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A free speech victory in Illinois

A free speech victory in Illinois
In July of 2009, I wrote a piece at Gaper’s Block that detailed the strange case of Burton Siegal of Skokie, a man being sued simply for using a word. Siegal–a practicing engineer who once designed a device installed onto a NASA moon lander–was sued by a former customer who alleged Siegel and his company, Budd... Read more »
By Richard Lorenc,
May 7, 2012 at 2:59 pm
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Unions protest Scott Walker in the Loop

Unions protest Scott Walker in the Loop
If you were walking in the Loop today at lunchtime, you may have noticed a large group of loud protestors forming a picket line before an office building at LaSalle and Adams. Their target was public employee union boss enemy no. 1: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Walker spoke today at a luncheon event hosted by... Read more »
By Richard Lorenc,
April 20, 2012 at 6:56 pm
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Time to reform Chicago's awful food truck rules

Time to reform Chicago's awful food truck rules
Chicago bills itself as a culinary epicenter. That our city is home to modern culinary giants such as Rick Bayless, Grant Achatz, and Charlie Trotter lends a lot of weight to this claim. But Chicago’s food scene lags far behind Los Angeles, New York, and other cities in one important way: food trucks. Chicago city... Read more »
By Richard Lorenc,
April 4, 2012 at 6:15 am
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A pro-choicer at today's rally for religious freedom

A pro-choicer at today's rally for religious freedom
Intermittent rain didn’t stop hundreds of supporters of religious liberty from gathering in Federal Plaza early this afternoon to demand a repeal of a federal rule that requires every taxpayer to pay for medicines and procedures they may find morally objectionable. I arrived as Congressman Joe Walsh declared that supporters of religious freedom must be... Read more »
By Richard Lorenc,
March 23, 2012 at 4:35 pm
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Illinois should become one, big free enterprise zone

Illinois should become one, big free enterprise zone
This week, a bipartisan committee of Illinois senators began hearings on “enterprise zones,” areas the government provides with special treatment to stimulate economic activity. Illinois began enterprise zones in 1982 to spur economic development in depressed areas of the state. Enterprise zones enjoy relaxed regulations, tax incentives, and, according to the Department of Commerce and... Read more »
By Richard Lorenc,
March 16, 2012 at 11:27 am
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South Side Woman Sues the IRS

South Side Woman Sues the IRS
This morning, a small business owner in West Woodlawn is taking a stand against perhaps the most unpopular agency of the United States federal government: the Internal Revenue Service. At stake is her ability to earn a living by helping people to prepare their tax returns. Sabina Loving has joined two other plaintiffs to challenge... Read more »
By Richard Lorenc,
March 13, 2012 at 6:27 am
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Look up, Chicago

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One of the best things about Chicago is its architecture. Truthfully, it’s safe to say most of us become accustomed to architecture very quickly. It becomes part of the background. We hurry from the train to work, from work to lunch, and back home every day. We have amazing pocket computers (“phones”) that keep us... Read more »
By Richard Lorenc,
March 9, 2012 at 11:29 am
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Head of Institute for Justice speaks at Union League Club

Head of Institute for Justice speaks at Union League Club
Have you heard of the case of Armour v. Indianapolis? Neither had I before this morning, but it’s being argued today before the U.S. Supreme Court and has massive implications for freedom nationwide. The City of Indianapolis gave property owners a choice to pay for a new sewer system: either pay your share at once... Read more »
By Richard Lorenc,
February 29, 2012 at 11:04 am
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Quinn is the opposite of a leader

Quinn is the opposite of a leader
Rather than offering serious leadership to address Illinois’s ever worsening financial condition, Governor Pat Quinn spent half an hour yesterday lecturing on how it’s up to others to fix it. Although he spoke about the huge fiscal problems with government employee pensions and benefits, he offered no leadership on them. Instead, he passed the buck... Read more »
By Richard Lorenc,
February 23, 2012 at 8:11 am
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My thoughts on Hull House in the Trib

Today the Chicago Tribune published a letter I wrote in response to an op-ed by U of C professor Jennifer Mosely. I agreed with Mosley’s analysis on why the settlement house Hull House had to close: it became too dependent on the broken promises of politicians in Springfield. But I didn’t agree with her proposed... Read more »
By Richard Lorenc,
February 18, 2012 at 9:51 am
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