Illinois Government - You are so evil-y genius

Oh, the VA is exponentially better today than 2 years ago, and 2 years ago was exponentially better than 2 years before that. The actual hands-on staff at the clinics and hospitals are for the most part great. It's the entire (mis)management that has destroyed the collective health of our veterans. I have a permanent loss of feeling in two fingers because it took 17 months to get a minor procedure done. Had it been done within 60 days of the diagnosis, I would have had a full recovery. I'm usually the luckiest vet at any gathering when discussing the VA.

The best way to solve the VA's problems is stop the never ending supply of Vets. Especially disabled vets.

All my veteran friends and family seem to really like San Diego's VA system, so I bet it's more of a regional issue.

Buying a lot on the other side of the cheese curtain. My property taxes are well over 3% only two counties in the US are higher, with zero confidence anything will improve in il in the next 5-10 years. More realistically the tax burden will just continue to increase

Here's something I remember hearing about on the radio in the last 6 months or so. I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceburg type of stuff that happens, (and im not even sure the VA is at fault in this case), but an example nonetheless.

Vets forced to take a hour plus bus ride (driven by volunteer drivers) from their VA clinic in IN to a hospital in downtown Chicago when the VA clinic can not provide the service. only catch is, there is a hospital RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from the VA clinic in IN that does provide the services, just not to vets...

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/11/392085033/veterans-choice-act-fails-to-ease-travel-burdens-for-vets-in-need-of-care

oldtin wrote: Buying a lot on the other side of the cheese curtain. My property taxes are well over 3% only two counties in the US are higher, with zero confidence anything will improve in il in the next 5-10 years. More realistically the tax burden will just continue to increase

3%!?!

Through the magic of a low end home in an expensive area I will pay 5-6% of the value of my home each year in property taxes. That's right, the tax payment is LARGER than the mortgage payment, from day 1 of the loan.

On the other hand - IL has a system that 'freezes' property tax payments for seniors (and a lot of REALLY expensive homes in our area have artificially low taxes because of this). Maybe I should have a company that allows you to 'sell' your house to a senior in order to lock in your current property tax rate.

Robbie wrote: Here's something I remember hearing about on the radio in the last 6 months or so. I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceburg type of stuff that happens, (and im not even sure the VA is at fault in this case), but an example nonetheless. Vets forced to take a hour plus bus ride (driven by volunteer drivers) from their VA clinic in IN to a hospital in downtown Chicago when the VA clinic can not provide the service. only catch is, there is a hospital RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from the VA clinic in IN that does provide the services, just not to vets... http://www.npr.org/2015/03/11/392085033/veterans-choice-act-fails-to-ease-travel-burdens-for-vets-in-need-of-care

Ft. Wayne's VA?

Edit: NVM, it's a 'DaRegion' one in crown point.

So much political ranting, so little time...

Well apparently PA is moving towards eliminating the sticker entirely, ostensibly to avoid the cost of printing and mailing them, and going to some sort of license plate scanners instead. Wonder if we still get the reminder letter at least?

Robbie wrote: Here's something I remember hearing about on the radio in the last 6 months or so. I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceburg type of stuff that happens, (and im not even sure the VA is at fault in this case), but an example nonetheless. Vets forced to take a hour plus bus ride (driven by volunteer drivers) from their VA clinic in IN to a hospital in downtown Chicago when the VA clinic can not provide the service. only catch is, there is a hospital RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from the VA clinic in IN that does provide the services, just not to vets... http://www.npr.org/2015/03/11/392085033/veterans-choice-act-fails-to-ease-travel-burdens-for-vets-in-need-of-care

That seems really odd. My wife is a disabled vet, and used to both work and get her care at the Danville, IL VA - which is part of the VAIHCS who's main facility is Indy. VAIHCS anyway(if not the entire VA administration) has really moved toward fee-based services. In other words, they pay a local facility to care for the veteran, rather than have to hire staff to handle a specific need. While my wife had to travel to Indy a couple times for care, way more frequently they would just send her to a nearby clinic outside of the VA system.

Also, the Chicago facility is in a different region than Indy & Danville, plus Danville is closer to Chicago than Indy is. So it seems like there either were extenuating circumstances leading toward the transport of patients from Indy to Chicago, or someone really screwed up that one.

I will say that my wife constantly encountered, and fought with stereotypical government employees - those who's general work ethic consisted of "I landed a cush gov't job, don't expect me to get off my ass and do anything more than the bare minimum I can get away with." Fortunately, those people were rarely in an area of patient care. Although the director of the facility was arrested last year for some sexual-related crime...

Yeah, I wish you Illannoyed people would stay on your side of the border. You're bringing down our resale value.

SVreX wrote: So much political ranting, so little time...

I usually do my best and largest volume of political ranting right after I receive a parking ticket. So this is consistent with that.

Ok, so I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but what the heck:
You have to renew your plates (or registration) every year. Like clockwork. The date it has to be renewed by isn't a floating date I don't think. It doesn't seem terribly hard to remember that every Feb you have to renew plates. Now, this comes from someone that has a pretty terrible memory, but I don't forget my anniversary, and I've been driving longer than I've been married.
I don't know if IL plates are tied to the car, or the person, or if they expire at the end of your birth month, or a year from when it was registered, but either way, it seems like you're shifting a personal responsibility on someone else. I agree, the way they went about it seems, well, typical of government (read pretty craptastic) but you get due dates at work and you are expected to keep those dates in mind and meet them.

First time to jump into a political thread. But thought I should get in before the lock.

1) We may have guns, crazy politicians and unbelievable heat, but seeing the troubles in other states, I sure like living in Texas. But, I'm in the oddball microcosm of Austin, which isn't very "Texan". Keep 'em coming because it always makes me feel better.
2) I don't have any issue with government healthcare. I think it absolutely can work and feel the cost of healthcare in the U.S. has become scary. I'm disappointed with the Afforable Care Act because it focused on the insurance part (probably a reason for the rising costs) instead of the healthcare system, making it more expensive. BUT.... the idea of OUR government running healthcare scares the hell out of me. I grew up in the military, been to plenty of military hospitals. I'd argue that most soldiers want to take care of their own, so it's not nearly as bad as a US based system would be..... But the government, who can't seem to do anything right, running healthcare? Uhhhhh, no thank you...
3) Trump. I'm starting to theorize that he's pandering to the far right as he possibly can to win the nomination and will change his message a bunch if he gets the nomination. And I hope he does. The GOP (and the Democratic party) both end up pandering to the extremists way to much and end up ruining both parties. If Trump could win the nomination and end up being MUCH more moderate AND win the election, it would do wonders for the GOP and (possibly) finally break the hold the far right has and, maybe, get us to more moderate discussions, having actual discussions rather than taking the opposite view because that's what the party wants.

But it won't happen.

-Rob

Just wanted to stop by and say, the lady of the house isn't going to be happy with the way this thread is progressing.

DrBoost wrote: Ok, so I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but what the heck: You have to renew your plates (or registration) every year. Like clockwork. The date it has to be renewed by isn't a floating date I don't think. It doesn't seem terribly hard to remember that every Feb you have to renew plates. Now, this comes from someone that has a pretty terrible memory, but I don't forget my anniversary, and I've been driving longer than I've been married. I don't know if IL plates are tied to the car, or the person, or if they expire at the end of your birth month, or a year from when it was registered, but either way, it seems like you're shifting a personal responsibility on someone else. I agree, the way they went about it seems, well, typical of government (read pretty craptastic) but you get due dates at work and you are expected to keep those dates in mind and meet them.

You're (of course) totally right. Problem is I have about 4 cars to handle, and none of them are on the same schedule (il is annual, based on when you bought the car). I had been depending on the mailed fliers to remember. This was the first time i have had to review this car. That's all.

I agree I screwed up forgetting. I just think that trading a 42 cent stamp for two phone calls you have to answer in the name of fiscal responsibility makes no sense.

Realistically, if the odd parking ticket is the worst thing in my life I should be posting in the major wins thread.

RE: Robbie
Ok, having multiple cars, none of them being on the same renewal schedule, and this is the first time makes sense. Here in Michigan, your plates expire on your birthday. That makes remembering when to renew them simple, but when you have multiple cars it is expensive! I used to have 5 or 6 cars at a time for years and holy cow was September expensive haha.

I'm glad I didn't offend you with my comment. It was just my (not totally informed) opinion.

You would think that raising the fee a buck to make up for the 42 cent stamp and card would have made more sense.. that would have been an extra 58 cents for the state!

Up here, most everybody has moved to monthly payments, and no specific time to renew. We have a single insurer (Saskatchewan Government Insurance) so registration and insurance is one payment. They still send out notices, but they took the expiry stickers off a few years ago. Lose the note when you have 5 or 6 cars plated, and oopsie. My younger daughter drove 19 months on expired plates- from when she got her licence till she got a parking ticket. Eeek. Glad I taught her to drive well, and it also saved me about $1500 in insurance and registration. Risky, though.

And just to get in before the lock- Holy cow, have you guys ever gotten yourselves into a presidential pickle. Gonna be a whole lotta nose holding come November.

Meanwhile, only tangentially related, here in Ohio I file our payroll taxes online so the ODJFS (state unemployment office) doesn't send me the paper forms to fill out. Fine - that's great actually. But instead they send me a letter to tell me they won't be sending those forms. Every. Damn. Quarter. Why the hell bother? Wouldn't it cost the same to just send the form? I don't need the letter or the form. They're wasting 50 cents on each and every company in Ohio filing these forms online just to tell them "we won't be sending you a form?"

The part that really bothers me is that three months is just long enough that I forget the letter is on its way and I have a tiny startle when looking through the mail and see a letter from them. I always think I must have forgotten to file last quarter. But no - open it up and it's "we won't be sending you this thing."

Free Blago! He'll fix it!

What I always found disturbing / amusing about IL was that they collect bazillions of $$ through the horrendous tolls going in and out of the city, but the roads are always horrid-- some of the worst in the country. Kinda makes you wonder where all that money is going.......

Graft and organized crime is alive and well in Chicago. Some things never change.

They use it to build new unnecessary roads that, incidentally, are also toll roads. http://www.illinoistollway.com/construction-and-planning/projects-by-roadway/elgin-o-hare-western-access

They've been building that one for years, no end in sight. There's been a construction zone in the same place for almost 3 years now, related to this.

Joe Gearin wrote: Free Blago! He'll fix it! What I always found disturbing / amusing about IL was that they collect bazillions of $$ through the horrendous tolls going in and out of the city, but the roads are always horrid-- some of the worst in the country. Kinda makes you wonder where all that money is going....... Graft and organized crime is alive and well in Chicago. Some things never change.

At least the Toll roads down here in South Jersey (Garden state parkway and Atlantic City Expressway) are reasonably unpotholed.. now construction, that is a different matter. They are trying to play catch up on 50 years worth of deferred widening projects

slowride wrote: They use it to build new unnecessary roads that, incidentally, are also toll roads. http://www.illinoistollway.com/construction-and-planning/projects-by-roadway/elgin-o-hare-western-access They've been building that one for years, no end in sight. There's been a construction zone in the same place for almost 3 years now, related to this.

They probably moved all the photo ticket boxes there so they could continue to pay for the project with the fines collected from motorists....after all, Illinois is home to some amusing permanent fake construction zones

In reply to WOW Really Paul?:

That kind of E36 M3 really pisses me off, using tickets and fines so blatantly as revenue generation schemes. Of course, that's really ALL that traffic law enforcement is about anymore. Just a back door tax scheme so your local legislator doesn't get a proverbial kick in the nads come election day for "raising your taxes".

mad_machine wrote:

Joe Gearin wrote: Free Blago! He'll fix it! What I always found disturbing / amusing about IL was that they collect bazillions of $$ through the horrendous tolls going in and out of the city, but the roads are always horrid-- some of the worst in the country. Kinda makes you wonder where all that money is going....... Graft and organized crime is alive and well in Chicago. Some things never change.

At least the Toll roads down here in South Jersey (Garden state parkway and Atlantic City Expressway) are reasonably unpotholed.. now construction, that is a different matter. They are trying to play catch up on 50 years worth of deferred widening projects

Hard to create potholes when it's a constant parking lot!