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Archive for the ‘Commodius Maximus’ Category

Is a Billionaire Hotel Heir the Answer to Democrats’ Working-Class Problem?

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Economy, Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Taxes, Unions on May 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker waits to speak during a Democratic National Convention security briefing at the U.S. Secret Service’s Chicago Field Office, in Chicago, July 25, 2024.

By Jesus Mesa | Newsweek

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt hotel empire, has the kind of profile that seems destined to ignite debate in today’s Democratic Party. He’s rich—very rich, to the tune of nearly $4 billion. But he’s also big—in stature, yes, but also in rhetoric.

In recent months, Pritzker has emerged as one of the loudest, most full-throated voices opposing President Donald Trump‘s second term, even as his own party wrestles with how to handle the contradictions of populist rage and patrician leadership.

Pritzker’s growing national footprint comes at a moment of reckoning for Democrats. His speeches are forceful, his money is bottomless, and his policy platform leans unapologetically liberal. But can a billionaire—especially one born into wealth—really be the champion of a party that’s spent the last decade railing against economic oligarchy?

Newsweek reached out to Pritzker’s office with an interview request for this story.

A Progressive in a Billionaire’s Clothing

In the wake of Joe Biden‘s exit and Kamala Harris‘s defeat in 2024, Pritzker has stepped forward. And not subtly.

“Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption—but I am now,” Pritzker boomed in a fiery New Hampshire speech this spring. “Democrats must castigate [Republicans] on the soapbox and then punish them at the ballot box,” he added.

The 60-year-old governor has drawn comparisons to Franklin D. Roosevelt, another blue blood who governed as a populist and railed against entrenched economic power. “Take it from an actual billionaire—Trump is rich in only one thing: stupidity,” Pritzker said at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, drawing a roar from the crowd. It’s a line he’s repeated since, aiming his considerable fortune and influence squarely at the president.

Newsweek’s interview continues here.

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70 tax, fee hikes in 15 years. $110B from Illinois taxpayers. More coming?

Posted in Barrington Education Association, BOHICA, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Dinky, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Ethics, Fat Bastard, IDOT, Illinois Policy Institute, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Unions on May 15, 2025| 1 Comment »

Illinois leaders keep using tax hikes as a budget quick-fix, but the state’s fiscal troubles – and the taxpayer burden – persist. Here are the 70 tax and fee hikes state leaders have imposed during the past 15 years.

By Lauren Zuar | Illinois Policy Institute

Seventy tax and fee hikes in 15 years haven’t stopped Illinois’ financial dysfunction – they’ve enabled it.

After at least 70 tax and fee increases since 2011, Illinoisans last year paid $17.3 billion more. Since 2010 all those increases in the state’s tax burden has cost Illinois taxpayers more than $110 billion in additional taxes paid.

The result of all that new money?

Illinois has the nation’s lowest emergency reserves. Its government pension crisis has worsened, with $143.7 billion in unfunded liabilities and four of the country’s worst-funded state-run systems. And forecasts show a potential $1.2 billion budget shortfall in 2026.

This isn’t because of a lack of revenue, something Gov. J.B. Pritzker has even admitted. Illinois’ core budget issue is chronic overspending, which consistently outpaces economic growth and shows no signs of slowing during the next five years.

While tax hikes haven’t saved state finances as promised, their proponents keep pushing them: a progressive income tax, higher gas and liquor taxes, expanding sales taxes to services and new levies on everything from Netflix to soda to storage units. The Chicago Teachers Union and its allies recently proposed a $7.3 billion tax plan for 2026, including new taxes on digital ads and capital gains.

The result of too many tax hikes and too few results?

Illinois’ combined state and local tax burden is the seventh-highest in the nation in one analysis and No. 1 in another, voter trust is eroding and residents and businesses are leaving for lower-cost states. Over 420,000 residents have left since 2020. New polling found 54% of Illinois voters said high taxes were the state’s top issue, and nearly half said they’d consider moving.

Before the General Assembly’s 2026 budget deadline concludes and lawmakers float new tax ideas, here’s a look at Illinois’ hikes since 2011.

Read more here.

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Poll: Taxes No. 1 Issue For Over Half Of Illinois Voters, Nearly Half Would Move

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Fat Bastard, Illinois Policy Institute, NPR, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on May 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

More than half of Illinois voters said high taxes were the No. 1 concern for the state, according to an Illinois Policy Institute poll. Of those polled, nearly half said they would also move out of the state if given the chance.

By Patrick Andriesen | Illinois Policy Institute

More than half of Illinois voters polled said high taxes were the No. 1 issue facing the state in April 2025, according to a survey conducted for the Illinois Policy Institute.

High taxes were the top issue impacting the state for 54% of the voters – an increase of 2 percentage points from January – according to the poll of 550 registered Illinois voters conducted April 10-13 for the institute by M3 Strategies.

The economy came in second place, being ranked as a top issue by 33% of the voters. The economy was tied for the No. 3 issue in the January poll.

Voters were unhappy with their home state: 49.5% said they would move out of Illinois if given the opportunity, a slight increase from January. Only 40% said they would rather stay in Illinois. The remaining 10.5% said they were unsure.

Past surveys have shown high taxes were the No. 1 reason most Illinoisans considered leaving the state. Polling from NPR Illinois and the University of Illinois found 61% of Illinoisans thought about moving out of state in 2019, and the No. 1 reason was taxes.

Similar surveys conducted by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute in 2016 and Echelon Insights in 2023 also found high taxes were the single biggest reason Illinoisans wanted to leave.

Read more here.

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Pritzker, Durbin’s “Surprise” and the Musical Chairs of Illinois

Posted in Commodius Maximus, John Kass, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield on April 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Deputy Gov. Andy Manar plot their devious stratagems after Sen. Dick Durbin resigned

By John Kass | John Kass News

Illinois politics has a strange way of ruining your appetite, especially if you’re a taxpayer with an already sour stomach.

Even if you’re an Illinois resident living part time in Naples, Fla., Park City, UT., or Positano on the Amalfi Coast, and if you still have family in Illinois then no amount of Tums or Pepto Bismol will soothe your tummy.

Henry VIII King of England had a bulging appetite too, as does Illinois Gov. Fat Boi himself,  J.B. Pritzker. They had full appetites. They ate everything.

Henry, the Tudor King got massively fat by stuffing himself with piles of roast meats of all kinds, savory pies chock-full of four and twenty blackbirds, larks and eels, and mounds of candied jellies.

But Henry at least tried to work off the stress. He played tennis and he jousted some and he kept finding new wives to kill.

What of the Gov. of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, who wants to become president?

He’s much too fat to climb up on a horse. He eats so much and has gained so much weight so that he broke his own leg just by standing on it. True story.

But his magic talent is that he’s run Illinois—the worst governed state in American history—deeply into the ground.

And still he wants more. He’s a glutton, stuffing himself, seeking power and more power.

Read more here.

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Escaping Illinois Doesn’t Mean You’ve Escaped Pritzker

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Dinky, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), John Kass, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, Wirepoints on April 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

By John Kass | John Kass News

When we were young raising our family, pinching pennies to pay the mortgage and take care of the children, we’d see news stories about rising violent crime in my hometown of Chicago.

We’d breathe a sigh of relief, thankful that we were no longer in the street gang neighborhoods where murders were commonplace.

Yeah, we paid high property taxes in the suburbs—too high because the Chicago Teachers Union dictated the state’s politics—but at least we thought we were safer.

We thought we’d escaped. That lasted until it didn’t.  Now we’re gone.

And I see Illinois residents running as fast as they can for the exits, not only retirees and geezers like me fleeing to Texas, Florida, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

But young people with good incomes—the kind a place can’t afford to lose—are fleeing Illinois as if from the plague.

“We couldn’t have planned it this way,” write Ed Dabrowski and John Klingner of wirepoints.org. “But our seven most-read stories in 2024 each captured a different facet of what’s wrong with Illinois.

“Failing schools. Murders. Closing businesses. A bloated, overpaid government sector. Election interference. Population-loss denial. And Chicago’s twisted equity priorities.”

Read more here.

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America’s Second-Richest Elected Official Is Acting Like He Wants to Be President – Wall Street Journal

Posted in Clown Car, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Dinky, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Girlie man, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Unions, Wall Street Journal on April 20, 2025| 1 Comment »

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is scheduled to speak at an event in New Hampshire this month, fueling speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run. | Photo: Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/AP

Billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois is one of the top Democrats being watched as the party searches for a way out of the political wilderness

By John McCormick | The Wall Street Journal

CHICAGO—If JB Pritzker runs for the Democratic presidential nomination, he will be betting his party’s best prospect is a political punch-throwing heavyset billionaire who inherited massive wealth. While that sounds like President Trump, the two-term Illinois governor would be wagering on himself.

Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, has become one of the most-outspoken critics of Trump at a time Democrats are struggling to counter him. Wealth has long opened doors for Pritzker and there are signs he wants the next one to be into the Oval Office.

The 60-year-old is visiting New Hampshire, traditional home of the nation’s first presidential primary, to speak April 27 at a party fundraiser about what he sees as Trump’s authoritarianism and to call Democrats to action. The trip is likely to boost speculation that Pritzker, among those vetted by Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign as a possible running mate, is interested in the 2028 nomination.

“There is no doubt that he is going to run,” said Chicagoan Bill Daley, who served as President Bill Clinton’s commerce secretary and President Barack Obama’s chief of staff. “The real question is whether he runs for re-election first or just runs for president.”

The governor, who declined an interview, has yet to say whether he will seek a third term. An announcement is expected in the next few months, with the March 2026 primary less than 11 months away.

Read more here.

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UK Supreme Court says legal definition of ‘woman’ excludes trans women, in landmark ruling

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order on April 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

For Women Scotland’s Susan Smith and Marion Calder celebrated outside court after their appeal was upheld. | Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

By Sana Noor Haq | CNN

The United Kingdom’s highest court ruled that the legal definition of “woman” excludes trans women, in a case with sweeping consequences for how equality laws are applied.

Britain’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the definition of a woman in equality legislation refers to “a biological woman and biological sex,” sparking celebrations outside court among gender-critical campaigners but warnings it was a “worrying” development for transgender people.

The case centered on whether trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) – which offers legal recognition of someone’s female sex – are protected from discrimination as a woman under the nation’s Equality Act 2010.

A group of campaigners in Scotland brought a challenge in 2018, arguing that those rights should only safeguard those assigned as women at birth. But the Scottish government said that a trans woman with a GRC is legally a woman and should therefore be afforded the same legal protections.

Even though the case stems from a dispute over Scottish laws designed to increase the number of women sitting on boards, the outcome on Wednesday will shape the increasingly fractious and polarizing debate over transgender rights across the UK.

The UK’s ruling Labour party said the ruling brought “clarity and confidence” while the opposition Conservatives called it a “clear victory for common sense,” urging the government to amend existing guidance.

The five judges ruled in favor of For Women Scotland (FWS) – which proposed that not linking the legal definition of gender to biological sex would have repercussions on designated single-sex services, including changing rooms, hostels and communal accommodation.

Read more here.

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Illinois school district responds to federal probe into allegations of making girls change with transgender

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, BOHICA, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Fox News, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, WTF on March 22, 2025| 1 Comment »

Deerfield Public Schools District 109 claims it has followed state law, but is that the right thing to do if true?

By Jackson Thompson | Fox News

Deerfield Public Schools District 109 has responded to a federal Title IX investigation that was launched over allegations of administrators forcing middle school girls to change in the same locker room as a transgender student.

The district provided a statement to Fox News Digital insisting that its actions were rooted in Illinois state law.

“Deerfield Public Schools District 109 complies with state law. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits all public school districts from discriminating on the basis of sex, including gender identity, and mandates that students must be permitted access to the locker room and bathroom that aligns with their gender identity,” the statement read.

“We are sensitive to the privacy needs of all of our middle school students and ensure that no student is required to change into a gym uniform for physical education class in front of others. When both our middle schools were renovated in 2017, we added five private changing stations within each locker room that are available to all students. All students also have multiple options to change in a private location separate from the locker room if they wish.”

The district also says it will work with local families to determine next steps.

“The District and the Board are united with our leaders and educators on this issue and have a shared commitment to upholding the law,” the statement continued.

“The District and the Board call upon all of those expressing concerns or perspectives on this issue with our staff and educators to do so in a respectful and civil manner. We are glad to work with families to address any individual concerns and determine appropriate next steps to support your child’s well-being and participation.”

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights announced on Thursday that it is launching an investigation into the Illinois Department of Education, the Chicago Public School District 299 and Deerfield Public Schools District 109 over reported Title IX violations.

Read more here.

Related: “WATCH: Transgender school locker room policy puts Illinois in the national spotlight,” “What Dems Have Done to Deerfield girl—and the rest of Illinois—is Just Plain AWFL,” “Opinion: This Is Criminal, Exploitive Behavior Coming Out of School Dist. 109 Deerfield,” “Deerfield middle school administrators force teen girls to change in front of boy in school locker room”

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Illinois Restricts Government Contracts to DEI Supporters, Propping Up Divisive Industry

Posted in BOHICA, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fat Bastard, Girlie man, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, The Washington Free Beacon on March 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Pritzker-backed law requires contract bidders to ‘prioritize their diversity initiatives if they hope to be competitive’

By Andrew Kerr | The Washington Freedom Beacon 

A little-known law in Illinois requires private companies to finance the DEI industry if they wish to do business with the state—giving a lifeline to an unpopular industry that currently finds itself on the ropes as major companies across the country ditch their DEI programs and President Donald Trump works to eradicate its influence across the federal government.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D.) signed a bill into law in 2021 that essentially requires businesses that seek to do business with the state of Illinois to bankroll the DEI industry. The law, which went into full effect in 2024, established a “commitment to diversity” factor in all state contracts that grades companies in large part on how much money they donate to DEI nonprofits and how much time their leaders personally volunteer to promote DEI in their communities. The higher the score companies receive on Pritzker’s DEI factor, the more likely they are to secure contracts from his administration.

In practice, Pritzker’s “commitment to diversity” factor forces private businesses to provide a financial lifeline to an otherwise dying DEI industry. The Pritzker administration scores out of 100 possible points based on their answers to seven DEI questions. One question requires companies to disclose how much they spend financing the DEI industry. Another question asks how much time a business’s leaders volunteer to promote DEI in their community. Other questions probe companies on what percentage of their staff are women and minorities and whether or not bidders have entered into agreements with any female- or minority-owned businesses.

Since going into full effect last year, Pritzker’s DEI factor has had a major impact on the way Illinois does business. Some 44 percent of state contracts awarded in fiscal year 2024 went to the companies that scored the highest on DEI factor, as opposed to their technical competency or price, according to a report published late last year by the Illinois Chief Procurement Office.

That includes the renewal of a $4 billion contract from the Illinois Department of Corrections in December 2023 to Wexford Health Sources, a company that has faced allegations of neglecting Illinois inmates under its care, including one obese patient who was discovered with cockroaches crawling out of his abdomen, NPR reported.

Wexford Health Sources won the contract over the bid of another health care company that offered the same medical services to the state for $3.5 billion. The Illinois Department of Corrections selected Wexford for the contract in part because of its “commitment to diversity,” WTTW reported.

Pritzker’s office did not return a request for comment.

Read more here.

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Deerfield middle school administrators force teen girls to change in front of boy in school locker room

Posted in 220, Board of Education, Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Topics Of Interest, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, WTF on March 14, 2025| 35 Comments »

By LGIS News Service | Lake County Gazette

Deerfield School District 109 administrators forced teen girls at Shepard Middle School to change in front of a boy in the school locker room.

That’s according to parent testimony heard during public comment Thursday’s District 109 School Board meeting.

After receiving a complaint from girls in early February that a boy was in their locker room while they were changing for gym class, District 109 “Assistant Superintendent for Student Services” Joanna Ford, “Assistant Principal” Cathy Van Treese and “Director for Student Services” Ginger Logemann reprimanded the girls, then escorted them to the locker room and tried to force them to change in front of the boy.

Parent Nicole Georgas, whose daughter refused and ran out of the locker room, described her daughter’s experiences to the school board Thursday.

“The male student was present in the girls locker room,” Georges said. “Feeling violated, the girls made the choice not change into their PE (physical education) clothes with a biological male present.”

The next day, Georgas said, Ford, Van Treese and Logermann tried to bully them into to changing in front of the boy.

“(The administrators) all came into the girls locker room, making them change into uniform. This went on all week,” Georgas said. “My daughter refused to take part in her privacy being violated. How dare they!”

She said Shepard School Principal Rob Wegley told her daughter that any male student can use any girl’s bathroom or locker room at his school so long as they say claim to “identify as female.”

Georgas said Wegley told her this was the school policy as dictated by Ford and “legal counsel.”

Georgas said she has filed a civil rights complaint on behalf of her daughter with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Read more here.

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