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Archive for the ‘Fat Bastard’ Category

VA slams Democrat governor for falsely claiming vets could be denied care

Posted in Fat Bastard, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, The Center Square, The Greatest Generation on June 20, 2025| 1 Comment »

“Gov. Pritzker is clearly consuming too much disinformation and needs to go on a news diet.” | VA Secretary Doug Collins

By Brett Rowland | The Center Square

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs slammed a Democrat governor who sent out a mass email falsely claiming that veterans could be denied care based on how they voted even after the initial report had been changed and both the VA and the White House said it was false.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has an eye on national politics, said he told state agencies to “take every available action to protect veterans’ access to care” after “reports that the Trump administration is proposing rules that would allow VA providers to deny military veterans healthcare based on their marital status and political affiliation.”

VA officials said those reports were incorrect. Three days before Pritzker ordered state officials to take action, VA Secretary Doug Collins had publicly said the report was wrong.

“This is completely and totally false,” a VA spokesperson said. “Gov. Pritzker is clearly consuming too much disinformation and needs to go on a news diet.”

More here.

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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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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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Tax Day: Here’s how your $4K in state income taxes is spent

Posted in Education, Fat Bastard, Illinois Policy Institute, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Unions on April 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Just over 5% of the average state income tax return supports economic development and public safety, while almost 28% goes to government worker pensions and benefits. Here’s a breakdown of how Illinois will spend your state income taxes.

By Lauren Zuar and FJ Hilgart | Illinois Policy Institute 

With the highest combined state and local tax burden in the nation, Illinoisans are right to ask: What are we paying for?

The average Illinois personal income tax return was about $4,030 for fiscal year 2024. About half of that is split between public education and state worker pensions and other employee and operating costs.

The state taxes income at a flat rate of 4.95%. The number of returns has held roughly steady at 6.2 million, but the total tax collections have jumped from $17.3 billion in 2017 to $25.6 billion in 2024. Collections this year are projected to hit $27.75 billion and then $28.73 billion in 2026.

The amount per return has grown by $1,589 from 2017 to 2024.

Individual income taxes are just part of the load placed on Illinois families. When you consider Illinois’ combined state and local sales, excise, income and property taxes, the average household this year will pay $13,099, costing more than 16.5% of a family’s income.

The state distributes income tax dollars through the general funds budget to support everything from pensions to prisons to public health. How this money is allocated reveals the state’s financial priorities and whether taxpayers are getting value in return.

Here’s a breakdown of how Springfield spends Illinoisans’ income tax dollars:

Read on here.

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District 220 Board of Education meets this evening (3rd time this month?)

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Girlie man, Illinois State Board of Elections, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 31, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The District 220 Board of Education meets for the 3rd time this month this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Normally the Board meets only twice a month and on Tuesdays.

Items on their agenda include:

  • FOIA Report
  • Personnel Report
  • Consideration to Approve a Resolution Authorizing the Honorable Dismissal Due to Reduction in Force of Groups 2 and 3 Teachers
  • Motion to Approve Finance Lease Agreement with Apple Financial Services, to Lease for 36 Months Technology Equipment at a Cost Not to Exceed $4,349,000.00, and Service Agreement With Apple Inc.
  • Consideration to Approve Finance Lease Agreement With Apple Financial Services, to Lease for 48 Months of Technology Equipment at a Cost Not to exceed $1,318,500.00, and a Service Agreement With Apple Inc.
  • Consideration to Approve Destruction of Verbatim Recordings
  • Consideration to Approve Non-BSEO Classified Staff Compensation and Benefits
  • Consideration to Approve the Adoption of Multi-Year, Performance-Based Contracts for Anthony Bradburn, Sunny Hill Elementary Principal; Kelly Haradon, Grove Elementary Principal; Cindy Ruesch, Rose Elementary Principal; Lisa West, North Barrington Elementary Principal; Paul Kirk, Roslyn Elementary Principal; Sarah Lager, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services; and Matt Fuller, Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Innovation
  • Consideration to Approve All Other Administrative Compensation and Benefits

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.

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District 220 Board of Education meets this evening

Posted in 220, Agendas, Animal Welfare, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, His Master's Voice, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • FOIA Reports
  • Revised Personnel Report
  • Consideration to Approve Resolution Accepting Municipal Ordinances Exempting Barrington Community Unit School District 220 From the Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance
  • Consideration to Approve Second Reading of Board Policy
  • Consideration to Approve Resolution Authorizing Intervention In Proceedings Before the State of Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB)
  • Consideration to Approve Resolution Reauthorizing the Treasurer’s participation in the Illinois School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus (ISDLAF+)
  • Consideration to Approve 2025-2026 Meal Prices
  • Consideration to Approve NSLP Contract renewal
  • Suspension Appeal for Student A

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.

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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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McLaughlin says Illinois at ‘tipping point’ with domestic migration trends

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Commodius Maximus, Fat Bastard, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions on March 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Image courtesy U-Haul

By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A Republican state legislator says Illinois’ liberal policies are to blame for the state’s poor demographic showing.

U.S. Census Bureau data shows Illinois lost 56,235 people to other states in 2024 to rank 48th across the country in losses from domestic migration, with many of the now former residents pointing to the state’s high taxes as the top reason for them deciding to walk away.

“I think it’s a direct result of 20 years of progressive policies that have done nothing but make it harder to work here, or difficult to start and maintain a business here,” state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, told The Center Square. “Those policies altogether have created an unsustainable environment.”

With some lawmakers in Springfield now again pushing to eliminate the state’s flat income tax system in favor of a progressive tax structure, McLaughlin worried about what could come next for already stressed-out taxpayers.

“It’s going to put a greater and greater burden on those that remain,” he said. “We’re at a tipping point and I think it’s evident that even the governor and Democrats are panicked, they are panicked that we don’t have the revenue to sustain their spending and they’re starting to talk about it.”

McLaughlin reflected on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget address last month when the governor discussed taking a more conservative approach to the budget, despite his proposal being the most expensive state spending plan in state history.

“When the governor took the podium … for his budget address, he used words like cost cutting and efficient,” McLaughlin said. “That was astounding because it was an admission of failure by the governor.”

More here.

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