Year: 2010

CBO: Health-Care Reform Bill Cuts Deficit $1.3 Trillion Over 20 Years, Covers 95%

Posted on by TL

First, from Ezra Klein at the Washington Post:

Washington has spent the past week or so waiting for the Congressional Budget Office to release its preliminary estimate of the Senate bill with the reconciliation fixes. Not only are those numbers important for the debate, but Democratic leaders refuse to release the actual text of their changes until CBO releases the specifics of its analysis.

According to a Democratic source, CBO has finished its work and will release the official preliminary score later today. But here are the basic numbers: The bill will cost $940 billion over the first 10 years and reduce the deficit by $130 billion during that period. In the second 10 years — so, 2020 to 2029 — it will reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion. The legislation will cover 32 million Americans, or 95 percent of the legal population.

To put this in context, that’s more deficit reduction than either the House or Senate bill, and more coverage than the Senate bill.

Next, from the New York Times:

U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Thursday that proposed final healthcare legislation would cut the U.S. deficit by more than $100 billion over the first 10 years.

Hoyer told reporters that the Congressional Budget Office said the sweeping healthcare overhaul would cut the deficit by more than $1 trillion over the subsequent decade. The CBO is expected to release its official estimate of the cost of the Democratic-written legislation on Thursday.

This is good news for liberals, good news for conservatives, good news for all.

Cardinal George Pushing Sainthood for First Black American Catholic Priest

Posted on by TL

Father Augustus Tolton

From the Sun-Times:

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced today that Cardinal Francis George is pushing sainthood for a Chicago clergyman who was born into slavery and went on to become the first black American Catholic priest.

Father Augustus Tolton, who died in 1897, was a priest in Quincy, Ill., New York, Baltimore and Texas before coming to Chicago in 1889.

Tolton was born in 1854, and was seven years old when he escaped with his Roman Catholic mother from a Missouri slave owner.

Cool.

Wow.  He was only 33-years-old when he died.

Look at that young man staring back at you from Eternity.

And ask him to pray for you.

Coward Shoots 7-Year-Old Desiree Sanders on Chicago’s South Side (Video)

Posted on by TL

This is as sad as sad gets.

From ABC 7 News Chicago:

A 7-year-old girl is in critical condition after being shot on the city’s South Side.

It happened on the southeast corner of the intersection of 80th and Manistee.

Desiree Sanders was out playing on the sidewalk outside of her home when she was shot.

Police were combing the area Wednesday evening for evidence and trying to talk to any witnesses in the neighborhood.

She was not the intended target, police say.

Seven years old.

Sweet Justice: Measure Advances to Raise Retirement Age For Lawmakers, Judges

Posted on by TL

First, the scoop from Clout Street at the Chicago Trib:

Lawmakers and judges would have to wait longer to retire and their pension checks would be limited under a measure that got full support today in a House panel.

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, D-Orland Park, would raise retirement age for full benefits from 55 to 67 for lawmakers and 60 to 67 for judges. They could retire before 67 under the new plan, but the benefits would be lower.

"The day of people retiring at 60 and living 10 years is over," McCarthy said. "There are people retiring in their 50s and dying in their mid-90s. The system just can’t function with those kind of parameters."

McCarthy’s bill also would limit annual pension payments at the same level as Social Security — currently $106,800. The rules would apply to lawmakers and judges employed by the state after July 1. Lawmakers estimated the state would save more than $1.5 billion over 35 years.

Under the current system, some officials are able to receive bigger pensions than their salaries. Former Gov. George Ryan, who last month was denied by the Illinois Supreme Court any future state pension payments, had received about $200,000 annually in pension until he was convicted in 2006 on political corruption charges. He retired as governor with a salary of $150,691.

Heard from a judge not too long ago who had been appointed to the bench. His honor told me he sought the appointment because of the great retirement he would have after one term. I had hoped to hear something about his love of justice. No, he wanted the bench for the retirement package.

I hope the legislature moves this forward quickly.

Disturbing Video: Metra Releases Footage of Woman, Godchild Killed By Train

Posted on by TL

Just yesterday, I was driving through Park Forest, stopped at the tracks on Western Avenue. The train was moving very, very slowly.

A boy around 11 or 12 walked north to the train, jumped up on a step of one of the cars, climbed between the moving cars, and jumped down the other side. I dialed 911 as soon as I saw him jump on to the train. By the time the call went through, he was safe on the other side of the tracks. I just had visions of this little one slipping just a bit, and that would be it for him.

The above video is chilling. The scoop from the Sun-Times:

Metra has released a chilling video showing a 1-year-old child and her godmother getting hit — and killed — by a train.

The commuter rail service decided to release the video, taken from the front cab of the train, to highlight the danger of crossing the track when a train is approaching,  Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said today.

“Seeing this video is very bone-chilling,” said Pardonnet. “It’s very startling, but it also reminds us that there are only a few seconds to get across the track when the train is coming. It’s literally a matter of life and death, sadly.”

Killed Saturday were Blanca Villanueva-Sanchez, 34, and Maria Cruz, 1, both of North Chicago.

Remember, the train will win.

I’m praying for Blanca and poor Maria.

Episcopal Church Confirms First Openly Lesbian Bishop: CNN

Posted on by TL

From CNN:

The Episcopal Church confirmed its first openly lesbian bishop on Wednesday, six years after its first openly gay bishop took office.

“I am profoundly grateful for the many people … who have given their prayers, love, and support during this time of discernment,” Bishop-elect Mary Douglas Glasspool said after learning she’d won support from the majority of her church’s standing committees and diocesan bishops.

“I am also aware that not everyone rejoices in this election and consent,” she continued, “and will work, pray, and continue to extend my own hands and heart to bridge those gaps, and strengthen the bonds of affection among all people, in the Name of Jesus Christ.”

Glasspool, 56, was elected bishop of the Episcopal Church’s Los Angeles diocese in December. Before taking office, she needed to win the consent of a majority of the church’s standing committees and diocesan bishops.

The Episcopal diocese of Los Angeles released an informal tally Wednesday showing that Glasspool had received consents from 63 of the Episcopal Church’s 110 standing committees, seven more than necessary.

Glasspool’s ordination and consecration as bishop is slated for May 15.

Coming In June: The Summer of Blagojevich

Posted on by TL

Rod Blagojevich’s flying circus continues this summer: a judge ruled today there will be no delay in the former governor’s trial.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich won’t be able to delay his trial on public corruption charges, a federal judge said today.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel said the trial should go forward as planned on June 3. He called a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision that could redefine a statute that some of Blagojevich’s charges are based on a “red herring.’’

“I don’t see any reason to continue this case,’’ Zagel said. “This is more than a year to acquaint yourselves with the evidence.’’

Last week, lawyers for the indicted governor made a formal request to continue the June trial to November, saying they’ve been snowed under by recently turned over evidence, and they still await the Supreme Court ruling. Prosecutors opposed any delay for Blagojevich, who debuted on the television show “Celebrity Apprentice’’ on Sunday. They said the ex-governor has had plenty of time to prepare for trial.

The circus comes to town in June.

Will Legal Wrangling Delay the Summer of Blagojevich?

Posted on by TL

Rod Blagojevich

Rod Blagojevich’s lawyers want to delay his trial five months. Scheculed to begin in June, that would push his trial’s start date to November, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Personally, I was looking forward to a summer with Rod. Rod TV. The Summer of Blagojevich.

You name it.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Federal prosecutors said today they oppose a bid by lawyers for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich to delay his corruption trial until November.

Blagojevich’s lawyers last week asked to postpone the trial from June 3 because the U.S. Supreme Court has not yet decided whether to limit or throw out the “honest services” fraud law. They also cited a voluminous amount of evidence turned over by prosecutors in recent days.

In their filing Monday, prosecutors contended that neither argument by the defense is persuasive, “particularly in light of the strong public interest in resolving this case as expeditiously as possible.”

Blagojevich’s repeated public statements against the case have heightened that interest, the government contended.

“The charges in this case allege that the defendant engaged in a longstanding and pervasive abuse of his power as the governor of the state of Illinois,” the prosecution said. “The defendant has repeatedly and publicly challenged the legitimacy of the charges against him. As a result, the public has a strong interest in the expeditious resolution of the charges.”

Prosecutors argued that no matter how the Supreme Court rules on the “honest services” law, the underlying evidence against the former governor would remain the same at trial.

And so it goes.

I’m betting this request will be denied. The trial is on for June 3.

Unless I’m wrong.

Above is my favorite picture of Rod, BTW. Thanks to ENEWSPF for that.

Would You Go Nude Hot-Tubbing With Utah GOP Rep. Kevin Garn? (Video)

Posted on by TL

Would you go nude hot-tubbing with Republican Rep. Kevin Garn of Utah?

First, the strange news from NPR:

Utah’s House majority leader resigned from the Legislature Saturday, two days after acknowledging he paid a woman $150,000 to keep quiet about a nude hot-tubbing incident that took place a quarter century ago when she was a teenager.

Republican Rep. Kevin Garn’s Thursday night confession came in a speech before House colleagues and stunned this conservative state. On Saturday, he apologized in an e-mail to House Speaker David Clark for becoming a distraction.

"After discussing this matter with my family, I have decided that it is in the best interests of them, my colleagues and the people of Utah," he wrote.

Garn, 55, acknowledged the indiscretion with the legal minor immediately after the Legislature adjourned for the session.

"Although we did not have any sexual contact, it was still clearly inappropriate — and it was my fault," he said from the House floor Thursday night.

Lawmakers responded with a standing ovation for his honesty and embraced him, a move some found offensive given the nature of what Garn was saying. In hindsight, the ovation may not have been the best move, but it shouldn’t be misconstrued to indicate support for unethical behavior, Clark said Saturday.

Garn told colleagues he paid the woman, Cheryl Maher, after she began contacting reporters about the incident during his unsuccessful bid for a congressional seat in 2002. Despite a confidentiality agreement, the now 40-year-old Maher began contacting local news media last week to retell her story about being naked with Garn when she was 15, he said Thursday.

It’s unclear whether Garn was 29 or 30 at the time of the incident. He’s more than 14 years older than Maher, who now lives in Derry, N.H.

This happened a quarter century ago. She was legal (at 15???). He was conservative and Republican. They were both nude. There was no sex. (Really???) He paid her $150,000 to keep silent. What could go wrong?

I honestly don’t know Rep. Kevin Garn at all. My favorite from all of this is from Utah Republican Party Chairman Dave Hansen, who says the party will bounce back from this and the January resignation of Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack following his arrest on a charge of driving under the influence.

"I would’ve preferred neither one of them had happened, obviously, but they did," Hansen said of the Garn and Killpack resignations. "But I don’t think in the long run it’s going to have any effect."

That’s a nice attempt to spin bad news, but, somewhere along the line, we all have to surrender our sanctimony, on the left and the right.

Anyhow, enjoy the vintage Eddie Murphy video.

PA State Police Arrest 44 on Internet Child Porn Charges

Posted on by TL

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

The arrest of a North-Central Pennsylvania man on internet child pornography charges spurred dozens of more arrests from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, state police said.

Half of the 44 men arrested since the investigation began three months ago are from Western Pennsylvania counties or connected to cases on this side of the state.

Two agencies, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force and the State Police Computer Crime Task Force, began investigating after an agent detected Ronald Paul Bellows of Richmond, Tioga County, was online sharing child pornography with other men.

Armed with a search warrant at Mr. Bellows’ residence, state police arrested him on 15 child pornography counts.

More here.