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SB0152, “Mandatory Arbitration” will raise car Insurance Rates in Illinois

At a time when the “Middle-Class Worker” is watching their small-slice of the American pie shrink, as their expenses go up and their wages go down. I’m confident that when Sen. William R. Haine introduced SB0152, it was done with the best of intentions, and the sincere belief that “Mandatory Arbitration” will benefit the people of Illinois. I am not questioning his motivation, but I do question the wisdom of a bill that will put people out of work, and increase insurance costs on those least able to afford them....

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List of Illinois Senators

Here is the List of Illinois Senators that play a role in the vote on SB1052 bill.

Sen. John Cullerton

President, Illinois Senate

327 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-3242


Sen. Don Harmon

President Pro Tempore

329 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-3242


Sen. Bill Brady

Assistant Republican Leader

105 A Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-0116

Sen. Matt Murphy

Republican Caucus Chair

309 C Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-7818


Sen. Christine Radogno

Republican Leader

309 A Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-7818

Sen. Dale Righter


Deputy Republican Leader

309 D Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-7818


Sen. William Haine

121 C Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-5340


Sen. David Leuchtefeld

Assistant Republican Leader

103 B Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-4079


Sen. Dave Syverson

Assistant Republican Leader

M 103 D Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-9586

Sen. John O. Jones

Assistant Republican Leader

309 H Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-4885


Sen. Pamela Althoff

Republican Caucus Whip

M103 C Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-9586


Sen. Susan Garrett

Majority Caucus Whip

129 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

(217) 782-2331


Sen. Kimberly Lightford

Assistant Majority Leader

323 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 558-2068


Sen. Antonio Muñoz

Assistant Majority Leader

323 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 558-1042


Sen. James Clayborne Jr.

Senate Majority Leader

329 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 558-6013

Sen. Donne Trotter

Majority Caucus Chair

Sen. Donne Trotter

Majority Caucus Chair

627 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-8201


Sen. Carol Pankau

Minority Caucus Whip

105 K Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 557-3908

Sen. Maggie Crotty

Assistant Majority Leader

123 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 558-6006


Sen. Mattie Hunter

Majority Caucus Whip

615 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 558-6006


Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg

Assistant Majority Leader

218 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-0715


Sen. John Sullivan

Assistant Majority Leader

417 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 558-0168


Sen. Ira Silverstein

Majority Caucus Whip

121 A Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-5340


Sen. Terry Link

Majority Caucus Whip

321 Capitol Building

Springfield IL 62706

Fax No. (217) 782-4450

Natanie Portman VS Mike Huckabee

The room was quite as the list of names for "best Actress" were ticked-off. there was much applauds, and little surprise when the Academy Awards announced That Natalie Portman took the stage. The surprise came a day latter when, Mike Huckabee slammed actress Natalie Portman on a radio show for glamorizing out-of-wedlock pregnancy at the Academy Awards and sending an irresponsible message to women.

Yes this is the same Natalie Portman that put her movie career on hold for years while she got a degree from Harvard. In 1999, she was cast in a leading role in Star Wars Episode I, at the same time she had recently enrolled at Harvard University to study psychology. As if graduating for an Ivy League college was not enough of a challenge She completed her bachelor's degree while she was working on the Star Wars films. This is the same young woman that skipped the premiere of her film The Phantom Menace so she could study for her high school final exams. (Does anyone truly believe that Bristol Palin would have made that choice?)


When asked by the New York Post about her putting School first she said "I don't care if [college] ruins my career," "I'd rather be smart than a movie star."

Natalie Portman (Natalie Hershlag) did graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. degree in psychology and for a time was a research assistant to Alan Dershowitz.

Portman, with a history of charitable giving, just donated $50 million dollars to Hadassah Hospital.  

On December 27, 2010, Portman confirmed to the press that she and her boyfriend, Millepied are engaged and expecting a child, this summer.
Mike Huckabee former governor and would be presidential candidate went on "The Michael Medved Show" and basted Ms/ Portman for being a poor role-model for woman.

"You know, Michael, one of the things that's troubling is that people see a Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet who boasts of, 'Hey look, you know, we're having children, we're not married, but we're having these children, and they're doing just fine,'" Huckabee said. "But there aren't really a lot of single moms out there who are making millions of dollars every year for being in a movie."

Rather than look at her and see an accomplished woman, with a long history of making responsible decisions, who took graduate courses at Hebrew University, and speaks 6 languages; he just played to the “Bash Hollywood Values” crowd, in an attempt to prove that he is further to the “Right” then any other Republican challenger.

But Huckabee said marriage should have come first and admonished the actress for glamorizing single motherhood.
"Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and never have health care. And that's the story that we're not seeing, and it's unfortunate that we glorify and glamorize the idea of out-of-children wedlock,"


Ignoring the fact that A record 41 percent of American children were born to single mothers in 2008, according to a study by the Pew Research Center.
This was he same day, Huckabee continued to feed the "Proven false" Birther Conspiracy by saying on another radio show that President Obama has a different view of the West, "having grown up in Kenya."

I know so many smart, competent, rational Republicans. People that have graduated from top universities, who have built successful careers, and helped make America strong and prosperous. It is time for that silent majority to take back their party. We need leaders that are smart enough; and yes, logical enough to actually to a serious look at our nation's challenges and work across the isle for the common good.

The president was born and raised in the United States. Area 51 is a place the government tests new planes, not a place hiding UFOs and "Little green men", the Earth is more than 9,000 years old.

We need leaders that stop catering to the lunatic fringe on the left or the right, and realize we have great strengths, yet we are also facing some very real problems. These problems were the result of decisions make by both Democrats and Republicans. and it is going to take both groups; working together to come-up with answerers to fix our economy, and keep America strong. That which divides us- makes us weaker.

Ms. Portman, strikes me as a strong role model for young women.

Cops fatally shoot panhandler, Officer shot in back.

February 23, 2011|By Becky Schlikerman and Jeremy Gorner, Tribune reporters
Abel Uribe, Chicago Tribune
Photo by Larry Lubell



A panhandler was fatally shot near a busy River North intersection Wednesday afternoon when he opened fire on two Chicago police officers, wounding one of them in the back, police said.

Witnesses said the chaotic scene at Chicago Avenue and Wells Street unfolded in broad daylight in an area amid nightclubs, upscale restaurants, art galleries and the Moody Bible Institute.

Police said the two Near North District officers had taken the panhandler into custody about 4 p.m. after he had become combative, yet despite being handcuffed, the man was able to pull out a gun in the unmarked police car and shoot one officer in the back.

The officers scurried from the vehicle as it continued to roll down the street and fired their weapons, killing the panhandler, police said.

The unmarked police car, a Crown Victoria, came to rest partly on a sidewalk on Wells, butting against a light pole with the rear window shot out. Spent bullet shells were strewn on the street behind it.

A weapon used by the panhandler was found at the scene, police said. The man, whose identity has not been released by officials, had numerous arrests for petty offenses, according to a law-enforcement source.



The wounded officer, 44, a 16-year veteran, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He is expected to recover, police said. The other officer, 60, a 37-year-old veteran, was treated for minor cuts to one hand at Northwestern.


"This is a clear understanding of the uncertainty and the danger that the officers face every day," police Superintendent Jody Weis told reporters outside the hospital's emergency room. "There's probably nothing more routine than this type of investigation, and look what we have today — an officer has been shot. But he's going to be fine."


The Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates shootings involving Chicago police officers, was looking into Wednesday's incident, said its spokesman, Mark Smith.


Larry Lubell said he was sitting at the desk at Urban insurance when he heard loud popping sounds. He figured that a car must be backfiring but realized it was far more serious when numerous police cars suddenly converged on the area.

Lubell said he's never felt unsafe in the area, especially during the daytime.

"I see homeless people around here asking for a quarter, but no one seems to bother you if you give it to them," he said.

April Rohn, 35, a clerk at a shop near the shooting was shocked.

"Things like this don't happen around here," she said. But "it's a big city."

Death by Texting

You turn NASCAR on TV, it's exciting to watch, but you can't help be realize that danger is chasing those drivers at 200 miles per hour. A single moments distraction can end the life of even the most skilled racer. It's danger is recognised by all watching. Yet so often when any of us step behind the wheel, we commonly underestimate how a single lapse of attention, can also result in death and life-changing injuries.

Most of us feel naked leaving the house without our cell phones. We are talking, reading our email, and sending text messages from home, the trail, restaurants, and yes even from our cars.  The danger of Texting while driving, claimed it’s latest victim; this time a your girl. This case is particularly troublesome because it was her own father who’s texting led to her death. Jonathan Harp of Lima, pleaded guilty to attempted vehicular homicide in the accident that took the life of one of his children and left his
7 year old daughter in critical care.

AP Photo/Jim Cole

By his own admission, Mr. Harp was going 55 miles an hour while writing a text, the distraction resulted in him crashing into the back of a truck. If found guilty he may go to prison for a year; though, as a father myself, I can’t imagine any punishment greater than knowing your carelessness led to the death of your own child. I wonder if you are already “Living in Hell”, you care about being moved to a prison.


MAD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) has done a great job drawing attention to Drunk Driving. It is clear that driving while intoxicated is irresponsible, dangerous and illegal; it is time to recognize Texting while driving as an even greater distraction. There is a "Moral" component at work her. If you see a person siting in the park with a cellphone writing a text; we do not have contempt for them as we would if they were in that smae park drunk. We have to recornize that there is nothing wrong with useing our electronic devices, as long as it's not while opporating a 5,000 lbs machine down the raod. While Seven states and the District of Columbia have banned “Driving while texting,” it has failed to seriously limit people from continuing what statistics show is reckless behavior. A new survey found that 26% of drivers admit to Texting while driving. With a son a year away from driving, I find it additionally frightening that nearly 60% of drivers between ages 16 to 19 admitted on the survey to doing so. For those under 25, texting is the principle way they communicate; actually using a cell phone to TALK, is only done after several texts back and forth.

We need to raise awareness, before more parents need to bury their child.


.

Cutting off funds for Planned Parenthood

The Middle-East is in turmoil as tens of thousands of people take to the streets. In Bahrain protests have been met with "Strong-Arm-tactics" leaving several dead which has only escalated the anti-government demonstrations. Violence was spreading at today's funeral processions in Bahrain, Libya and Yemen. Upheaval and uncertainty follows in the wake of revolts in Tunisia and Egypt. America is dependent on Oil, and we have troups fighting two wars from the reagion.

While America has stopped the horrific job losses of two years ago, With unemployment holding at 9 percent and millions out of work we are far from the "Healthy job market." Small business are struggling to stay open, while many big businesses are hording cash.

There is not a state that is not in a financial mess, many cutting back on critical services, at a time when they are desperately needed. Our cities are in debt, teacher layoffs are causing class sizes to spike. Health care costs are skyrocketing at more than twice the rate of inflation leaving more and more people without access to quality care.

Oh yea, the nation is going to run out of money and have to default on loans unless congress passes a new debt-ceiling.

So with all that on the table what did congress do today?

Rather than address any of the pressing issues listed above, they instead turned to the ideological topic of abortion. Yes, the House of Representatives voted 240-185 in favor of Rep. Mike Pence’s amendment cutting off funds for Planned Parenthood.

I understand the desire to "Throw Red-Meat" to the Tea Party; but with the government days away from shutting down, while our solders are in harms-way, why not focus on solving the very real problems that we face, rather than Abortion and National Public Radio?