Illinois Raises State Income Taxes

Illinois Raises Taxes

Speaking of Obama, the former community organizer's home state is preparing to do its part to drive up unemployment. Illinois Democrat Governor Pat Quinn and the lame-duck Democrat-controlled legislature enacted a 67 percent state income tax hike, which will add an average of $1,400 to a family's tax bill, as well as a 50 percent increase in the corporate tax. The personal income tax rate will move from 3 percent to 5 percent for four years (yes, another "temporary" tax hike), in order to help close a $15 billion budget deficit. Of course, raising taxes rarely raises the revenue its proponents "need."

Illinois has lost 374,000 jobs in the last two years, and taxing businesses won't help that number. In fact, governors Mitch Daniels (R-IN) and Scott Walker (R-WI) took the opportunity to extend invitations for Illinois residents and businesses to relocate to their states. As Daniels said, "We already had an edge on Illinois in terms of the cost of doing business, and this is going to make it significantly wider."

(I am retired, but will now think about moving out of this state...)

America Needs God

From: Gary L. Bauer

America Needs God

For those legitimately looking for an explanation of what "inspired" Jared Loughner, instead of seeking to score cheap political points, here are some ideas that you are unlikely to hear our secular elitists talking about.

We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to God. We teach our children that their very existence is a cosmic accident that crawled out of primal sludge and "evolved." We once taught them that they were made in the image of our Creator and that each life had dignity and worth based on that fact. Friends say Loughner did not have much use for God or religion. There appears to be an occult shrine in his back yard. Had anyone ever shared with him the words of God, who said, "I set before you life and death, blessings and curses, therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."

Did any school that Loughner attended even teach him that America was built on the idea that liberty comes from God or that only a virtuous people could remain free? Did he know that he would stand before that God someday and be judged? Did any classroom he was in have a copy of the Ten Commandments?

Did the popular culture and its creed -- "if it feels good do it" -- lead him into his apparent heavy drug use? Can we raise generation after generation of young Americans and teach them that little, innocent unborn babies can be destroyed at a whim and not expect some of those youth to conclude that life is cheap and disposable?

For at least 30 years, Americans who have raised these questions have been attacked relentlessly by the secular left. They have been called intolerant bigots, religious extremists, racists and worse. But now, as our media elites talk about civility and stopping the hate, wouldn't it be a good idea to invite God back into our public life, our families, our institutions and our discourse? Can America survive if we fail to do so?

Good News at Christmas

The Last Word

"I'd like to challenge you to consider that the 'good news' we celebrate during the Christmas season really is true. You may choose to believe the Bible is merely a book of fables with nice moral lessons, but there is more abundant and accurate manuscript evidence for the New Testament than any other book from antiquity. Moreover, the number of witnesses to Christ's life, death and resurrection, as well as the nature of their testimony, is strong evidence of the reliability of the scriptural accounts, as are the corroborating secular testimony and archeological evidence. In fact, the New Testament writers had every temporal motive to deny the resurrection occurred. Why would they fabricate and stand by a story that would lead to their being beaten, tortured and murdered? So next time you read your Bible, consider that you're reading the inspired word of God and that Jesus really did say and do what the Bible reports, beginning with His claims about His own divinity..... Once we conclude the Bible is the word of God, we will delight in the Scriptures (Psalm 119:92) and, as one writer put it, acquire 'that great sense that we are living in the sphere of eternal security.' Eternal security, indeed, for Christ died so that by repenting and trusting in Him, we could live. Now that's the true meaning of Christmas and the best news of all." --columnist David Limbaugh