A hundred bullets and a hundred degrees

The most recent mass shooting and the second in the same week, reminds me of global warming: a man made catastrophe for which there are solutions supported by the great majority of Americans but prevented from implementation by special interests with the money and power and the will to do just that. That shinning city on the hill is turning into a boiling, bloody mess.

Is Sen. Dillard gubernatorial bid on straight and narrow?

On November 8th, my state Senator Kirk Dillard announced his second bid for Illinois Governor in 2014. Dillard lost a the GOP Primary in a squeaker to hard right conservative Bill Brady in 2010. This allowed impeached Rod Blagojevich replacement Governor Pat Quinn to squeak by a general election Dillard was almost sure to win.

Dillard has a sterling resume: chief of staff to former GOP Governor Jim Edgar, legislative director to former GOP Governor Jim Thompson and long time state senator in his own right. Sadly, while Dillard is focused on a gubernatorial bid 23 months away, he has no time to respond to his constituents on an important issue affecting thousands of Illinoisans personally and all 13 million of us morally and spiritually. I refer, of course, to the great moral and civil rights issue of the 21st century: marriage equality for all, including gays. During the past month I've sent two email requests to Sen. Dillard asking his position on marriage equality in Illinois. Not getting an answer I called his legislative office. The polite lady who answered couldn't provide an insight into Sen. Dillard's soul on the issue, but did offer that "marriage is traditionally between a man and a women". When I politely replied that this is an important constituent issue that deserves a response from one seeking to govern all Illinoisans, she did say she would show my emails to him for a response.  I'm still waiting.

Two days before Dillard's announcement, Maryland, Washington and Maine legalized gay marriage and Minnesota said "no" to a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. That makes gay marriage legal in 9 states and Washington DC. In one of my emails to Sen. Dillard, I suggested he view the movie "Lincoln" which deals with US legislators grappling with the great moral issue of slavery during the debate over the 13th Amendment shortly before Lincoln's assassination. The legislators' agonizing is stunning and truly reveals character as some who opposed slavery couldn't bring themselves to vote its prohibition out of fear and cowardice while others voted yes regardless of political and personal consequences.

Sen. Dillard doesn't need to see "Lincoln" to make the right call on marriage equality, but if it would help, he should. Illinois consists of much more than an aging but still sizable segment of folks ruled by fear and ignorance and plain old hate on this issue. Dillard needs to realize that it's not always wise to run for office strictly on the straight and narrow.

Time for Illinois to consider new revenue pot?

Let's hope Illinois pols are reading the tea leaves from the November 6th election in Washington and Colorado which legalized marijuana use by adults 21 or older for recreational use. Both states passed personal pot possession up to one once by over 10 percentage points. Coloradans favored pot over their presidential winner Obama by 50,000 votes!  The new laws require Colorado and Washington to license heretofore illegal private businesses that cultivate and sell pot, and to levy taxes on the proceeds. Together the two enlightened, or more appropriately "lit up" states, will reap $600 million annually in marijuana revenues for vital state services and save additional millions in wasted enforcement of minor recreational marijuana use.  There will be losers in this new scheme, primarily the Mexican drug cartels who supply about two thirds of current US marijuana and reap all the profits. Purveyors of the much more dangerous drug, alcohol, might also be a bit flummoxed. Maybe they should add a Tea Room to their establishments.

We've taxed tobacco so much that folks are either cutting back or getting their nicotine high in more tax friendly neighboring states. Both trends add to our revenue drain. It's time for Illinois to be a cultural leader rather than a follower here in America's Heartland. Besides the tax revenue itself, consider the tourist angle:  "For high times, come to Illinois". And as far as our financial dilemma, legalization of private, recreational marijuana use may actually give Illinois a pot to.....