RexBradfield's blog

One of the things I like about March Madness is the congregation of guys and girls at local pubs to enjoy a beverage of choice, good company and lots of conversation.

Boring games let everyone speak their piece while tossing back a few, and good games let everyone cheer and moan for favorites, for parlay winners and for good entertainment.

Of course half time, time between games or boring TV analysis, allows for everyone to tell their favorite joke, spin their favorite tall tale, expand on something that happened long ago and gets better by the minute and ................ politics.

I choose to go to a local pub that has quite few trade workers, union members and ordinary Joe's and I was surprised at the number of comments from that group of workers concerning the upcoming Presidential Election and the flavor of those comments.

Seems as though even though most are and most certainly have been long time very Democrat, they are having trouble voting for either of the front runners and the reasons are not a surprise. They also don't like Obama because they don't think he has done a hard day's work, and is a too wishy washy ( I cleaned up what was actually said). More than one said they did not give a sh_t about his speeches.

And one of the pubs had a picture of Air Force One on the wall, with the caption ..... "Broomstick One". Nothing more need be said about what they were thinking about Hillary. I thought it was pretty funny, nothing like good political humor.

Surprisingly, a lot of these fellows and ladies that work in the trades, were saying they found McCain someone they can like because of his war record and surviving the Prison Camp. Not unusual for workers who live and die Cardinal Red and Cub Blue.

Surely both Obama and Hillary are counting on the support of these long and historically Democrat union workers, but now, I wonder if when the curtain is pulled and the lever is pulled.........

Just thought I would put this out for comments.

We have read on this blog, the newspapers and heard on the news about the County's ill conceived spending, construction and administration habits.

We are paying an attorney hundreds of thousands of dollars to pursue a "pig in a poke" thinking that the county will get some money from the Nursing Home design contractor, when in fact, the county is as guilty of mismanagement as the design contractor is guilty of design flaws. Now it is before an arbitrator (with a tip of the hat to the county for signing that kind of contract) and if money is awarded either side, it will not include attorney fees and the county will again have frivolously spent money. The Attorney's fees will surely approach a Million Dollars for a return of maybe a quarter of a million.

Then, the County ignores court orders and takes taxes from the only charitable hospital in this area and ends up spending over three hundred thousand dollars in interest fees to ignore those Court Orders. Greed and stupidity knows no bounds in Champaign County.

But what the Hell, it is only money, right?

Champaign County budgets money for the Champaign County Animal Control Department. This is not the Champaign County Humane Society, but a County Department. This is the building to which stray animals are brought when they are caught by the Cities or Champaign County.

This department has very little stall space for the captured animals and is woefully underfunded for operations and advertising to adopt animals which are housed in these limited spaces. Last year, of 550 dogs brought to the Champaign County Animal Control Department, 500 were euthanised. They were put to death because the county said it did not have the funds to build a bigger building, or advertise for adoption or improve staffing.

Nope they do not have a million dollars to help keep animals alive, but they have money to throw away on attorneys and interest penalties. I wonder how many animals would have been saved with nearly $750,000 in the Animal Control Budget.

Clearly, the county has shown the value it places on lives. And it disgusts me.

Now to those who are freezing.......

Over the years as a Land Surveyor I have worked in some terrible weather, in fact I was out many times in the winters of 1977 and 1978 and found many tricks of the profession that really help temper the terrible temperatures:

1. Wear heavy Cotton or wool gloves with playtex gloves underneath them. Either can get wet and your hands will not get cold. But never wear the platex gloves alone as they act as heat sinks and really get cold quickly. Always wear long gloves that extend up your wrists and cover your wrist area. If your wrists or neck get cold...then you are always going to be cold. Never expose them because of the number of blood vessels close to the skin.

2. Wear two pair of socks, with a small garbage bag between them. The garbage bag stops any moisture from reaching your feet and your feet will remain warm even if your boots leak.

3. If you wear leather boots, always apply a leather treatment called mink oil. It keeps your boots supple in the Cold temperatures and is waterproof. I could wear leather boots for 3 or for years before they needed replacing.

4. No matter the modern materials, layers of wool and cotton and silk are the best protection against cold. I wear Carhart welders work jeans with the double layer of fabric on the front of the legs from the shin to the crotch. Underneath those I wear two pair of long underwear, one being silk to prevent the chapping.

5. Ski masks are effective, but must be used with other head and face protection. Cotton masks work best because they do not irritate the face. Wear an additional hat with fur lining and the pull down ear flaps. That in combination works the best to protect your face and ears and keeps your head heat from escaping. But if you are going to wear pull down flaps and work near traffic or need to hear, find the kind that have the ear hole with a covering flap. You can raise the flap, remain warm and still hear.

6. On your upper torso, wear the same multiple layers as you wear on the bottom, with soft cotton or silk next to your body. Then wear a cotton turtleneck so that you can raise the turtleneck and protect your neck and lower face area and overlap the ski mask if you use one. If your neck gets cold you are doomed to be cold.

7. Coveralls are effective, but sometimes cumbersome and usually provide little protection around the neck and face areas. If you use a longer top coat, get an Arcitic Army Surplus Coat with the long wolverine lined snorkel hood and draw string at the waist. They work great but are not good in traffic areas because of the limited visibility.

8. MIttens are warmer than gloves but hard to use. If you like mittens get snowmobile mittens with the single "trigger" finger. You can even write with them and in combination with the playtex gloves your hands will remain warm.

9. If you prefer rubber boots rather than leather (I use Red Wing leather boots if I wear leather) then go to any horse supply store and order "Muck" boots. They are wear alone boots that have the "waffle stomper" tread on the bottom and you don't slip them over anything but your feet. They are insulated, warm and very good snow and mud boots. NEVER wear any boot that doesn't have the very aggressive "waffle stomper" tread, or you will be inviting some frequent flyer miles with very hard landings.

10. Always wear sunglasses in the winter as they protect your eyes from cold and wind and are absolutely necessary to protect from glare of the snow and ice.

11. NEVER WALK WITH THE STANDARD HEEL FIRST STEP in the winter on icy conditions or snow. Pick up your feet and place them flat. When you take a fall, you have walked and placed your heel first and it has no tread on the trailing edge. Never walk on scooped walks they are almost always slick, walk on the snow or grass beside them and the traction is always better there.

12. Forget vanity (my favorite sin) and always turn up your collars and button the top button. The more you do to keep your body heat contained, the warmer even the coldest days will be. You get cold because your garb allows your body heat to escape and cold air to replace it. If you are properly dressed you can remain outside all day in very very cold weather. I was outside for 5-7 hour periods in -15°F temperatures in 77 & 78 and did not suffer. Also, if you are going to be outside, STAY outside. Don't get in and out of a warm car or building, your body is not going to keep up the heat and you will probably begin to sweat and nothing protects you from being wet against yourself. Always keep plenty of water in an thermos for drinking. The thermos prevents the water from freezing and load it up with lukewarm water. The water will not freeze and you will remain hydrated. If you become dehydrated, you will be cold.

13. ANYTIME you travel, have a complete set of winter gear in the trunk or back of your vehicle. Keep a package of Jerky or any other non perishable food with the clothes. Keep a good flashlight with plenty of batteries in your vehicle and some blankets in a vacuum or garbage bag.

14. No matter your vehicle, if you cannot see what is up ahead.........STOP. 4-wheel drive vehicles are like your hands, you can do so much with them, you overdo it and get in trouble. Remember 4-wheel drive vehicles have 4 wheel brakes just like very vehicle, so stopping is the issue. Change your tires in the Winter time to agressive treads and take them off in the Summer.

15. NEVER take off in a vehicle that does not have EVERY window cleaned. You will be traveling the same highways as others who do not clean every window and cannot see you. Never be the cause of an accident and your excuse is, I didn't clean my side windows and didn't see them. Have trouble scraping windows? Take the edge of your scraper and cut lines up and down and across your windows, the little squares will pop off and the window is easier to clean. Or use luke warm water and a bucket and just splash it on.

I hope these hints help some of you endure the tough weather.

Before any of you start whining that Rex is complaining about being beaten in the election again, understand this article is about the County Recorder's Office and the changes that have occurred in that office. Naomi was the County Recorder for a number of years and her performance speaks for itself.

Before Barb Frasca was elected to be the County Recorder, for Champaign County, the office was run by Naomi and records were in such terrible disorder, that the professionals who routinely used the office to find records which were absolutely necessary to the proper performance of their task, avoided going there if at all possible.

The office stayed open until 4:30 PM but if you arrived to record a document after 4:00 PM, your chances were the proverbial "slim and none" of getting it recorded. If you arrived after 4:00 PM you were warned repeatedly to put back the books, don't take too long, if you want copies, get them to the desk quickly and we don't have to help you, it is close to closing.

The sign on the partition wall said it all....

"What part of No don't you understand?"

The professionals who were doing that research were not cheap either, they were lawyers, engineers, architects, bankers, surveyors, to name a few. Records were almost impossible to find because of the resistance to help and the filing system was completely inept.

A person researching records would have to have multiple books out in a poorly lit room and was always being harassed to put back the books and don't bend them wrong, they will break. No kidding.

The records for all the railroad right of way plats and documents were not in the Recorder's office, but under a file cabinet in the basement of the court house, in a junk room. Go figure.

I am personally aware or many of the professionals just asking their client pay Title insurance Companies to provide them with the research materials, rather than fight the hassle.

Champaign County was the worst recorders office in the area, by far.

But when Barb Frasca was elected, the office became one of complete cooperation, innovative computer methods to find materials, and staff that would bend over backward to help anyone who entered the office. The research became easier and more complete and resulted in the above professionals being able to to more in less time for their clients.

Ordinary people who did not know how to research simple documents were not treated poorly, but quite the contrary, received all the help they needed to find what they wanted.

Even the old books were repaired and re-filed in the proper order. Any book or document could be copied and at a very reasonable cost and expenditure of time.

Barb Frasca is going to be challenged this year by a Democratic opponent, who has no experience with the Recorders Office. To change the Recorder of Champaign County for Political reasons would simply be awful. The Recorder's office is functioning better than most County Offices and Barb Frasca is the reason.

A change in that office and a reduction in efficiency, will cost every person who uses a lawyer, engineer, surveyor, banker more to do routine tasks like closings, surveys, easements, etc.

Barb Frasca, has turned the worst office in the State, into the most efficient office around. She has saved the general public hundreds or thousands of dollars in professional fees by making the tedious task of looking for something old, very easy to do.

Oh, those railroad records? They are in Barb's Office, in a fireproof vault, with indexes.

Some photos are simply beautiful and so simple in that beauty. Could this be the Face of God?

I find it interesting that two of the front runners in the Presidential Race are in there position because of Fate.

Obama, became the US Senator in Illinois, because the Republican Party Leaders chose to alienate Mike Ditka from running by suggesting to him how he should run. Had that not occurred, Ditka would probably have easily won the election because of his Chicago and State wide recognition.

Obama was a little known State Senator at that time and benefited enormously from this bungle by the Republicans. The Republicans assured Obama the Senate by trying to pull a Hillary Clinton move, when Ditka dropped out or consideration.

Speaking of Hillary, she also benefited from Fate, because when she started her "grass roots" campaign in New York, another freshman politician was stepping to the forefront. When a straw poll was run about who would be the best candidate for New York Senator, that poll included all the names of the candidates who would be possible, including Hillary, save one.

The candidate left off the straw poll, significantly won the straw poll, with unsolicited write in votes. The winning candidate was............... John F. Kennedy, Jr. Those close to him disclosed he was going to enter the Senate race, and when questioned about Hillary's grass roots effort, he responded.

"What does she think I am going to do, move from New York?"

We all know of his untimely death, and its opening the door for Hillary.

Not only would he have been elected to the Senate and Hillary become an afterthought, we would be voting for him in the Presidential race in 2008.

Fate may only get a few votes, but they seem to count more than others.

Comments?

This was on CNN last night and the internet today:

Japan came under a storm of criticism Monday for going ahead with its largest whale hunt yet, with Australia's resurgent opposition calling for the military to be brought in.

Defying warnings from its Western allies that it would inflame an emotional row on whaling, Japan on Sunday sent its fleet to the Antarctic Ocean. The hunt will include famed humpback whales for the first time.

A ship of Greenpeace environmentalists tried -- so far in vain -- to track down the six-vessel whaling fleet as the United States, Australia, Britain and New Zealand all spoke out against the catch.

Japan, which argues that whale meat is part of its culture, plans to kill 950 whales on the five-month mission using a loophole in a global moratorium that allows "lethal research" on the giant mammals.

Australia's opposition Labor Party, which is leading in polls ahead of national elections Saturday, said it would send out the navy to track the Japanese whalers and take video footage if it takes power.
"We really need to rattle the cage here," Labor's foreign affairs spokesman Robert McClelland said.
"It's unacceptable that it's not only going on, but getting worse."

Prime Minister John Howard said while "I totally disagree" with Japanese whaling, he opposed bringing in the military.
"What, is he going to shoot them?" Howard asked.
"Mr McClelland knows darn well that what he is suggesting is an empty gesture, that what we should be doing is continuing to pursue diplomatically and with whatever legal mechanisms are available to us."

Hideki Moronuki, the whaling chief at Japan's Fisheries Agency, also cast doubt on the threats by Australia's opposition.
"The whaling research which Japan is conducting is 100 percent based on the International Whaling Commission charter, so dispatching the military against it is impossible," Moronuki told AFP.
The US acknowledged Japan's right to conduct the hunt, but urged it to "refrain" from doing so.
"While recognising Japan's legal right under the whaling convention to conduct this hunt, we note that non-lethal research techniques are available to provide nearly all relevant data on whale populations," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

The environmental group Greenpeace's Esperanza ship was trying to find the fleet to shoot footage but said that the whalers had turned off identification equipment.

"They're playing a little hard to get," Greenpeace activist Dave Walsh told AFP by satellite telephone from aboard the Esperanza in the Pacific Ocean.
"If they're so confident they were doing the right thing, they shouldn't have anything to hide, but obviously they do," he said, pledging Greenpeace would find them eventually.

The more militant Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has vowed to take to the waters next month to physically stop the hunt.
During the last expedition, Sea Shepherd activists threw bottles of chemicals at the whalers in hopes of disrupting them, leading Japan to denounce anti-whaling activists as "terrorists."
Humpback whales, protected under a 1966 worldwide moratorium after years of overhunting, are renowned for their complex songs and acrobatic displays.
The humpbacks' slow progression along Australia's coast to breed has turned into a major tourist attraction bringing 1.5 million whale watchers a year.

The Japanese whaling chief said that the fleet was not targeting humpback whales.
"Japan doesn't have a specific position on humpback whales. They are a fisheries resource as much as any other whale and when it is scientifically proven that there are enough resources, we conduct sustained research," Moronuki said.
Only Norway and Iceland openly defy a 1986 moratorium on commercial hunting of all whales.

Japan argues that it abides by the agreement but makes no secret that the meat from the hunt goes on dinner plates.
In New Zealand, Prime Minister Helen Clark said: "We don't like the Japanese whaling fleet being down there at all."
"It would just be better if the Japanese stayed home and didn't come down under the guise, the deception, the claim that it is scientific whaling when they want to take a thousand whales," Clark said."

Comments?

There was a very nice letter to the Editor “FutureGen a great fit for Douglas County”, written by Messers Troike, Manager Cabot Corp, Podgurski, Manager, Lyondell and Shoemaker, Manager Tuscola Stone. It was very well written and contained a very positive and up tone description of all the benefits of FutureGen should it be located near Tuscola. I applaud them for their very positive letter.

Without question the introduction of the economic impact of a multi-billion dollar business would be great for this entire area, and not only Douglas County. The Clinton Power Plant was an enormous boon for the area, no matter its shortcomings and the same would be true of FutureGen. No reason to believe any different.

I have had the opportunity to attend many discussions and educational meetings concerning FutureGen, the process and its ultimate product, environmental benefits, and economic impact on not only this area, but the State of Illinois (and possibly surrounding States). From a strictly technical viewpoint, Illinois is geologically, environmentally and economically far superior to its competitor, Texas. The storage areas are there and the best nature has to offer, nearby rail systems, natural gas, highways, coal and employment force are truly second to none, and we should be a “lock”, “shoo-n” and “lead pipe cinch” for FutureGen.

We have local Legislators literally working their tails off, to do everything they can to make sure Illinois is not only the correct and most impressive location, but also the politically correct location. Chapin Rose is to be commended for his efforts and he only has three significant problems to overcome…..Blagojevich, Jones and Madigan.

Our State not only has no political stability, but it has the very real and distinct threat of being a government that will very soon be imposing business taxes to pay for social programs and other non-business related programs. That means only one thing to businesses such as FutureGen…..lost of income and funds for future improvements. If a business were only a one billion dollar gross business, a 1% tax increase of ANY kind, is 10 million dollars of lost income and development funds, expansion funds, etc. FutureGen far exceeds a billion dollars. In fact, our Governor is so out of touch with reality, that he endorsed $300,000 of State Money to hire a marketing company to entice FutureGen.

Hot Damn, that is plenty, after all the City of Champaign spent $40 million on a detention basin, three hundred thousand to get billions of dollars into our economy is plenty. Thanks Rod.

On the other hand, inspite of all the technical shortcomings, Texas has a history of knowing how to politically attract these big businesses and it does not matter the politics. LBJ was a Democrat and Bush is a Republican and Texas wins every time. Texas in NOT proposing tax increases or negative business legislation at this crucial time. The are remaining silent, and letting Blagojevich, Jones and Madigan do their marketing for them.

So my questions is this?

Why would any large business such as FutureGen want to locate in Illinois given our political climate, when compared to Texas?

Every year our elected leadership passes on the opportunity to actually give us something for nothing and darken our lives and finances for another year. From late October to late April we become denizens of darkness, wishing for more rods and big ears. Hoot, Hoot.....squeek........ Thanks to our leadership we get to practice nocturnal habits at our expense. "Fall Back" and be counted on to make Amerens rich.

Daylight Savings Time is exactly that, it saves us daylight at the end of our working day. Saving daylight means we do not have to pay Amerens for fake and damned expensive daylight. Our razor minded leaders make us lose one hour of free light and replace it with a kilowatt hour of fake light. You remember what a kilowatt is, don't you? That is the unit Amerens uses to charge us for electricity we use.

How could we forget that these same razor minds caused us to suffer ten years of gentle rate hikes in one swift moment. They say they have worked out a "deal" to help us. Some deal, what does it amount to? 3% maybe, and I have not seen my 3% yet, so right now, the deal is another of the leaderships "pig in a poke".

What's that you say?

"Come on, Rex, we all know you don't save daylight, that hour of daylight just moves to the morning from the evening." So we don't save anything.

Au contraire, mon frair, here is the way it works. During the work day, an average family is awake and uses lights during the Fall, Winter and Spring from about 6 AM to 10 PM. BUT it doesn't matter if the hour of daylight is in the morning, because we all get up and turn on the lights in the morning and use them until we leave for work or school at 8 AM. Lets keep a running total of our home hours with the lights on. That is CST 2 hr., DST 2 hr.

The lights are off at our homes while we work and always on at work from 8 AM to 5 PM so that is 0 hr. The running total remains, CST - 2 hr., DST - 2 hr.

But when we get home at 5 PM, and it is our legislators beloved CST, it is dark and we turn on the lights. But with DST it is still light and we do not turn on the lights for another hour, or around 6 PM. So until we turn out the lights at 10 PM the running total is: CST 5-6, 1 hr., 6-7, 1 hr., 7-8, 1 hr., 8-9, 1 hr. and 9-10 1 hr. or 5 hours of paying Amerens for lights with CST. But with DST, 5-6 is 0 hours, the rest remains the same, or 4 hours. So the running totals are:

CST - 2 + 5 = 7 hr. and DST 2+4 = 6 hr.

So the average family saves 1 hour out of the 7 or 14% on their electric light usage by simply not "Falling Back", but it gets even better. First, because of the difficulty of driving after dark (CST), especially when streets are wet or glaring, most workers go directly home, and turn on the lights instead for doing errands. Errands are put off until the weekend, during the day (when we do not use lights anyway) We are wasting that hour during our weekend daylight time when we are not burning lights anyway.

But if it is still light (DST), we are inclined to run some errands in that extra hour of daylight and have the weekends open for other things. It is hard to get home by dark, so we usually do not get home until 6:30 PM or so. THEN we turn on the lights, so we have saved another 1/2 hour of paying Amerens for fake light. (So on errand days on DST, we save 1-1/2 hr over 7 hr or 21%)

Let's say Amerens makes $500,000,000 for that CST time period, 14% of that is $70 million. Our legislators make us pay Amerens $70 million dollars. That makes me "Fall Back".

But wait, there is even more. For workers who work outside during the day, there is a substantial increase in efficiency with DST. Here's how it works.

During CST when workers arrive, it is usually dark and again, they turn on the lights and begin to lay out their work and working tools. That usually takes around an hour or so and after they commence work, when there is enough light, they turn off any lights and work. But at the end of the day, because it is getting dark sooner, they start to pick up their tools and store their work about an hour or so before quitting time. It is very hard to find tools in the dark, so picking them up saves buying others or timespent searching for them in the dark. They become 1 hour less efficient 1/8 = 12%

But during DST, the morning light usage is still the same, because it is dark when they get there and that time spent laying out tools and work is the same as CST with the lights on. BUT at the end of the day, they usually wait until about 15 min before quitting to pick up. It is light and they can see and find the tools and work product and it will not be dark for another hour. .25/8 = 3%. Rarely is there overtime work during CST time, can't see, but sometimes it happens with DST.

So workers are 9% less efficient because our legislators make them "Fall Back". Less efficient = more cost. More cost = higher retail prices. Thanks to our razor minded legislators, we suffer this every year.

Want a break from higher electricity costs that is real? Want to do something with your money besides pay Amerens? Want to be able to do some errands during the week without driving both ways in the dark? Want construction and other outside labor jobs to be easier and more efficient? Want to actually get something free?

Ask our legislators to just let us enjoy some free light for a change and dump the CST idea. I like the idea of having daylight after work and saving money. Obviously saving money is a foreign idea to our legislators.

“….ask not what your country can do for you. . .ask what you can do for your country”

It seems like only yesterday, that we heard his so eloquently spoken words of iron. He spoke them because they were not only words of iron, but there was iron in his spirit and resolve to be our government leader.

“let both sides join in creating not a new balance of power. . . but a new world of law. . .where the strong are just. . . and the weak secure. . .and the peace preserved…”

What could he have possibly known in a time with no welfare, no unemployment compensation, no retirement fund raiding and hundreds of thousands of gold watches for untiring service to a single company and its products? How could he possibly believed the weak could be secure without government assistance?

His reasons were simple, but wise beyond his years, because the strength and security of our society did not rest in the hands of an almighty government intent on insuring the security of the weak on the backs of others, by “gifts of fish” but rather he knew that security and strength rested only in the minds and hands of each individual.

“In your hands, my fellow citizens. . .more than mine. . .will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty."

He never believed that Government or the State was the solution to problems, but rather we and we alone as creations by God possessed the means to help each other and create a trustworthy, secure society, benefiting all.

“…for man holds in his mortal hands the power….the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God...”

But rather than the "strong being just" his immediate successor and those who followed, neither heeded those thoughts, nor possessed the iron in his spirit and resolve. Instead and in weakness and fear, they created the “Great Society”. A society of people who’s sole security was not based on their abilities, but rather from the “generosity of the state”. A society of people who’s only means of improving the security of their lives, was not to seek to improve their own abilities but rather to become less productive and less skilled. Out of necessity, they became more weak, in order to receive more security from the state. Indeed over the years, the “Great Society” became the ultimate oxymoron. The citizenship in that society was anything but “Great”. It was not "trustworthy, secure society, benefiting all" but rather an entitlement of ineptness society, with many unknowingly being forced into it forever. The strong who created this quagmire were absent any qualities of being just.

But only the offerings of nature are truly free, and even such natural offerings are not entitlements, but must be earned. Economic entitlements created for the Great Society all come with a price and that price is the burden on the backbone of our great nation. Our society was founded on the skills, ingenuity, determination, sacrifices, endurance of hardship, integrity and trust of each and every person. The backbone of our society is neither the rich and affluent, nor the poor and indigent, but rather is the working class, blue collar, pick and shovel worker who’s dedication and devotion to his job, his family, his friends, his religious faith and his country was unfailing.

Those workers to which JFK so eloquently paid tribute, did not turn to our government if a fellow worker was beset by hardship, but rather shouldered a part of that burden with the spirit of love, trust and admiration of the soul of the less fortunate worker. They were entitled to nothing and neither demanded nor accepted any gratuity for their help, but only expecting the efforts of the less fortunate to help them help themselves. Government possessed neither the compassion nor dedication to assist in such a manner, and JFK knew it.

Now entitlements have become the economic Cancer of the backbone of our society. For the elected leaders of our government in return for “giving fish” to the less fortunate worker, believe that they too are entitled to the votes of the less fortunate because of those gifts. But those gifts are not paid for by the elected leaders seeking those votes but rather by the forced contributions of the dedicated workers and their employers. Those forced contributions lessen the disposable income of the dedicated worker, and increase the cost of the product which they produce, thereby decreasing the purchasing power of an already reduced spendable income.

As government leaders seek more and more “entitlement votes” they increase the amount of entitlements to the point that it is more lucrative for many to not enter the workforce, or backbone of our society. The entitlement burden becomes higher and is paid for by increased forced contributions, exacerbating the cancerous impact on the economy. Eventually, employers make sound business decisions and move jobs to other countries who are operating at the same level as JFK perceived, thereby having no non-productive costs. Those countries had only workers who possessed the aforementioned skills, ingenuity, determination, sacrifices, endurance of hardship, integrity and trust of each and every person.

Upon realizing the loss of the jobs and available contributions to the entitlement programs, and still seeking "entitlement votes", the government leaders simply diverted monies from other necessary and productive programs or retirement fund loans, thereby funding the entitlements, but raising the cost of the productive and necessary programs.

The effect of those diversions and increased costs included raising the cost of higher education and raiding pension funds such as social security and workers pensions. Those leaders even attempt to burden the elderly and retired with some of that burden being paid for by contributions from their retirement funds. Even if a young worker sought to improve his contributions to society by attaining higher education, diversion of education funds to entitlement may have placed higher education out of that workers financial means. As a society, we are reaching the terminal cancer point for our economy. Christ did not just "give fish and loaves", but he also gave encouragement and told them to "Go forth...."

Nothing is free, neither entitlements nor entitlement votes and only JFK and the blue collar workers seem to understand that simplicity.

With present government leadership, I wonder if we will ever again…..
“Ask not…..”

I picked up my News Gazette today and saw the Champaign City Council is still considering a Snow Removal Ordinance that:

"...would require removal of snow withing 24 hours after a 2 inch or greater snowfall, with violators facing a city fine of $155 and potentially a city charge for removing the snow..."

Unless the City Council also includes the sovereign right of the City not to be sued for removal of snow with the Ordinance, they will be exposing all merchants to legal action resulting from anyone who falls on the newly scooped walks and injures themselves. You cannot sue the City, or State or Federal Government for an accident that occurs on a plowed street or sidewalk when that plowing action was performed by the City (A good law)

For a very long time, the courts have found against those who scooped their walks (the ones on right of way) and subsequently had someone fall as a result. The general idea and reason for this liability is well conceived by the courts. If you don't scoop, then the snow is an act of God and the injured cannot pass Go and collect $200 (or more).

BUT if you scoop, then you have changed the conditions and may have made them worse than nauture. A slightly clean walk becomes crusted and someone falls, a very clean walk has a thin layer of water that turns into black ice and someone falls, and so on and so forth. You have a court determining what is a good job and what is not a good job. All the while shoveling money into the legal system and into attorneys and into someone's pocket, right along with the snow.

In fact, my homeowner's policy specifically excludes coverage for snow removal from public sidewalks in front of my home and I cannot get that coverage. So the Champaign (and Urbana) are considering exposing all businesses to this legal liability without extending the sovereign right to not be sued to the businesses. That ain't good and is short sighted, to say the least.

In fact, as a Surveyor, I am asked to perform winter surveys in residential and business areas many times and I can say, nothing is worse than dealing with scooped walks. They are almost always slick and treacherous while maiden snow is much easier to walk through. I have never fallen during a survey in maiden snow, but have busted my posterior many, many, many times on shoveled walks. Even when I was in college, we used to walk off the side of the scooped walks because they were a lot slicker than the snow on the grass. (Nothing like chasing your homework across the Quad after you fell on a walk)

This is a terrible idea and certainly puts businesses at legal risk, unless the Cities extend their sovereign rights to private businesses and citizens along with the scooping responsibilities. I have never heard of that happening and they will probably be scooping snow in Hell before it does.

Comments?

You know, I just read the blurb on the Governor signing the no-smoking bill and I think my eyes must be worse than I thought. Did he say he was going to ban smoking and increase the taxes on tobacco products to get more money for the State Schools and Medicaid?

Lets see, we elected a Comptroller to keep track of our money and he stated when the no-smoking ban was being suggested that the State would lose $60 to $80 million dollars in tax revenue (don't worry about the $20 million, we are a pay to play State and money is no object). I would hope he knows what he is talking about and it seems in line with what bar and business owners are saying. (They charge about $5-$6 a pack and convenience stores charge $3.50 and if the cigarette is not in your mouth at places you were usually allowed to smoke, you ain't burning them up). But Hell, what does he know compared to Gov. B?

So now the Gov. (and Legislators) are telling us, we reduce consumption (of tobacco), increase taxes on the reduced consumption item (tobacco) and we will make millions more for Schools and Medicaid, or Pensions. Oh Boy, oh Boy, oh Boy, I can hardly stand the prosperity!!!

Honestly, the Governor and Legislators must check their brains at the entrance to the State House and work without them. Check your brain, get a check chip and head to the legislative floors (or Govenor's office).

Well, if our leaders say this new economic theory is true, then toss out the old theories and start using "Blagonomics"

Based on his time honored experience and obvious economic expertise, I believe in him (I believe in Brother Loves Traveling Salvation Show, I believe, I believe)

With that belief in hand, I have some other suggestions for taxation that will make our pot flush with money.

1. Lets tax the legislative per diem at a 75% rate. The Gov. says they are not doing their job (hence a reduction of production, like a reduction of smoking) so we should make a bundle there.

2. We are reducing tobacco consumption (smoking ban) and gonna become more flush as a result. But lets not stop there, if they are not smoking, then they are not using lighters as much, so lets tax cigarette lighters at the same rate. Less cigarettes, less lighters = more money. Yes Sir!!!!

3. While we are making sure everyone is not sitting in the bathroom smoking, just to be sure, lets also pass legislation eliminating every other day for elimination, and then tax the crap (yes, a pun) out of toilet paper. Now the only detail to be "worked out" is will the tax be by the roll or by the sheet (with double for two ply sheets)? I am sure that solution can be flushed out. This could be called a GRUNT tax.

4. AND FINALLY.... This will fill our treasury. We charge $20 for each brain check chip at the Statehouse door. Oh my, too much money there.

We must also NEVER forget the first theorem of Blagonomics:

I. If Blagonomics say that a tax will generate millions of additional dollars, then spend that money freely now, before it actually comes in.

Sorry, I have to leave now because I am going to start making the check out chips as a side business, I need the money for toilet paper.

On a beautiful September 1985 Fall day, I arrived at the Fairgrounds to fulfill my daily double dose of horse chores and noticed a one year old stray cat that someone had tossed aside as having no more value than a McDonalds wrapper. A couple of things about him caught my attention. First he had lion paws which were much larger and shaped differently than most cat paws and second, he was amazingly athletic and very personable for a stray cat. He followed me to the tack room and after I decided to give him a hand out of cat food, I started to do my chores. But as soon as he finished his treat, he laid down outside the stall I was cleaning and he only moved to follow me to the next stall and so on and so forth. As I was leaving, he even followed me to the truck and I glanced in the mirror to see him go to the tack room door and lay down again.

I arrived the next day and, to my surprise, he had recognized the truck and walked out to greet me. We did the same routine of him following me and waiting for me up to my leaving only to repeat the same thing for the evening chores and the chores for the next day. I had been adopted by him. So, on the third day, when he followed me to the truck after my evening chores, I figured such devotion couldn’t be all bad, picked him up in my arms and adopted him. After all, turn about was fair play, and whoever had discarded him might, just might, have made a big mistake. Even though his cat curiosity and personality was not angelic by any stretch, certainly his devotion to me was unmistakably that of an Angel, so Angel he was, for the rest of his life.

For the next 17 years, and seemingly knowing a good deal, he never left the house, except for a few one minute escapes, just to prove he could. Without fail, every day of his life with me, he would follow me room to room or to the door out and then meet me at the door when he heard the garage door announce my arrival. He slept at the head of our bed during the summer and at the foot of our bed during the cooler months, never leaving me. Masquerading as a dog, he continually and successfully mooched table scraps from me, much to my wife’s dismay. He even tolerated the occasional bath without holding a grudge, although his athleticism and lion’s paws certainly produced some very unfashionable and necessary apparel to get him washed. To all ends, he was my devoted friend.

But every day we spent together was also one less day that we would have together. Half way though our 17th year and his 18th year, Angel’s health began to fail. His muscular body was getting slender, his wonderful paws more normal and his athleticism also began to fail. I even had to start feeding him different food, because his bite, just wasn’t a bite anymore. But what did not fail, was his Angelic devotion. For even though it took him longer to follow, he was always in the same room, even though he could not jump onto the bed, he slept beside me on the floor all night, even though he was unable to jump to my lap, he laid his head on my feet while I watched TV or worked and every time the garage door announced me, he was there.

But on Sunday July 15, 2002, his legs gave out on him and he laid himself at my feet. So, just as I had picked him up 17 years ago, I picked him up and held him on my lap. A short hour passed and he laid his head back into my arms, looked at me and managed a meow that sounded much like “Good-bye”, sighed a long, deep sigh and left me. Angel, my devoted friend for 17 years, is now with the Angels and is probably listening for the Pearly Gates to announce my arrival so he can be by my side again. I do and will miss him.

But I write this blog for another reason, namely that of celebrating the devotion Angel or any other stray animal can give, if only given the chance, only a chance. There are many people at the Humane Society, that care and know this devotion is there, if only animals are given the chance. So with the mailing of this letter, I am also mailing, or will personally give, a donation to the Humane Society, in Angel’s name, to help these individuals give lost animals that chance of devotion. So if anyone who reads this letter, has suffered, or will suffer the loss of a devoted animal friend, simply will do the same and donate a “chance” to the Humane Society in that animal’s honor, then the only thing discarded on the streets will be McDonalds wrappers and not Angelic devotion.

To that end, I am, and shall always remain

Angel’s devoted friend,

Because the Illinois General Assembly has chosen to try and help Obama with is Presidential aspirations by moving up the Primary Election date, the time for decision is upon any prospective candidates seeking office or being on the ballot for the moved Primary.

I enjoyed my recent campaign for office for State Representative of the 103rd District, but because of many reasons, some self inflicted, I was not successful against the Incumbent Naomi Jakobsson. Now I am considering seeking the same office but would entertain any thoughts that the readers may want to express.

Let me first make it perfectly and unequivocally clear, that I am not seeking this office for the prestige, or genuflecting, or self gratification that many who hold or seek similar offices expect. I seek this office because I believe my skills as an engineer and problem solver are unique desperately needed in the Legislation, no matter the party. Furthermore, it is against my personal and professional conduct, to NOT do anything for fear of losing the office should I prevail. Make no mistake, lack of initiative is fertilized by the fear of losing the office. It is the primary reason, that special interests groups are successful in affecting elections.

The incumbents love the attention and would do anything, not to lose.

My profession on the other hand views failure as a means to the proper solution. Remember, before the first space shuttle disaster, the engineers strongly recommended the flight be delayed, but the political administration buckled to political pressure and allowed it.

During my campaign, I failed to realize the re-districting by the Democratic Party changed the 103rd District from District which was a long time mix of the Champaign-Urbana Cities and surrounding small villages affected by the University of Illinois to a District that was ONLY Champaign-Urbana and did not include the areas of Champaign which had large University of Illinois Employee population, but DID include all the “pick and shovel workers” and unemployed workers who relied on welfare or State contributions for their financial means. The re-districting is so ill conceived that all the people in southwest Champaign and Savoy are represented by a Representative that lives near Watseka, two counties north. They were always represented by Tim Johnson before that.

Contrary to the N-G editorials, Naomi’s Vote to not contribute to the State Pension fund meant NOTHING to this District. The voters were primarily hand to mouth, pay check to pay check workers who were more concerned with Power Bills than Retirement funds. Those who were affected were in uncontested Republic Districts and their protests meant nothing at the polls, because they were not voting for Naomi. They were forced to waste their vote by the re-distiricting. I mistakenly believed different because of my inexperience and failure to recognize the absolute power of the re-districting.

The information gleaned from the last campaign, is certainly one of the reasons for my considering another attempt at seeking office so I can use my skills to help the area. Engineers are dangerous opponents when they “learn the ropes” because we process information so quickly. I was encouraged by my campaign policies and how they have actually become issues after the election. My opponent did not have any such ideas and simply relied on the re-districting to get her elected. A few of the old issues which I introduced were:

Universal Health care, not paid for by the State, but rather by contracts with insurance companies, with the funds coming from small contributions from everyone. The anticipated ultimate savings from efficiencies were 7-8 Billion dollars of State spending. That is the same amount the Governor wanted his GRT tax to increase revenues, when all that needed to be done was implement my suggestion and use the 7-8 billion for other purposes.

Naomi supported All Kids which still remains unfunded and had no ideas on Health care for everyone.

I repeatedly stated and was supported by University of Illinois Professors that an additional rate freeze as Naomi was sponsoring was doomed because it would force the Power Companies into a tenuous financial position and California’s Problems would simply move East. She did not support anything but a rate freeze. (see my blog for an expansion of my ideas). Her bill failed.

The University of Illinois has increased Tuition and Fees again because Naomi has never been able to secure funding for our State’s largest university. Even though she made campaign promises that she had secured funding for Lincoln Hall renovation, no money has ever been received.

But the present most important issue which Naomi has turned against her supporters in this District is the State Wide smoking ban. Over 70% of the construction workers, hard core Democrats, pick and shovel labor workers smoke and Naomi has rewarded them for their vote by supporting a Bill that makes the all smoke 15’ outside any business in the State. Recent history has shown those votes have caused other elected officials to lose their office at the first opportunity. This is Naomi’s first opportunity. If she wins, and has her celebration party and the Teamster’s Union Hall, 70% of the union members will be standing 15’ from the building celebrating her Victory. That is unlikely.

Although I received twice as many contributions from local businesses and individuals as Naomi, and I was humbled by the support, it is difficult to achieve proper media exposure without 6 digit funding. Obviously even though the State leadership had many fund raisers in this District, the State Republican Party and the local Republican Party did not contribute any money to my campaign and that lack of funding was very costly to me because it did not allow me to make mailings to the nearly 40,000 design professionals which do support my ideas and found Naomi’s appearances at their conventions to be “without substance or content”. If I can get mailing support, my campaign can tap into a source that is not available to any other candidate, which, with 10% contribution rate would be nearly $400,000 or twice the amount raised by Naomi the last election.

I am in the twilight of my Engineering and Land Surveying career and would love to do something with those abilities to help the general public and a new and different manner. Hence the possibility of running for this office again.

I ask the input of all who read this so I may make a decision. I will answer some relevant questions, but will not spend time answering frivolous or specious posts.

Again, I thank you for your time in reading this lengthy post and I look forward to your posts and suggestions.

To that end, I am, and shall always remain;
Rex Bradfield

With the State Governement being in complete disarray, and a Governor crabbing about work habits in Springfield while he is in Chicago. It seems the Elected Officials are blind to the possible dramatic effects to the economy caused by their short sighted, inconceivable, irresponsible Budget efforts.

Worse, our local legislators and in particular downstate controlling legislators cannot see the possible catastropic effects on our area. The Senate keeps supporting some "Business Tax" increases, the Governor says his Gross Receipts tax is not dead, Madigan says the Power Rate Freeze must be reinstated and is proposing a Budget that is not balanced.

So where is the "Carrot" for some major businesses in downstate Illinois? Nothing in the above is attractive to intelligent businessmen and everything points to a non-profit situation in Illinois.

FutureGen, is a large proposed industry which could be located near Matoon. It will generate nearly a billion dollars in gross receipts when it starts working and before it is on line, it will employ nearly 600 construction workers for 4 years or more. Our competition? Texas!!!!...Let me see, someone famous lives there and that decision on where to locate FutureGen will be made in 2008. Before the present bebauchery, Illinois was really in the driver's seat for this industry, best site, best location, best natural resources and an available workforce.

But now, we have leadership that is threatening to increase taxes on businesses, possibly cause blackouts from power shortages and is short on infrastructure in its budget. Why oh Why would FutureGen continue to consider Illinois over Texas? Where is the carrot?

One of the largest employers in Champaign-Urbana is the Kraft complex in West Champaign. It has been the employment staple for years in this area. Last year, Kraft announced it would cut back plants across the United States. The local plant is one of the, if not the, largest Kraft plant. But just like General Motors that was in Danville, this plant is not as modern as others.

So now while Kraft is considering closures, we have leadership that is threatening to increase taxes on businesses, possibly cause blackouts from power shortages and is short on infrastructure in its budget. Why oh Why would Kraft want to stay and pay the Governor's Gross Receipt tax or Emile's business taxes. Where is the Carrot?

We have an Ethanol plant that has been approved West of Champaign. Great stuff, good for the farmers, good jobs, maybe even some by-product benefits. But why would they want to remain in this area, compared to Iowa who is not proposing all these taxes? We have leadership that is threatening to increase taxes on businesses, possibly cause blackouts from power shortages and is short on infrastructure in its budget. Where is the Carrot?

Just the threat of these taxes is enough to sour businesses that have not completely made committments to Illinois. Nothing the Governor says can be trusted and the squabbling between legislative bodies bodes poorly. No local legislator in the majority party has even mentioned these possibilities.

What do you think?

Having sought public office as the Representative for the 103 Legislative District in the State, I have observed both the Local and State political activities with more than a passing interest. In fact, my concern and disgust with the political leaders of State and Local offices, precipitated that effort. It was obvious the State did not have leadership who’s qualifications were based on ability or qualifications to solve problems for the public. But rather, their abilities were deceit and ineffective short sighted political solutions to get votes. Unfortunately for Illinois, the leadership and their deficiencies to solve issues which had contributed to the rabid problems facing the state, were re-elected, inability baggage in hand.

Suffering citizens should not be surprised the newly re-elected leadership were unable to solve the impending problems with Power Rates, Health Care and unfunded State programs, etc. For even during the campaign season, questions about these issues were cleverly sidestepped by reading prepared generic answers authored by State leadership. It was politically efficient to deceive rather than suggest solutions. They failed to realize, that ineffective political solutions only caused the problems to exacerbate. For instance, the short sighted proposed rate freeze extension sponsored by Ms. Jakobsson, immediately failed after the election. It failed because its only purpose was to attract votes, rather than solving the impending Rate Increase problem.

On the matter of a solution for the Power Rate Increases, the State must first define and realize many facets of the problem. The first facet is recognizing that the State is at fault because of very bad legislation and a laissez-faire attitude for 10 years. It has taken 10 years to cause this problem and to even suggest it can be solved in a couple of months under restrictive timeline is irresponsible. The solution will take time and contain many comprehensive and effective parts, including State participation to correct its mistake. Secondly, the State must realize that the corporate leadership of the power company are very astute businessmen. After all, the state not only split the company but fixed and decreased the gross receipts for the power company by 20% for 10 years. But even under such inconceivable government interference, the corporate leadership of the power companies re-invented the companies and still remained solvent and made a profit for shareholders. By comparison, no one would ever suggest that if the State of Illinois lost 20% of its revenues with no ability to raise taxes, the present leadership of the State could even consider solvency. That being said, the very capable business minds of the power company should not be considered adversarial and a part of the problem, but rather a valuable asset to help solve the problem. Instead of signing an unpopular and unnecessary smoking ban legislation which, according to the Comptroller, costs the state nearly 80 million dollars, the Governor should not approve that deception and retain those tobacco tax revenues, concentrate on the major problems, and considering using all or a part of those tobacco revenues as a contribution to the solution of the Power Rate problem. That money could be used to pay the bond interest that would allow consumers to distribute only the rate increases over a period of 3-5 years.

3-5 years is more than adequate time to allow energy conservation planning by each individual home and business to implement energy saving policies to reduce energy costs by reducing usage. Unlike the State, people will not wait 3-5 years to change, they realize delay will cost them their money in the long haul. Additionally, the money saved by the power users will be spent anyway on other taxable products and the state will recover some of that money through normal sales tax methods. Secondly, the State should abandon turning back the clocks. That no cost solution to energy problems used in the 70’s was effective and saved nearly 8-10% energy production fuel costs over the year. Additionally, the daylight hours at the end of the work day increases productivity by 12% thereby reducing the costs of construction and other outside businesses because they can work at least an extra hour in daylight. Finally, there is no better way to encourage lower rates than allowing businesses to increase their operating revenues from multiple sources within the same company. Inexplicably, the State legislated the power company be broken into two more inefficient separate companies, one producing power, and another distributing power. That is like splitting General Motors into two companies, one producing Cadillac’s, and another producing Chevrolet’s. General Motors would not exist. The least expensive power and delivery is that which is produced within the same company because the combination of operating revenues from both sources, production and distribution, allows each service to be less expensive because of the cash flow influences of the other source. Any legislation to provide power rate relief, should allow the companies to re-combine and benefit from long standing business operational principals of diversity. These are inexpensive, hammerless common sense solutions which demonstrate to the citizens that the State does accept responsibility for bad law, allows consumers both time structured payment relief and also time to utilize the opportunity to vary their consumer habits.

These solutions also show good faith and encourage the power company to lower rates by allowing them to return to the type of company existing before the ill conceived legislation caused this problem. The continual Daylight Savings Time legislation has long been necessary and will not only have the side benefits of improving the quality of life, but will also allow more flexible consumer habits concerning energy consumption.

Fearless, qualified and determined individuals can find solutions, but the critical nature of these problems has overwhelmed our present leaders because of their lack of ability to solve problems. Political/personal fear of not being re-elected because of suggesting difficult answers, has hamstrung the entire process (“we were hamstrung by a total lack of knowledge”, Webster). It was once said, “Your family and business is not safe when the Legislation is in session” and nothing could be more true of the present leadership. NyQuil is not tasty, but it works. Time to solve the problem, or be replaced with those who can.