Archive of entries posted on 11th December 2020

Friday Night Open-Ended-Tax Thread

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The Problem With Government in a Nutshell

Every single state has a related story.

Illinois Tollways Were Supposed To Be ‘Free’ Ways

ABC7 / August 25, 2011

(CHICAGO) — In this Intelligence Report: The answer to a question that many Illinoisans ask, What happened to the original plan to make tollways “free” ways?

A popular phrase in Illinois a few decades ago was “Toll free in 73.” That was the year, 1973, that Illinois taxpayers had been promised their original 187 miles of tollways would be paid off and the roads would be turned into freeways. But, by then, state politicians had realized that with the tollways went jobs, contracts and clout.

When the first three tollways opened more than 50 years ago, they cost a quarter at the main plazas and 10 cents at the exits. Today’s tollway system is 186 miles of interstate spread over 12 counties, with no end in sight for the pay-to-drive system.

They weren’t supposed to be eternal tollways.

In 1953, when the Illinois General Assembly created the Illinois State Toll Highway Commission, it was to borrow money to build highways. The tolls were intended to pay off those bonds. Then the roads were to become freeways, maintained by the gas tax.

But, in 1968, the General Assembly made permanent the Toll Highway Authority, still chartered to borrow money to build highways, but with no expectation of making them free.

The 2010 tollway budget is $696 million. There are more than 1,700 full-time employees, including 754 who collect the money.

In the 1950s, then- Governor Bill Stratton convinced the public and legislators that the tollway was temporary. Stratton, now deceased, said in 1989, “Our idea was, at the end of 40 years, when the bonds were paid off, then the tolls would come off.”

Today’s governor, in supporting the eternal tollway, has a different take.

“The bottom line is the federal government is reducing its investment in transportation across the United States and our own state,” said Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. “We don’t want to raise the gas tax, so we have to use tollways in order to get people to work, to get people to school, to get where they want to go.”

The original tollway bonds were paid off in the early 1980s. But additional billions have been borrowed since then, and today’s plan includes the sale of more than $12 billion more.

In 1999, then-governor George Ryan briefly floated the idea of eliminating tolls, but it went nowhere. His successor Rod Blagojevich proudly hung his name over every open tolling plaza.

Casablanca, Part 2: Still Quotable

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Committee investigating Swalwell:

“When it comes to women, you’re a true democrat.”

.

Committee investigating Hunter Biden:

“…Who are you really, and what were you before? What did you do and what did you think?”

Biden’s attorney: “…We said no questions.”

Casablanca, Part 1: Welcome Back to the Fight. This Time I Know Our Side Will Win

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“What if you killed all of us? From every corner of Europe, hundreds, thousands would rise up to take our places. Even Nazis can’t kill that fast.”

Another Trump Foreign Policy Milestone: Morocco To Normalize Relations With Israel
The Federalist | 12/10/20 | Jordan Davidson

President Donald Trump and his administration facilitated another historic breakthrough for peace in the Middle East on Thursday between Morocco and Israel who have agreed to normalize relations.

Trump announced the deal on Twitter, noting the major victory in foreign policy for all countries involved.

“You know how you sound…? Like a man who’s trying to convince himself of something he doesn’t believe in his heart.”

Democrats Urn the Vote

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Very Clear, Very Concise

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Can the Supreme Court Solve Our Fundamental Problem?
American Thinker | 11 Dec, 2020 | Shama Tobin

… a vote is a manifestation of our constitutional right.  … When the vote count was done in secret and our votes were mixed with fraudulent votes, manually or through some programmed machines, our constitutional right was denied.

Based on myriad factual and scientific evidence, not to mention the testimonies of numerous whistleblowers, that’s exactly what happened in at least six contested states. The election was stolen. Hence, not only is the current outcome of the election in the disputed states unconstitutional, but the election itself is unconstitutional. And a democratic government that follows has only as much legitimacy as the elections themselves.

There is a fundamental reason why stealing is prohibited by one of the Ten Commandments. Stealing is driven by corrupt morals. That’s why the God of the universe is not joking with the rules. It may bring temporary victory to the thieves, but the consequences to their community or society are always detrimental.

… Corruption is illegal and should never be a norm.

This brings us to the Supreme Court.

The S.C. justices are viewed as the most knowledgeable constitutional minds in the country. They are supposed to make tough and impartial decisions that few mortals are qualified to make. They are supposed to make their decisions certainly not based on what the media or a political party says, but on their deep understanding of the Constitution.

… If they fail to recognize the problem, we then have a bigger problem than a stolen election. Corruption is becoming a norm.

If They’re Going To Waste Taxpayer Dollars — And They Are — This Waste Seems Actually Worthwhile

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“It’s Working!” From Bobcats to Bears, Utah’s First Wildlife Bridge Is a Hit – And They Have Video to Prove iIt
goodnewsnetwork | December 2, 2020 | Andy Corbley

A video posted on Facebook in mid-November shows the outstanding success of the I-80 wildlife overpass in Utah, where you can watch elk, moose, small mammals, black bears, coyotes, and even what appears to be a porcupine safely cross a dangerous stretch of road.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources: For wildlife researchers, it demonstrates that the time it takes for animals to adapt to using wildlife overpasses may be years shorter than first anticipated.

“From what we can tell, the number of accidents there is down dramatically. At least initially, it appears the investment in safety is paying off,” Utah DOT spokesman John Gleason told the Salt Lake Tribune in 2019. “And we expected it to take several years before the animals got used to using it, so this is great.”

Completed in 2018 by Utah’s Dept. of Transportation and costing $5 million, the wildlife overpass was lobbied for by a group called Save People Save Animals, after a particular stretch of I-80 was unfortunately dubbed “Slaughter Row” due to the large number of traffic collisions with crossing wildlife.

The bridge incorporates miles of fencing in both directions on both sides of the road, funneling mammals to the bridge which is covered in soil, boulders, and logs to make it feel like a natural environment.

Not only are the animals using it instead of crossing the highway further down the corridor, but they are treating it like their natural habitat. A cougar was recorded scratching and stretching on one of the logs, which it wouldn’t do in a stressed state.

Collisions with cars are a real danger to millions of animals, but even 15 years ago, there were already more than 700 terrestrial and aquatic wildlife crossing points in North America, with more and more being built every year, including the largest in the world to help California’s isolated mountain lion populations, which is to be completed in 2021.

Straight Line of the Day: D.C.’s Violence Interrupter Charged With Murder. Other Brilliant Hires: …

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Ex-Con Hired by D.C. as Violence Interrupter Arrested, Charged With Murder
Judicial Watch | 08 December 2020

In a curious twist, a “reformed” criminal hired by the District of Columbia’s chief legal officer to help curb violence has been arrested and charged with murder.

Straight Line of the Day: D.C.’s Violence Interrupter charged with murder. Other brilliant hires: …

It is not clear what impact Cure the Streets is having on violent crime in the District, but the Metropolitan Police Department reports that homicides are up 20% from last year.

The program operates in notoriously high-crime sections throughout D.C., which are broken down by wards. They include Eckington/Truxton and Trinidad in Ward 5, Marshall Heights/Benning Heights in Ward 7 and Bellevue, Washington Highlands, and Congress Heights in Ward 8.

The Cure the Streets employee recently charged with murder was a supervisor who led a team of six violence interrupters and outreach workers. His name is Cotey Wynn, an ex-con with an extensive rap sheet who served a decade in prison before D.C.’s chief legal officer hired him.

Wynn’s record includes felony murder, first degree murder, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and distribution of a controlled substance, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

On December 4, the agency’s Capital Area Fugitive Task Force arrested the 39-year-old Wynn and charged him with second degree murder while armed. At the time of his arrest Wynn was under the supervision of the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia, a federal agency that believes preventative detention should only be a last resort for defendants, who should live in the least restrictive conditions while awaiting court.

Police say Wynn fatally shot a 53-year-old man named Eric Linnair Wright in 2017 near the Trinidad neighborhood in Northeast Washington. The violence interrupter was identified by multiple witnesses after viewing security camera footage from nearby homes, according to police. Authorities also tracked Wynn’s cell phone to the location of the crime. In a statement issued to local media, Racine’s spokesperson said this: “The Office of the Attorney General is aware of Mr. Wynn’s arrest for a homicide he is alleged to have committed in 2017, prior to his employment with Cure the Streets. This case will now proceed through our criminal justice system where Mr. Wynn is presumed innocent. We are confident that justice will be served once this process is complete. Our hearts go out to the family of Mr. Wright, the victim in this case, and to the affected members of the community. The important work of the Cure the Streets team will continue.”

It was not that long ago that the same office, charged with enforcing D.C. laws and protecting the interest of its citizens, bragged about what a great guy Wynn is. In a profile posted on the Attorney General’s website over the summer, Wynn was portrayed as somewhat of a saint. “When observing Cotey at work, you see a respected professional, a loving father, a devoted friend, and a pillar of the community,” according to the piece which includes a photo of the accused murderer delivering resources to D.C. residents during COIVD-19. The story also reveals that Wynn could not find a job after a decade in prison

… for felony murder and first-degree murder …

since “the damage to his reputation made it hard for him to find employment” so D.C. government hired him as a violence interrupter for Cure the Streets.

Welcome to IMAO! These Kids Did Not Grow Up To Become Democrats

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Friday poll

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Change of pace in an attempt to be topical.

Last week’s results

This poll is no longer accepting votes

Which was the best performance of the Character "Hannibal Lector"?
Vote

This week’s question is, “What will the Supreme Court do?”

Texas and now over 20 states are bringing suit to the Supreme Court over the theft of this election. You know it is 2020 cause even Pennsylvania is signing on with an Amicus Brief. Sheesh! I think I got all the possibilities but feel free to add your own.

What will the Supreme Court do?
Vote

La-zy-rus

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