Author Archives: Good Day Illinois

Weather Channel Everything But Weather!

Leave a reply

IMG_3922
The Weather Channel used to be a great source for national and local weather information. What a joke today! Last year the Channel started naming winter storms with a recent one being Linus. You wake up to a blizzard and see two individuals who seem almost gleeful in the way they describe the recent blizzard. You wonder if they will act the same way when a hurricane hits the Southeastern United States. I certainly hope not. If you wake up at night, and want to check on the weather – forget it. Shows run all night on prospecting, trucking, and everything but the weather! Then morning comes and guess what – you get to watch “Wake up with Al Roker!” Personally, I would prefer not to wake up with Al Roker, but NBC (owner of the Weather Channel) must think we want this type of entertainment the first thing in the morning. Perhaps, the morning show name could be changed to “Wake up with Al and Brian” and Brian could tell combat stories! It would probably be a hit because you don’t want too much reality the first thing in the morning!

When Does NO Not Mean NO? Ask The Freeport School District!

Leave a reply

2015/01/img_3777.jpgIn March of 2014 the voters of Stephenson County soundly rejected a 1% increase in the sales tax on the people of Stephenson County for the benefit of school districts in the county with Freeport School District being the biggest beneficiary of this tax increase. The administrators (some now gone) at Freeport District promoted this tax with the support of some members of the school board who will also soon be gone. Now the Freeport School Board has voted to put the question of raising the sales tax 1% on the ballot again. No wonder our schools are in such bad shape when the administration does not know the meaning of the word “NO.” The administrators in the school district tell us that property taxes will go down. What a joke! Give the Freeport District more money, and they will just spend more. Now what is really sad about this whole mess is that those bureaucrats running the Freeport School District will be out promoting this tax at our expense. We are paying them to destroy this community. They have millions of dollars at their disposal and hundreds of employees to help them promote this tax. Administrators come and go, but taxes once levied are never reduced. There is only one truth in government – give them more money and they will spend it!

Americans Dying Like Flies – Head of CDC Asleep Again!

Leave a reply

2015/01/img_3761.jpgThe flu is rampant throughout the United States while the CDC makes excuses – the flu mutated. Again, another governmental agency makes an excuse for gross incompetence. Under the Obama Administration governmental agencies from the IRS to the Veterans Administration are run by bureaucrats who don’t give a damn about the public they should be serving! Incompetence is order of the day. The government tells everyone to get flu shots and then the shots don’t protect you. So when someone asks why you are so sick, just say you got attacked by a mutated virus. And then add – I DID GET A FLU SHOT!

Happy New Year From The Outback Bowl!

Leave a reply

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/f09/53155056/files/2015/01/img_3738.jpgCongratulations to those Wisconsin Badgers!

Don’t Forget Those Digital Assets in Your Estate Plan?

Leave a reply

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/f09/53155056/files/2014/12/img_3632-0.jpgWhen we ask our clients about digital assets, many respond that they don’t have any. That is not the case for most people. Do you have a bank account or brokerage account that you can access on your computer or phone? What is the user name and pass word for the account? Do you have a Facebook or Twitter account? Again, what are user names and pass words for the accounts? Even if your executor or trustee as the representative of your estate has the user names and pass words for the accounts, does your representative have the legal authority to access the accounts? This is an area of the law where there are no absolute answers at this time. Until we have legislation covering such assets, you should at least attempt to cover said digital assets in your estate planning documents. If you have not already done so, consider updating your estate planning documents to cover your digital assets.

All I Want For Christmas Is a Job as a Consultant for the City of Freeport or Freeport School District!

Leave a reply

Northpole

The Mayor and his administration are now talking about hiring a retail consultant to the tune of $100,000 per year. If you ask someone what they do, and their response is “I am a consultant.” What does that mean? It means that they get paid a lot for promises, and that they will still get paid if they produce nothing. Most people work at a job where if they do not perform as promised, they do not get paid. I have no problem with the concept of consulting – that is if they produce results. So if the City wants to hire any more consultants, they should not get paid until they produce results. That is same for NIDA and the rest of the professional consultants running around governmental offices looking for easy money at the expense of the taxpayers. By the way the members of the Freeport School Board are experts at hiring consultants – ask them how much they paid the last one when they selected their last superintendent. How much did that debacle cost the taxpayers? The taxpayers deserve a refund.

By the way, the Freeport City Council is meeting Monday, December 1 at 6:00 pm in the rented Freeport City Council chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

To review the meeting agenda, go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20141201a.pdf

Gobble, Gobble – Have You Had a Bad Day?

Leave a reply

IMG_3561.JPGRemember Steve Martin in the scene at the rental counter in the 1987 movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles? He was at wits end and was trying to get a car at the rental counter. We have all had similar experiences and wanted to say just what Steve Martin told the rental agent. Today this is especially true when flying. Passengers are herded around like cattle from the minute you get to the airport. TSA agents direct you to the appropriate security lines. Don’t complain – just smile when they tell you that you have been selected for extra screening. Just smile when they say you have tested positive for explosives and must be subjected to even more screening. Just smile when you are assigned a middle seat at the back of the plane. Just smile when you are now greeted by your new seat mates – on your left is a missionary returning from working in the Ebola wards in Liberia and on your right is a representative from weight watchers who advises you that his goal is to lose 400 pounds in the next year. The plane takes off with you sitting in the lap of the man from weight watchers. The flight attendant finally arrives at the back of the plane with the food cart and you ask for a vodka tonic only to be told all of alcohol in the cabin has been sold, but they do have some gummy bears. You just smile passing on the gummy bears. Then you take out your IPad and show the smiling flight attendant the clip from the movie with Steve Martin. The flight attendant stops smiling, and when you get off the plane you are met by a group of TSA agents. You are told that you are now on the NO FLY list. You just smile and show them the Steve Martin clip as you are escorted from the airport.

For your convenience and future use the clip can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWRxPDhd3d0

Where Have All The Leaves Gone? The Answer My Friend Is On My Street In Front of My House!

Leave a reply

IMG_3552.JPG

The Freeport City Council Meets tonight at 6:00 pm in the rented Freeport City Council chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Since the Council will probably spend most of the meeting discussing leaf pickup, no comments will be made as to the other items on the agenda. On a more serious note, Mayor Gitz does refer to the piles of leaves around the City as “pothole fillers.” He is quite imaginative!

You may study the full agenda at http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20141117a.pdf

Of some interest is the survey on what should be done in regard to city hall. Residents are given several options, and the responses are tabulated in this report which can be found at http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/departments/Outreach/City%20of%20Freeport%20Survey%20Report.pdf Read the report – you will have read more than most council members have read in the last year. Too bad it is not in comic book form with lots of pictures so the council could understand it.