Today’s News: Death and taxes

Links via the Journal Star. The snarky commentary is my own:

• Taxed to death: There’s a lot of comment on the “death tax” in the Journal Star article on last night’s debate. John Morris wants to eliminate the estate tax. Commenters say things like this: ” Why should someone inherit $35,000,000 just because they were lucky enough to be born into a certain family.” I say we need to take that even further. Why should someone live in a nice home just because their are lucky to be born into a certain family. Why should some children be able to have expensive video gaming systems just because they are lucky enough to be born into a certain family. Why should some people be able to get attend private schools just because they are lucky enough to be born into a certain family? Hell, why should be be able to inherit ANYTHING from their parents? Wealth is evil. End sarcasm.
• Vaccine derangement syndrome: Karen McCarron was delusional and depressed because she bought into the idea that mercury in the vaccines given her daughter caused the little girl’s autism. The science, however, has shows repeatedly that there’s NO evidence whatsoever that vaccines have any link to autism. Naturally, this case will be used by the anti-vaccine wackos to “prove” their case.
• Victory for a vet:  No, Proctor Hospital. You cannot fire an employee because their serving their nation in war makes for an inconvenient scheduling problem. How about a law saying that any institution that discriminates against a member of the Armed Services is not only ineligible for tax breaks as a not-for-profit organization? Works for me.
• A not-for-profit to promote profits?  I’ve got to hand it to Craig Hullinger. The man just spews out ideas and concepts for boosting economic development. Some of them take root, some of them just lie there. The latest is the idea of creating the Heart of Peoria Development Corp., a non-for-profit corporation that would use its tax exempt status to raise money to promote economic development in the “heart of Peoria.” Here’s my problem with the idea: Real economic development (and not make-work schemes like the Peoria Civic Center) happen because of market forces and entrepreneurship. Why in the world would people donate money to grease the wheels so someone can come along and make their million? The best economic development is a low tax rate with a few government regulations as possible.
• Assigning blame for WTVP’s woes: Bank of America still wants its loan repaid in full, 14 years early, because of technical violations of the terms of its loan to Peoria’s one and only public television station. As one commenter said, I wish I had an account there, so I could close it in protest. I am convinced that the bank called the loan because they already have a buyer for the station. Also: The Journal Star Editorial Board also wonders what’s going on.
• Taking a walk on sidewalks: The Peoria City Council is going to prioritize sidewalk installation at a policy session today. Look for a bit of grumbling about using ANY money to  help build a new school on the East Bluff.
• Prioritizing crime: Phil Luciano finds a few examples of the extremely low priority police are giving the anti-smoking law. My two cents: The Peoria City Council should keep it this way, be declining to pass a local ordinance, which would crate an incentive for local enforcement by directing all the fines to city hall.

Tags: Craig Hullinger, estate taxes, John Morris, Karen McCarron, Phil Lucianno, WTVP