Wal-Mart--recession fighter

The world's largest retailer has some good news for Americans wishing to spend their tax rebate checks--and jump start a sluggish economy.

From Reuters:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc unveiled plans on Tuesday to entice U.S. shoppers to spend their tax rebates in its discount stores, offering to cash the checks for free and saying it has cut prices on staple items such as cereal and lunch meat.

While other retailers are requiring consumers to spend some or all of their rebate checks in their stores to be eligible to receive special deals or discounts, Wal-Mart said no purchase was necessary to cash the checks at its stores.

"If you want to cash the check at Wal-Mart and go spend it at a competitor, that's fine with us," said Eduardo Castro-Wright, head of Wal-Mart's U.S. operations, speaking at a Lehman Bros. retail conference broadcast over the Internet.

He said Wal-Mart hoped that once customers cashed their checks at its stores, they would shop there as well.

In the first paragraph, I said Wal-Mart wants to reinvigorate a sluggish economy. According to the Commerce Department, for the second quarter in a row, the economy grew at 0.6 percent--not great, but not a recession. And no one wants a recession.

H/T to Tristan Roy of Edelman for the story.

Technorati tags: Wal-Mart Business retail economy recession tax rebates

America's worst government update: Cook County Board President Stroger won't meet with Palatine secessionists

Let the secession begin. The hack that Barack Obama enthusiastically endorsed for Cook County Board President two years ago, Todd Stroger, said he would meet with Palatine residents in a town hall meeting on Wednesday, after village officials, in response to a county sales tax hike, proposed seceding from Cook County.

But Stroger is wimping out, he announced today he won't be there.

From the Daily Herald:

In a press release, Stroger accused Palatine officials of manipulating the format of the meeting so that it would no longer be community-based.

Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins said officials made clear to Stroger from the beginning that the format of the event would be a village council meeting because state law required it as she and the councilmen would be gathered in one place discussing village business.

"This change in format diminishes the ability of the community to voice their concerns and instead allows for political grandstanding by village council members," said Stroger

Stroger's father, the late John, withdrew from the ballot after narrowly winning in the Democratic Primary. Voters in America's second most populous county smelled something rotten, and it took a last minute push by top Democrats pushed Stroger over the top in the general election.

As I have in the past, I'm drawing upon Eric Zorn's November 2, 2006 column:

Obama's staff released a profoundly disheartening letter to voters this week in which Obama, joined by Sen. Dick Durbin, endorsed Cook County Board presidential candidate Todd Stroger.

The letter, which puffs lots of hot air into the saggy balloon of Stroger's legislative resume, refers to him as "a good progressive Democrat" who will "lead us into a new era of Cook County government."

Todd Stroger was a "strong voice" in Springfield, the letter says. He has "worked assiduously" for the poor as an alderman. Yet, of course, the record reveals that Stroger is an unimaginative legislative drone whose reform credentials are wholly imaginary--an unlikely trailblazer to a new era.

Stroger pushed a one-percent county-wide sales tax increase. In a few months Chicagoans will pay the nation's highest sales tax, 10.25 percent. Suburbanites like myself will pay a little less.

Palatine faces a different problem. It's located in the far-northwestern corner of Cook. When the higher sales tax kicks in, shoppers in Palatine will pay 10 percent sales tax, just across the Lake County line, purchases made in Deer Park will have to hand over just seven percent.

Where would you shop? What will this do to businesses in Palatine and other border communities?

As I've said before, let the secession begin! Please take Morton Grove with you.

Finally, from a Chicago "free registration required" Tribune editorial last month:

Stroger, too, will be up for re-election in 2010. He is a humiliation to many of the politicians who endorsed him in 2006. They can apply pressure most citizens can't. So when you encounter a Democratic pol—a member of Congress, a state or county official, an alderman—be sure to ask: Did you endorse Todd Stroger? How's that working for you?

So how about it, Barack? Can you finally speak out against Stroger? What is your opinion, senator, that Chicagoans will soon pay the nation's highest sales tax?

Related posts:

Hey Obama! Speak out on proposal to impose nation's highest sales tax in your hometown: UDPATED
Patronage hiring still thrives in Cook County
Stroger to meet with Cook County secessionists
The "new era" of Cook County government
Something else for Obama to be silent on: Chicago will have the nation's highest sales tax
Rita Rezko's contribution to America's worst government, Cook County
Say no to higher Cook County taxes
No fat in Cook County budget?
Beavers leaves it to the race card as America's worst governmental body gets worse
Your Cook County tax dollars at work
Stop the proposed Cook County phone tax
"Is anyone watching out for Chicago taxpayers?"
Time for me to shop...outside Cook County?
Marathon Pundit Chicago River dumping follow up
Obama and Chicago's "We Don't Want Nobody Nobody Sent" culture
Cook County sues Cook County
My day as a Cook County juror
Cook County treasurer's office working against taxpayers

Technorati tags: politics Election Democrats Illinois Politics Cook County Stroger taxes Obama Barack Obama Palatine

Trillium in Morton Grove

Late April and early May is trillium time in the Midwest. I found this one, specifically a Large-flowered Trillium, in Morton Grove's Linne Woods, named for Carl Linné, also known as Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish scientist who developed the Latinized classification system for naming living organisms.

This post works well on a couple of levels. Trilliums have three petal blooms, with three leaf-like bracts below it. "Tri" is Latin for three. Get it?

Also, the flower was named by none other than Linnaeus.

Oh...please don't pick the flowers! Trilliums are often killed by people plucking blooms from its stalk, and in some states it is illegal to pick trilliums.

Technorati tags: Illinois photography photos Morton Grove nature Linnaeus Carl Linné wildflowers botany

Rezko trial: Defense attorneys seek to limit Ata testimony

There was no testimony today, nor will there be any tomorrow, in the corruption trial of alleged political fixer Antoin "Tony" Rezko. But there was work today for the attorneys and Judge Amy St. Eve. Rezko's lawyers filed a notion with St. Eve seeking to limit Ata's upcoming testimony.

Last week Ata pleaded guilty to lying to an FBI agent and a filing a false tax return. Although Rezko's ties to Barack Obama attract more attention nationally, Ata's guilty plea sent shockwaves throughout Illinois, as Ata claims his contribututions to the campaign fund of Governor Rod Blagojevich led to his getting a six-figure state job--and the Democratic governor knew all about it.

More from the Chicago Tribune:

Ata is expected to testify to talking with Rezko about political fundraising and his appointment to the Illinois Finance Authority. Ata, who pleaded guilty last week to lying to federal agents, has told authorities he donated $75,000 to Gov. Rod Blagojevich through Rezko and was then given his post as IFA head.

But in their motion Tuesday, Rezko's attorneys concentrated on what Ata might say about cash transfers involving Rezko.

Ata has told the government that in 2003, he had discussions with Rezko about Rezko's need for cash. Ata says he lent Rezko about $125,000, which he took from a safe at a company called Jenin Distributors.

The defense contends the transfers aren't relevant to the Rezko case, could confuse the jury and could be prejudicial. Furthermore, no records of the cash transfers exist, Rezko's lawyers said.

Technorati tags: politics Illinois Election Democrats Chicago Tony Rezko corruption legal Blagojevich Ali Ata

Obama further distances himself from Reverend Wright

I just got finished watching Barack Obama's press conference in which he strongly denounced--which he did not when he was asked about Reverend Wright yesterday afternoon--what his longtime pastor said at his Monday press conference at the National Press Club.

Much of what the pastor emeritus of the Trinity United Church of Christ was a rehash of those excerpted sermons tape-looped again and again on numerous news shows. Most horribly, Wright's assertion that the U.S. government created AIDS so it could be spread among the African American population, has angered many--including the junior senator from my state.

Here's what Obama said about Wright's most recent outburst:

All it was...was a bunch of rants, that aren't grounded in truth.

But Obama once again gave that anti-Semite, Louis Farrakhan, undeserved respect by referring to the racist as "Minister Farrakhan."

Obama has been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ for twenty years, he was married by the Reverend Wright, and his two daughters were baptized there.

Obama says he was "shocked" by the statements Wright made yesterday.

Was he really?

Technorati tags: religion Obama politics Barack Obama Election Democrats Jeremiah Wright AIDS race Farrakhan Nation of Islam louis farrakhan