Sunday Comic: Will Concealed Carry Be Good for Illinois?

Residents of our state will soon have the right to carry concealed weapons in public, but that doesn't mean safety is guaranteed.

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William

12:15 pm on Sunday, May 12, 2013

Wow...change your name to delusional. So you think the guy on the right should say..."whoa buddy...I'm calling the police...you better be worried" Even the police don't agree with you. I'm calling you out, ignorance is not an excuse despite what the liberals are telling you.   more ›

Patch on Politics

Income Taxes Leave You Feeling Flat?

State legislature may consider whether to move to a graduated income tax rate, meaning those who earn more would pay more.

Did the tax man take a big bite out of your wallet this month? With tax season almost behind us, let's take a look at an issue before the state legislature — should Illinois switch from a flat income tax rate to a graduated rate? The last year Illinoisans escaped paying income tax to the state was 1969. Just seven states still collect no income tax. Thirty-four states use the graduated income tax system, while eight others join Illinois in imposing one rate on all. Our friends at Reboot Illinois put together a graphic look at various aspects of the flat tax vs. graduated tax debate, excerpted here on Patch.  Check out the full graphic at RebootIllinois.com. Want to know more? This article is posted throughout the Chicago-area Patch network…

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Dennis Robaugh

8:58 pm on Thursday, April 25, 2013

Comments on this article are now closed. Much appreciation to everyone who made interesting points on the flat tax vs. the progressive tax. And thank you, BUTCH, for sending the conversation down a path that ultimately led us to close the comments for everyone.   more ›

Letters To The Editor

Why We Support Chris Rintz for Village President

Some Winnetka Caucus Council members shared their views.

As members of the 2012 Caucus Council, we are writing to express our support for Chris Rintz for Village President.  *Chris' decades of experience with community revitalization, finance, funding, government regulations, environmental issues, and engineering provide him with an outstanding skill set for managing crucial Village issues such as storm water management.  *Chris is dedicated to supporting our property values by updating Winnetka's commercial areas; providing a safer, more modern power distribution system; and encouraging well-designed, quality new homes that are in keeping with the their surroundings.  *Chris has the vision necessary to move our community ahead in a positive manner. As Chris has stated, he is “….committed to …

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Jennifer Mcquet

7:36 pm on Wednesday, April 10, 2013

A friend sent me a snippet of her note to Chris today. I'm sure he's received a wheelbarrow's worth in the last 22 hrs. Am not interesting in debating the caucus through the Patch, but I think there is a lot in this letter to think about: "You are a hero in my book. You ran a campaign of integrity, competence and vision. I think you had an uphill battle even without the AH wedge issue. You had to…   more ›

New Trier Township Responds to Patch's Poll on Township Government

New Trier Township Government Supervisor Pat Cantor responds to Patch's Poll on whether township government should be eliminated.

  In response to the poll being conducted by Patch on whether township governments should be eliminated, I’d like to provide readers a thorough understanding of the service New Trier Township delivers to this community so they have both sides of the story before voting. Critics claim that because Illinois Township government was founded 150 years ago for the purpose of acting as a buffer between rural, unincorporated areas and often-distant county seats and even more distant state and federal agencies that Townships are no longer necessary since that situation no longer exists. However, that argument totally ignores the way Township governments have evolved to become entities who fill the gap where state and local governments cannot …

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Steubenville, Taylor Swift and "A Special Place in Hell"

Patch blogger Jennifer Wilson writes about the importance of women helping women--and what that means for the discussions surrounding the rape convictions of two teen boys in Steubenville, Ohio.

Letter to the Editor: Suburban Cops Allowed to Work Half Drunk

The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists finds it utterly unacceptable that any police agency would knowing allow their officers to report to work with any level of alcohol in their system.

In response to NBC-TV news story “Many Suburban Cops Allowed to Work Half Drunk” which aired on local news February 14, 2013. The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM) finds it utterly unacceptable that any police agency would knowing allow their officers to report to work with any level of alcohol in their system. We feel that departments that have a written clause in their union contracts that have an allowable illegal BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of 0.08 with any blood alcohol content and permit officers to report for duty should rethink their policy. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) legal limits do not define a level below which it is safe to operate a vehicle or engage in some other activity…

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NYC Mayor Bloomberg Wants to Ban Plastic-Foam Food Packaging. Should We?

Is it time to squash the Styrofoam?

In addition to bans on trans fats, smoking in public places and jumbo sodas, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to enact a city-wide ban on plastic-foam food packaging used in takeout boxes, cups and trays, reports Patch. The ban would affect restaurants, bodegas and public schools, if passed. There is no such ban in the City of Chicago, though the measure was proposed and failed a few years ago. Several environmental and activist groups, like No Foam Chicago, are still pushing for it. Mayor Bloomberg made the case for New York in his final State of the City address on Thursday. In his speech, the mayor compared the dangers of such packaging materials to lead paint and warned of its environmental impact, reported Yahoo! News. "…

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Winnetka Residents, What Do You Think of Obama's State of the Union Address?

Patch asks Winnetka residents to weigh in on President Obama's State of the Union address. Tell us in the comment section below.

President Barack Obama gave his fourth State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 12.  "There is much progress to report," he began. "Together we have cleared away the rubble of crisis." President Obama spoke of bi-partisan tax reform that includes lowering the tax rates on American businesses. He urged Congress to pass a budget that "replaces reckless cuts with smart savings." He also spoke of job creation, proposing a "fix-it first" program to repair our nation's infrastructure, including 70,000 "structurally deficit bridges." The President called for the minimum wage to be increased to $9 an hour because "no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty." He also encouraged Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act because …

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New Rules Approved to Minimize Injury to High School Football Players

A forum on preventing football head injuries hosted by State Rep. Carole Sente will be held at Vernon Hills High School on Monday, Feb. 25.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) recently approved new rules for the 2013 football season in an effort to minimize player injuries related to helmets coming off during games. As a follow-up to last year’s rules change requiring players to sit out one play if their helmet comes off while the ball is live, the NFHS Football Rules Committee approved three additional rules that are extensions of that change. “Player safety has been and will continue to be the top priority for members of the NFHS Football Rules Committee,” said Brad Garrett, chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee and assistant executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association. “These rules changes regarding helmet-less players …

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Obama's State of the Union is Feb. 12: Where Will You Be Watching?

President Barack Obama will give his State of the Union address at 8 p.m. CST Tuesday, Feb. 12.

President Obama's annual State of the Union address is the most important speech he delivers and could be the most important of his entire presidency, argues the Washington Post. The President is expected to preview the 2014 federal budget and discuss, among other issues, gun control, job creation, infrastructure repair, deficit and debt, climate change, the military and protecting the middle class, according to useconomy.about.com. Obama's State of the Union address begins at 8 p.m. CST. What agenda items are you most interested in? Are you attending or hosting a State of the Union viewing party? Post the details in the comments to share with your neighbors.

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