Last week federal government regulation won a battle against Illinois workers and every Illinois resident. “Energy prices will skyrocket under Obama’s Cap & Trade plan” says columnist Kerry Picket. Illinois still has hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs. Currently the Illinois unemployment rate is figured to be 10.1%.

The debate over climate change is not over. Many scientist point towards the declining temperatures for the last decade (declining to 1983 levels). Despite reports to the contrary, Polar Bear populations have actually increased 150% in the last two decades. Yet the House of Representatives have decided to wage war on domestic manufacturing and average American families. Clearly no American is for polluting the air, water, or land. Heavy taxes, fewer jobs, and slower economic recovery will not help anyone, but the Chinese and a few companies with earmarks in the Cap & Trade bill.

Illinois Representatives Mark Kirk (R), Melissa Bean (D), Danny Davis (D), Luis Gutierrez (D), Debbie Halvorson (D), Phil Hare (D), Jesse Jackson (D), Daniel Lipinski (D), Michael Quigley (D), Bobby Rush (D), and Jan Schakowsky (D) should be ashamed of themselves for passing a bill they did not even read! For more details about the rushed nature of H.R. 2454, click here.

Illinois voters sent these ten Democrats and one Republican to Washington. They will be repaid with significantly higher utility costs, higher gasoline costs, fewer domestic jobs, and continued economic recession. Illinois voters are shocked that their values are not represented in Washington. Inner city residents and blue collar workers will see even higher unemployment. Farmers will see smaller profit margins. Large Illinois manufacturing will relocate production to foreign countries. Ultimately Illinois families will bear the largest burden with higher prices, less opportunity and higher utility taxes. Illinois voters, call your representative and voice your displeasure in being betrayed by these eleven career politicians today. To contact your Representative click here.

Recently a $3 million grant from the Economic Development Administration was announce for Rochelle, toward building a much needed overpass. The construction project isn’t cheap though; the total cost is estimated at $7 million. See video from WREX Rockford for details:

We all know the Elgin area has been growing fast. But you probably don’t realize just how fast.

Would you believe the city of Elgin is the fastest-growing large city in the northern United States?

It all depends on how one defines “fastest-growing,” of course. But there it is in black and white on an official U.S. Census Bureau table released on July 10. Based on estimated growth for the last year for which statistics are available — July 1, 2006 to July 1, 2007 — the table lists the “25 Fastest Growing U.S. Cities With Populations Over 100,000 in 2007.” Measuring that growth as a percentage of its original population, Elgin, Ill. ranked 20th fastest in the U.S., with 3.3 percent growth during the year.

Impressive enough. But look at the other cities listed. From No. 1 — New Orleans, where Katrina victims are pouring back into a deserted city, through No. 2 Victorville, Calif. and No. 3 McKinney, Texas and No. 4 North Las Vegas, Nev. and No. 5 Cary, N.C., every one of the 19 cities that grew faster than Elgin is somewhere in the Sunbelt. The first time that list comes to a city above the Mason-Dixon Line, it is Elgin. And the next time the list comes to a city in the North, just two spots below Elgin at No. 22, that town is Joliet, Ill., which grew 3.1 percent.

Sure, many towns smaller than 100,000 grew by a bigger percentage during the year. In fact, we need only stroll across Elgin’s western border into Pingree Grove to find a village that grew from 1,943 to 3,507 — an astounding growth rate of 80.5 percent per year. But even that was nothing compared to Pingree Grove’s growth the year before, as people started pouring into Cambridge Lakes. The town shot from 192 people to 1,943 in a single year.

And, sure, there are much bigger cities that added more than the 3,298 Elgin added, but didn’t grow by as big a percentage because they started with a larger base. Houston added almost 40,000 people, but that only translated into a growth rate of 2 percent.

And yes, we’re only talking about one specific year… (read full)

Ack, that’s a lot of gross rating points!

This is the “golden era” of state government, as a colleague told me recently.

For as long as any of us in the Statehouse press corps remain in our jobs, state government coverage will never be as fruitful as it is now.

Almost nothing works. Nearly everything is dysfunctional. We in the media are overwhelmed with story material.

But the same climate that’s ideal for reporters is a nightmare for just about everybody else. If you’re trying to accomplish something through your state government, then this likely is a bad, bad time for you. (read full)