One Man's Thoughts

Got a twitter notification from the Ryan campaign

2009-11-09T07:23:00.002-06:00

That a blogger (marathon pundit I think) had endorsed Jim....

So blogger endorsements are twitter worthy. I will keep that in mind...

OneMan

What does it say about video gaming in Illinois

2009-11-03T22:27:00.003-06:00

When the proposed rules for video gaming are marked as 'emergency rules'.

SOURCE: Adopted by emergency rulemaking at 33 Ill. Reg. _______, effective _______, for a maximum of 150 days.

So the challenge becomes do you try and issue revenue bonds for the video poker money before the rules become non-emergency rules? If you do, it will likely have an impact on the bonds because they would be for a revenue stream that is defined at the time by rules that are not necessarily 'final'. Also the longer you take to implement the more government entities will have time to take a pass on the machines and the more that take a pass the greater reduction in potential revenue you are going to have.

The longer this all takes, the more impact it has on the bonding for the revenue.

The Rules
There are a few interesting rules....

Immediately remove all video gaming terminals from the restricted area of play i) upon order of the Board or an agent of the Board or ii) that have been out of service or otherwise inoperable for more than 72 hours;

So if a big ice storm takes power out for three days a video gaming terminal would have to be removed? If the network these things are going to communicate with goes down for 72 hours would the machines have to be removed? Could a serious issue with the central communication system cause a trigger to require every machine in the state to be removed from where it is located? Seems you have a bit of an issue here with the rules.

The owner, manager, or employee of the licensed video gaming location who is over 21 years of age shall be present during all hours of operation, and the video gaming terminals or the entrance to the video gaming terminal area must be within the view of at least one such owner, manager, or employee.

So you have to have at least 21 year old on duty at all times the machines are on...

Again you ask me the machines should be owned or at least operated by the lottery.

OneMan

So Corzine lost in NJ

2009-11-03T22:24:00.001-06:00

That's cool....

So there are seven candidates for governor.

2009-11-02T22:25:00.002-06:00

I am going to make my prediction for who is going to win in February...

It is either going to be Jim Ryan or Adam Andrzejewski...

Why, either Ryan is going to win it on name recognition or Adam is going to win it because he is going to be the top pick among the 'outsiders'.

With seven candidates that are all at least somewhat legitimate I think Adam's early work going to a ton of events (he is the only candidate I have seen more than once this season) might just pay off.

The other option is the field is going to be so big and confusing people will go to the name they know, Jim Ryan.

OneMan

Interesting Times in the 25th State Senate District

2009-10-26T21:32:00.002-05:00

Well Senator Lauzen has a primary opponent. Sugar Grove Mayor Sean Michels. He does not seem to have a committee registered with the state board of elections yet. He also is not the first creditable primary challenger that Senator Lauzen has faced over the past 10+ years. However this time things might be a bit different. Why?

Well there is still some bad blood over the congressional race in the 14th. So some folks who might have helped Chris out are going to likely sit on their hands and their checkbooks.
He had some quotes about public service that will make some great mailers....
Most of his district is west of Aurora, folks might feel someone from Sugar Grove might 'get' them better.
The Solheim Cup provided a lot of visibility to Sugar Grove, giving the mayor and the trustee who was the contact person for the city with the LPGA (more on that later) a lot of new contacts and exposure. Also a chance to get tight with a rather wealthy local...

Also you have Sugar Grove Trustee Melisa Taylor challenging Bill Wyatt in the primary for county board seat 5. Search Melisa Taylor at the Daily Herald, more than one feel good story about her there.

So you have two Sugar Grove officials who are challenging Republican incumbents in a primary. I don't think this is a coincidence kids, it might be. But I think two elected officials from the same smallish village don't take on two incumbents in a primary in a vacuum.

If nothing else, each will help the other in terms of generating turnout in the primary in Sugar Grove. Will it be enough? Who knows. But it's going to be interesting.

Campaign Pro-Tip

2009-10-22T22:09:00.002-05:00

Don't do a presser in front of one of the other candidates campaign office when there is staff an volunteers around...

So you think Tom Dart is going to have a press conference

2009-10-22T21:42:00.003-05:00

To announce the feds tossed his action against Craigslist....
I doubt it..

OneMan

I was watching CNN today..

2009-10-20T21:24:00.000-05:00

For a bit and on the crawl they had something to the effect of....

Kate Goslin: Life is challenging right now.

Then

CNN: Your source for news

And that CNN is why you fail....

OneMan

Before you get all pumped up about the Sequoia code..

2009-10-20T21:09:00.002-05:00

That is referenced on Daily Kos: I am a database guy and the code that they show on the referenced wiki looks like table creation code.

Rather straight forward. Look forward to being able to see the whole code base, but the snipit they provide isn't all that sinister IMHO.

Got a piece of mail from my congressman...

2009-10-20T20:27:00.003-05:00

Hard to tell the difference from a piece of campaign liturature. Even more so when words used as his campaign theme last time around and underlined....

It's all about his vote on cap and trade....

Glad to see my tax dollars at work.

FYI, The mailer is in color. My scanner works in black and white for some reason

OneMan

Thanks...

2009-10-19T20:41:00.002-05:00

I know at least one reader added it to their facebook page when I asked for prayers for my old classmate and her family.

Her daughter passed away this morning while she was sleeping.

As a dad I can't even wrap my brain around how you deal with that and I am really at a loss for words about it.

So thanks

Some more things they could have added to recall..

2009-10-18T20:47:00.002-05:00

Considering the number of things in the recall bill that make recall almost impossible (150 day time window, signatures of members of the state house and senate from both parties, number of signatures at least from x number of counties, etc)

Require approval from the governor's mother.
Cubs must have won a world series in last 100 years
The entire set of petitions must have visited at least three state parks both north and south of I-80 and had their picture taken with 10 visitors at each park.
5 people who sign the petition for recall will be chosen and random and must be able to name every county in the state.

The sad thing is some of these don't seem to be that much of a stretch from what is actually in the bill.

OneMan

A favor to ask...

2009-10-14T22:16:00.003-05:00

Someone who I went to high school with, has a daughter named Donna who nearing the end of battle with cancer.

If you would like to learn more and read the thoughts of her very literate parents I would recommend you go here.

What I ask is that you keep her and her family in your prayers. She will be leaving us too soon, way to soon.

So give your kids a hug tonight, thank God for the health and blessings he has given you and say a prayer for Donna and her family.

Thanks

So no extra hour for sonic.

2009-10-14T22:14:00.003-05:00

Because it's ok for the Wal-Mart behind it to be open 24 hours a day but letting Sonic stay open one more hour is going to lead to cats and dogs sleeping together.

I think we are the most unfriendly city to business in Chicagoland....

OneMan

Another $900 million in the hole

2009-10-14T22:02:00.002-05:00

So says the governor $850 million due to decreased income tax revenue and $50 million due to the Joliet casino fire...

Wow, can't even imagine how we are going to fill that hole. Because at this point does anyone think they are going to do anything about revenue down in Springfield after the primary....

I didn't think so.

OneMan

Congratulations President Obama

2009-10-09T06:32:00.004-05:00

For winning the Nobel Peace Prize for...

Not being George Bush in the eyes of Europeans....

Can't imagine what award they are going to give Joe Biden..

A former Illinois State Senator wins the Peace Prize, can't imagine the delusions of grandure that are running around the heads of his former colleagues now.

So time for a format change...

2009-10-08T22:25:00.001-05:00

After almost 6 years, figured it was time...

Just saw an anti-Bill Foster ad

2009-10-08T21:42:00.003-05:00

On the top of the Druge Report.

Links to dontletbillfosterkilljobs.com . I also saw a billboard for it today..

Nice ad guys, seriously. However how about spending some to buy the Bill Foster keywords on Google...

Not that we couldn't have done it...

2009-10-04T22:03:00.003-05:00

But considering the recent history of government corruption in Illinois, would you have given us the Olympics?

Also I understand the city of Aurora had a thing at a local tavern/restaurant awaiting the announcement, wonder who paid for that.

The key to any 'issue' is...

2009-09-30T21:04:00.002-05:00

Not to beat it until it becomes irrelevant and ignored. So may I suggest that my GOP pals not gorge on the ARCON. If that is all you are going to talk about it is going to lose the interest of the general public fast....

There was a candidate for state rep gathering signatures....

2009-09-29T20:18:00.003-05:00

At the Route 59 train station today and was asked to sign a petition (they didn't bother to check to see if I was in the district) so I asked who she was running against and what party she was with. When she said she was running as a Democrat I asked 'Haven't the Democrats done enough in Springfield' and her reply was 'Well I am not in Springfield'....

So I asked her

'So would you vote against Mike Madigan having for Speaker of the House'?

Her answer was a blank stare, after about a minute of this I said 'So I will take that as a no then'...

OneMan

Kirk on the Stump....

2009-09-28T20:42:00.002-05:00

Got to seem Mark Kirk on the stump recently and do some QA with a non-Republican group. Have to say he did great, someone even asked about his vote on the carbon thing and he covered that well.

I might have a bias here, but you put him up against Alexi or Jackson or any of the democrats and he blows them out of the water.

OneMan

Getting Polanski

2009-09-28T20:37:00.002-05:00

Sorry folks, but reguardless of how long it has been. The man plead guilty to a crime, a crime against a 13 year old. I don't care how great of an artiste' he may be or anything else. He needs to face American justice.

If you think you can get the whole thing overturned, fine. Then man up and come to America and face the music.

OneMan

I got nothing....

2009-09-27T21:12:00.002-05:00

I have been sitting here for the last 20 minutes to try and think of something to write about and nothing has been jumping out at me.

It nothing else Kind of Blue is a great album, can't beat Miles Davis.

OneMan

So Richard Irvin wants every Alderman to Come up $1,000,000 in revenue

2009-09-23T20:38:00.002-05:00

Well since the the Alderman asked...

I will offer up some revenue ideas, but mostly cost savings ideas (since I am a Republican after all)... Also I am not an alderman but if I was (God help us all), this is what I would come up with.

Revenue ideas
1) Charge every attorney who practices in town a $1,000 license fee. Since the city wants to start charging other businesses in town a license fee (hotels, towing companies, auto repair shops), why not do it to attorneys. Lets say that will come up with $75,000

2) If you car dealership has license plate frames that have the word Naperville in them and your dealership is not in Naperville (and you get some sort of tax break from Aurora) then there is a $100 tax on every car you sell. Lets call that $10,000

3) Set up a sting operation to catch folks taking the left hand turn out of the west enterance/exit to the Rt 59 parking lot. Lets call that $5,000

So I have $90,000 in new revenue.

Savings.

Ward funds cut in half to $290,000 per ward and it is only spent on roads. No more money for speakers, block parties or trophies. Saved $290,000

The mayors office doesn't need a spokesperson (reguardless of what title you give the person). Saved $75,000

Cut Mayor's salary to $1 (or have him return it, so it does not impact his pension, I am not heartless). Saved $100,000

End all of this green initiative stuff we spend money on every year. Saved $100,000 (that's a guess)

Have police cadets and non-violent commuinity service time serving folks move stuff to the new police station. Savings $25,000 (guess)

I am only at $680,000 but it's a start