Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania

Public need, campaign greed

Spread the love

By Ray Hanania

Does Gov. JB Pritzker really think Illinois voters are stupid? Does he think we are just not smart enough or that we are indifferent to the harsh world around us?

The past two years have been the most difficult taxpayers have faced economically.

The pandemic changed our lives and delayed much, including the election from March until June 28. That’s when the priority shifted in Illinois from helping families to helping candidates.

RayHanania

Ray Hanania

Last week, JB pushed through a stimulus payment of…don’t hold your breath…wait for it…let me choke it out…$50 for anyone filing state taxes under $200,000 or a joint return under $400,000.

Wow! $50!

It’s insulting, intended not to help the public but to make it look like the governor and his buddies care for the public, which will be voting very soon.

The $50 doesn’t even come close to covering the monthly hike in Nicor Gas, which has more than doubled. It’s like spitting at a house fire, because this state is on fire.

Billionaire JB doesn’t know what economic need is. Everything has doubled. It’s like our incomes dropped 50 percent, which makes $50 sound even more offensive!

The only benefit, which most people won’t really feel because prices are so high, is Pritzker suspended the one-cent state sales tax on groceries. Instead of food costing twice as much, it will not cost, well almost twice as much.

Rhetoric from the governor and legislature is crafted to make us “stupid people” think they are fighting the rising cost of gas, when in fact, they are raising the gas tax by two cents. They said they will delay that six months after the June 28 primary elections.

COVID-19 has changed everything. The only thing it hasn’t changed is how politicians exploit public suffering for their own greed to get votes.

Instead of winning votes, the insulting $50 “un-relieving relief” payment only creates voter anger.

THE POLITICAL GRAPEVINE: Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau is the politician who keeps on giving. The “Politics over People” poster boy has been attacking his rival in the June 28 Republican Primary for 6th Congressional District, Scott Kaspar, falsely accusing him of attacking the police. Kaspar has never attacked the police, but he has said what everyone in Orland Park and the 6th District have been saying; that crime is on the rise and not enough is being done. Crime is not rising, Pekau asserted. But then 24 hours later, Pekau whined on Facebook that his foes–whom he calls “weasels”–were tearing down his campaign signs.

Eight cars were stolen in Orland Park in 2014 but 31 were stolen last year. The carjacking phenomenon was showcased at a forum by a mayor who cares, Tinley Park’s Michael Glotz (whose daughter’s car was jacked Jan. 10). Some officials care to fight rising crime, like Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, police leaders and others like Liz Gorman, the endorsed candidate for the 17th Cook County district. (Gorman received the largest regional campaign donation, $100,000, and was endorsed over her do-nothing foe, Sean Morrison, by the state’s largest unions.)

For Pekau, the rise in carjackings doesn’t seem important, but the alleged “theft” of his political campaign signs is the crime of the century. Most are placed illegally on the public easement near the curb, which by the way is another crime Pekau doesn’t see. Gorman and Kaspar are the only ones concerned about rising crime. Warning “crime is on the rise,” Kaspar created a task force headed by New York crime fighter Bernard Kerik to address the rising crime problem.

HOW DO YOU SEPLL HYPOCRISY? President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, is under more pressure as Congress members demand a probe into his influencing peddling to get multimillion dollar contracts in Ukraine and China. California Congressman Darrell Issa and other Republicans have been calling for the probe, but so far the White House and the pro-Biden media have been fighting it. But, they are pushing for a probe into influence peddling by former President Donald Trump’s children, Ivanka Kushner and Donald Trump Jr.

APRIL IS A BLESSED month. Mainstream Christians celebrate Easter April 17 while Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter April 24. Jews celebrate Passover April 15-22. Muslims are currently celebrating Ramadan through May 2.

I re-launched my show on Arab American issues and politics on four stations. The show is rebroadcast in Chicago at noon Thursdays on WNWI-AM (1080). I hope you listen.

Check out Ray Hanania’s columns and political podcasts at hanania.com.

Local News

countryside logo

Countryside City Council tackles long list of items

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Water leaks, a new truck and abandoned vehicles were among a laundry list of items tackled by the Countryside City Council at its latest meeting. They were all from the infrastructure committee chaired by Ald. Mark Benson (3rd). All of the following were approved by a unanimous 6-0 vote on…

Mahdi Ali (from left), Team AlBary, Ghina Albary, Abla Daoud, Minna Sulieman, Iman Ezzhory, Medinah Yusef,  and Argo Teacher Nadia Elkhatib. (Supplied photos)

Argo High School holds Iftar Dinner for community

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan More than 100 people gathered at Argo Community High School last week for a now annual Ramadan Iftar dinner organized by Argo teacher Nadia Elkhatib. Elkhatib was happy with the turnout for those coming Thursday night to break bread with the school’s Muslim students and their families. “I will continue…

regional palos heights logo

Pool improvements advance in Palos Heights

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Palos Heights aldermen last week approved contracts advancing improvements at the municipal pool. Alderman Jefry Key motioned for approval of a letter of agreement with the American Institute of Architects between Williams Architect and the City of Palos Heights for the pool improvement project. Since first proposing pool improvements in…

Palos Hills young people sang their hearts out for karaoke night at a neighborhood coffee house. (Photo by Nuha Abdessalam)

Teens enjoy Green Hills karaoke party

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Palos Hills tweens and teens sang their hearts out for karaoke night at a neighborhood coffee house. Green Hills Library invited all tweens and teens for a karaoke night at Strange Brew Cafe on West 103rd Street and 87th Street on Feb. 22. Organized by Green Hill Library Youth Program…

Luis Garcia, of Oak Forest and the owner and chef of Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant #2, 12778 S. Harlem Ave., Palos Heights. (Photos by Kelly White)

Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant opens in Palos Heights

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Kelly White When choosing a location for his second business location, Luis Garcia knew he wanted it to be Palos Heights. “I absolutely love it here,” Luis Garcia, of Oak Forest and the owner and chef of Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant #2, said. “It’s a great area, nice clientele and I’m happy…

The corner of Crandall and Depot in Worth will be the future site of the Garden Center Services apartment complex. (Photo by Joe Boyle)

Worth Polar Plunge raises record amount

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle The FOP Worth Polar Plunge has been deemed a major success and local officials said the amount raised has set a new record. The annual event, sponsored by the Worth Police Department, took place in a large swimming pool that was put up in the parking lot of the Marrs-Meyer…

Kris Sumner, Youth Programming Librarian at Green Hills Public Library, is responsible for organizing the Eid Clothing Bazaar at the library, 10331 Interlochen Dr., Palos Hills. (Supplied photos)

Green Hills Public Library hosts Eid Clothing Drive

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Kelly White The Islamic calendar has two major holidays each year: Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan and celebrates an entire month of fasting, and Eid al-Adha, the festival of the sacrifice that occurs during the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage season. It takes place two lunar months after Ramadan.…

big PoliceLights1

Police Blotter

Spread the love

Spread the loveCHICAGO RIDGE DUI Orlando De La Rosa, 32, of Berwyn, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop at 2:29 a.m. March 8 in the 9200 block of South Harlem Avenue. Police said he failed field sobriety tests and refused to submit a breath sample. He was also…

Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer rides in the Fourth of July parade in 2022. (File photo)

Oak Lawn seeks participants for Fourth of July parade

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle It may be spring, but it is not too early to talk about a summer parade. The Oak Lawn Village Board approved a resolution Tuesday morning authorizing the submission of a permit request to the Illinois Department of Transportation for the 2024 Fourth of July Parade. The resolution approves the…

Veronica Shaw

Sandburg welcomes new associate principal of instruction

Spread the love

Spread the loveConsolidated High School District 230 Board of Education is welcoming Dr. Veronica Shaw to Carl Sandburg High School as its new Associate Principal of Instruction. She begins July 1 and replaces Anita Huffman who was recently appointed as District 230’s Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services. With ample education leadership experience, Shaw is currently…

Neighbors

countryside logo

Countryside City Council tackles long list of items

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Water leaks, a new truck and abandoned vehicles were among a laundry list of items tackled by the Countryside City Council at its latest meeting. They were all from the infrastructure committee chaired by Ald. Mark Benson (3rd). All of the following were approved by a unanimous 6-0 vote on…

Mahdi Ali (from left), Team AlBary, Ghina Albary, Abla Daoud, Minna Sulieman, Iman Ezzhory, Medinah Yusef,  and Argo Teacher Nadia Elkhatib. (Supplied photos)

Argo High School holds Iftar Dinner for community

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan More than 100 people gathered at Argo Community High School last week for a now annual Ramadan Iftar dinner organized by Argo teacher Nadia Elkhatib. Elkhatib was happy with the turnout for those coming Thursday night to break bread with the school’s Muslim students and their families. “I will continue…

regional palos heights logo

Pool improvements advance in Palos Heights

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Palos Heights aldermen last week approved contracts advancing improvements at the municipal pool. Alderman Jefry Key motioned for approval of a letter of agreement with the American Institute of Architects between Williams Architect and the City of Palos Heights for the pool improvement project. Since first proposing pool improvements in…

Palos Hills young people sang their hearts out for karaoke night at a neighborhood coffee house. (Photo by Nuha Abdessalam)

Teens enjoy Green Hills karaoke party

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Palos Hills tweens and teens sang their hearts out for karaoke night at a neighborhood coffee house. Green Hills Library invited all tweens and teens for a karaoke night at Strange Brew Cafe on West 103rd Street and 87th Street on Feb. 22. Organized by Green Hill Library Youth Program…

Luis Garcia, of Oak Forest and the owner and chef of Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant #2, 12778 S. Harlem Ave., Palos Heights. (Photos by Kelly White)

Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant opens in Palos Heights

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Kelly White When choosing a location for his second business location, Luis Garcia knew he wanted it to be Palos Heights. “I absolutely love it here,” Luis Garcia, of Oak Forest and the owner and chef of Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant #2, said. “It’s a great area, nice clientele and I’m happy…

The corner of Crandall and Depot in Worth will be the future site of the Garden Center Services apartment complex. (Photo by Joe Boyle)

Worth Polar Plunge raises record amount

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle The FOP Worth Polar Plunge has been deemed a major success and local officials said the amount raised has set a new record. The annual event, sponsored by the Worth Police Department, took place in a large swimming pool that was put up in the parking lot of the Marrs-Meyer…

Kris Sumner, Youth Programming Librarian at Green Hills Public Library, is responsible for organizing the Eid Clothing Bazaar at the library, 10331 Interlochen Dr., Palos Hills. (Supplied photos)

Green Hills Public Library hosts Eid Clothing Drive

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Kelly White The Islamic calendar has two major holidays each year: Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan and celebrates an entire month of fasting, and Eid al-Adha, the festival of the sacrifice that occurs during the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage season. It takes place two lunar months after Ramadan.…

big PoliceLights1

Police Blotter

Spread the love

Spread the loveCHICAGO RIDGE DUI Orlando De La Rosa, 32, of Berwyn, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop at 2:29 a.m. March 8 in the 9200 block of South Harlem Avenue. Police said he failed field sobriety tests and refused to submit a breath sample. He was also…

Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer rides in the Fourth of July parade in 2022. (File photo)

Oak Lawn seeks participants for Fourth of July parade

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle It may be spring, but it is not too early to talk about a summer parade. The Oak Lawn Village Board approved a resolution Tuesday morning authorizing the submission of a permit request to the Illinois Department of Transportation for the 2024 Fourth of July Parade. The resolution approves the…

Veronica Shaw

Sandburg welcomes new associate principal of instruction

Spread the love

Spread the loveConsolidated High School District 230 Board of Education is welcoming Dr. Veronica Shaw to Carl Sandburg High School as its new Associate Principal of Instruction. She begins July 1 and replaces Anita Huffman who was recently appointed as District 230’s Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services. With ample education leadership experience, Shaw is currently…