Monthly Archives: April 2014

Democrats Want to Legalize Marijuana Use!

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Chicago Democrats want a task force appointed to study the issue of marijuana use with the goal of introducing legislation to legalize and regulate the recreational use of marijuana. Colorado has already done it. Illinois, being the progressive state that it is, does not want to be left far behind. We have video poker machines in the bars, and coming soon will be marijuana smoke houses with video machines. What a state we live in! Those Chicago Democrats know what is important. In the future with all of the new income from marijuana taxes, our legislators will have more even money to waste. You can be sure your taxes will not go down! If you are a Chicago Democrat, it is a compliment to be called a “pot head.” How times have changed!

See article in
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2014/apr/29/chronicle_amapril_29_2014

Case of the Week – The Case of the Gift Dog or Who Gets the Stig?

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20140423-060955.jpgJennifer and Kent were living together in 2010 and in November Jennifer adopted a dog from the Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago. Around Christmas Jennifer in a poem expressed her intent to give the dog (the Stig) to Kent as a gift. Their relationship ended in 2012 and guess what Kent took with him when he moved out of the residence. You got it – the Stig. Jennifer eventually went to court to get the Stig returned to her. The trial court found that the Stig was a gift from Jennifer, and that Kent was the rightful owner of the Stig. On appeal the Appellate Court affirmed Kent’s right to the Stig. The Court said that donative intent is established at the time of the gift, and not what was said at a later time.

The moral of this case – tell that special person that all gifts are conditional on the continuation of your romantic relationship. If for any reason, the relationship should terminate, all gifts must be returned! Oh by the way, it would be a good idea to put it in writing! Perhaps, you should enter into a pre-relationship agreement or as it may be called in the future – a “Stig Agreement.” Good luck!

Read the case at

Click to access 1122980.pdf

While They Laugh at Freeport in Rockford, Freeport City Council at special meeting on April 14 passes resolution begging Governor to expand passenger service to Freeport and Galena.

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Freeport is “temporarily out luck” as characterized by Freeport hater and columnist Chuck Sweeny for the Rockford Register Star. What Mr. Sweeny really meant to say – screw you Freeport. You will get rail service just like you got a four lane road to Dubuque! Rockford knows that Freeport, at least prior to Mayor Gitz, had weak and ineffective leadership. We all see the results. Perhaps, Rockford will send the Freeport City Council complimentary tickets for the first train from Rockford to Chicago in 2015. I am sure under the leadership of Alderman Tom Klemm that the rest of the gang of eight will adopt a resolution thanking Rockford for the complimentary tickets! Perhaps, they can get a few extra tickets and invite Columnist Chuck Sweeny to lead the Freeport delegation along with former Freeport Mayor, George Gaulrapp.

By the way there is a Freeport City Council meeting on Monday, April 21 at 6:00 pm at 524 W. Stephenson St., third floor. It will be televised on Comcast Channel 17.

Items of Interest:

Proclamation regarding “Comcast Cares Day” on April 26.

Memorandum regarding start date of new Community Development Director – April 28 instead of April 21.

Resolution for engineering services with Fehr Graham for portion of Jane Addams Trail. Fee will be cost plus about $133,000. Once the trail is done, you can ride your bicycle to Rockford to catch the train to Chicago. Perhaps, Freeport and Rockford can get together and establish warming stations for winter travel on the trail. With the trail, Freeport doesn’t really need train service to Chicago!

For a complete agenda go to

Click to access A20140421.pdf

Rockford Gets Rail Service to Chicago – Freeport Gets Nothing as Usual!

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Illinois Map

When will Freeport wake up?

Rockford doesn’t give a damn if Freeport gets rail service.

Governor Quinn doesn’t care about Freeport – not enough votes.

Our Congresswoman Bustos doesn’t care about Freeport – She can get elected without Freeport’s help. Talk about an ineffective representative for our part of Illinois.

The Journal Standard, Freeport’s local newspaper, had an article on April 11 by Chuck Sweeny, a columnist for the Rockford Register Star (both owned by the same company) announcing that rail service would just go to Rockford. No service to Freeport. It just stated the facts. Then you should read Sweeny’s column in the Rockford newspaper. He wrote a column praising Governor Quinn saying about Quinn “He made service to Rockford a top priority and followed through.” One story for Freeport and Praise Quinn story for Rockford. Chuck Sweeny is no friend of Freeport or Northwest Illinois west of Rockford. Freeport should wake up.

Rockford is a “user.” When they want something, they talk about regional cooperation. That should end. It should begin with Chicago Rockford “International” Airport. A nice little airport with third rate air service. Shop in Rockford? Every time you go to Rockford your life is on the line with its high crime rate As long as you are driving, you might as will continue to Woodfield with real stores. Yes, Rockford has played the rest of Northwest Illinois for fools for years – AND THAT MUST END.

Freeport’s Population Exploding – Will Soon Surpass 30,000!

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20140410-102418.jpgPrior to leaving office as Freeport’s Community Development Director, Shelly Griswold, as one of her last acts signed Freeport up for a new Obama Administration Program entitled “Rural Growth Initiative for the 21st Century” (RGI-21). The purpose of the program is to promote rural areas and put them on an equal footing with urban areas where there has been substantial population growth. Economic development funds are usually tied in with the population of an area. Since rural areas have been losing population, it has put then at a disadvantage when compared to growing urban areas. To rectify this inequity, President Obama by Executive Order has mandated that in rural areas for every one deer, ten people will be added to the area’s population. Since the City of Freeport has an abundance of deer, over 5,000 people will be added to its population for purposes of RGI-21.

Mayor Gitz when asked to comment stated: “I want to thank the people of Freeport for opening up their yards this winter so the deer could have an abundance of food. I realize that the landscaping has been destroyed in many yards, but that is a small price to pay to take care of Bambi and her friends. The good news is that the deer population will again increase substantially this year. Tom Klemm and other council members have been out counting the pregnant does, and they have advised me that we should see another 20-30% increase in the deer population. I understand that there is a feeling in the community that there are too many deer, but I want to emphasize that the deer are one of the keys to our future economic development. The Chief of Police has been instructed to arrest and prosecute anyone who intentionally interferes with the eating and mating habits of the deer in the City of Freeport. Such conduct as chasing the deer out of your yard in the middle of their afternoon feeding time will not be tolerated.”
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Those Players at Northwestern May Be Too Smart for Their Own Good – Let’s Looks Into the Future and See What Will Happen When Student Athletes Unionize.

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Players on the men’s badminton team at Conch Shell University, a prestigious east coast Florida school, recently voted to join the Union of College Badminton Players (UCBP). Tuition at Conch Shell is $40,000 per year. Badminton is not revenue producing sport, and in fact it costs the university money each year to fund this sport. The first offer to the union is $55,000 per year – that is each badminton player must pay the university this amount each year for the privilege of playing on the badminton team.

Basketball players at the same university have unionized and are paid $75,000 per year with $40,000 going towards tuition. Conch Shell has high admission standards and most students are in the upper 5% of those taking the SAT. The Supreme Court has ruled based on the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution that basketball players must meet the same academic qualifications as other entering students. As a result, the basketball program is now losing money since they have not had a winning record in the last five years. The best players go to other schools with lower admission standards, and higher payments to athletes. Conch Shell University is now considering abolishing all of its sports programs. So much for unionization of college sports. >

It’s Finally Getting Warmer in Northwest Illinois! No Snow for Monday, April 7, So You All Can Make It to the Freeport City Council Meeting at 6:00 pm

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20140406-194938.jpgThe Council will meet in the Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor.
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Items of Interest on the agenda:

Proclamation on Union Dairy Week June 16 – 22

Appointment of Shelly Griswold (former Community Development Director) to the Airport Commission – Wow – I was afraid Shelly was really leaving us, but everyone knows that the City needs her help! If she does as much for the Airport as she did for the City of Freeport, it means that the Airport will close down by the time her term expires. One thing for sure, the City better budget more money for the Airport!

For a complete agenda go to

Click to access A20140407.pdf

Get a Traffic Ticket in Illinois – They Take Your License!

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You are an Illinois resident and are driving in the state of Illinois to the airport. You are stopped for going six miles over the speed limit. The officer is very polite, but takes your driver’s license since that is the policy in Illinois. Get a ticket and they keep your license until you post bond! Unfortunately, you do not have time to post bond since your flight is leaving in less than two hours. In addition you plan to rent a car when you arrive at your destination. What a way to start a vacation! You get to the airport with no acceptable State identification except a receipt for your license. If you get through security, try to rent a car with no actual driver’s license. Thank you Illinois! By the way, if you are a non-resident, you could keep your license.

Just another way you are penalized for being a resident of this state. No other state treats its residents like Illinois, but we already know that!

There is bill being considered in the Illinois legislature to correct this problem by allowing residents to keep their licenses after getting speeding tickets. Why has this taken so long? This is Illinois, so don’t bet on it becoming law. It’s a wonder that Illinois residents are not jailed in this state for a speeding ticket – sorry I shouldn’t have mentioned it. That will be next. Just another way to raise revenue – It is Illinois.

Wow – Journal Standard Gets It Right – Our Property Taxes Are Out of Whack! It’s a Fact – Not an April Fools Joke!

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An editorial in the Journal Standard on April 1, 2014 reflected on Governor Quinn’s proposal to give every property owner a $500 refund on their property taxes. It further stated that the refund is of less value in Stephenson County for the following reason:

“What’s more, a flat refund is of less value in Stephenson County than it is in areas where property taxes are not quite so out of whack.”

Yes, taxes in Stephenson County and in particular Freeport are “out of whack.” In fact that is a nice way to put it. Property tax assessments (based on market values supposedly) in many cases bear no relationship to actual property values. High tax rates and unrealistic property assesments have contributed to to falling property values, population decline, and businesses leaving the area.

What small business owner wants to fight about its assessment every year?

What home owner wants to live in a community where his tax assessment has not fallen along with property values?

Who wants to own property in a community where the tax rate goes up every year with a corresponding increase in your real estate taxes?

The answer is no one. People are tired of fighting. They say nothing, but their actions speak for them. They just leave the area.

Years go, a local Freeport community leader would tell people that if they did not like it in Freeport, they should leave. Will, my friend, they are all gone now. Thank you for your words of wisdom.