Health & Fitness
Ethics official: Just say no to more Illinois gambling; Rahm's winning retort to Texas gov
Gambling expansion addiction, a Gloomy Gus (or Eden) on pension reform, Madigan leads Quinn in Democratic governor poll, and more.
JACKPOT OR BUST? Some lawmakers are pushing to double gambling in Illinois. They say adding five casinos and thousands of gambling options in other places will bring money and jobs to places that need them, like Rockford and Danville. Nonsense, says fmr. Illinois House member Jim Nowlan. The state has fed its addiction to gambling money since the lottery started in 1975. "If a person wants to gamble, fine. But when is enough enough?" writes Nowlan, a former lawmaker and longtime government reform advocate. He makes a compelling argument. Read it here.
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GAMBLING AT A GLANCE What do supporters of gambling expansion think it will bring to Illinois? How much difference would it make in the state's big financial picture? Our infographic provides a snapshot view.
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
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PENSION PESSIMIST Chicago attorney and Sun-Times columnist Eden Martin has a uniquely gloomy take on pension reform: "Even if (comprehensive pension reform) passes, Illinois will still be broke," he writes. Or it could be in worse shape because of the pension bill now advancing. That's some serious pessimism. It's also a great read. We've got it here.
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
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MESSIN' WITH TEXAS Texas Gov. Rick Perry may have a point about the business climate in his state being healthier than ours. But Illinois leaders have won big in the comic retort department this week. I've got a few favorites on my blog today. Rahm Emanuel wins Round 1 with a direct hit on a Perry presidential campaign flub. Read it here.
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DEMS OF DUPAGE The Better Government Association takes a look at Republican DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin's dealings with some law firms with ties to Illinois' most powerful Democrats. Cronin "isn’t shying away from these one-time adversaries as he pushes an aggressive legislative agenda and ponders higher office," writes BGA investigator Andrew Schroedter. Here's the full investigation.
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DAILY TIP-OFF Just as Rick Perry prepares for his trip to Chicago to promote the virtues of Texas comes more bad news on Illinois unemployment. We were still stuck at 9.5 percent for March, the same as in February and well above the national unemployment rate of 7.6 percent. Perry's Texas has a 6.4 percent unemployment rate, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Lisa Madigan holds a 2-to-1 lead over Gov. Pat Quinn among Democrats in a new Crain's/Ipsos Illinois poll. Not a lot of conclusions to be drawn on the Republican side, however. Treasurer Dan Rutherford and Sen. Bill Brady are tied at 12 percent, Bruce Rauner got 6 percent, U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock is at 5 percent and Sen. Kirk Dillard is at 4 percent. But 49 percent of respondents say they're undecided.
Florida has a weather advantage, hands-down, on Illinois. Now it claims to have a better education system. A report card from the Florida Department of Education purports to show that the Sunshine State gets better academic results while spending less per pupil than Illinois. And it's giving all its teachers a $2,500 raise.
We've got a lot more in the Daily Tip-Off section of our website.
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