Philosophe Forum

Another Two Years of John Shimkus

2010-11-02T23:11:00.002-05:00

Not a good thing for the people of Illinois -- and the rest of the United States.

Be afraid.

Be very afraid.

The Bagwell Tabloid Online

2010-10-25T19:15:00.012-05:00

U.S. House candidate Tim Bagwell, PhD (D-Olney), created a four-page tabloid filled with various veracious victuals to wet the appetites of IL-19 voters. Many copies have already appeared at homes throughout Central and So. IL.

If someone has missed it or lives outside of IL-19, here is the tabloid in it's entirety. It contains many wonderful tidbits that John Shimkus fans either choose to ignore or remain unearthly uninformed.

It is a wonderful introductory to the real John Shimkus. There is always more to add to the amphibological assistant supply officer.

Enjoy. A good read.

Ten Reasons to Vote Democrat

2010-10-23T13:46:00.006-05:00

10. Federal user taxes on a gallon of gas is appropriate. It finances and maintains the vast American interstate automobile highway system. In addition, Democrats know that trying to reduce profit figures to a per-gallon average for gasoline is incredibly misinformed & typically right-wing obscuration. When gas prices are high, oil companies pay single-digit taxes. They have not paid 'high' taxes in 10 yrs. when a gallon of gas was $1.29.

9. A Democratic Majority does a better job of spending taxpayer money than a Republican Majority.

8. It is easier for people to use their Freedom of Speech to counteract the negative impact of the erroneously rewritten history lessons continually streaming from Lonesome Roads Beck and the malodorous bile of Boss Hog Limbaugh.

7. Democrats value Second Amendment rights and are ready to lock and load at any time to protect their sacrosanct First Amendment rights.

6. People are stewards of the Earth who should protect it for future generations by reducing their impact of global warming as much as possible.

5. Democrats protect women's reproductive sovereignty and their right to pay equity.

4. Democrats know that illegal aliens do not have legal rights to "free" federally-funded health care, education, and Social Security benefits.

3. Democratic legislators refuse to allow corporate CEOs to profit from destroying the financial livelihoods of their employees and retirees. They believe that corporations need to break even and provide for their employees and communities.

2. Liberal judges uphold the Constitution for the people not corporations. Right-wing kooks are incapable of remembering that the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and subsequent Amendments have never explicitly mentioned corporations.

1. The Democrat mentality is so firmly planted in reality that they could never accept the suffocating uber-conservative point of view of I'm OK, you're OK as long as everyone belongs to the right race, religion, ethnicity, & sexual orientation (additional caveats could appear without warning).

Conservatives are more than welcome to keep the Right-Wing Bill of Lies.

Democrats will keep all of their Constitutional Rights.

Arrogant Conduct Unbecoming

2010-10-20T05:36:00.005-05:00

When John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) walked out on President Obama during his health care speech, many civilians thought it was nothing more than shear rudeness. Others knew better: A commissioned officer is an officer for life. Therefore, it was a public display of Conduct Unbecoming.

This is a pattern of behavior for Mr. Shimkus. It appears that ethics and laws are not applicable to him:

He rewarded his employee for violating federal laws.
He prefers protecting corporate titans rather than the citizens of IL-19.
He excuses his broken promises to the people.
He proudly misled a classroom filled with impressionable minds.
He vehemently admitted to not caring about his reprehensible actions as Chair of the Page Board.
He obfuscated during questions regarding $3,335,578 in federal funds he steered to the Save-A-Life Foundation (SALF) so U.S. House candidate Tim Bagwell, PhD (D-Olney) (a real congressman), did the job.

Mr. Shimkus provided The Southern with an interview justifying all his actions: Given what was said and what we were hearing, I think more people should have walked out, Shimkus said.

Obviously that is a prediction of future plans if the Republicans successfully control Congress in 2012. Not only is Mr. Shimkus planning a second walk-out, it will be a group effort. It is a bold move for a man who spent more time as an assistant supply officer than a platoon leader after completing his expensive taxpayer-paid West Point education and advanced Ranger training.

A debate? Why would Dr. Bagwell waste the time? Mr. Shimkus refused to respond to Dr. Bagwell's simple challenge of completing a questionnaire that is similar for Illinois candidates for lieuentant governor.

All SALF Plans, No National Guard Training Funds, Complete Local Media Disinterest

2010-10-18T15:18:00.004-05:00

U.S. House candidate Tim Bagwell, PhD (D-Olney), sent Rita Mullins, the former mayor of Palatine IL, and the president of a New Hampshire military subcontractor a letter requesting details regarding an alleged nationwide first aid training partnership between the controversial nonprofit Save-A-Life Foundation (SALF) and the U.S. National Guard.

The National Guard has no records for any training associated with SALF. No surprises there. Their reports to the Internal Revenue Service state the following:

$590,000 to train 170 emergency medical service providers as instructors at 33 military bases in 27 states AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MI, MS, MO, NJ, NM, NC, OK, OR, PR, SC, TX, WV, WI, WY to teach their 7,000 at-risk high school age students life supporting first aid training and provide all training equipment, materials, (and) testing supplies.

[. . .]

Save-A-Life identified Dare Mighty Things Inc., a Portsmouth, New Hampshire consulting firm, as the source of the funding and claims to have provided the training in partnership with the National Guard’s Youth ChalleNGe, a program intended to benefit young people at-risk. In 2007 Dare Mighty Things was awarded a 10-year, $50 million National Guard contract to oversee Youth ChalleNGe training programs.

John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) has already washed his hands of the matter with deafening silence. The oversight of federal funds in excess of $3 million is not his concern. He has decided that he needs to question implementation data on the health care law of Texas. Although he represents IL-19, it is obviously less important than other states.

With the exception of an article in the State Journal-Register in Springfield, IL, editors from the local news media refuse to print the story. Apparently they agree with the inconsequential Mr. Shimkus and have also decided that government oversight is a non-issue.

John Shimkus Souvenirs

2010-10-12T17:51:00.000-05:00

U.S. House candidate Tim Bagwell, PhD (D-Olney), addressed the audience at the Richland County Democratic Committee's pork-loin dinner and silent auction at Olney Veterans of Foreign Wars. It provided the opportunity to remind IL-19 voters about some lesser-known facts regarding their ever-obsequious John Shimkus (R-Collinsville):

He voted against including a bittering agent in antifreeze to prevent animals from drinking it.
He voted against pay equality for women.
He refused to request a federal investigation in the dubious Save A Life Foundation.

True. Each statement is fact. As a member of John Boehner's blithesome band of baseborn marionettes, he votes against the interests of IL-19. Nothing happens without prior approval from Mr. Big Boehner. After he instructed all House and Senate Republicans to vote NO on all bills, working Americans became America's Biggest Losers.

The people deserve someone representing them who actually works for them. Dr. Bagwell has the resume and has proven that he can do the job.

An Example of a Real IL-19 Congressional Representative

2010-10-10T23:58:00.003-05:00

U.S. House candidate Tim Bagwell, PhD (D-Olney), sent Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, a letter requesting an official investigation into the activities of the Save-A-Life Foundation. Three weeks before the election Dr. Bagwell is already working to protect the interest of the people of Central and So. IL. It is a job that John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) (i.e., Congressman Taxpayer Zero) refuses to undertake as a friend of corporate titans.

Taxpayers deserve government oversight to determine if over $3 million awarded to by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was spent properly.

SALF is currently under investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trusts Bureau (CTB). Recent correspondence from the CTB indicates that SALF recently filed a zeroed-out annual financial report that failed to account for hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets as well as other discrepancies, one of which appears to be SALF’s failure to file a tax return last year with the Internal Revenue Service.

The state investigation is only concerned with Illinois-related issues. A separate federal-level investigation would focus on the $3+ million in federal tax dollars that the CDC awarded to SALF.

Dr. Bagwell's letter also requests a review into the relationship between SALF and Atlanta-based CDC Deputy Director Douglas R. Browne, SALF’s Corporate Treasurer from January 1, 2004 through September 17, 2009, when the foundation employees filed the paperwork for voluntary dissolution. There is a possibility that Mr. Browne’s responsibilities as SALF’s Treasurer could have included administering the taxpayer millions CDC awarded to SALF. A conflict of interest could exist if this information is accurate.

Every time John Shimkus has refused to act it costs the taxpayers money. Requesting a federal investigation is his job. It is due diligence. An MBA and his unremarkable tenure as assistant supply officer qualifies him for little more than auditing the toilet paper supply. Taxpayers deserve a refund for that expensive West Point education and advanced Ranger training.

Dr. Bagwell offers a stark contrast. He has the experience to get the job done, to work for the people. He is already doing that work. He has all of his press releases available on his website.

UPDATE: The Hill's Healthcare Blog publishes an online article on Dr. Bagwell's request to HHS.

Congressman Taxpayer Zero from IL-19

2010-10-06T18:45:00.025-05:00

US House candidate Tim Bagwell, PhD, sent a letter of concern to Rep. John Shimkus (IL-19) regarding $3,335,578 in federal funds he steered to the Save-A-Life Foundation (SALF), a shady nonprofit, according to a Democratic Party press release. The Chicago area 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization had a charter stating that it would provide first aid training to schoolchildren. Records from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show continued funding through at least mid-year 2007.

Since 2006, SALF has been the subject of numerous media exposes around the country, one of which reported a series of misleading claims and deceptive credentials that raise doubts about Save-A-Life's integrity, funding and training.

In his letter and at a press conference, Dr. Bagwell asked Rep. Shimkus two questions:

Where did the money go?
Why haven’t you investigated the allegations?

Through his staffer, the response appears below:

Congressman Shimkus has received your letter of inquiry. He supports the ongoing Illinois Attorney General’s investigation and believes that any criminal acts should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

He deflected responsibility without providing answers to either of the questions. Illinois Attorney General Madigan’s office protects IL tax dollars not the $3+ million in federal funds. With that, Rep. Shimkus has washed his hands of the issue and any federal oversight to adequately account for the taxpayer millions that SALF administrators spent.

Additionally, Rep. Shimkus has admitted that he was not made aware of any negative press surrounding the charity despite the score of media exposes about SALF. The elected representative for Central and So. IL who is supposed to act as a watchdog protecting their hard-earned money admits that for years he has been totally clueless to the myriad of research available.

Given Congressman Shimkus’ lack of knowledge and interest, Dr. Bagwell used his October 04, 2010, press release to inform constituents that he will send letters requesting an investigation to the U. S. Department of Justice and to the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC. He is doing John Shimkus' job.

Dr. Bagwell will also send a copy of his request to The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste. It is the taxpayer watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., that named Rep. Shimkus a Taxpayer Hero in its 2009 Congressional Ratings. Obviously, their records are long overdue for an update.

The people of Central and So. IL should create a special award for Congressman Zero. He deserves the Taxpayer Zero Award. It is the perfect Shamekus Medal for someone who could not even qualify for his unremarkable tenure as assistant supply officer after completing his prestigious West Point education and advanced Ranger training.

Wasting taxpayer money is obviously a lifestyle choice for John Shimkus. It is an especially low blow to the women in IL-19 since he consistently voted against women's pay equity.

A Request: Congressional Investigation of the Save-A-Life Foundation

2010-09-27T17:47:00.002-05:00

At a Wednesday event, Tim Bagwell, PhD, will share news about his formal request for a governmental investigation of the Save-A-Life Foundation. One is currently underway.

U.S. House candidate Tim Bagwell, PhD (D-Olney), will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 29,2010. He will conduct it in the Blue Room of the Illinois State Capital.

The purpose for the news conference is issues of Congressional oversight of the Save-A-Life-Foundation (SALF). The organization was a high-profile Chicago area non-profit. Since 2006, it has been the subject of numerous media exposes:

The Maneuver, Part I by Chuck Goudie, ABC7 Chicago, November 17, 2006; Video and Text
Save-A-Life's main government funding may be drying up by Chuck Goudie, ABC7 Chicago, May 31, 2007; Video and Text
What happened to million$ in fed funding from CDC to SALF?, The Cincinnati Beacon, July 29, 2010

Rep. John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) has taken credit for arranging millions of federal taxpayer dollars to fund SALF. At the upcoming press conference, Dr. Bagwell will ask Congressman Shimkus to initiate a federal investigation to determine if those millions – along with millions in Illinois state funds awarded to SALF - were improperly administered.

This should be good.

Bring popcorn!

Local Fundraiser for Sheila Simon

2010-09-10T21:40:00.005-05:00

Madison County residents have planned a fundraiser for Shiela Simon, Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. The event is Sunday, September 19, 2010, from 2:00 P.M.to 3:30 P.M. at the Historic Carney House in Troy. Food will be light fare with Illinois Wines. Dress is smart casual attire.

The event is being held about seven miles from the Plummer Estate, the home of Sheila's opponent. There is an unfortunate wave of hometown loyalty to Jason that is growing here. That needs to stop. Please join them and have some fun. They are collecting donations at the event.

After hearing the news from the media all during Labor Day weekend, Democrats need to unite! After the VIP event, there will be a public event with hot dogs, soda, and Blue grass music from Sheila and her band.

For questions, call Regina Hendrickson at (618) 667-1364 or rdhendrickson1@gmail.com or Pamella Gronemeyer at (618) 973-3584 or drgronemeyer@msn.com.

Bagwell in Metropolis at Steelworkers Rally

2010-08-09T13:56:00.002-05:00

After negotiations between the Metropolis Honeywell plant and the local United Steelworkers chapter ended without resolution in June, the company locked out its union workers. The sticking points in the month-long stalemate are the usual: Union wants a raise for the workers. Company wants a 10 percent pay cut for union members and the elimination of some jobs.

The union responded to the stalemate with a very public rally on August 07, 2010. Tim Bagwell, PhD (D-Olney), joined the union members and approximately 3,000 attendees in their efforts. It needs to stop, said Bagwell. The company needs to honor it's contracts and honor its' retirees.

The company responded offering wage increases while wanting the union to pay higher medical benefit costs since they would be consistent with their non-union counterparts. The union countered proposing to freeze wages for three years and maintain the current benefits arrangement.

It is six weeks now since the lockout began. That is a long time for the workers and their families especially with the beginning of school only days away. They need a voice in Congress. Obviously, there is none today. November can change that with Tim Bagwell.

Shimkus Fantasies, Constituency Dreams

2010-07-23T21:08:00.001-05:00

Hat Tip to Marie for providing this information to IL-19 voters yesterday. Rep. John Shimkus has friends (i.e., paid consulting firm to help build the GOP coffers) in the D.C. area and willing to show just how much they really like him and their other clientèle -- in cold hard greenbacks.

The previous evening, this dubiously industrious congressman found time for a robo-call with some of his constituents and wished he could be honest (Q: Does he know how to spell the word so he can look it up in the dictionary?? Can he read the dictionary??). Rural Thoughts has the scoop.

IL-19 residents dream of him leaving office.

The rest of Illinois just reaches for the antacid.

NOTE: Brought forward for the additional information.

Bagwell Announces 2010 Congressional Campaign

2010-04-06T16:06:00.018-05:00

Democratic challenger Tim Bagwell, PhD (D-Olney), formally began his congressional campaign against U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, on March 31, 2010, during a press conference in the Statehouse in Springfield, Illinois. The State Journal-Register (SJ-R) provided a little information on the subject – emphasis on little.

The article provided almost nothing of the two issues that Dr. Bagwell feels are import to the people of Central and So. Illinois. It mentioned nothing of his recommendations.

Since Dr. Bagwell’s first campaign in 2004, his has been nothing but transparent. He provides any information organizations request. The first issue he addressed in his press conference relates to the selection of a candidate of Lieutenant Governor by the Illinois State Democratic Central Committee.

As part of the process of screening candidates, the central committee distributed a questionnaire that asked for detailed information about the candidates' personal lives, including divorces, bankruptcies, traffic violations, academic and military disciplinary actions and other areas that many citizens would feel uncomfortable if not offended by the extent and depth of inquiry.

Dr. Bagwell noticed that the standard set forth in this questionnaire is higher than any Federal office seeker or any other state constitutional officer. He felt that Democrats should also meet the same high standards so he revised the form appropriately, renamed it Public Office Questionnaire, and published his replies to his campaign website.

His challenge to Mr. Shimkus to do the same thing is simply full public disclosure. His idea for all candidates for the U.S. House in Illinois to do the same thing is an excellent idea. The SJ-R was the only media present to mention the questionnaire with little emphasis when it published the press release. Such minimal support (using the term loosely) puts Dr. Bagwell at a risk since there is no effective pressure from the news media to encourage other politicians to follow suite.

The passage of Health Care Reform was the second issue in the press conference. Dr. Bagwell spoke on his perspective of free market economics and the problems in the health care insurance and delivery system. He feels he can help advance the discussion in Central and So. Illinois. Too bad his words never made it into newsprint:

For nearly 100 years our nation had failed to provide the kind of health insurance and care coverage available in competitor nations and to the elected members of Congress. For nearly 100 years, while state and federal governments provided special exemptions and incentives, the health insurance industry’s so called free market has been allowed to fail consumers to the point that 46 million Americans had been uninsured. The free market fundamentalists know that markets fail and it is when markets fail that government must take action. With the passage of health care reform have begun the process to reverse the effects of the market failures of the insurance industry with the historic passage of Health Care Reform.

History making social legislation has been at the core of the values of the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party was on the right side of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Civil Rights and now Health Care Reform. These programs are marked by their fundamentally inclusive coverage and accessibility. We should not forget that the Democratic Party was also on the right side of history in other forms of government-supported assistance to its citizens who had more specific needs.

The GI Bill recognized that the exclusion of Veterans from the advantages of society they defended was a wrong that needed correction. The devastation of American agriculture during the early years of the Great Depression led to the Agricultural Adjustment Acts of 1933 and 1938, helping to stabilize the family farmer. In 1965, Pell Grants were created to help low income students attend college. In that same year, Head Start was authorized and has been assisting in the education of low-income children for 45 years.

There are many more government programs that have advanced our society. Not all of which were social programs many of which were programs to benefit specific business interests. Too many of the ideologues on the right tend to ignore or forget important historical facts about the role of government.

In this round, Republican backed proposals for reform had focused on cost reduction measures across an immense range of health care insurers and health care providers. The free market theory supported by these advocates is that the free market will solve economic problems. However, 100 years of evidence is to the contrary. Real cost reduction can only be achieved through first addressing the market’s failure to provide coverage to the uninsured, and second the eventual administrative streamlining and simplification across the marketplace.

The health care insurance market has depended upon the micro-management of risk to provide health insurance coverage to the majority of Americans. However, in so doing they have systemically excluded a growing number of consumers. This exclusion has created problems of bankruptcy, preventative treatment, emergency care and Medicaid among others. The risk model of the insurance industry assesses the risks to their financial portfolios. That risk model does not assess the risk borne by consumers, courts, charity care providers, emergency care facilities, local governments, state governments and ultimately the risk to the nation.

A Republican, President Theodore Roosevelt first proposed a system for national health care. Later Presidents Nixon, Ford and George Bush, Sr. would make proposals. The attempt to associate socialism and communism with the Democratic Party is a partisan rhetoric of lies inappropriate for the debate of the serious issue of health.

Former Senate Republican majority leader Bill Frist in an interview with Time Magazine, both a physician and a stockholder in a major health care provider stated, I would end up voting for it, he said. As leader, I would take heat for it. . . . That's what leadership is all about. Others have described this reform as Mitt Romney’s program in Massachusetts.

John Shimkus has a genuine disgust for debates. That is common knowledge. Dr. Bagwell is all about transparency. His is the exact opposite. Debates in front of audiences are a good idea. They are a good forum for transparency. Dr. Bagwell used his press conference to call on Mr. Shimkus to meet him in a series of three debates over the next seven months so that the people of the 19th congressional district can decide on the kind of leadership they really want. The topics would be health care for all Americans and for jobs, economic progress and the future of Central and So. Illinois. One more subject not found in print covering the press conference.

For the sake of argument, Dr. Bagwell obviously provided the press too much information during one press conference for the reporters to cover effectively. They share some of the fault, too. Significant shame belongs on the press. If the press fails to see and publicize a candidate's cutting edge efforts at transparency, the public could never expect transparency to become part of the political culture. Dr. Bagwell takes a great risk being the only candidate to supply such self disclosure. The press needs to take notice. They need to recognize and acknowledge a true reformer:

Tim Bagwell, PhD

A Counterintuitive House Guest

2010-01-27T17:27:00.003-06:00

President Barack Obama is delivering his first State of the Union address to the country this evening. Big news to everyone indeed. Illinois has Republican Congressman John Shimkus (IL-19) to provide other headlines.

According to The State Journal-Register, the seven-term congressman promises that he will behave and do as he normally would for any State of the Union address — stay in the chamber. Last time he walked out on the president was spur of the moment (their admission brought to the Shimkus fan base compliments of The Pantagraph in Bloomington-Normal.).

Seeing is believing. The Huffington Post provided a little more information. Translation: The Republican congressman from Collinsville remains seated as long as he hears something meeting his approval.

A petulant child well known for his self-aggrandizing temper tantrums.

Bigger news is the guest in the House chamber. Tonight's guest of Republican John Shimkus is state Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg.

That is D as in Democrat Brandon Phelps

Why? Inquiring minds want to know.

Simple answer: He is (finally) admitting his dark side. Democrat State Rep. Phelps is a Republican coming out of the closet and showing his true colors: red.

Endorsements for Bagwell

2009-12-10T20:25:00.014-06:00

The 2010 Election Cycle is quite active with fundraising and endorsements. Tim Bagwell, PhD (D-Olney), has achieved a little of both.

Yesterday, Bernie Schoenburg of the State Journal-Register used his column to announce the AFL-CIO endorsements for the 2010. The organization has included Dr. Bagwell on that list. He is unopposed in the Democratic Primary. He is challenging Rep. John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) in IL-19.

On December 04, 2009, Pam Gronemeyer, M.D. (D-Highland), hosted a fundraiser for Dr. Bagwell at Ramon's Eldorado Restaurant in Collinsville. Dr. Gronemeyer is challenging incumbent Jayne Mazzotti of Taylorville to represent IL-19 in the Democratic State Central Committee. Dr. Gronemeyer is the president of a group called Downstate Democrats for Change.

Both candidates are completely devoted to grass-roots action.

Both candidates are completely preferable to the incumbents.

Contributions for Tim Bagwell through Act Blue always accepted and appreciated!

IL-19 Primary Filings

2009-11-02T16:30:00.004-06:00

All the February 2010 Primary filings are in. Tim Bagwell, PhD, (D-Olney) stated almost two months ago that wanted to be the Democratic candidate a second time.

He will have to wait until February to discover his Republican opponent. Thankfully, Rep. John Shimkus (IL-19) has company on the ballot in the Primary.

Michael Firsching, DVM, of Moro, had decided to file as a Republican candidate for Congress. Americans have suffered through numerous incumbent lies and debacles during the past few years. A Primary challenger surfacing is an eventuality and a relief to see.

Part of the ammunition against John could be his lack of humanity or simple respect for animals. How ironic that his Primary opponent is a veterinarian. Good luck to the man!

January should be a lot of fun.

Once an Officer, Always an Officer

2009-09-15T05:31:00.000-05:00

The nuances of the UCMJ or has ever been on the receiving end of a general's anger. It is true that DOD Directive 1352.1 - MANAGEMENT AND MOBILIZATION OF REGULAR AND RESERVE RETIRED MILITARY MEMBERS, prohibits recalling a retired military member to actively duty solely for the purpose of subjecting them to court-martial jurisdiction. LTC Shimkus (RET) CAN be recalled to active duty for other purposes. It is all in the fine print.

The first rule every military trainee learns is never anger someone's stars. An angry general can get very creative. And John Shimkus, LTC or Congressman (take your pick), is nothing if not a major screw up. Once back on active duty, he would give the general a reason for that demotion to MAJ, conduct unbecoming, etc.

He ONLY did his required 6 years in the Fulda Gap after graduating West Point for a reason. He did not even drill after getting into Congress. He has been an insult to the uniform for the past 30 years.

As a congressman, he has voted to send(force) men and women in our military into harms way to fight a war; that he, as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves would not volunteer for. A terrible and disgraceful self-serving lack of leadership on the part of a West Point graduate. Like many congressman after Pearl Harbor, John Shimkus after the September 11, 2001, should have immediately resigned his office and requested active duty orders to fight the war on terrorism that President Bush called the equivalent of WWIII. His actions, beyond any doubt, disqualify him to be a congressman or an officer in the U.S. Army.

As a retired officer, LTC Shimkus can still receive orders for Active Duty. After receiving much deserved esteemed glory for his petulance, what man or women would want to follow him into combat? The safest assignment for everyone concerned would be Antarctica -- indefinitely.

The IL-19 Democratic Challenger for 2010

2009-09-10T19:26:00.001-05:00

Tim Bagwell, PhD (D-Olney) is challenging Rep. John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) in the 2010 Election. Dr. Bagwell sent letters and emails to all chairman in IL-19 today with petitions attached or enclosed.

It is time for real representation in Central and Southern Illinois, said Dr. Bagwell.

His statement echoes throughout the district after the egregious behavior constituents witnessed on the floor when Rep. Shimkus walked out on the President's health care speech before it was over. His reason was so childish, too:

Obama's tone wasn't cooperative and his ideas were not new, Shimkus' spokesman told the Tribune's Mark Silva.

For a graduate of West Point and a retired U. S. Army officer, this is conduct unbecoming. He does not have the luxury of a private citizen exercising his opinion as long as he is in congress.

LTC John Shimkus (RET) is obligated to respect the office of the President. He has turned his back on his Commander in Chief. In doing so, Rep. Shimkus turned his back on the people of Central and So. IL.

The time for new representation in IL-19 is long overdue. Tim Bagwell has a personal website: http://timbagwell.com/ with LinkedIn and Facebook links. Please give generously on his ActBlue site and sign his petitions.

Tim Bagwell does not turn his back on the people of Illinois.

Faith or Consequences

2009-05-16T16:32:00.006-05:00

Faith can be a good thing. It is basically a belief system, a code of ethics. Everyone feels it for something or someone at any number of levels ranging from positive to negative with a myriad of consequences included.

For residents in IL-19, history does not provide much for their faith in change following the 2010 congressional redistricting. CQ Politics rolled out their crystal ball. They peaked. It cracked. No mention of the infamous name of John Shimkus from IL-19.

If the Democrats do control redistricting, they’ll be interested in further endangering Republicans Mark Steven Kirk and Peter Roskam . . .

Neither of these Republicans (as dubious as their behavior has been and quite consistantly) protected a sexual predator, hired staff from a fraudulent ex-governor (and then promoted one of them after skirting jail in exchange for her testimony), and inappropriately used a baseball analogy (among other things). Only one man achieve such high level of incompetence for his constituents: John Shimkus. The man generates bad memories for people just walking the Earth.

When it comes to the Earth, he does have it's best interests in mind: lots and lots of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Carbon dioxide is used by plants during photosynthesis to make sugars which may either be consumed again in respiration or used as the raw material to produce polysaccharides such as starch and cellulose, proteins and the wide variety of other organic compounds required for plant growth and development. It is produced during respiration by plants, and by all animals, fungi and microorganisms that depend on living and decaying plants for food, either directly or indirectly. It is, therefore, a major component of the carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide is generated as a by-product of the combustion of fossil fuels or the burning of vegetable matter, among other chemical processes. Large amounts of carbon dioxide are emitted from volcanoes and other geothermal processes such as hot springs and geysers and by the dissolution of carbonates in crustal rocks.

His diatribes during the past several months appear that another Late Triassic Epoch would make him a very happy camper indeed. Of course, it would create the next Jurassic Epoch he seems to demand -- a planet with lots and lots of planet life feeding on the CO2. Humans would come back into the scene again -- eventually. Just wait for it. Evolution takes millions of years.

On the John Shimkus Plan, the Earth survives happy and health as ever. Humans -- not so much. IL-19 residents had faith in redistricting for their continued survival. They need very little:

Fairness for potential congressional candidates after Redistricting -- Currently IL-15, IL-16, IL-19, etc. appear so gerrymandered that Democratic candidates have no chance. Candidates should have at least an even chance of winning. Also, Springfield should be in one congressional district not three.
A political career path for future candidates -- Those candidates genuinely interested in working for the best interests of the people could achieve the necessary name recognition to obtain the congressional seat they seek.
Long on bread-and-butter promises, short on deliveries to constituents -- It is glaringly obvious that rural GOP representatives at all levels talk values instead of quality of life issues. Nothing can change until there are significant changes in the map.

Potential Central and So. IL democratic congressional candidates deserve fairness in a redistricted map. Faithful people do not deserve living with the consequences of an ill-conceived gerrymandered map in perpetuity. Just look at the results.

There is only so much suffering that people should tolerate.

Information on the Illinois Reform Commission

2009-05-14T21:34:00.009-05:00

On May 14, 2009, Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus invited bloggers to a blogger-only discussion regarding progress on upcoming legislation reforming Illinois government. Senators Don Harmon (IL-039, Assistant Majority Leader), Jeff Schoenberg (IL-009, Assistant Majority Leader), and Kwame Raoul (IL-013) were on the call. The bloggers included Disarranging Mine, Carl Nyberg, Animal Farm, Chicagoist, Archpundit, and Philosophe Forum.

An invitation to a blogger-only conference call with Illinois senators on legislative proposals is not a daily occurrence. Sen. Harmon said lawmakers did not get the appropriate attention in the mainstream media. He is right. Reformers never receive any ink. Media is set in their comfort zone. They refuse to cross it. After two consecutive governors that were walking nightmares (and great for selling tabloid news!), it is time for America to see Illinois more positively, less corrupt. In this situation, move outside the box, forget the media, and enter the 21^st Century. The Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus succeeded this evening.

Here is the outline of the Illinois Reform Commission’s final proposals for reforming Illinois government:

I. Campaign Finance

To bring greater transparency to the campaign finance process and to reduce the skyrocketing costs of election campaigns in Illinois, the Commission recommends:

A. expanding disclosure requirements for campaign contributions to include:

o Year-round "real time" reporting of contributions,
o Mandatory disclosure of "bundlers" who collect contributions from others, and
o Mandatory disclosure of large "independent" expenditures made by individuals to promote a candidate;

B. limiting campaign contributions to:

o $2,400 for individuals, and
o $5,000 for political committees;

C. banning outright contributions from lobbyists and trusts;

D. extending the "Pay to Play" ban by forbidding vendors with large state contracts from contributing to members of the legislature;

E. establishing a pilot project for public financing of judicial elections in 2010;

F. strengthening ISBE enforcement of campaign laws and greater transparency of ISBE sanctions and proceedings; and

G. moving primary elections closer to general elections to reduce length of campaign and resulting costs.

II. Procurement

To help cure state procurement abuse in Illinois, the Commission recommends:

A. insulating the state procurement officials from political pressure and making them independent;

B. cutting back loopholes and exemptions in Procurement Code;

C. applying the Procurement Code to legislative, judicial branches and quasi-governmental agencies;

D. subjecting no-bid and "emergency" contracts to much tighter scrutiny and limitations;

E. establishing an Independent Contract Monitor to oversee and review contracts; and

F. creating greater transparency in the procurement process including:

o Disclosure of subcontractors,
o Disclosure of all lobbyists and agents representing vendors,
o Documenting any contact between vendors/agents and procurement staff, and
o Providing public access to all procurement information on one website.

III. Enforcement

The Commission recommends that the ability of state law enforcement to investigate and prosecute corruption be enhanced by:

A. amending and enhancing state laws to provide prosecutors and investigators with many of the same tools available to federal authorities;

B. adding significant corruption offenses to the existing list of offenses that are non-probationable;

C. granting the Illinois Attorney General the authority to independently conduct grand jury investigations of public corruption offenses;

D. directing additional resources to the investigation of public corruption crimes, by creating an independent public corruption division within the Illinois State Police; and

E. modifying the laws applicable to Inspectors General's Offices to improve the ability of Inspectors General to independently conduct investigations.

IV. Government Structure

To address structural problems that enable and produce corruption and inefficiency in state government, the Commission recommends:

A. adopting legislation to restore fairness to the process by which state legislative and congressional districts are drawn;

B. supporting pending legislation regarding term limits for legislative leadership positions;

C. amending House and Senate Rules applicable to the budget approval process to restore an effective system of checks and balances; and

D. amending the House and Senate Rules to ensure that each piece of proposed legislation that has a minimum number of sponsors receives a full committee vote.

V. Transparency

To improve and enhance the transparency of State government, the Commission recommends:

A. applying Open Meetings Act to General Assembly;

B. adopting presumption in favor of disclosure in FOIA requests;

C. reducing exemptions to FOIA and Open Meetings Act so that citizens have greater access and knowledge of government records and decision-making;

D. enhancing the penalties for violation of FOIA and Open Meetings Act requirements;

E. establishing an Independent Office of Transparency to provide training and ensure compliance with FOIA and OMA requirements; and

F. greatly expanding and enhancing the use of modern technology to improve disclosure, reporting and collaboration in state government.

VI. Inspiring Better Government

The Commission proposes the following reforms to inspire all state government workers and restore citizens' confidence in the integrity of State government:

A. combating patronage by reforming the personnel system to better protect a-political positions and the employees who hold them;

B. reforming the State's hiring process;

C. establishing a code to guide everyday decision-making and holding state employees accountable for abiding by the code;

D. revising the ethics training system to improve state employees' understanding of relevant ethical standards;

E. more clearly defining whistleblower protections to ensure and expand coverage for state employees; and

F. creating additional safeguards to protect against ethical violations by those exiting state employment.

Campaign Finance – The recommendation adopts the federal model. Limits could be too low with unintended consequences. The General Assembly is working on it so that it becomes a fair & level playing field.

Contracting – From the recommendation, legislators are working to create a firewall against political influences for the decision makers. The web provides accountability & transparency. It is a tool that has become effective. They know it is well passed time to take advantage and begin using it to the fullest. One of the justifications would have been full-disclosure of sub-contractors on the Chicago toll-way debacle.

Enforcement – The recommendations for campaign finance reform will start at the State’s Supreme Court level and trickle down to subsequent court levels eventually. Legislators would like to see localities obtain local prosecutors the same as U.S. attorneys. Electing people with such power can be such dangerous things.

Government Transparencies – Although the Commission’s recommendations did not include it, Archpundit suggested that the State Board of Elections obtain a better data base system. Online users have been desperate for a user-friendly accessible and searchable database for several election cycles now at ever level of government. Now it is especially relevant for court races since the last one cost $10 million compliments out-of-state money pouring in. Externalities are always trying impact tort reform or other critical issues. It will only get worse.

Although the Collins commission has no real-world experience, an independent body endorsed their recommendations. The senators found the recommendations easy to develop into legislative proposals. The year-round, real-time contribution reports are feasible and reasonable with a 48-hr turnaround time during campaigns. Legislators can refine the ideas when they are not campaigning. They also hope to prohibit contingency fees for people that really do not do work (i.e., investment deals, bond deals supporting the governor only to get a sizable commission). That is now against the law. They have already eliminated much of that activity.

Ethics Reform has be local to work – and work well. This is a cooperative venture with people outside of the political process. There is already a significant broad agreement between a bi-partisan legislature and the commission. The legislature has also taken ownership for past plea agreements, indictments, court proceedings, teacher retirement issues, and the health facility problems.

This has been a tough job. There are successes, new laws, a lot of work with stress levels and weary eyes to prove it. The bi-partisanship provides promise for the future. The Media has been a deaf ear to their efforts. They are not the right audience any way so it makes no difference.

The real audience is the people of Illinois.

And the real work begins for the representatives of Central and Southern Illinois.

Fuzzy Torture Techniques

2009-04-25T08:26:00.003-05:00

President Barack Obama has released part of the torture memos. Rep. John Shimkus (IL-19) has seen the memos just like everyone else by now. For him, the jury is still out. He still doesn't know if the techniques (i.e., waterboarding) are torture. For anyone else with a conscience (and a modicum of common sense and decency), the decision is quite simple.

These memos show that what happened at Abu Graib and what happened at Guantanamo were not some bad apples, these were decisions made at the highest levels of our government.

In an interview with WSIL TV, McLeansboro, Shimkus simply dismissed and clumsily justified the contents of the memos: Now the cats out of the bag, now we ought to see if this was helpful and again protecting us from further attack or with what people are talking about a second wave.

Shimkus wants Pres. Obama to release all the documents to be fair because his friend, Former Vice president Dick Cheney, says there are memos documenting the success of torture (the torture that Shimkus does not identify with). So Shimkus has a suggestion: Get Congress involved to weigh in on the issues: We have credible members of congress who've had limbs broken, hung upside down on meat hooks, you name it. They know what torture is, let them be part of this debate about whether enhanced interrogation is torture.

For a butter bar that spent his entire time as an XO in the Fulda Gap in the early 1980s, this thought process would make sense. It makes sense to those lacking in common sense.

The Last Illinois Medal of Honor Recipient

2009-04-07T19:45:00.004-05:00

Russell Dunham lived quietly in Jerseyville, Illinois. To look at this 89-year-old man, no one would ever realize that he had been injured in France during World War II. He received the highest congressional honor for those injuries in 1945.

According to the citation, Mr. Dunham spearheaded a successful diversionary attack against the Germans by throwing a grenade. Few people survive such experiences let alone live so long to die of heart failure in their own home.

Mr. Dunham passed away on April 06, 2009. He was the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient in Illinois.

Shameful Shimkus Notoriety

2009-04-04T12:22:00.006-05:00

It has been several days (and not the first time) since the country heard Rep. John Shimkus (IL-19) spew foolish comments regarding natural science. The story just will not die.

On a more positive note. The Democratic Party could use Rep. Shimkus as an excellent justification for keeping science completely separate from political discourse.

Meanwhile, IL-19 voters have ANOTHER reason for keeping this man embarrassing man out of office. People outside of the state are more vocal with a question asked after every election:

What were you thinking?!

Update: And the hits just keep coming.

Thank you Bill Maher for speaking so honestly. Also commenting in the video was Reihan Salam, an Atlantic associate editor and a conservative: Shimkus is a nut boot him off the committee.

No argument there.

Illinois Folly

2009-04-01T20:19:00.002-05:00

In response to Rep. John Shimkus (IL-19) pretending to understanding environmental science, Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann took note.

Maddow transcript

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN SHIMKUS (R-IL): Today, we have about 288 parts per million in the atmosphere. I think in the age of dinosaurs, where we had more flora and fauna, we were probably at 4,000 parts per million. There is a theological debate that this is a carbon star planet, not too much carbon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADDOW: In other words, we shouldn‘t bother trying to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere because the dinosaurs did just fine with the tons of carbon that God gave them for their atmosphere. Also, the dodo bird ate plenty of cholesterol. And the saber tooth tiger never, ever flossed. Stop worrying, people.

Keith Olbermann also named Shimkus last night's "Worst Person In The World" (the relevant section begans at the 3:15 mark):

[video]

Olbermann transcript

But our winner, Congressman John Shimkus, Republican of Illinois, with two fascinating and utterly contradictory statements. A, Congressman Shimkus on why there isn‘t global warming. “Today we have about 388 parts per million of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. I think in the age of the dinosaurs, when we had most flora and fauna, we were probably at 4,000 parts per million. There‘s a theological debate that this is a carbon-starved planet, not too much carbon.”

Number one, Carbon and Carbon Dioxide are not the same thing. Number two, the only theological debate over how much carbon the plan needs would be taking place in the church of the Labrea Tar Pits. Number three, didn‘t the freaking dinosaurs go extinct? Or do they just have a bad public relations person?

But I‘m digressing. B, Congressman Shimkus on why it doesn‘t matter anyway. “The Earth will end only when God declares it‘s time to be over. A man will not destroy this Earth. This Earth will not be destroyed by a flood. I appreciate having panelists here who are men of faith, and we can get into the theological discourse of that position. But I do believe that God‘s word is infallible, unchanging, perfect.”

So a man pressing a button to start a nuclear war, that would be God‘s infallible word? Why do we bother trying to govern? Can‘t he do something about the budget deficit? By the way, as you hit me over the head with your Bible, Congressman, there ain‘t a word in it about those dinosaurs you mentioned earlier.

Congressman John Shimkus of Illinois, today‘s worst person in the world! Dinosaurs.

Naturally Progress Illinois as been keeping score on the infamous jester of IL-19. Yes. There he is. The perennial fool of IL compliments of a national network.

Are his constituents proud or what??

Illinois Needs Horse Sense

2009-03-30T15:50:00.005-05:00

Although Congress has H.R. 503, Rep. Jim Sacia of Pecatonica decided to take matters into his own unscrupulous hands. On February 06, 2009, he introduced HB0583 to repeal the two-year-old ban on horse slaughtering for human consumption.

On February 24, 2009, the State Journal-Register stated that The House Agriculture and Conservation Committee voted 11-2 in approval of the bill:

Sacia’s veterinarian, Dr. Tim Strathman, testified before the committee in favor of repealing the ban. To appease animal rights groups, Strathman proposed adding a tax on horses at slaughter plants to Sacia’s measure. He said a $25 fee on horses payable to the state could then be turned over to horse organizations to fund non-slaughter alternatives.

What Rep. Sacia, his veterinarian, and all his other minions will not tell you is the everything else that an informed, humane legislator should know ---> From the Humane Society:

From the auction where horses are purchased by killer buyers to the process of slaughter itself, every moment of the slaughter pipeline is frightening and stressful for horses. Frequently trucked long distances without food, rest and water in crowded double-decker trailers meant for shorter neck species like cows and pigs, injury, fighting and even death are frequent occurrences.

The pictures from the Equine Protection Network say a lot more. (NOTE: Horse slaughterhouses located in the United States are all foreign owned.) And people really want to eat that -- and slaughtered without a certificate of veterinary inspection???

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) closed the largest horse-slaughter operation in the United States. The country does not need another one.

This is a bad bill for Illinois and the United States. The Illinois House votes on it on March 31, 2009. Hopefully, they will slaughter it and not one of the best companion animals humans are fortunate to experience.

It is a good idea for every voter in Illinois to call the Illinois Representatives and remind them. This is a BAD BILL!