For the latest in the central Lake County happenings please view our new site:  

LakeCountyCentral.Blogspot.com

More Taxpayer Money Lost

 

PhillyDeals: Taxpayer-backed Traffic.com to close Malvern offices

October 05, 2011|By Joseph N. DiStefano, Inquirer Staff Writer

·        

The closing of Traffic.com's Malvern offices, announced last week by owner Nokia's Navteq division, will idle 300 data professionals. That's bad enough.

It is also a blow to people who think the federal government should select which private companies get taxpayer support.

Starting in 2000, Traffic.com consumed $50 million in no-bid U.S. Department of Transportation grants to develop online highway-traffic data, with backing from former Sen. Arlen Specter and former Rep. Bud Shuster (R., Pa.).

The money helped Traffic.com win contracts with Microsoft, Comcast, the Weather Channel, and others. At its peak, it hired more than 600 workers.

But critics in industry and in Congress, some from districts with rival traffic start-ups, complained that the government's favoritism to Traffic.com unfairly pushed competitors out of the market.

 

 

What does this mean?

Rasmussen Reports latest national telephone survey finds that 39% consider it a positive when a political candidate is described as being “pro-gun.”  Only 27% see this as a negative description, while another 30% say it lies somewhere in between.

 

Disappointment with US President Barack Obama’s handling of US-Israel relations has caused a drop in Jewish support for the administration, an annual survey conducted by AJC, a Jewish advocacy organization, revealed.  Disapproval among Jewish voters exceeded approval of Obama's presidency for the first time during the current administration. Jewish approval of Obama’s performance as president declined to 45%, with another 48% disapproving and 7% undecided. 

A Gallup Poll taken this week shows for President Obama an approval rating of 42% and a 49% disapproval rating. 

What does all this mean?  Could it mean that the nation is taking a serious look at the President and his policies and are not happy with that Hope & Change thing he offered before his election?

Some words from Joe

No matter which map prevails, I've decided to run for re-election from the district in which I live and where I represent most of my current constituents. If the Democrat map stands, I will be running in what is the new 14th district which entails a good portion of Lake County, almost all of McHenry County, Kane County, Kendall County, and some of Will and DeKalb Counties. I live in McHenry and my current District office is in Northern Lake County. This area is home.

I understand that there is another Republican Congressman drawn into this new district, Randy Hultgren and it would be unfortunate if we had to run against each other. But the new 14th District, if it stands, doesn't belong to any Incumbent or any politician. The district belongs to the people of this district and they will have to decide who their next representative is. And if they have to decide between two Republican Incumbents, so be it - in many ways Randy and I are both good conservatives who share many of the same values but there are also healthy differences between the two of us, we've both had a very different initial tenure in Washington, and the voters in the new district will decide which one of us will best be their voice in DC.


I went to Washington because I believe America is going through a revolution over her very soul and I wanted to do my part to help win this fight. It's why I've been so vocal this first year, it's why I've been a leader in the fight for the balanced budget amendment, it's why I was one of 22 Republicans who voted against my own Speaker's final debt ceiling compromise, it's why I sleep in my office, why I've limited myself to no more than six years in Congress, it's why I turned down my Congressional health and retirement benefits, and it's why I did not attend President Obama's joint session speech the other week and instead came home and listened to 100 small business owners, the real job creators in this country. We are at a crucial point in our country's history and our side -- the side that believes in freedom and limited government -- has to win.


We took a good first step in getting it right this past year. Let's make sure we Republicans continue to do what's right. Go to www.walshforcongress.com and join us in this fight.


Thank you,
Congressman Joe Walsh

Well Armed Citizens

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!

Illinois is the only state that does not allow honest citizens to carry firearms.  Even after raising taxes on the people, State Government is still broke.  The last two governors of Illinois are convicted felons.  State government spending still keeps out pacing State income.

I think the lambs in this state need to get armed before it's too late. 

Our Country needs US

With all the challenges and problems our country faces today, we sometimes forget that past generations have also faced great threats to our homeland.  Benjamin Franklin while working as member of the Continental Congress noticed a symbol on the back of the Presidents chair that looked like a rising or setting sun.  He wondered for many days if that sun was rising or setting and at the same time was this country they were attempting to create doomed to failure or would it rise to become an equal among the nations of the world.  Finally as events unfolded he decided it was a rising sun and this country on the strength of its people would rise to become a free nation of this world.  I still believe has he did, that it was a rising sun and this country on the strength of it's people will continue to rise up as a free nation and a symbol of hope for all people of the earth.  Only we the people can make the future bright.

Joe Walsh statement

WASHINGTON –It is not lost on me that a court case filed almost 8 months ago regarding a marriage that ended more than 8 years ago would be brought up today. We are 72 hours away from one of the biggest decisions our country has to make about its financial future. I understand why this is a story and why the media has to ask me about it. I understood as a candidate, and I understand as a sitting member of Congress that the scrutiny of my personal life will be intense. This is a tough business. It’s also not lost on me that not everyone agrees with me politically, I am the tip of the spear in this current debate, and I will be attacked.

Let me say this. I love all the members of my family past and present. I’ve always given everything I have to meet my financial obligations to my children and I will fight until my last breath against anyone who says otherwise. My children are truly the treasure of my life, which is why I’ve been trying to resolve this issue since January in a court of law, rather than drag my children into it. That is the appropriate venue and I will not discuss this private family issue in public.

The people of Illinois’ eighth congressional district voted for me not because I’m wealthy but because they wanted a fighter in Washington. They did not vote for me because I was a career politician, but because they wanted one of them as their Representative in DC. They wanted someone to stand up to Washington and tell them the spending has to stop. This morning that is exactly what I am going to continue to do.

I have tried to be the most accessible Congressman on the planet and I will continue to do so moving forward. These latest attacks against me are false and I will fight them in the appropriate venue. And as your Congressman I promise you that I am going to put my head down, get back to work and continue to fight for our freedoms and our children’s future. I’m not going to let some hit piece in the media deter me from that.