(A Message from the Better Business Bureau) 

The BBB also notes that when most people respond to an advertisement for working at home, such as stuffing envelopes, they will generally receive – for a fee – instructions as to how to place similar ads in other publications, also offering work at home opportunities. Allegedly, they will get paid for each response you receive and send back to the original company. 

Letters to the Editor                                                                                    

With regard to Solicitor General (Elena) Kagan, I would support her nomination.  Ms. Kagan appears to be modest and thoughtful not because she expected this nomination but because she is modest and thoughtful.  Under the Constitution, only the President can make this nomination and Solicitor General Kagan is one of the more careful nominees he could have picked.
 
Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist No. 76: “To what purpose then require the cooperation of the Senate?  I answer that the necessity of their concurrence would have a powerful, though in general a silent operation.  It would be an excellent check upon a spirit of favoritism in the president, would tend generally to prevent the appointment of unfit characters from family connection, from personal attachment, and from a view to popularity.”
 
Under this tradition, the Senate tempered any partisan review of the president’s choice.  Recently, justices Ginsberg (96-3), Kennedy (97-0), Stevens (98-0), Scalia (98-0), Bryer (87-9) and Roberts (78-22) were confirmed by bipartisan majorities that applied the Federalist standard.  I note Solicitor General Kagan earned support from the American Bar Association and conservative judges Estrada and McConnell. 
 
Ms. Kagan’s decision to ban military recruiters from Harvard troubled me. During her hearings, she committed to follow the unanimous Supreme Court ruling striking down that ban.  I also note she considered the death penalty settled law and successfully won her case before the Supreme Court affirming the government’s position against terrorists.

Editor’s Note: Congressman Mark Kirk, a Republican, is running for the U.S. Senate from Illinois 

Governor’s signature provides pedestrian safety in Illinois

Drivers in Illinois are now required to come to a complete stop for all pedestrians in crosswalks, thanks to Gov. Pat Quinn’s signature on Illinois House Bill 43.

The measure, championed by Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Luis Arroyo, requires drivers to come to a complete stop for pedestrians in all crosswalks – even those that are unmarked or don’t have a stop sign or traffic light.

The law is effective immediately. Penalties vary by county.

This measure clarifies driver responsibility and makes it easier for police to enforce the law. Until now, Illinois law required drivers to yield and stop only when necessary. That language has lead to confusion among drivers and pedestrians, and it’s made enforcement difficult.

“We applaud the governor and the Illinois Assembly for making pedestrian safety a priority in this state,” said Melody Geraci, interim executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance. “Our streets ought to be safe spaces for families, children and neighbors. This law helps to ensure walkable and livable communities where we live, work and play.”

Illinois joins dozens of states with similar laws, including California and Massachusetts.
More than 6,000 pedestrians are hit by cars in Illinois each year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. These crashes result in more than 1,000 serious injuries and 170 fatalities annually.

The Active Transportation Alliance – Chicagoland’s voice for better biking, walking and transit­ – worked for nearly two years earning support for this important measure. Key supporters of the effort included group’s members, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Metropolitan Planning Council. And student advocates from Chicago’s Curie Metropolitan High School performed crucial outreach to legislators to help secure the bill’s passage.

The Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit, member-based advocacy organization that works to make bicycling, walking and public transit so safe, convenient and fun that we will achieve a significant shift from environmentally harmful, sedentary travel to clean, active travel. The organization builds a movement around active transportation, encourages physical activity, increases safety and builds a world-class transportation network. Formerly the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, the Active Transportation Alliance is North America’s largest transportation advocacy organization, supported by more than 6,000 members, 1,000 volunteers and 35 full-time staff. For more information on the Active Transportation Alliance, visit www.activetrans.org or call 312.427.3325.