News Progress

January 28, 2015

by Jim Nowlan
Outside Columnist

Politics is largely about who gets what and is a game of debits and credits amassed over the years by political power players.
In the 1950s, U.S. Senate minority leader Everett Dirksen of Pekin would on many a late afternoon saunter over to the hideaway Capitol office of legendary Senate majority leader Lyndon Baines Johnson. Over a bourbon-and-branch water, or two, these political powerhouses would shape the national policy agenda for the coming week and beyond – while taking care of home state priorities.
In the 1990s, Speaker of the U.S. House Dennis Hastert (R-Yorkville in northeast Illinois) watched closely over the interests of the Prairie State.
Those days are gone. Today, according to Roll Call magazine, a tip sheet for Washington DC insiders, Illinois has slipped from 4th to 17th in recent years in its “clout ranking” among the states, even though we are 5thin population..
This is important because, as I have said in this space, Illinois receives only about 56 cents back for every tax dollar we send to Washington, while all of our neighboring states harvest much more than a dollar for every dollar sent to the federal coffers. Read More

January 21, 2015

By Tyler Harvey
Mo-Do Farm Bureau Manager

The New Year is off and running, and the Farm Bureau on a county, state, and national level is staying very active. On a national level, The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is in the middle of their Annual Meeting which is held from January 11-14. Just like the Illinois Farm Bureau, the AFBF meets once a year to look and decide on policies and resolutions that make up the organization. The AFBF is made up of all the state Farm Bureaus in the United States. The Board of Directors for AFBF are comprised of 27 directors from across the nation. The United States itself in broken into four different regions with a certain amount of directors coming from each region. Bob Stallman from Texas is the current AFBF President. This is the same position our very own Charles Shuman held from 1954-1970. President Shuman was the President of the Illinois Farm Bureau before his tenure as AFBF President. Read More

January 14, 2015

by Sarah Hudson Pierce
Guest Columnist

As we stand at the gate of a new year we need to ask ourselves if we have lost our sense of priorities. Have we switched the price tags in our lives? Is it possible to go back once we’ve crossed the picket line?

There was a book written by Tony Campolo titled “Who Switched the Price Tags?” The story was told of some pranksters slipping into a department store right at closing time and playing a joke that caused great alarm the next day. Read More

January 7, 2015

By Jim Nowlan
Outside Columnist

As a self-proclaimed moderate, I try to look both Left and Right objectively. I have often mused about why the Democrats, the party of “the little guy,” do not dominate Republicans, the party of “the big guy,” as there are so many more of the former.

Recently my tennis buddies Tom and Flora gave me some clues. Tom worked his way up at Caterpillar, from the line, where he became a union steward, to foreman. Flora is a barber (and the best tennis player in our group). Both are quite thoughtful and hardworking, and longtime Democrats; at least they have been.

Over beers a couple of weeks ago, Tom expressed exasperation with the slackers in his world, the men and women who will grab at any opportunity not to work, such as abusing family leave days off work to care for family members. And about the guy who successfully claimed federal disability benefits and is now busy on top of his house putting on a new roof.

Then Flora chimed in. She told of the white guys she knows who get together to discuss how they can game the food stamp program and other social welfare benefits. Read More

December 31, 2014

by Jim Nowlan
Outside Columnist

Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner has pledged to roll back income tax increases and boost funding for education. I have suggested in this space that to do both this coming year would take greater prestidigitation than the great Harry Houdini displayed when thrown into a freezing river in a strait jacket and chains (Houdini survived, by the way).
So, what should the incoming governor do for education? If anyone asks my opinion (no one has), here are some thoughts.
Most schools hold school longer each year than we do, and for 6½-7 hours each day rather than our six. I found an old United Nations survey of school going. Of the 50 nations that responded, 42 went for more than 180 days (we are at about 175-180) and 20 held school for between 210-239 days per year. Read More