After July 1, Illinois motorists will be averaging $184 more in state gas taxes since Gov. J.B. Pritzker doubled them in 2019. Illinois motorists already pay the second-highest gas taxes in the nation, and inflation adjustments just take them higher.
Just before Independence Day travel season, Illinois drivers will be paying a bit more in state taxes when the motor fuel tax rises to 47 cents per gallon.
The state tax was 19 cents before Gov. J.B. Pritzker doubled it in 2019 to help fund $45 billion in infrastructure. State lawmakers agreed the tax would be adjusted for inflation each July 1, meaning they no longer would face taking a public vote on unpopular gas tax hikes.
Those inflationary adjustments took it from 38 cents in 2019 to the current 45.4 cents. Illinois Department of Revenue calculations set the new tax at 47 cents starting July 1. That means the average driver will be paying about $184 a year more in state gas taxes than when Pritzker took office.
Drivers pay far more than 47 cents in taxes on gas in Illinois. Besides the state’s share, there is also a federal tax, the prepaid state sales tax, underground storage tank fee and environmental impact fee. Some local governments also tack on their own taxes: motorists in Cook County pay an added motor fuel tax and sales tax. Illinois adds sales tax atop some fees – meaning Illinois drivers pay taxes on the taxes for gas.
All told, taxes and fees add over $1 per gallon to the price at the pump, or about 40% of the cost.
Motor fuel taxes are considered regressive, meaning they take a greater share from middle to low-income families. Compounding that, low-income drivers often drive older vehicles that are less fuel efficient.
Illinoisans currently pay the second-highest gas taxes in the nation behind only California, and by a fraction of a penny. The next ranking comes out after the July 1 inflation adjustment and Illinois may well be No. 1 – and not in a good way.
Steve Balich recount in Will County could come down to a coin flip
Whether Steve Balich regains his position as a Homer Township Republican precinct committeeperson could come down to a coin flip depending on the ruling of Will County Judge John Anderson.
At issue is one ballot that was not initialed by an election judge during the March 19 primary election.
The Will County clerk’s office certified results of the election earlier this month with Homer Glen resident Tami O’Brien beating Homer Township Supervisor Steve Balich 115 votes to 114.
Balich, who is also the Republican Leader on the Will County Board, challenged those election results.
Balich’s attorney, Burt Odelson, told Anderson Monday the law is clear that ballots without initials need to be thrown out.
“It’s really as simple as that,” Odelson said.
If the disputed ballot, which was marked for O’Brien, is thrown out, that would lead to a tie vote and could be sent back to the clerk’s office to settle via a coin flip, drawing names from a hat or another random event in which each side has an equal chance to be picked. Some ballots that are not being disputed had initials in the wrong location.
O’Brien’s attorney, Pericles Abbasi, said there was no possibility of ballot stuffing at this precinct and that if Anderson sends it to the clerk for a random draw, then it disenfranchises that one voter.
“The right to vote includes the right to have ballots counted,” Abbasi said.
Abbasi said that O’Brien has already taken an oath of office and participated in local Republican activities as part of her duties as precinct committeeperson.
O’Brien said after the hearing that if the decision comes down to a coin flip, “one person does not get their vote heard.”
She said she has had to take time off work to defend the election results to be precinct committeeperson, a volunteer elected position which is responsible for voter education and encourage voter turnout.
“I’m just trying to do right by my precinct,” O’Brien said.
Balich, who was the leader of the Homer Township Republican Organization, said he likes the work as a precinct committeeperson and says he’s the best candidate for the job because of his knowledge getting the vote out and organizing. He said the upcoming presidential election is “the most important election in our lifetime.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Balich said. “This is the most important time in history.”
Odelson said a coin flip is part of the legal procedure if there happens to be a tie among candidates. He previously argued a 1990 case for state representative between Penny Pullen and Rosemary Mulligan that came down to a coin flip and was ultimately cited in the Bush v. Gore 2000 presidential dispute.
In recent years, a coin flip helped decide positions for Sauk Village trustee and Valley View School District 365U School Board member.
Anderson said he wants to review case law before making a decision, which could come by the end of the day Tuesday.
Steve Balich Editors Note: As President of the Will County Italian American Association, we are asking for your help to keep Columbus Day as a National Holiday by signing the petition at the bottom.
Thank You and God Bless everyone and your families
Will County Italian American Association Board: Steve Balich, Jay Roti, Breanna Roti, Mike Bonomo, Brent Porfilio, Carmen Comsolino, Carmen Maurella, Dan Fialko
I would like to personally invite you to join me in taking a stand for a cause that is close to my heart. I urge you to sign an online petition to keep Columbus Day as a National Holiday. This day is culturally, historically, and economically significant to over 17 million people of Italian descent in the United States. Signing the petition is easy – just click on the link provided and follow the instructions. We need your support to ensure that this day remains a national holiday. There is strength in numbers and we MUST speak now, or forever hold our peace.
Please forward this to all your contacts.
Thank you,
Ron Onesti,President Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans
Some politically motivated U.S. Senators (Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth is a co-sponsor) are attempting to pass legislation under the title of S. 2970, Indigenous Peoples’ Day Bill, to cancel and replace Columbus Day as a Federal holiday.
HERE ARE THE FACTS
Columbus Day was created by President Benjamin Harrison in response to the mass lynching of 11 innocent Italians. The 1891 New Orleans Lynching was the largest mass lynching in U.S. history.
Italian Americans and Columbus supporters DO BELIEVE that there SHOULD be an Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Some U.S. Senators want to cancel the ONLY HOLIDAY dedicated to Italian Americans and replace it with Indigenous Peoples’ Day; which is a holiday that is ALREADY RECOGNIZED as a State, Federal and United Nations Holiday.
WHY TAKE AWAY ONE DAY FROM ITALIAN AMERICANS WHEN THERE’S 364 OTHER DAYS TO PICK FROM???
Join us in telling our U.S. Senators to OPPOSE S. 2970, Indigenous Peoples’ Day Bill. Columbus Day has always symbolized the inclusion of Italian Americans into the great American fabric, reflected the accomplishments of our ancestors and the hope of our future.
Discover the secrets of Black Cumin: The ancient superseed with remarkable health benefits
Since ancient times, humans have been using plants for various purposes. Edible plants are abundant sources of essential nutrients that our bodies need to stay healthy. Some plants also contain unique flavor compounds that can enhance the taste of our meals.
Many plants, according to studies, are also rich in chemicals with health-supporting properties that make them wonderful natural remedies. These properties also make them the perfect ingredients for personal care products.
And even when they’re not consumable, many plants bear attractive flowers that can brighten up any space inside or outside your home. Some even emit distinct, pleasant scents that can help you relax and sleep well or naturally elevate your mood.
Among the most versatile plants known to man, the Nigella sativa plant is one that can boast having most, if not all, of the abovementioned qualities. A member of the Buttercup family, this annual flowering plant is often grown as an ornamental because of its eye-catching blue or white flowers.
But cultivation of this useful plant – considered by researchers to be one of the most significant medicinal plants in history – is usually centered on its edible seeds, which are used as a spice in Indian, South Asian, North African and Middle Eastern cuisine. [1]
The raw seeds of N. sativa, also known as black caraway, Roman coriander, kalonji or black cumin seeds, are said to have a pungent, bitter taste and smell, which is why they are typically toasted in oil or dry-roasted to give them a nuttier flavor.
In North Africa and the Middle East, toasted black cumin seeds are used to flavor meats and vegetable dishes, while in India, they are commonly added to curries, chutneys, biryanis and kebabs. They are also used to make confectionery and liquors.
Black cumin seeds are easy to incorporate into recipes and can be added to breads and cheeses or sprinkled over stir-fries and salads. [2] Despite their small size, black cumin seeds contain an abundance of essential nutrients and beneficial phytonutrients. And with their long history of use as a natural remedy, black cumin seeds are an excellent superfood whose health benefits you wouldn’t want to miss out on.
Backed by history and science: The remarkable health benefits of Black Cumin Seeds
According to research, traditional healers first began using black cumin seeds to address minor health issues more than 2,500 years ago. In fact, black cumin seeds were mentioned in ancient Greek medical literature and were said to have been used by ancient Egyptian healers as well. Archaeologists even found black cumin seeds in the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, suggesting their importance in ancient Egypt. [3]
References to black cumin seeds can also be found in the Old Testament of the Bible, specifically in the book of Isaiah. In “The Encyclopedia of Medicine,” a book written by preeminent Muslim philosopher and physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna).
Even well-known ancient Greek physicians like Hippocrates and Dioscorides recorded plenty of uses for black cumin seeds, noting that they are great for relieving minor body aches. Meanwhile in the Muslim world, the Prophet Muhammad was said to have promoted the use of black cumin seeds, which he described as “a remedy for all ailments.”
So what is it about black cumin seeds that make them worthy of such praise?
According to an analysis of the chemical composition of black cumin seeds, they contain 26% protein, 25% carbohydrates, 8.4% crude fiber and up to 2.5% essential oil. Like the raw seeds from which they are extracted, black cumin seed oil has found use as a flavoring for food, a dietary supplement and a natural remedy for a variety of health issues. [4]
In addition to the abovementioned macronutrients, black cumin seeds also contain healthy unsaturated fatty acids, such as the omega-9, oleic acid; the omega-6, linoleic acid; and a rare omega-6 fatty acid called eicosadienoic acid. Found primarily in human milk, eicosadienoic acid is the direct precursor of dihomo-y-linolenic acid (DGLA), an important component of brain cell membranes. DGLA is also necessary for maintaining healthy nerve blood flow. [5]
Aside from healthy fats, black cumin seeds carry decent amounts of essential minerals, such as calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus and zinc. They also contain all nine essential amino acids (i.e., histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine) your body needs but can’t produce on its own, making black cumin seeds a complete source of protein. [6]
Black cumin seeds and their oil are also overflowing with health-supporting phytonutrients. The seeds have been found to contain two forms of alkaloids: isoquinoline alkaloids, which are known for their potent antioxidant activities, and pyrazole alkaloids, which are known for their ability to support a healthy immune system. [7][8]
Meanwhile, black cumin seed oil has been reported to contain plenty of bioactive components, such as nigellone, nigellidine, nigellicine, thymoquinone (TQ), thymohydroquinone (THQ), dithymoquinone, thymol, carvacrol, a-hederin, a– and B-pinene, d-limonene, d-citronellol, p-cymene, t-anethole, 4-terpineol and longifolene. Most of the health benefits of black cumin seed oil are attributed by studies to TQ, THQ, carvacrol, nigellidine, nigellicine and a-hederin. [9]
Thanks to their abundance of essential nutrients and beneficial phytonutrients, black cumin seeds and seed oil, when consumed regularly, can provide invaluable support for the following:*
A healthy cardiovascular system
According to studies, the omega fatty acids in black cumin seed oil (linoleic and oleic acids) can support optimal cardiovascular health by helping you maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range. [10][11] Studies have also found that a diet rich in linoleic acid and oleic acid can support healthy blood pressure levels that are already within the normal range. [12][13]
A healthy digestive system
According to a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, black cumin seed oil can help you maintain a healthy digestive system by supporting your body’s natural production of gastric mucin. [14] A large protein that serves as part of your intestinal barrier, mucin helps protect the inner lining of your small intestine against the damaging actions of digestive enzymes, abrasion by food articles, and other threats. [15]
A healthy immune system
Black cumin seeds and seed oil are known for providing reliable immune support. According to a study published in the journal Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders – Drug Targets, the TQ in black cumin seeds is behind their immune benefits. [16][17] A study published in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology also reported that TQ in black cumin seed oil can support your body’s natural production of immune-regulating proteins. [18]
Healthy liver and pancreatic functions
Your liver and pancreas can also enjoy considerable benefits when you incorporate black cumin seed oil into your daily routine. According to a study published in the journal Nutrients, the oleic acid in black cumin seeds can support the healthy functions of your liver and pancreas. [19] This is corroborated by a study published in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, which reported that oleic acid can protect the liver from oxidative damage by supporting healthy autophagy – your body’s cellular recycling system. [20]
Meanwhile, the oleic acid in black cumin seeds is said to benefit the pancreas by supporting the healthy functions of pancreatic beta cells, your body’s primary source of insulin. [21]
Your body’s natural antioxidant defenses
As a rich source of potent antioxidants, such as alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, saponins and plant sterols, black cumin seeds and seed oil are well-equipped to support your body’s natural antioxidant defenses. According to a study published in the Journal of Food Quality, alkaloids and phenols can protect your cells from oxidative stress by acting as free radical scavengers; in fact, this is how they contribute to the antioxidant effects of maca root, one of the best superfoods at supporting optimal overall health and wellness. [22]
Black cumin seed oil also contains high amounts of vitamin E, one of the most potent antioxidants in the human diet, in the form of tocotrienols and gamma-tocopherols. [23] Vitamin E plays a crucial role in keeping your cells and their components intact by protecting the lipids in cell membranes from oxidative damage. [24]
A study published in the journal Free Radical Research also reported that TQ in black cumin seed oil can provide additional antioxidant support through its interaction with the “master antioxidant” glutathione, which results in the formation of glutathionyl-dihydrothymoquinone. [25] Exhibiting higher antioxidant activity than thymoquinone, this compound has a greater potential for scavenging free radicals and supporting strong antioxidant defenses.
Healthy, glowing skin and hair
Because they are chock-full of powerful antioxidants, black cumin seeds can help you maintain healthy hair and skin. Antioxidants can protect not just your skin cells, but also your scalp and hair follicles, from oxidative damage. [26] Meanwhile, the B vitamins in black cumin seeds can also contribute to the optimal health of your skin by supporting the growth, development and healthy functioning of all your cells. [27]
Healthy muscle recovery after exercise
If you live an active lifestyle, you’ll be pleased to know what black cumin seeds and seed oil can do for you. According to a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, physically active individuals will do well to increase their intake of arachidonic acid, a chemical messenger released by your muscles during exercise, because it can support healthy muscle recovery after strenuous physical exertion. [28]
Not only do black cumin seeds naturally contain arachidonic acid, they are also a good source of eicosadienoic acid and linoleic acid, both of which can be used by the body to produce arachidonic acid. This means that supplementing with black cumin seed oil can do wonders for athletes and people with active lifestyles.
Sensible weight management plans
Research confirms that black cumin seed oil is an excellent tool for supporting reasonable weight management plans. As reported by a study published in the journal Food & Nutrition, black cumin seed oil can help you achieve sensible weight management goals when combined with a well-balanced diet and regular exercise.
Jeffrey Tucker, perhaps America’s most prominent “adult in the room,” penned another mature and wise column at Brownstone today.
In this essay, Jeffrey highlights several positive developments he sees in society and opines that society’s elites are increasingly being discredited…and starting to feel the heat. (Perhaps they’re starting to have nightmares of a pitchfork-wielding mob converging on their gated neighborhoods?)
Towards the end of the column, Jeffrey discusses whether any “populist” uprising would actually result in positive changes in society and, if so, how long would it take for citizens to benefit from these fundamental changes.
I think Jeffrey might agree with me that all of the important organizations in the world are now completely captured. What Jeffrey’s really asking is if a toxic swamp – which now engulfs most of the planet’s land mass – could really be drained.
A Few Quick Points…
First, we should all be honest and acknowledge that a full and comprehensive “swamp-draining” has never happened in American history.
The above stipulated, I still think many citizens would agree the swamp does need to be drained to save the country.
We also know that “draining the swamp” was probably the campaign slogan that allowed Donald Trump to be elected president in 2016…so this is definitely a popular position. (It is NOT a “radical” political viewpoint).
But even President Trump’s most avid supporters would probably agree that said swamp was not drained between 2017-2020.
This truism acknowledged, it’s probably also true that President Trump has several plausible excuses which might explain why this formidable task was not possible. (Basically, from Day One of his presidency, all the gators in the swamp were trying to eat him).
Also, one hopes he sees that the swamp does need to be drainedif he gets a swamp-draining mulligan. (Speaking for myself, if a swamp full of gators – or crocodiles, which are more vicious – spent four years trying to eat me, I’d want revenge on those scurvy reptiles).
Whether Trump – or even RFK, Jr. – is elected, my worry is that our political leaders aren’t really committed to draining the swamp to the degree it needs to be drained.
Let’s Think About What This (Unprecedented) Project Would Entail…
One would have to start with Washington D.C., the logistical command center for the global swamp.
Certainly 90 to 95 percent of the senators and members of Congress would have to be banished (as they fund and make possible the swamp and benefit from it).
All the key “career” employees of our million (?) bureaucracies, who apparently can’t be fired, would have to somehow be issued their walking papers.
The Court System is largely captured (and the federal judges have lifetime appointments).
And that’s just a brief primer on our federal government.
Most cynics now understand that the “crony” business and finance class which mooches off the system – and helps fund it with campaign slush funds – is completely captured as well.
Question: How does a person, even if he has the title of commander-in-chief, purge every CEO and board member of every Fortune 500 company and major bank in the country?
And our swamp drainer extraordinaire couldn’t just purge the corporate leaders because the executives who’d replace them think exactly the same way. (For example, the vice presidents at Disney would be just as wicked as, say, Cinderella’s stepmother.)
And I’m not even mentioning all the Non-Governmental Organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Economic Forum, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the 200 organizations (and growing) that make up the Censorship Industrial Complex.
While we’re draining the swamp, we might as well cancel every mainstream media “news” organization. But even I say it wouldn’t be legal to issue a presidential executive order to, say, shut downthe New York Times…even on the accurate grounds it’s a serial spreader of harmful disinformation. (The good news is the mainstream media is dying on its own.)
I’m Getting Tired Even Thinking About This Project…
Our heroic swamp drainers would somehow have to scuttle the Military Industrial Complex, the Science/Medicine Industrial Complex, the Higher Education Complex, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Environmentalism…and I haven’t even mentioned the Federal Reserve or the international organizations like the UN and the WHO that are increasingly spreading world-government and communism-light.
Our Political Leaders Aren’t Thinking Big Enough…
What really concerns me is the idea that what the world needs is just a little more enlightened “reform.”
The idea seems to be that a new president – with some new 10-point programs and a few changes in personnel – could suddenly make all these organizations sane, or at least mitigate the damage they inflict on society.
In my opinion, this approach is not going to improve the world in any meaningful way.
At this point in world history, the only reform that might work is to abolish entire agencies.
I mean, does any thinking person really think the CIA can be “reformed?”
The more books and persuasive Substack articles I read, the more convinced I become that the CIA has played a leading role in almost every nefarious event in the world since the agency was created in the late 1940s. No, the agency would have to be disbanded. (It might have to be nuked…“just to be sure.”)
Furthermore, America’s government has at least 15 other “intelligence” agencies. Somehow America grew and prospered from 1776 to 1950 without these agencies. Would Russia, China, or Iran immediately invade America if we shut down all 15 of these agencies?
The hundreds of thousands of surveillance experts who work at these agencies would say they will, but they’re all wrong and just want to keep their jobs and salaries and increase their power.
I’d even shut down the FBI, even though I know Hollywood routinely produces movies and TV series telling us what a vital, Cracker Jack crime-fighting agency this is.
As I view it, the FBI largely excels in covering up crimes (like the Epstein sex-trafficking and blackmail operation, Hunter Biden and his father’s serial corruption, falsely prosecuting the January 6 protestors, and hyping preposterous assertions like “Russia hacked a presidential election.”)
This agency was led by a power-hungry tyrant (J. Edgar Hoover) for decades just like the NIAID was led by the same type person (Anthony Fauci) for four decades. Both agencies have become more dangerous and the country doesn’t even need them. (Local and state police forces could investigate kidnapping cases and bank robberies.)
I don’t even think RFK, Jr. is lobbying for the CDC and NIH to be abolished, but – trust me here – as long as these agencies continue to exist, “public health” is only going to become worse.
Gone, Gone, and Gone…
If someone like Ron Paul was president and was given the same powers the WHO’s currently seeking, this president would abolish seven or eight departments of government in one fell swoop.
If a president can’t fire unionized public workers, he’ll just have to abolish entire agencies and departments, which, granted, has never been done before, but – per my understanding of the Constitution – this is theoretically possible.
The Departments of Education, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Commerce, Energy, Labor, and a couple more agencies that weren’t around in 1810 would be…gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, and…gone.
In an era of trillion-dollar deficits, the tax-savings would be immense, but, most importantly, the bureaucrats who staff these massive agencies wouldn’t be able to inflict any more harm on We the Peons.
Children might notice their mother or father lost their jobs, but 95 percent of citizens wouldn’t notice a difference in their daily lives.
America could certainly resign from the UN and NATO and stop paying dues to the WHO. If Bill Gates wants to keep spending hundreds of billions of dollars to fight AIDS in Africa, he’d be free to do that.
The Davos crowd could keep meeting in Switzerland, but their Climate Change and central bank digital currency plans won’t go anywhere if the US government quits funding the agencies and NGOs that are pushing these programs.
Those agencies also wouldn’t be able to fund the global recruitment and logistical programs that are making possible mass illegal immigration into America.
With 90 percent of Congress hopefully fired by voters, and many departments of government simply abolished, Trump could actually finish the border wall with Mexico in probably six months.
If there is no FBI and CIA and he manages to fire 40 percent of the career prosecutors in the Department of Justice, President Trump might be able to actually drain a significant portion of the swamp in the next five years.
Is America Like the Hotel California?
What he might really be doing is preserving the United States of America.
For a while now, I’ve wondered if states deciding to join our national republic might be similar to guests checking into the Hotel California. Yes, you can check in…but you can never leave.
If “Joe Biden” is reelected and half the country thinks the 2024 presidential election was, again, rigged or “stolen,” there’s no certainty that citizens in all 50 states will choose to remain a part of such a hyper-polarized union.
Then again, they probably would choose to remain.
If a flu-like virus scares the daylights out of 80 percent of the nation and requires Big Brother interventions at every level of daily life, I doubt the same citizens would want to risk navigating daily life without the comfort and guidance of their federal nanny and protector.
That is, “draining the swamp” is a catchy political slogan, but when a politician starts giving specific examples of how he’s going to do this, the response is going to be “Agghh! You can’t do that!”
I hate to say it, but the Swamp is probably drain-proof.
Will County Board Republicans sue county executive over 143rd Street project veto
Michelle Mullins/for Daily Southtown Republicans Steve Balich and Judy Ogalla, in back row, listen to the Will County Board meeting Dec. 5, 2022. Balich was selected Republican leader and Ogalla was elected board chair. (Michelle Mullins/for Daily Southtown)
PUBLISHED: April 23, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. | UPDATED: April 23, 2024 at 3:58 p.m.
Will County Board Republicans have filed a lawsuit against County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant in order to stop the planned widening of 143rd Street in Homer Glen.
Two Democrats, Sherry Williams of Crest Hill and Destinee Ortiz of Romeoville, also voted to stop the 143rd Street widening project, but they are not listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat. Republican Mark Revis of Plainfield was the only Republican to support the 143rd Street expansion project and is not part of the lawsuit.
The Will County Division of Transportation has prepared since 2009 to widen 143rd Street from State Street/Lemont Road to Bell Road from two to five lanes.
“It is unfortunate that Republican members of the County Board are focusing their time on an unfounded lawsuit, without regard to its legality,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “I believe that the $6.2 million of taxpayer dollars that has already been invested in this project will improve access and safety for residents. This is why the County Board has voted repeatedly for this project over the years, including the members who signed onto this lawsuit.”
Bertino-Tarrant inadvertently signed the resolution that stopped the widening Feb. 16, realized her mistake and then vetoed it the next day. The County Board did not have enough votes to override the veto.
The lawsuit, filed April 18 by attorneys Steven Laduzinsky, John Partelow and Jeff Tomczak, said there is no authority in Illinois law that allows a county executive to sign and approve a resolution and then subsequently veto it. The lawsuit cites the Illinois Counties Code that says when the executive approved the resolution on Feb. 16 it became law.
The lawsuit asks the Feb. 15 vote by the County Board to stop the widening project stand and that Bertino-Tarrant’s veto be declared null and void.
The lawsuit says the plaintiffs lack a remedy if the executive’s veto is not nullified and the public’s interest would be harmed.
“Money damages are not an adequate remedy,” the lawsuit said.
The County Board previously voted to direct the Will County state’s attorney to file litigation against Bertino-Tarrant, saying the document she signed in error should be enforced. These resolutions were also vetoed.
The state’s attorney’s office wrote Bertino-Tarrant’s original veto was valid and the board does not have authority to hire separate attorneys.
“The state’s attorney has repeatedly made it clear that the County Board members do not have grounds to file this lawsuit,” said Mike Theodore, spokesman for the executive’s office. “The County Board, including the members who signed on to this lawsuit, have voted repeatedly for this expansion project. They also voted to include quick-take negotiations for project right of way in their legislative agenda.”
Laduzkinsky said he disagrees, and there is a clear conflict of interest allowing the board to have its own representation. Taxpayers would be responsible for the cost of the lawsuit.
“Signatures matter,” Laduzinsky said. “When the County Board votes on something and the county executive signs it and delivers it to the appropriate authority, the action is done.”
In the last several months, residents and elected officials of Homer Glen and Homer Township have protested the plans, saying the widened road would disrupt the rural feel of the area, increase traffic and speeding and seize their land. County board members urged the transportation division to reduce the scope of the project and consider adding a third turning lane.
Homer Township attorney Ross Secler said the County Board members were affected by the executive’s actions and would be the best ones to challenge her directly through a lawsuit. He said he is monitoring the situation, and that it is still being explored whether the township or road district gets involved with a lawsuit.
The county is actively negotiating with property owners to acquire 116 parcels.
County Board Republican Leader Steve Balich, whose district includes the widening project, said he believes the Republicans will win their lawsuit.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and to receive emails from Chicago Tribune.
He said the residents along 143rd Street should not sell their property or negotiate with authorities until the lawsuit is decided. Since December, hundreds of emails have been sent to county officials urging them to stop the project. Residents have also turned up to board meetings en masse to protest.
“We are trying to find a way to stop this,” Balich said. “Our job is to protect the people and the people overwhelmingly don’t want this road. It will destroy this town.”
Which vision of the Deep State is closer to the reality of what the term actually means, and what role does the Deep State actually play in our lives?
In this article, I will review the meaning of the term “Deep State” and then present three counterexamples to the NYT’s happy band of career bureaucrats. My examples are extracted from the ranks of the security state’s biodefense cadre that ran the Covid pandemic response.
What Does “Deep State” Actually Mean?
To understand the meaning of the term “Deep State,” it is helpful to consult the writings of a civil-servant-turned-author named Michael Lofgren who, according to an NPR report, popularized the term “Deep State” in his 2014 “Anatomy of the Deep State.”
As Lofgren explains in a video accompanying that essay, the Deep State can be understood as “a hybrid of corporate America and the national security state,” which constitutes a “government within the government” that “operates according to no Constitutional rules or any constraint by the governed.”
He continues: “the military-industrial complex, Wall Street – they’re both about money, sucking as much money out of the country as they can, and control: corporate control and political control.” He lists the following Deep State constituents: “Pentagon, Homeland Security, State Department, Treasury and Wall Street” with the addition of Silicon Valley, without which, he says, “the NSA and CIA could not do what they do.”
To put it in my own words: The Deep State is a self-serving (as opposed to public-serving) conglomerate of government and corporate interests, operating through “public-private partnerships” in the national security/intelligence space where budgets are untraceable and legal constraints unenforced to nonexistent.
And I would add: The goal of the Deep State is to pass laws and budgets, create “non-profit” and “non-governmental” structures, and engage in activities (wars, anti-terrorism, and nowadays ”pandemic preparedness” and “anti-disinformation”) that transfer as much money and power as possible from civil society into its own control.
As you read the following bios, keep in mind these key aspects of the Deep State:
It is a conglomerate of government and corporate interests, so its members are always involved in what are blandly identified in the press and in public documents as “public-private partnerships.” In fact, these are the shady mechanisms by which, as Longfren notes, money, corporate power, and political control are jointly amassed.Deep State operatives always hold positions in both national security arms of the government and related industries, often on a rotating basis.
It operates in the national security/intelligence space: The government side of the Deep State comprises the military/national security agencies, not public health or other civilian-oriented departments.
Deep State budgets are untraceable and are spent under cover of loose to non-existent legal constraints, especially during states of emergency, which are designed to suspend legal protections for civil society.
1. Deborah Birx
Meet Deborah Birx, the public face of the National Security Council on the White House Task Force, the governing body of the entire U.S. pandemic response. [ref] With no experience or expertise managing emergent, rapidly evolving respiratory pandemics, she was nevertheless chosen above dozens of eminently qualified epidemiologists and infectious disease experts to represent and enforce the anti-science, anti-public health, lockdown-until-vaccine biodefense policy.
Commonly known as either Dr. Birx, or Ambassador Birx, Birx worked with her “mentor” Tony Fauci and “trusted colleague” Bob Redfield on HIV/AIDS vaccine research in the 90s, only to complain about their lackadaisical pandemic response and then outrank them in her leadership role as Covid Task Force Coordinator (appointed February 27, 2020) because, as she reported in her pandemic tell-all Silent Invasion, some influential insiders considered her “such a better leader than they are.” [ref]
Birx was flown in to head the Task Force directly from Africa, where she was Ambassador-at-Large and Global AIDS Coordinator for PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, an effort implemented by multiple federal departments and agencies, including the State Department, USAID, HHS/CDC, Department of Defense, and Treasury, among others [ref]. USAID is closely affiliated with the CIA and was, in fact, the agency that provided the most funding for EcoHealth Alliance, the organization working on gain-of-function research in Wuhan – research that may or may not have led to the release of SARS-CoV-2 into the human population. [ref]
Contrary to popular belief, Birx’s appointment to the Task Force was made not at the behest of her public health buddies, Bob and Tony, nor any other public health agency leaders. In fact, as publicly stated by Robert O’Brien, Trump’s National Security Advisor, it was the National Security Council (the group in charge of Covid response policy [ref]) that requested Birx’s transfer from the State Department to the White House [ref].
Not only was Birx completely lacking in any public health qualifications to head up the pandemic response, but she also led the charge against actual celebrated experts in epidemiology and public health policy, who could have provided an alternative perspective to the President and the public. [ref] [ref]
Birx has since seamlessly transitioned to cushy jobs in industry and academia, including Chief Medical & Science Advisor at ActivePure, an air filter company [ref], and presidential adviser/adjunct professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock [ref], where her position is partly funded by the Permian Strategic Partnership, a group of oil and energy companies [ref] in the Permian Basin, the largest oil-producing basin in the U.S. [ref]
2. Robert Kadlec
Meet Robert “Bob” Kadlec, a doctor, retired air force colonel, and former CIA officer with over 30 years of service in “positions concerning intelligence, homeland security, counterterrorism and related fields.” [ref]
One noteworthy career moment Bob described in a Library of Congress interview was when he went to Iraq “in ’94 looking for buried biological weapons at this terrorist training camp where it’s been implicated that theoretically some of these [9/11] hijackers were trained.” Needless to say, there were no buried biological weapons and the hijackers were only “theoretically” linked to Iraq to justify our invasion of that country. This did not, however, in any way dampen Kadlec’s enthusiasm for drumming up fear about biological warfare and bioterrorism.
To the contrary, he made an illustrious career out of it. From positions at the National War College and on various biodefense and bioterrorism directorships, through private biodefense consulting companies [ref], and all the way to nothing less than “creator of Operation Warp Speed” (budget: $18 billion [ref]) during the Covid pandemic [ref], Kadlec has made it his life’s mission to put defense against bioterrorism at the top of our national security priorities, preferably with billions of dollars in funding under his own personal control. Even before Warp Speed, as one report notes, in his role as Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) — a position he himself created — controlling the $7-billion Strategic National Stockpile, he “came to have the exclusive dealer license over the single biggest stash of drugs in the history of the world.” [ref]
Covid was the apotheosis of Kadlec and his biodefense colleagues’ “Manhattan Project for the 21st Century:” an opportunity to control and spend many billions of dollars on public-private partnerships to develop “medical countermeasures” against bioweapons, invoking little noticed laws and presidential decrees – which Kadlec himself helped put in place [ref] – that made it possible to completely avoid any regulatory requirements or safety oversight. [ref] [ref] [ref]
In his role in attempting to realize the scientifically and medically impossible goal of creating a “safe and effective” vaccine for billions of civilians in less than a year, Kadlec led a de facto national security coup against the public health departments and civilian government leadership. One enthusiastic military fan described it as: “the military invasion of the Hubert H. Humphrey building…with army personnel marching on the dingy brown carpets of the health department in their combat boots.” [ref]
Kadlec’s latest online bio is dated 2022, where his position is listed as “Majority Deputy Staff Director, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) (Jan15 to present).” There is no year following “Jan15” so we do not know when he started in this position. We also do not know if he continues working in this position now. I asked Paul Thacker, a journalist who recently interviewed Kadlec, what Kadlec’s employment status is these days. Thacker said he does not know, although in the interview Kadlec claims he is “going through thousands of emails” to investigate the origins of SARS-CoV-2. [ref] In what capacity? Hard to say.
3. Brandi C. Vann
Meet Dr. Brandi C. Vann, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs (ASD/NBC). During Covid she was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense (DASD/CBD). Although they sound the same, these are two entirely different positions, as you can see from the different associated alphabet salads. [ref]
Brandi is a chemist by education, and a biodefense specialist by trade, who has done stints at the FBI, Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).
Her entire career at the various Defense agencies has focused on countering threats from weapons of mass destruction. She has no training, experience, or – as far as I can tell – any interest in epidemiology, civilian public health, or pandemic management.
Yet Dr. Vann was quite possibly one of the most important people in the world during the Covid pandemic, sitting atop the byzantine labyrinth of military/defense procurement bodies that utilized pseudo-legal contracts to order and pay for hundreds of millions of doses of mRNA vaccines – requiring no regulatory or safety oversight – for civilian use. [ref][ref]
In that role, Dr. Vann had to keep the following chain of command, and all of its hopelessly convoluted acronyms and interrelationships, in her head – a daunting task, to say the least. This chain is intentionally hard to follow, and I’ve simplified it here as much as possible. It’s important to read through, because it is one of the most astonishing and insidious examples of how civilian legal mechanisms and protections were completely abandoned during Covid:
-As DASD/CBD, Dr. Vann oversaw the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND), a DoD office whose mission is to “provide integrated layered chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense capabilities to the Joint Force”. This office manages the military’s investments in defense equipment and medical countermeasures against weapons of mass destruction (WMD): chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear – referred to as CBRN.
-The JPEO-CBRND sponsors the MCDC (Medical CBRN Defense Consortium) which “was formed in response to the Government’s expressed interest to establish an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) with an eligible entity or group of entities, to include industry, academic, and not-for-profit partners, for advanced development efforts to support the Department of Defense’s (DoD) medical, pharmaceutical and diagnostic requirements as related to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel.”
-The MCDC, which is “always looking for innovative, safe and effective medical solutions to counter CBRN threats,” is part of the OTA Consortium, which is “an enterprise partnership between the US Government (MCS – Medical Countermeasure Systems) and the MCDC connected through a ‘contract-like’ OTA (Other Transaction Agreement/Authority).” This OTA operates outside Federal Acquisition Regulations.
-Projects ordered and paid for by the OTA Consortium are administered through a “nonprofit” called Advanced Technology International (ATI) which gets all its funding from the U.S. government [ref]. ATI describes itself as “a new way for the Department of Defense to execute its most pressing research, development, and prototyping initiatives.” The government funding website GovTribe describes it as “a not-for-profit research organization that provides specialized support services to various defense and national security agencies.”
-The initial $2-billion “other transaction agreement (OTA)” for 100 million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer Covid vaccine, and subsequent orders for hundreds of millions of additional doses, was paid for through the $10 billion IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract) held by ATI which administers the “contract like” agreements for the OTA Consortium, which includes the MCDC, sponsored by the JPEO-CBRND, which is overseen by Dr. Vann.
Thus, Dr. Van oversaw a multi-billion dollar contract for hundreds of millions of doses of a novel technology, to be administered to the entire civilian population, governed by an arcane counterterrorism legal structure intended for narrow and specific use in situations involving CBRN attacks. These contracts enabled the design, manufacture, distribution, and administration of these “medical countermeasures” with no legal oversight or safety requirements at all. [ref] [ref]
Conclusion
The Deep State is not just a bunch of career civil servants. And it is destroying us.
Ironically, Mike Lofgren, popularizer of the term “Deep State,” seems to have such a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (a well-known comorbidity underlying Covid Derangement Syndrome) that he has forgotten or discarded all of his Deep State insights when it comes to the pandemic response. In articlesrelatedto the pandemic Lofgren rails exclusively against “right-wing authoritarian personalities,” “angry paranoiacs like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.” and what he calls a Republican “Death Cult” for the desire to reopen the economy.
It’s hard to explain such complete amnesia, or lack of insight, regarding one’s own seminal research. Nevertheless, I am grateful for his analysis and the picture he drew of the components of the Deep State and how they operate.
And now, going back to the NYT’s asteroid fighter, lead pipe remover, and anti-child-labor crusader: how do they fit into Lofgren’s Deep State picture? How do they compare to my truly awesome biodefense pandemic responders — Birx, Kadlec, and Vann? Do these government employees seem like their jobs are all equally encompassed by what Lofgren describes as the Deep State?
Finally, if you agree with me that my cast of Covid characters much more closely represents what we actually mean by that term, what does this tell us about how the Deep State is now encroaching on the lives of the civilian public in the homeland, rather than sticking to its pre-2020 playbook of sucking up resources by destroying and then rebuilding foreign countries?
And so, from hour to hour, we ripe and ripe. And then, from hour to hour, we rot and rot; and thereby hangs a tale.” William Shakespeare
Each of us still living will have something to say about what that tale will be. Miss Constitution has asked readers repeatedly to use their empirical senses to get some sense of reality today in lieu of listening to pundits even if one currently agrees with the sentiments expressed. Be Where Your Feet Are, asks readers to be only in the present, look around, ask questions, and take a moment to examine official policy. Today represents the last moments Americans themselves will be able to determine the world their children and grandchildren will live in.
What does Miss Constitution see?
Miss Constitution sees a decomposing American culture.
Miss Constitution sees a large number of unexposed but compromised public servants.
Miss Constitution sees American bankruptcy.
If what Miss Constitution sees is accurate, are Americans paying attention?
To some extent she thinks Americans may not be paying full attention for understandable reasons. Americans are preoccupied. They have families to take care of, businesses to run, and problems in life to solve. Americans expect the best and the brightest to educate themselves and give back to society with their inventions and genius. America publicly educates for societal and personal function, but also to identify a voice heard once in a hundred years; notice in an otherwise silent child an ability unmatched elsewhere; honor exceptionalism; and encourage the inculcation of moral values in children as well as in adults.
In other words, Americans are busy. This is a good thing. It was assumed by most Americans that the cultural and governance structure so dearly fought for would take care of the stability needed to get on with life. Those elected or appointed to high public office were to have certain expertise in the private sector that could be translated into the public sector as a gift to their community, state, or nation. They were to be true servants of We the People. George Washington was a true servant of We the People. So was John Dickinson; so was James Wilson.
This ideal, however, is not the reality of our history.
What is the reality, then, of our history?
The reality of our history is that after the compass was perfected and safe exploration possible, many European nations vied for trade positions in North America. Not all were interested in colonizing but all were interested in commerce. What the Europeans brought to the table were advanced features of their civilizations that included material things and notions of human progress. Native Americans liked the trade and the material possessions but were mostly unfamiliar with the notions of private property, (including Wills, heirs, and the required record-keeping) libraries, court houses, and Christian religious convictions. The British favored settlement in addition to commerce. They vied with the French, the Dutch, and the Spanish. British civilization took root. Great Britain won the battle of the European states at great expense culminating in the French and Indian War (1756-63) that expanded Britain’s holdings to the Mississippi River. The British taxed their American colonists for some of the costs of the war and the Americans revolted. British arrogance against loyal colonists did not help.
The American Revolution should never have taken place. Having taken place it should not have been won by the Americans. The British licked their chops to get America back. They never stopped plotting various schemes to do so. What unexpectedly came out of an historic event that had little chance of success is a governance system unmatched in the history of the world. One of those rare moments in history when by chance the exact right people come together to produce an amazing road map for humankind – a Constitution and Bill of Rights that respects the development of the individual and rejects an all-powerful state.
What is not widely known or taught at any level is that the plot to subvert America was hatched before George Washington ever took office as the first President (1789). America has been the prize for a European banking cartel, in partnership with other organizations, since our founding. The cartel (syndicate) thrives only with a centralized state, not with limited government and a system that empowers the person. The Enlightenment philosophies were soon challenged by an agent of the cartel who promoted a centralized state in the form of socialism and communism – Karl Marx. America had a chance to avoid the tentacles of this vicious partnership, losing a great President in the process, but our own corruption in the form of some corporate foundations, some university intellectuals, and compromised US Presidents and civil servants, has led us to join rather than avoid the den of this evil.
In an irony not lost on all historians, the very success of our economic system, articulated by Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations, became our downfall. The great fortunes produced by capitalism that were partly to be used to better our society were instead used to fund the objectives of the banking cartel to create a global centralized monetary system controlled by a few. This system thrives on war and chaos, funds both sides of any conflict, creates artificial justifications for its takeover of democratic systems, and destroys cultural institutions that threaten its stranglehold on societies. This is all done under the remarkably efficient distortion of our own English language. The bottom line is that the banking/corporate/foundation/university cartel has apparently won. America is bankrupt; our culture is in shreds; and some of the great fortunes made because of America are being used to injure her.
If you are correct, Miss Constitution, is there a way out of this mess?
Only if there is a will to do so. Only if the same will and leadership that won an impossible revolution in 1783 is brought to bear on the facts we experiencing today. Only if Americans are willing to put aside their busy lives for a moment and simply put a stop to the nonsense. In our American culture we begin with humble prayer. We must ask forgiveness for our inattention and neglect and for our ungratefulness for the gifts from God our Founders provided for us. We must pray for great leaders to emerge unafraid for their own lives. We can take our country back by unleashing its great economic strength unapologetically and reclaiming control of our finances. We start by auditing the Federal Reserve, decoupling from cartel global banks and the United Nations, and moving the UN out of America.
Yes, we “ripe” and then “rot”, as William Shakespeare tells us, but we can still control the tale. It is not too late for us to control the tale if We the People commit to it with firmness of purpose. Americans are not to be underestimated.
43% of the students pay no tuition or fees.So taxpayers are picking up the tab for this many students?
Higher Education B.S.
Inclusion Banner on NIU website.Check out the DEI page on their NIU websites. If this is a selling point, I don’t know why. The page is given a top position on the website’s homepage equal in prominence to other tabs like admissions and academics. I listened to two hours of the House Appropriations Higher Education Committee on Thursday morning. I tuned in halfway through their conversation with Chicago State University and then heard testimony from the president of Northern Illinois University, the director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and a couple of other organizations. These committee hearings are for show. Every year, the public universities come before the Appropriations Committee to give an overview of their institution, explain their budget request, and answer a few questions—the whole discussion lasts about 20 minutes per agency/university. Hard-hitting questions are rarely asked, and there is almost never a follow-up. This year DEI and Student Support were the primary topics of conversation. The things the uber-educated presidents and directors said were shocking. The fact that even Republicans failed to push back with pertinent questions was also shocking. I cannot retell the entire two hours, so I am going to just pull out a few items: From the NIU President:
43% of the students pay no tuition or fees.So taxpayers are picking up the tab for this many students? NIU is a pioneer in getting students access to college by eliminating standardized tests for admission and merit financial aid. So, no standards and no money for merit give the right incentives to high school kids? They are excited because their Hispanic enrollment is 25% putting them on a path to become a designated Hispanic Serving Institution. Why is this important? They have a high percentage of minority students.Is that because they have racially biased admissions? They provide mental health and equitable access to success for students.What about ACADEMICS? Their 6-year graduation rate has doubled since 2012 when it was 23%. (I guess that means it is at 46%.) What’s the four-year rate, or is that not normal anymore? They are requesting $116 million this year, $10 million more than the Governor’s budget request. They have $500 million in deferred maintenance and vacant buildings they want to tear down. Who let that mess pile up?
Instead of asking important follow-up questions when presented with the above, the committee wanted to know what percentage of their contracts were going to minority businesses. NIU was proud to say the BEP spend is now over 19%, closing in on the goal of 30%. Next, a few notes from the Illinois Board of Higher Education
Three Goals – Equity, Sustainability, and Growth Under Equity – bringing the Department of Human Services to meet with students and get them started on food stamps, free childcare, TANF, WIC, and housing support right away. So now going to college means getting on welfare? Funding SEL and mental health programs to support students. Is college just a giant safe space now? They have individualized plans for students to close the Equity Gap.How, how much, and why? Priority is to conduct an 80-question Sexual Misconduct Survey with every student. Under Growth, they see childcare and behavioral health as growth professions.Not engineering, business, or medicine?
ISAC Notes
ISAC is the first in the nation to roll out a Test Preparation program. This is like having an ACT tutor in high school to get a good score on a standardized test. The test prep program is to help students score better on exams. The example the ISAC director used is that test prep classes will help teach students the basic skills and subject matter tests they need to pass in order to be certified to teach. This is literally admitting that after FOUR years at an Illinois university, the students are unprepared to pass these tests. Not a single State Representative on the committee pushed back on this. The obvious question is, What is going on academically that students can’t pass these tests after four years? ISAC requested more for MAPP funding and then broke down by race who gets MAPP funding. It’s all race, all the time when you talk to people in higher education. The most appalling thing, though, was hearing ISAC discuss another form of student loan bailout. In this case, ISAC said they supported HB5482, which would forgive education grants that become loans with interest when the student fails to complete the grant’s requirements.
Here’s the example the ISAC guy gave. Teaching students can receive a grant that requires them to go into teaching after getting their degree. The students know upfront that if they fail to go into teaching, the grant becomes a loan. The ISAC guy argued that it isn’t fair to have to pay back the grant as a loan if the students decided they didn’t like kids or didn’t pass the certification tests. So, ISAC wants the loan forgiven. Fortunately, the bill is going nowhere right now. But the whole discussion tells all of us that these higher education types have no regard for personal responsibility OR taxpayers hard earned money.
While we are on the topic of higher education, Illinois is the first in the nation to propose legislation (SB 2606) allowing college students to take five mental health days per year. Similar legislation was passed for K-12 students and became effective in January 2022. One more note, the proposed higher education budget is just over $5 billion. Illinois is very generous to higher education, although the university presidents and teacher unions will argue that isn’t true. But this chart from SHEEO (State Higher Education Executive Officers Organization) shows Illinois is NUMBER 1 out of all states in state support per FTE (full-time equivalent) student.
