.

Read Full Post »

The Declaration of Independence, and a question for all of us

Posted in Illinois Policy Institute, OP/Ed, Politics, The Greatest Generation on July 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »

 

The document reflects a sacrifice that its 56 signers chose to make.

By Matt Paprocki | Illinois Policy Institute President and CEO

Unexpectedly, I heard myself say, “I would sign that document. I hope you’ll join me.”

A few months ago, I was with my family in Washington, D.C., standing in a dark room in the National Archives, looking at the Declaration of Independence.

I told my kids about the sacrifice that each of those men, and their families, made when they signed that document.

My then 8-year-old daughter, Fiona, asked me,

“Dad, would you have signed that document?”

“Of course I would,” I thought. Every American would, because we know how this movie ends.

For those 56 signers, the question wasn’t easy. They were standing up against the most powerful army in the world — for an experiment in self-government.

Declaring independence was risky. They were risking their fortunes. They were risking their honor. They were risking their lives. And they were putting their families at risk as well.

As I looked down at the names on the Declaration, I realized these were more than just signatures from 250 years ago. The signers were husbands and fathers. They were business owners and farmers.

They were us.

Looking at the document, I realized the Declaration of Independence isn’t just a historical document. Every generation is asked the same question the signers were asked 250 years ago.

Would we sign the document?

Commentary continues here.

Read Full Post »

Editorial: ‘Toll free in ‘73’ was just another empty promise. Buckle up for a 45-cent toll hike, Illinois.

Posted in Aunt Blabby, Chicago Tribune, Clown Car, Cost of Living, Deception, Ethics, Illinois Tollway, Look For The Union Label, New Normal?, OP/Ed, Overhead, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Road construction, Springfield, Taxes, Traffic, Unions on June 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Engineer John Zimmerman, left, and Commissioner George DeMent, right, view an automatic coin collector at the toll gate of the Calumet Skyway on April 10, 1958, to be opened to traffic. | George Quinn/Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Illinois tollways were meant to be freeways decades ago.

Gov. JB Pritzker promised to reform the Illinois Tollway before he was elected, the latest in a long line of governors, from Rod Blagojevich to Jim Thompson, who vowed reform.

Remember, the tollways aren’t even supposed to be tollways anymore. The tolls were meant to be temporary until the bonds issued to build the roads were paid off. Many of our readers may remember that old promise that by 1973, our dear tollways would become freeways.

“Toll free in ‘73,” it turns out, is just another empty promise long forgotten.

After decades — and billions of dollars — in paid tolls later, drivers are further away than ever from those cost-free roads.

Now, they’re staring down the prospect of another toll hike.

The Illinois Tollway board is in the process of implementing a 45-cent toll increase for I-Pass users, meaning a 70-cent toll today could become $1.15 in 2027.

And the toll hikes won’t stop there. Starting in 2029, the proposal to be considered by the Illinois Tollway board sets up CPI-indexed toll hikes every two years.

Editorial continues here.

Read Full Post »

J.R. Davis: US Attorney Andrew Boutros and his office deserve recognition for their commitment to addressing crime

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Letters to the Editor, OP/Ed, Politics, Springfield on June 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Andrew Boutros, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announces federal domestic terrorism charges on Nov. 19, 2025, against Lawrence Reed for allegedly setting a 26-year-old woman on fire on a CTA Blue Line train. | E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune

By J.R. Davis | Special to the Tribune

For more than a century, the Chicago Crime Commission has evaluated crime trends, monitored the criminal justice system and supported efforts that improve public safety throughout the Chicago region. Since our founding in 1919, we have remained independent, nonpartisan and committed to one guiding principle: Results matter.

That principle applies equally to law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, elected officials and civic organizations. The public deserves institutions that are effective, accountable and focused on protecting communities from serious crime.

Viewed through that lens, the first year of Andrew Boutros’ tenure as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois merits recognition.

The Northern District is one of the most important federal jurisdictions in the nation. Its prosecutors are responsible for addressing a wide range of threats, including violent crime, organized criminal enterprises, drug trafficking, public corruption, financial fraud and offenses that can have far-reaching consequences for public safety and public trust.

By most objective measures, the office has become significantly more active under Boutros’ leadership. Federal prosecutors have pursued a substantial number of cases involving some of the region’s most serious criminal conduct. Just as importantly, the office appears focused on restoring a culture of proactive enforcement and accountability.

That progress should not come as a surprise. Before entering private practice, Boutros spent years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District. He understands the office, its mission and the standards that historically earned it a reputation as one of the premier prosecutorial offices in the country.

Public service often requires sacrifice. It is worth noting that Boutros left a successful private-sector career to return to government service. Regardless of political affiliation or ideology, that decision reflects a commitment to public duty that deserves respect.

At the same time, no institution is immune to mistakes. Effective leadership is not measured by the absence of problems, but by how problems are addressed when they arise. When concerns emerged regarding grand jury practices in a recent case, the office moved to dismiss the affected indictments and implemented reforms designed to strengthen oversight and prevent similar issues in the future.

For organizations charged with protecting the public, transparency and corrective action are essential. Those steps should be viewed as evidence that accountability remains a priority.

The Chicago Crime Commission’s responsibility is not to engage in political debates or weigh in on every controversy. Our focus is on whether public safety institutions are effectively carrying out their missions and whether they are making meaningful progress against the crimes that pose the greatest threat to our communities.

From that perspective, the broader picture is encouraging. The Northern District is actively pursuing significant criminal cases, addressing complex threats and demonstrating renewed energy in the enforcement of federal law.

The challenges facing the Chicago region remain substantial. Violent crime, organized criminal activity, public corruption and sophisticated fraud schemes continue to demand vigilance and resources. Success will require cooperation among federal, state and local agencies, along with sustained public confidence in the institutions responsible for enforcing the law.

The work is far from finished. But strong leadership, a commitment to accountability and a focus on results are important foundations for progress. Those are qualities that deserve recognition wherever they are found.

J.R. Davis is chairman of the Chicago Crime Commission, which represents the Chicago business community’s commitment to reducing crime and combating public corruption. It partners with law enforcement agencies to advance public safety.

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »