I doubt anybody'd cry about no politicos HOW CAN THEY possibly be trusted to govern the state of Illinois any longer? So vote Republican!They’ll probably cite the Republican Day rally scheduled for Thursday and all the excitement that will be on display and try to claim that it is evidence that The People!!!! are ready for a change.Excuse me for being skeptical. But I don’t buy it. I don’t think it is any big surprise that Democrats aren’t going to do much with their traditional rally on the fairgrounds. I’m actually surprised they didn’t do this years ago.Now for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, the tradition for the state fair (held at the State Fairgrounds on the far northeast corner of Springfield) is that one day is designated as “Governor’s Day.”IT IS A day meant for the governor himself to show up on the fairgrounds, take part in many events and appear as though he’s one of the people. By tradition, the governor’s political party uses the fairgrounds to hold a rally to let us all know how wonderful they are.Then, in a sense of fairness and equality, the opposition party gets its own “day” at the fairgrounds, in which their officials try to make it seem as though they’re more in tune with the public.It’s all a lot of trivial nonsense. Although in a year before the elections, it can be an unofficial start to campaign activity for the prospective campaigns.This year, Governor’s Day is Wednesday, and Pat Quinn will show up and do his thing (although he’s already spent a lot of time at the fairgrounds since the event began Friday). Republican Day is Thursday.
I doubt many would come even if there was a Wed. rallyBUT QUINN SAID last week that the Democrats who in theory are his allies won’t be doing anything at the fair on Wednesday. They will have a breakfast meeting in Springfield, but that’s it.Some people are pointing out the fact that at last year’s Democratic Party rally at the state fair, organized labor officials showed up and heckled the governor. Perhaps the reason for no partisan rally is that Quinn is some sort of coward who can’t take a little bit of criticism.Actually, I think it is just a realization that the state fair has become a less-important political event for the Democratic Party that represents the interests of the urban portion of Illinois.There are Democrats in the rest of Illinois, but their numbers are dwarfed in most cases by the Republican Party organizations. Which is evidence of just how much the Chicago area can dwarf the rest of the state that it has become the dominant political party in Illinois as a whole.MY POINT BEING that the Illinois State Fair largely draws its crowds from people who live in Sangamon County and the rural counties that are directly adjacent to it.Much of Southern Illinois takes the DuQuoin State Fair (this year, it’s Aug. 23-Sept. 2) more seriously. While in the Chicago area, even the scaled-back Taste of Chicago and all the summer festivals are more significant than what happens at the state fair.With the Chicago dominance of the Democratic Party, I wouldn’t be shocked to learn that most of the power-brokers are pleased they don’t have to make the four-hour drive to Springfield to pretend they care about what is happening at the fairgrounds.
QUINN: Gets the fair all to himselfIn fact, what I recall of the state fair during the seven years (1993-99) I was a Statehouse reporter was that the political rallies were held in a portion of the fairgrounds that was isolated from the rest of the event.MOST PEOPLE ATTENDING the state fair weren’t even aware of the blather being spewed by political people of all partisanships. I really doubt anybody at the fairgrounds on Wednesday will miss the presence of politicians in the least.Perhaps people at the fair on Thursday will wish that Republicans would follow the same lead and spare us their blather. You really want to get the people who attend the Illinois State Fair all angry? Take away the Husband Calling Contest.Somehow, I suspect the loss of the sight of middle-aged women trying to come up with loud, obnoxious screeches meant to attract their husbands’ attention (which took place Sunday) would upset fairgoers more than the loss of politicians. -30-Source:http://chicagoargus.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-dems-rally-at-state-fair-is-that.html
No Dems rally at state fair – Is that really much of a surprise these days? Images
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Nice picture :)Photo Credits: Ynaija
Slumping Brad Keselowski could use a top-5 finish this week Brad Keselowski, who has struggled for weeks and fallen outside the top 10 in points, may have started a comeback Friday by winning the pole for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The defending Sprint Cup champion has not won a race this season and has slumped to 13th in the Cup standings. He has just one top-10 finish in his last 10 races. But Keselowski paced the field during qualifying for the Camping World 301. His average speed of 135.922 around the 1-mile oval edged Jimmie Johnson (135.902) for the top spot as the top 10 drivers all broke the track record. Kurt Busch was third, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and Jeff Burton.Read More Here....Sporting News New Hampshire Starting Lineup
In response to criticism and questions regarding the "Divisionwide Aquatics Center", the Supervisor's staff has quickly posted an FAQ, "A Pool (Aquatics Center) for PWCS? Facts and Fiction" on the School Division's homepage. It's curious (but not surprising) how quickly staff has responded to public criticism, almost like they were prepared for the damage control requirement. Having nothing better to do (extreme sarcasm button on), I chose to review their rendition of the facts and annotate with my personal observations.There is plenty of misinformation (some might suggest disinformation or lack of information from the School Administration) swirling around the discussion of a possible pool in the 12thhigh school (swirling around like our taxdollars at the bottom of Walt's budget toilet). This may help you separate the facts from fiction (or at least lead you to believe that the School Administration has determined what the facts are).A detailed presentation on a proposed Divisionwide aquatics center was given at theJune 5, 2013 School Board Meeting. This information was appropriately updated at that time and focuses on the rationale (I believe "rationalization" would be a better term) and details associated with the proposal.PWCS has decided to build a pool in the 12th high school—FICTIONThe pool is only a proposal that, prior to June 5, 2013, had not yet been fully reviewed by the School Board (if that is the case, then who authorized the expenditure of budget monies for the preliminary planning, engineering and consulting, what line item from the FY'13 were the funds drawn from). At that time, Board Members and the public saw a presentation on a possible Divisionwide aquatics center which would be housed in the 12th high school. Costs and benefits were discussed (unfortunately staff doesn't seem to have a firm grasp on the costs and seems to have forgotten to talk to several divisions regarding the "benefits"). The proposal is contained in the larger plans for the high school (again, who authorized the addition of a pool to the high school plans and which line item foots the bill), and construction contracts must be reviewed and approved by the School Board before building gets underway. The school is scheduled to open in 2016.The proposal is a costly luxury for a financially challenged school system—FICTIONThere is nothing luxurious about teaching PWCS students to swim when hundreds of students drown each year for lack of that ability (not to be insensitive but just how many PWCS students have drowned in the last decade, I honestly don't know). It is not a luxury to offer a lifelong form of exercise in the midst of a national obesity crisis (if that's the justification then I also want squash courts, a rowing facility, bowling facility and all-weather bocce ball facility). It is important to offer our swim teams the same kind of support we provide to football and basketball players, especially when swimming affords equal opportunities to girls, boys, and students with special needs (its hard to consider this "the same kind of support" when the football and basketball teams don't pay user fees for similar facilities constructed with taxpayer dollars). The aquatics facility would be a classroom, a level playing field, and an asset for the whole community.Decided or not, a pool was factored into figures contained in approved Capital Improvement Plans—FACTAny major structural alteration under consideration for a new building—from overall size to special features—is factored into the preliminary price estimates included in the CIP. That information is refined each year, as costs change and possible elements of the project are reviewed, included, or rejected. While used for pricing purposes, suggested features are not spelled out in CIPs and in no way reflect any commitment to inclusion of a proposed item (although "suggested features" are not spelled out, someone had to "suggest" them, where is the record of the suggestion for a pool or a record of acceptance of that suggestion. I have a suggestion, include all pertinent information in the CIP you forward to the School Board so that they and the taxpayers will have an accurate picture of just where staff intends to spend tax dollars) .The aquatics Center accounts for the substantial difference between the CIP-listed cost of a 12thhigh school, and Patriot, the last high school built by PWCS—FICTION.No two school projects are equal, even if they are based on the same design, as would be the case with Patriot and its yet-to-be-built sister school. However, the preliminary estimates on the cost of a 12th high school are based on a larger structure that would accommodate specialized features associated with a specialty program. The possibility of a pool is included, as are a variety of other factors affecting price; these include school easements, site adaptation, and the economy. Patriot was built during the worst of the economic downturn, when building projects had dried up and labor was cheap. Today’s situation is dramatically different and will substantially impact the price of the 12th high school (sorry, not buying the entirety of this argument given past PWC construction costs and current costs in Stafford and Loudoun).A facility suitable for all intended uses will cost in the neighborhood of $10 million—FACT.The construction cost of the aquatics center is approximately $10.5. Quality pools are not cheap (nor are quality school buildings). But long-term financing as part of larger school construction projects makes it affordable and an investment worthy of careful consideration based on costs and benefits (see below) (so a minimum of $1.5 million annually in a system that is overcrowded and deficient in so many areas is an affordable investment, please tell me what the threshold number defining affordable v. unaffordable is).Construction plans are finalized—FICTIONAs noted above, a construction contract for the school will require Board approval and will determine whether or not an aquatics facility is included. Other important elements of the school plan are also still to be determined. A construction contract will likely be awarded in late fall/early winter 2013. The actual construction phase is generally around 26 months, with completion expected in spring 2016 (I'll give them this however, those conceptual plans, preliminary engineering and consultation did not come without cost).The 12th high school—with or without a pool—will open in September, 2016—FACTIt is needed to accommodate a growing high school-age population (Never count your chickens).An aquatics center would serve only the students and swim team of the 12th high school—FICTIONIf approved and constructed, a center would serve the entire PWCS community. Likely users will include: · Swim school and non-school teams from across the area; · PWCS and community learn-to-swim and water safety classes and programs; · Life guard and rescue trainees; · Physical therapy students in Career and Technical Education programs; · Recreational swimmers and exercise-seekers of all ages from across Prince William County; · Students with disabilities seeking access to athletic competition; · Local underwater robotics teams; and · Tournament competitors in all areas.(I would love to see how all of these functions are going to be accommodated in a singular facility with hours necessarily restricted by the High School and the purported physical education component of the facility usage, somebody is really overstating the potential use)Building a pool would take more than $10 million out of an already-tight school budget—FICTIONAs noted above, school construction costs are financed much like a home mortgage. Payments are stretched out over 20 years. The cost of the 12th high school does not impact the current school PWCS budget. Eventual aquatics center debt repayment expenses would about $723,000 annually, a tiny fraction of the PWCS budget. Operating costs for the pool are also a consideration, but these can be controlled in many ways and might actually be surpassed by potential revenue from usage fees (The simple truth is that the facility will require NEW budget line items totally a minimum of $1.5 million annually. I would suggest that the potential operational costs have been dramatically understated as the cost for the administrators, life guards, maintenance and security personnel for a facility likely open 16 hours a day, six days a week are probably close to $700,000 at minimum and even higher if the facility is open on Sunday. Further, as the employees will be part of PWCS, they will have a higher benefits cost as part of the School Divisions contract with VRS, something that private facilities don't have to factor in. This of course doesn't take into account the cost of the water, chemicals, equipment maintenance contracts, supplies, heat, electricity, etc., etc., etc. I would be shocked if the annual cost was less than $2 million annually. As to cost recovery, unlike private facilities that can maximize every available hour, the cost recovery model is hampered by those non-revenue generating hours consume by School use. Arlington pools located in school facilities average less than 50% cost recovery, this facility would likely fall below that threshold as Arlington's admin, insurance and maintenance costs are spread across three facilities. Yet another poorly crafted pipe dream by staff) . There are significant costs involved with the ongoing maintenance of a pool—FACTAquatics facilities are a significant investment and proper maintenance takes money. The actual costs and potential offsetting or even profit-making revenues are not yet known (nice to see them admit this but if they are not known then why is anybody wasting this amount of time, effort, and resources to even consider this). This information, along with best practices in pool operation are being researched as part of project consideration (due diligence should have been completed prior to presentation, don't these morons know anything about best practices). Among the possibilities being explored is the possibility of working in partnership with Prince William County Parks and Recreation (yeah, like they have any money, see Cathairpin Park). A decision won’t wait for long—FACT The lengthy planning and construction period for a high school means the aquatic center question must be settled soon (well duh). A decision in either direction will impact Prince William County for many years (thanks Captain Obvious). Unlike a home pool, an indoor swimming facility requires planning from the earliest stages of the school-building process (see above). Once made, decisions cannot be easily or inexpensively reversed (again see above) With high school projects few and far between, even in fast-growing Prince William County, the decision amounts to long-term planning that impacts people countywide (eyes rolling). Many people expressed opposition to the concept of a school pool—FACT Many people expressed support for the concept of a school pool—FACTStrong opinions exist on both sides of the issue. Some are firmly based on facts, others are based on misinformation (so this isn't an informational or planning exercise but rather and advocacy operation, thanks for clearing that up)—prompting the creation of this document. The ultimate outcome will undoubtedly please some and upset others; that is the challenge our School Board Members face regularly. Whatever happens, the decisions involved will have the best interests of students and fellow PWC residents in mind. The School Division's own Capital Improvement Plan offers evidence that additional pools are planned for future high schools—FICTIONThis fiction emerged when a blogger subtracted the cost of the "pool" (aquatics center) from the estimated price tag of the 12th high school and used the resulting figure to claim that estimated costs of building the 13th and 14th schools are sufficiently high that they must include pools of their own. Neither the math nor the conclusion adds up (this computation coming from the people who brought us Math Investigations, I wonder what manner of "manipulatives" they used in their calculations). Many factors go into the price of building a new school, and the economy suggests that several, such as labor and material costs are going up annually. Keep in mind the high schools in question would be constructed and completed between four and seven years from now. Their higher estimated costs simply reflect an included inflation-factor. In addition, since the site of these schools in not yet determined, estimates also include the costs of possible road construction. What they do not reflect are plans for future pools.
Kevin Garnett will look to get the Celtics over the hump.Amid all the hype and coverage over the past 48 hours, there is one thing still missing: the Celtics are still down 3-2. They need to win two straight games in order to make history. They haven't done anything but extend their season. But it sure as hell is a lot of fun.There's been trash talk, black clothes and, as Kevin Garnett put it, "scrappy basketball." And that's when the Celtics are at their best, when they grind games out and make things a little ugly. It is exactly how the Celtics are going to have to be if they want to extend their season.Doc Rivers said in his pre-game meet with the media that he may stretch his rotation, but he will determine that with the way the game is playing out. For the Knicks, Steve Novak is out after leaving Game 5 with back spasms.Here's a preview:Projected lineups:Knicks:Raymond FeltonPablo PrigioniIman ShumpertCarmelo AnthonyTyson ChandlerCeltics:Avery BradleyPaul PierceJeff GreenBrandon BassKevin Garnett Keys to the game:1. Limit turnovers: Out of the 16 playoff teams, the Celtics have the third-highest turnover rate. They have turned the ball over an average of 16.8 times in five games thus far. New York has taken advantage of nearly every Boston turnover. Especially in their own building, the Celtics have to be conscious of their turnovers.2. Keep him out: I mentioned in my Game 5 recap that if the Celtics are to make history, they need to make the days of Raymond Felton getting to the paint with ease history. Felton said it himself earlier in the series that he could get into the paint against the Celtics anytime he wants, and so far that has proven to be true. But the Celtics need to fix that. It opens up good looks for the other four Knicks, alley-oops to Tyson Chandler and open looks at the basket for Felton himself.3. Shut down from downtown: Over the last two games, the Celtics have held the Knicks to 12-of-52 from beyond the three-point line. 32% of the Knicks points during the regular season came from three-pointers, the best mark in the league. In order for the Celtics to force a Game 7, they need to continue to shut down the Knicks from the outside.
Via: SB Nation*Checks score* AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Via: @cjzeroDwight is sad.
Philadelphia Eagles selected Oklahoma offensive tackle Lane Johnson at No. 4 pick in Thursday's night NFL Draft. More to come
