Below are links to news stories of interest from newspapers that came up during a search today. These links were active at the time of this e-mail, but should you want to save a story, printing it or cutting and pasting the entire article and saving it to your computer is recommended.
Gov. Pat Quinn wants 33 percent tax hike for education Gov. Pat Quinn today called for a 33 percent increase in the state income tax rate to raise money for education and ease deep cuts he’s proposed in his new budget plan. In his short budget speech to the House and Senate, Quinn argued that an income tax “surcharge” would be enough to restore Illinois’ education budget to current levels and allow the state to get caught up on some of the millions owed to public schools, community colleges and four-year universities.
Quinn calls for raising income tax to 4 percent Gov. Quinn called today for a one percentage point increase in the state income tax to fund education. Quinn is asking legislators to raise the income tax to 4 percent from the current 3 percent. “That 1 percent will be enough to restore our education budget to current levels,” Quinn said in his budget address in Springfield. The increase would fund education from kindergarten through high school and also cover higher education.
Quinn proposes 1 percent income tax surcharge for education In his annual budget address to the Illinois General Assembly today, Gov. Pat Quinn proposed taking an extra 1 percent out of Illinoisans’ paychecks to support education. More info soon.
Quinn gets scary on budget — but not scary enough One of the oldest chapters in the good book of politics is to scare the bejabbers outta people, to tell them that if a certain program or policy or tax isn’t approved, the heavens will part, small babies will babble and civilization will end. In other words, the bloodier and more ominous the better — a tactic the folks who run the Chicago Transit Authority learned long ago.
Quinn calls for education tax in annual budget address Chicago Current – Pat Quinn’s dare to Illinois legislators during his annual budget address today. The speech, 22 minutes, was a dramatic contrast with his nebulous State of …
State News
Batavia teachers agree to pay, benefit cuts :: Batavia Sun :: News
Suburban Chicago News – The teachers union and the Batavia School Board have reached an agreement for salary and benefit reductions for teachers for the next school year. The agreement — approved Monday night by the School Board and last week by members of the Batavia Education Association — will save the School District $2.3 million in the 2010-11 school year, school officials said Tuesday.
District 207: Teachers union rejects job-saving concessions
Morton Grove Champion – Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education and Administrators have been informed that a majority of the Maine teachers Association membership voted “no” today (March 9) on a board request that the teachers open their contract, a district news release stated. The Board and Administration had proposed salary
Teacher’s Union Contract Approved by School Board
Rockford WIFR (CBS) 23 – The food services and teachers union accepted a wage and health insurance freeze for next school year. The Rockford Education Association overwhelmingly agreed on the contract extension during a private vote over the weekend. Around one thousand teachers met at Guilford High School to Ratify the agreement.
Dist. 203 defends continued pension benefits
Chicago Daily Herald – amount of money and point the finger at legislators for letting the state budget deteriorate. The District 203 school board on Monday approved a new three-year contract with the Naperville Unit Education Association that represents roughly 1,350 teachers. The deal renews a provision giving teachers annual pay raises of up to 6 percent for as many as four years before retirement.
D-302 teachers, district officials to talk budget
Geneva Kane County Chronicle – now meet with administrators in the school district to discuss how the two sides can work together to avert some budget reductions that could negatively impact students. Tuesday, the Kaneland Education Association and Kaneland School District 302 announced that the two sides would “engage in informal conversations” regarding the 2010-2011 budget
Cary Dist. 26 places burden on union to save jobs
Chicago Daily Herald – Cary Elementary District 26 placed the ball in the teacher’s union’s court Monday night, asking the union to agree to concessions for its members in exchange for saving some jobs. The offer came as the district is attempting to slash $5.4 million
D-26 union must do part to pare losses
Crystal Lake Northwest Herald – If there ever was any doubt, Monday night’s District 26 school board meeting put the debate to rest. We now know that, for the District 26 teachers’ union, it’s not about the kids. Maybe it was before. It certainly isn’t now. Greed? Yes, it’s about that. An unwillingness to
Kaneland teachers, officials to meet
DeKalb Daily Chronicle – now meet with administrators in the school district to discuss how the two sides can work together to avert some budget reductions that could negatively impact students. Tuesday, the Kaneland Education Association and Kaneland School District 302 announced that the two sides would “engage in informal conversations” regarding the 2010-2011 budget.
More than $2 million cut from Champaign School District budget
Decatur WAND (NBC) 17 – Board members say public input was vital to this process, and it helped save jobs and programs. Some of those items saved include occupational therapy jobs and teacher aides in elementary school computer labs. The board will not raise textbook rental fees, and it will keep a driver’s ed program.
Morrison Schools Face ‘Funding Challenges’
Lanark Prairie Advocate – fees for specific programs. The superintendent and school board are looking at other things as well. For instance, they have already approved an Early Retirement Option that will be offered to teachers and staff. There are some concerned parents and alumni looking at starting up a Morrison Schools Foundation to help with funding some of the programs, especially the Pre-K program.
Vote on school cuts could be delayed
Peoria Journal Star – One issue that’s not disappearing is a wage freeze for teachers and administration as a measure to save jobs. Teachers and administrators will receive their regular pay increases. Superintendent Jim Colyott said the Princeville Unit District Education Association was notified last fall that if the teachers’ union agreed to a wage freeze, so would the district’s administrators. The freeze never came up for a vote by the teachers union’s members, Colyott said. The union disputed that claim Tuesday night.
24 teachers will go, world language will stay
Elmhurst Doings – Following months of discussion, Elmhurst Unit District 205 Board members unanimously approved $2.82 million in budget cuts. The cuts translate into layoffs for about 24 certified teachers and six non-certified staff members. The cuts will be paired with about $541,000 in revenue enhancements, which will be achieved through an increase in student and building fees.
EVANSTON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL: $1.6 million in cutbacks unveiled
Evanston Review – reductions amid ever-rising personnel costs, School District 202 officials Tuesday outlined $1.6 million in tentative budget reductions for fiscal 2011 that would trim the work force by roughly six teachers and several administrators. A wave of 20 faculty retirements this year will allow the district to avoid layoffs mostly
U-46 not shy about fighting state education cuts
Chicago Daily Herald – Elgin Area School District U-46 is using its school marquees to make an 11th-hour appeal to Gov. Pat Quinn. With Quinn expected to announce a $1.4 billion decrease in education funding Wednesday during his budget presentation, the 41,000-student district has begun posting “Fix School Funding” on its signs. U-46, currently $48.6 million in the hole,
U46 to cut ‘Newcomers’ transition for immigrants
Elgin Courier News – ELGIN — To save money, School District U46 plans to shut down its “Newcomers” program, which helps immigrant students transition smoothly into school and American life. Teachers Jeff Miller and Miguel Renteras, who run the small program at Hilltop Elementary School in Elgin, say the move not only will hurt the students academically and emotionally,
Chicago area schools weigh cuts to fix budgets
Chicago WLS (ABC) 7 – Positions and programs are being cut. Up until now, most of it has been caused by the state’s inability to pay its bills. But Governor Quinn’s ‘bad news’ budget address Wednesday is expected to force even deeper cuts. Related Content Story: Local School Cuts: A Timeline The singing will be silenced next year for 1,400 students
Political News
Gov’s scare tactics — or the grim reality?
Chicago Sun Times – Quinn’s budget for fiscal year 2011, which starts in July, will call for $2.2 billion in cuts — taken out in large part on the backs of the elderly, the mentally ill, children, abused women and teachers — and yet it will leave a deficit of almost $11 billion. And why? Because our weak-kneed Legislature has refused so far in this election year to do what most of them know must be do
No tax hike? Then it’s loans under Quinn’s budget
Chicago Daily Herald – outlining his version of budgetary doomsday, calling it the “consequences of inaction.” Kindergarten through high school funding would be cut nearly $1.2 billion, resulting in at least 13,000 teachers being laid off and possibly many more, said Jerry Stermer, Quinn’s chief of staff. That’s likely to translate into larger class sizes and reduced programs in districts across the suburbs
Time for reality to intervene in state budget mess
Chicago Daily – Maybe former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his wife aren’t so crazy. They’ve been able to tap into reality shows to bring in much-needed personal income and stir public sympathy. We should consider the same idea for the General Assembly.
Former Governor Jim Edgar Talks Budget Crisis, Calls Bill Brady’s Budget Ideas ‘Naive’ Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar spoke on WBEZ’s “Eight Forty Eight” Tuesday morning about the budget crisis in Illinois. While offering his opinion on what it will take to fix the nearly $13 billion deficit, he called Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady’s budget plan “naïve.”
Bill Brady: Minimum Wage Is ‘Government Intrusion’ “I think supply and demand in the marketplace determines the rate of minimum wage,” then-freshman state senator Bill Brady said in 2003.
Rasmussen Poll Gives Brady Lead Over Quinn Progress Illinois (blog) – ? Quinn by 10 points, 47 percent to 37 percent. But the crosstabs are raising some eyebrows. From Capitol Fax: We’ve known for a while that Quinn had trouble …
Brady in crosshairs for views on abortion, women’s issues
Quad Cities Dispatch Argus Leader -A coalition of pro-choice and women’s groups on Tuesday took aim at Republican Bill Brady’s bid for the governor’s mansion, blasting the Bloomington senator for his social conservatism. Beth Kanter with Illinois Planned Parenthood’s political action committee and several other activist groups gathered in Chicago to declare Brady “anti-woman,”
AP-GfK Poll: Obama more popular than Congress
Boston Globe – Americans have come to detest Congress ever more deeply as it nears the end of a nasty fight over health care. But more than half still back President Barack Obama, a bright spot for a Democratic Party counting on its leader to help stave off expected losses in elections this fall. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll found that fewer people approve of Congress than at any point
Obama Pushing on Health Care End Game
Time Magazine – President Barack Obama has chosen a suburban St. Louis high school to make his closing argument for a health care overhaul, pushing a new anti-fraud plan as he cranks up the pressure on skittish Democratic lawmakers to act fast. Obama is to speak Wednesday at St. Charles High School, his second health care address in three days. His speech comes as congressional Democrats stand
National News
The Massa Circus Takes the Air out of Glenn Beck Many conservatives had rightly warned the Fox News superstar to steer clear of the aggrieved Democratic congressman, but he just couldn’t resist
Is East Africa the Next Frontier for Oil? New drilling in and off countries up the coast of East Africa shows that the region may have massive reserves of natural gas and oil
Bloomberg and Baseball: The Perfect Match? The media giant is selling its analytical expertise to baseball fans, and Major League Baseball teams. Can a Bloomberg consumer business hit it out of the park?
Beyond Sanctions: How to Solve the Iranian Riddle Pro-democracy campaigners need time to achieve their aims. There’s no time left
Most Viewed Articles on washingtonpost.com
1) Massa flirts with the right, but Beck isn’t tickled
Just seven minutes into Glenn Beck’s hour-long interview of Eric Massa on Tuesday evening, things had already gone very wrong.
2) Talking shop while buffing up but not often while in the buff
It’s no secret that members of Congress broker deals on the treadmill or in the weight room of the House and Senate gyms. But former congressman Eric Massa’s accusation that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel once berated him in the gym’s shower over his vote against President Obama’s budget…
3) Male Massa staffers reported groping
Not long after Eric Massa joined Congress in January 2009, several male staff members began to feel uncomfortable with the sexually loaded language their boss routinely used, according to accounts relayed to the House ethics committee.
4) For former NBA star, a game plan for life and love
SACRAMENTO — For months, Kevin Johnson walked around with an engagement ring wrapped in tissue. He wanted a sweet movielike moment to give it to his Michelle.
5) With ‘JihadJane,’ a new kind of threat
A petite, blond-haired, blue-eyed high school dropout who allegedly used the nickname JihadJane was identified Tuesday as an alleged terrorist intent on recruiting others to her cause, as federal prosecutors unsealed criminal charges that could send her to prison for life.
6) Killing of D.C. teen linked to ‘gun’ ruse that angered suspect
The 15-year-old teen was having fun, hanging out with some friends last month in Northwest Washington. Then, police said, some other teens “faked” on them, or pretended to have a gun.
7) ‘Lost Boys’ actor Corey Haim dead in Burbank at 38
The Los Angeles coroner’s office says “The Lost Boys” actor Corey Haim is dead at 38.
8.) Common set of school standards to be proposed
The nation’s governors and state schools chiefs proposed standards Wednesday for what students should learn in English and math, from kindergarten through high school, a crucial step in President Obama’s campaign to raise academic standards across the country.
The squandered moment on health reform cost the president his chance to unify.
10) Supper on the QT: The volume’s turned up
On Feb. 23, a select group of Washingtonians received an intriguing e-mail: “The orange arrow is pointing at you,” the subject line read.
Word of the Day for Wednesday, March 10, 2010
phantasmagoria \fan-taz-muh-GOR-ee-uh\, noun:
1. A shifting series or succession of things seen or imagined, as in a dream.
2. Any constantly changing scene.