By Steve Rhodes
The upshot to the health care ruling as I understand it thus far: As long as the penalty for not buying a mandated private insurance policy is called a tax, the federal government can force you to make that purchase. Yuk.
See also: About The Health Care Ruling.
–
Dewey Beats Obama
CNN: The Counter-News Network.
*
Guess who else got it wrong?
NEWS ALERT 6/28/2012
BREAKING: Supreme Court strikes down individual mandate on health care law
–
If they’d been following SCOTUSBLOG instead of CNN this wouldn’t have happened.
Limping Toward Bethlehem
An Illinois Democrat who has led work on implementing a key part of President Barack Obama’s health-care overhaul now says the state will need to partner with the federal government for its insurance exchange,” AP reported on Wednesday.
“Rep. Frank Mautino told The Associated Press this week that Illinois won’t meet be able to meet a Nov. 16 deadline for the online insurance marketplace and must consider a new option – a federal-state partnership – to get ready for its first year if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the law.”
Oops!
Developmentally Disabled
“The state agency created to prevent neglect and abuse of disabled adults who live at home rejects hundreds of hotline calls for help each year and doesn’t investigate when people die after severe mistreatment,” the Belleville News-Democrat reports. (h/t: Rich Miller)
Hot Schools
“A forecast featuring warnings of excessive heat has forced Chicago Public Schools to cancel summer school classes for some students,” AP reports.
“Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard called off classes Thursday at 10 schools that don’t have air conditioning.”
I failed in my attempt to map those 10 schools but I think you get the point by looking at the addresses provided by the Trib:
Altgeld, 1340 W. 71st St.; Attucks, 5055 S. State St.; Bennett, 10115 S. Prairie Ave.; Courtenay, 1726 W. Berteau Ave.; Faraday, 3250 W. Monroe St.; Gregory Academy, 3715 W. Polk St.; Holden, 1104 W. 31st St.; Penn, 1616 S Avers Ave.; Stevenson, 8010 S Kostner Ave., and Harold Washington, 9130 S University Ave.
Still, only 10 schools out of the whole system isn’t bad – until you consider the schools where the AC barely works. And, as has been pointed out to me, the fact that we’re only talking about the schools being used for summer courses, meaning the problem is likely larger and there’ll be hell to pay for some kids if a heat wave arrives in August.
Corporate Industrial Complex
“The Federal Savings Bank, a Kansas-based home lender bought last year by a pair of Chicago brothers in the mortgage banking business, is opening a national home loan center in the West Loop that it says will create 400 jobs over three years,” the Tribune reports.
“The bank said it’s getting $9.5 million in tax breaks over 10 years from the state through the Economic Development for a Growing Economy, or EDGE, program. It’s also getting up to $4 million in training funds from the city of Chicago.”
So taxpayers in need of jobs because bankers tanked the economy continue to subsidize their own training at those very same banks – as well as tax breaks in the name of economic development even though banks destroyed the economy. The never-ending bailout is never-ending.
*
“Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel ‘also offered for TFSB to have direct input into the curriculum’ of Harold Washington College.”
Just like Harold Washington would have wanted.
Prison City
“The Great Recession has helped stabilize the population of big cities including Chicago, which after the loss of 200,000 residents in the last decade saw a slight uptick, according toU.S. Census Bureau estimates being released Thursday,” the Tribune reports.
“Unfortunately, that’s probably because many people can’t afford to move, demographers said.”
In other words, Chicago has become such an unattractive place to live for those who aren’t affluent that desperate financial straits are the only thing keeping them here . . . which is why Chicago has become such an unattractive place to live for those who aren’t affluent. Can’t afford to live here, can’t afford to move.
So He’ll Just Get A Ticket
“Tests Find Only Marijuana In Face-Chewer’s System.”
Political Ad Transparency Rule . . .
. . . Clears Another Hurdle.
–
The Beachwood Tip Line: Hurdley.
Posted on June 28, 2012