Russ Stewart
Attorney at Law & Political Analyst

NEW LOOK...  COMING TO YOUR INBOX!

EXTRA STEWART’S PREDICTIONS RIGHT ON TARGET full article...

April 10, 2013 NEW TECHNOLOGY PRESAGES MAJOR CHANGES IN "LAWYERING" Shakespeare, in "Henry VI," had a character famously exhort: "First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." In America, circa 2010, there's 1.2 million lawyers, and 44,000 law school graduates clogging the system every year. But technology will soon do what Shakespeare's prose couldn't do. "Smart cars" will eviscerate legal practices concentrating in PI, DUI, traffic, torts, and even criminal defense and immigration. There will be no "personal injuries" if computers drive cars. And "workers' comp" will soon be capped -- as it is in Kentucky, with lawyers' fees limited to $2,500 per case. Mortgage lenders are striving to avoid foreclosures' humungous legal costs, with modifications and short sales. The real estate market is still horrific -- 70% of sales are "short sales." There's no perceptible rebound. Debt collection is almost non-existent. "Deadbeats" can't pay. But elder/disabled guardianships and 50something-plus divorces are booming, and keeping a few lawyers busy. full article...

April 3, 2013 BATTLES OF "LEAST WORST" IN SUBURBAN ELECTIONS There's a stink emanating from a couple of suburban municipal elections, set for April 9, especially Norridge. Illinois' deputy Secretary of State Tom Benigno is spending $100,000, and flooding the village's 10 precincts with 100 outside workers. There is resistance. The "least worst" candidate is Jim Chmura, the incumbent party's choice. In Franklin Park, a "backdoor tax hike" is vexing incumbent Barrett Pedersen. In Elmwood Park, ex-State Rep Skip Saviano's golden parachute is billowing, and nobody seems bothered by the fact that Saviano paid himself $205,458 last Dec. from his campaign account. In Schiller Park, Energizer Barbie (Piltaver) is not energizing voters against incumbent Anna Montana. full article...

March 27, 2013 "FOOD FIGHT" ERUPTS IN HARWOOD HEIGHTS A political "food fight" is raging in northwest suburban Harwood Heights. Mariano's or no Mariano's, that is the question. To entice the developer to spend $25 million to buy the land and build the Mariano's store, which has a 20-year lease, Mayor Arlene Jezierny crafted a "shared revenue" agreement, ceding the developer half of their 1% sales tax take. Based on $40-60 million in expected yearly sales, the village will still reap $200,000-300,000. Jezierny's April 9 opponent, Trustee Jimmy Mougolias, thinks it's a bum deal, and is blasting Jezierny as "incompetent." The food is flying furiously, but Jezierny is favored. full article...

March 20, 2013 IN DES PLAINES' MAYOR'S RACE, A STAR IS BORN Now playing in northwest suburban Des Plaines: "A Star Is Born" and "The Way We Were" -- but Barbra Streisand is nowhere to be found. 75-year old ex-mayor Tony Arredia is attempting a comeback, and is being badly out-campaigned by 26-year old Ald. Matt Bogusz, the Wunderkind of 2013. Vote your age, exhorts Arredia, hoping oldsters will opt for a fellow oldster over a callow youngster. Arredia hypes himself as the architect of the Rivers Casino, which will generate $13.6 million in city tax revenue in 2013. Bogusz, chairman of the finance committee, hypes himself as the master of efficiency, who -- along with departed mayor Marty Moylan, now a state representative (D) -- "cleaned up" Arredia's fiscal "mess." Bogusz will win big. full article...