In Memorial
Mary and I offer our deepest condolences on the passing of our friend, Adam Andrzejewski. Adam was a tireless advocate for government transparency and a watchdog against corruption. He loved his family, his friends and his community. Adam’s fearless voice will be greatly missed.
Some Cool News
Union Pacific’s Big Boy Locomotive Stopping in Villa Grove
Union Pacific is sending its “Big Boy” engine — the world’s largest operational steam locomotive — on a tour across 10 states, including Illinois. It will be making an overnight stop in Villa Grove. This is pretty exciting for the 101st District! Learn more about the “Big Boy” tour here.
Big Boy schedule can be found here.
History of Big Boy No. 4014
Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941. Big Boy No. 4014 was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941. The locomotive was retired in December 1961, having traveled 1,031,205 miles in its 20 years in service. Union Pacific reacquired No. 4014 from the Rail Giants Museum in Pomona, California, in 2013, and relocated it back to Cheyenne to begin a multi-year restoration process. It returned to service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s Completion.
Read the full article here.
Democrats Caused Record-High Inflation
Four years ago, families could save money, buy essentials, pay bills, and still have “fun” money. Under Democrat policies though, times have changed for practically every American family. Grocery prices have surged out of control and it’s costing more than ever just to put food on the table.
Pritzker can say he’s helping Illinois families, but I think they would say otherwise.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/grocery-bills-have-increased-by-nearly-3000-in-just-4-years
Gotion Is Moving Full Steam Ahead
Electric vehicle battery maker and Chinese Communist Party-subsidized company Gotion is gearing up to start production soon. Its new facility in Manteno, Illinois is largely keeping to the aggressive timetable it laid down a year ago. Gotion announced last September that it had plans to convert a former Kmart distribution center into an assembly facility that would be operating within a year.
REMINDER: GOV. PRITZKER IS FORCING ILLINOIS TAXPAYERS TO FUND THIS HORRIFIC SCHEME
Local residents and national opponents to Gotion’s Democrat-backed designs have been in an escalating uproar, pushing back on their plans for months. Recently adding to the discourse, former President Donald Trump came out swinging on social media.
Stating that Gotion would be bad for the country, he 100% opposes their presence in the United States:
https://dailycaller.com/2024/08/20/trump-against-michigan-battery-plant-gotion-china-democrats
Taking a polar opposite position, the Biden-Harris administration’s recently proposed national security regulations would give a free pass to Gotion’s Michigan facility which is just 63 miles away from a sensitive US military facility.
Pritzker’s Latest Con Job
As the premier ‘host’ for the Democrat National Convention held in Illinois, Governor Pritzker opened with this statement:
“Of everywhere in this great country, there’s not a better place to see the change possible under Democratic leadership than here in Illinois…Democrats deliver,” he said
Illinois Democrats deliver alright. They are the political ‘Door Dash’ for delivering piles of steaming garbage instead of picking it up. And if you buy Pritzker’s dumpster full of it, you’ll buy anything.
Even if you don’t choose to buy it, you will be forced to pay for it- DEARLY.
In reality, because of Illinois’ Democrat Supermajority, Illinoisans are worse off than they were five years ago. We are a national disgrace, not a leader.
If Governor Pritzker had a shred of integrity and an honest bone in his body, he would tell us the truth about where Illinois stands. This Wirepoints article lays out the factual statistics.
YOU WILL BE STUNNED AND DISGUSTED BY THE LIES HE TOLD ON THE NATIONAL STAGE:
Illinois Is Circling the Drain
Disastrous Illinois Democrat Supermajority policies put us here and will continue to keep us here.
Lurking behind all the bad ideas is the profoundly corrupt political system that was on full display at the Democrat National Convention (DNC). Unless that reality is acknowledged and boldly addressed, the ruling party’s assaults on Illinois’ citizens will continue.
Besides Illinois’ dismal economy, here are some other things you can be sure no one talked about out loud at the DNC:
- Failing Public Schools-
Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch (D- Chicago) doubled down on Democrats killing the only school choice Illinois had (the Invest In Kids program) because his party considered it a voucher program which he said “we’re against as Democrats”. Apparently he doesn’t understand vouchers which allow parents to take their tax dollars that fund public schools and use those dollars on a private school of their choice. Invest In Kids was funded by private donations. The real truth is that the program was successful and made public schools look bad. The Teachers Union couldn’t have that!
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_457ca79c-6008-11ef-af3e-9f41803c93af.html
- Homelessness-
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson hid the homeless during the DNC. He ordered 8 encampments closed ahead of the convention, including one of the city’s largest along the main thoroughfare Democrat delegates would travel between McCormick Place Convention Center and the United Center.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/johnson-hides-8-chicago-homeless-camps-from-democratic-delegates
- Murder-
For the 12th year in a row, Chicago was named the nation’s murder capital, and the 50,000+ visitors to the DNC could have found themselves in a very dangerous area just by taking a long walk in the wrong direction. Read the tragic and starling statistics in this Illinois Policy Institute article:
Who Needs Priorities…
Illinois students can’t read, write or do math, but Springfield managed to find more ways to spend YOUR money by passing these 6 new laws that will affect public education:
https://news.yahoo.com/news/school-laws-see-childs-classroom-083551475.html
And failing Chicago public schools pushed the usual start of school back by a week to “allow time for students to attend, volunteer and participate in the civic process of hosting the [Democrat] Convention”. That’s right: 320,000 students were kept out of school so they could watch a political party talk about the importance of education. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) bussed teachers to Soldier Field Thursday night to watch Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech on the big screen.
CTU is in the business of politics, not education
Stress Relief from Laughter Is No Joke
It may not feel like there is much to laugh about these days, but a good laugh can work miracles! Whether it’s with a good friend, watching a funny show or even looking up baby belly laughs on YouTube, laughing will instantly make you feel better!
Here is a map of the new 101st House District. Use this link for a clearer picture and to enter your address to see if you live in the district: https://repcmiller.com/district/
As your state representative, my office is available to assist you with any issues you may have when interacting with a state agency.
Please call our office at 217.508.4108 to get help or schedule an appointment to see me.
The office is located at 1113 Lincoln Ave, Charleston and is open Mon-Fri from 9am- 4 pm.
