State Legislators call for Investigation into ACORN Organizations

I joined a group of legislators last week in sending Governor Quinn an open letter requesting a full investigation into Illinois branches and affiliates of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or more commonly referred to as ACORN.  Recent allegations leveled against ACORN came to light after a series of videos caught ACORN employees giving advice on a number of illegal practices, including child prostitution and money laundering.

Some of the hidden video footage shows ACORN workers giving detailed guidance about how to launder proceeds from child prostitution rings into a congressional campaign account, as well as suggestions to avoid paying taxes and even instructions on dealing with pimps.  If any of the allegations contained in the videos are remotely true, then it is pretty clear that any and all state contracts to the organization be halted until a full investigation is completed by the Illinois Attorney General.

Reports indicate ACORN received $53 million in federal funding since 1994, prompting both the U.S. Senate and House to vote last week to strip remaining federal dollars from appropriations aimed toward the organization.  As recently as 2008 Illinois ACORN received $100,000 is state allocations and an investigation to determine whether these funds were properly spent will show residents that the state is dedicated to transparent spending practices.

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Not Every Problem Can be Solved by Higher Taxes

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we will not solve our financial woes by simply increasing taxes at every turn.  It is obvious Illinois has some serious monetary problems, but it seems the only answers we are hearing to fill a number of those budget holes is to increase taxes.

Increasing taxes is actually the easy way out because it allows those who manifested the original problem of spending money we don’t have, an avenue which does not force them to address their spending problem.  Until we sit down and a take a serious look at exactly what we think state government’s priorities should be and where tax dollars must be spent, then simply throwing more money at the problem will only perpetuate the reckless spending practices that has caused our financial dilemma.

I raise this issue now because it seems as if we are getting hit by ideas to raise taxes from nearly every corner on nearly every item.  From the state and federal level to candy and shampoo, it seems that everywhere you look some form of tax increase is being suggested to plug years of fiscal malfeasance.  It’s a never ending cycle, once that budget hole is plugged and the money is no longer available, it’s back to the discussion of “now which tax do we raise.”  Eventually, you hit a high water mark, where taxes have been raised so high that it causes a decrease in revenue and then where do you go?  Well, you start by doing what should have been done from the beginning, examine where you can reduce spending and manage funds more effectively by streamlining.  Of course, this should be the first step, not the final action after all taxes have been exhausted.

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2009 Farm Progress Show

Beautiful weather, a huge crowd and just about anything related to agriculture at your fingertips made for a great 2009 Farm Progress Show.  Progress City USA was at capacity last week as parking lots were filled with interested residents eager to see what’s new in the world of agriculture.  Judging by the atmosphere and the smiles on the thousands of attendee’s faces, they certainly were not disappointed.

From new technology and equipment to advancements in fertilizer and seed, anything and everything you want to learn about world wide agriculture was available.  An opportunity to speak with experts on issues such as higher yields and even those who actually invent the working parts of specific machines is just not something you get to do very often.

Oh, and you can not forget about the food.  A wide variety of locally raised items that only add to the great experience by bringing everything full circle.  You just can’t get any better than eating something that taste so great at the very same time you are learning about the techniques and equipment actually used to put it on your plate.

Hopefully this event stays in the local area for years to come.  I just can’t see any better way to spend a couple of days in central Illinois.

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Quinn Vetoes Campaign Finance Reform

The last month has been filled with numerous bill signings as Governor Quinn officially put his signature on a number of new laws, mostly good but some bad.  Last week brought a change of pace with the Governor breaking out his veto pen and as with the new laws, some of those decisions were good and some bad.

One of the better choices made by Quinn was the veto he issued on the loophole filled campaign finance reform legislation.  House Bill 7 (which gave the false impression of real campaign contribution caps) would allow for an individual donation to be capped at $5,000, a PAC, corporation or union would be limited to $10,000, and transfers between candidate and leadership committees (such as state parties) would be topped at $90,000 on a yearly basis.  Meaning during a full gubernatorial term, the chief executive could collect four $10,000 donations from a single business, while a challenger would be greatly hampered because they likely would not start fundraising until two years prior to the election, thus giving the incumbent candidate a 2-1 fundraising advantage.  This legislation would have also put even more power into the hands of legislative leaders, further tightening their iron fisted control over the respective chambers by giving them the power to dole out large campaign donations and unlimited resources.

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