Words of Wisdom

"The great desideratum in Government is, so to modify the sovereignty as that it may be sufficiently neutral between different parts of the Society to controul one part from invading the rights of another, and at the same time sufficiently controuled itself, from setting up an interest adverse to that of the entire Society."

 --James Madison, letter to Thomas Jefferson, 1787

A Disaster Diverted

A terrorism suspect has been arrested in an FBI sting operation near the U.S. Capitol while planning to detonate what he thought were explosives.

U.S. Capitol Police say their officers and FBI officials arrested the man today in a sting operation.

‘

Two people briefed on the matter told Associated Press the FBI has had the man under surveillance around the clock for several weeks.

Although officials say the man was not believed to have any known connections to al Qaida, he was canvassing the U.S. Capitol with violent intentions. It is not clear whether he is a U.S. citizen.

It is reported that the man thought undercover FBI agents were actually associates of al Qaida.

Words of Wisdom

"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread."

 --Thomas Jefferson

Proposed Legislation To Repeal Tax Increase

On January 13th, 2011, State Representative Kent Gaffney (R-Lake Barrington) introduced House Bill 5828 that will repeal the tax increase.

“While other states have been cutting taxes and creating jobs, Democrats in Illinois decided to pass a massive tax increase on families and businesses,” said Gaffney.  “While our financial problems started long before this, the number one culprit keeping us from recovery is the irresponsible tax increase.  It must be repealed immediately.”

Democrat Governor Pat Quinn signed multiple tax increases with the lowest possible number of votes required for the bill to become law.  As a result, the state income tax rate increased by 66% and the corporate income tax rate rose from 7.3% to 9.5%.  Illinois now has the third highest corporate income tax in the nation and companies are already emigrating from the State. 

HB 5828 aims to:

• Roll back the personal income tax rate to 3% from 5%
• Roll back the corporate income tax rate to 4.8% from 7%
• Removes the provision that limits the net loss carryover deduction to $100,000 for any taxable year ending on or after December 31, 2012 and prior to December 31, 2014
• Repeals Illinois’ estate tax

“With Illinois hemorrhaging jobs, there is some momentum to repeal the corporate tax increase,” said Gaffney.  “We must not stop there. While families are hurting and their incomes are dwindling, government cannot take more money from everyday citizens if we want to get our economy back on the right track.”

Government At Work

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17 –

10:00 am – Senior Services Grant Commission –

Meeting in Conference Room B, Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

An update on the 2011 projects and accomplishments is to be presented followed by a presentation by the McHenry County Division of Transportation on Senior Transit.

Discussion is slated to be held on update of Senior Service Grant Commission Strategic Plan for 2013 and the meeting times and tentative schedule for meetings in 2013

Words of Wisdom

"Taxes should be continued by annual or biennial reenactments, because a constant hold, by the nation, of the strings of the public purse is a salutary restraint from which an honest government ought not wish, nor a corrupt one to be permitted, to be free.

 --Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Wayles Eppes, 1813

Legislation To Repeal Obamacare Mandate

Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) joined his colleagues at a Capitol Hill news conference today to highlight legislation he co-sponsored to repeal an unconstitutional Obamacare mandate that would violate the conscience rights of religious institutions.

The Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179) would amend Obamacare to preserve conscience rights for religious institutions, health care providers, and small employers who pay for health care coverage. The legislation is endorsed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Right to Life Committee, Americans United for Life, and other organizations

“This most recent Obamacare mandate is deeply troubling and patently unconstitutional,” Manzullo said. “Over the past several weeks, we’ve all heard the contradictory rhetoric from this administration and the so-called ‘compromise’ that was offered. 

 The compromise is a thinly-veiled version of the discredited original policy, dressed up to look like something else.  At the end of the day, it remains a serious violation of religious freedom. No one should ever be forced by the government to carry out policies that violate their conscience rights.”

Bishop Thomas Doran of the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois, was alarmed by the attack on religious liberty and shared his thoughts on the mandate with his parishioners on Jan. 28, 2012:

“We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.”