Common Sense Prevails in ILGA on Translation Issues?

This story about the Illinois General Assembly and a State Representative's proposal to spend $1.5M in state funds to translate the Illinois General Assembly's website into Spanish is so indicative of government leaders today and the problems their proposals create and cascade down upon all of us: the taxpayers.

Democrat State Rep. Robert Martwick (of Chicago) sponsored the bill because he felt the language barrier made it difficult for certain people to fully appreciate the wealth of information available from government resources, specifically online. 

The $1.5 million cost estimation comes from one of the co-sponsors of the bill, who says that software issues could arise, according to Illinois News Network. 

“For these people who are citizens of our country who have the ability, if they don’t have the information to know what’s going on here, how can they properly engage in having their voice being heard?” Martwick asked, according to Illinois News Network. “I think we owe it to be inclusive to all of the language speakers of our country … When we start talking about things we need to spend money on, this is the right thing to spend money on.”

Fortunately for all of us, there's a guy named Keith Wheeler who serves as a State Representative down in Springfield, too.  And, while we're not sure the bill would have passed, because of the political correctness and the need to pander to special interest groups and make everyone feel special, our hunch is that it would have.

But thanks to Keith Wheeler.  We not only killed the bill.  We also got a lot of LULZ out of the situation.  And we have to think Representative Martwick has his tail between his legs a bit.

How?  Well...Representative Wheeler simply turned to Google Translate. And solved the $1.5M problem with a few clicks of his mouse.

Republican Rep. Keith Wheeler, who reportedly runs an IT company as well, translated Martwick’s bill into Polish, after his colleague said that his family of Polish descent wouldn’t have been able to engage with the government.

“While my friend Rep. Robert Martwick was talking, I switched [his bill] over to Polish,” Wheeler said. “It just took a click. That’s all it took … it already exists.”

And he even went further.  According to The Caucus Blog from the Illinois House Republicans, they've set up the Illinois General Assembly site to be viewed in more than a dozen languages.

Anyone with access to the internet can now access a translated version of www.ilga.gov in any of the most common languages spoken in Illinois simply by clicking on the links below: 

Spanish Español
Arabic عربي
Hindi हिन्दी
Chinese (Simplified) 中文简体
Chinese (Traditional) 中文繁體
Japanese 日本語
Korean 한국어
Russian Русский
French Français
German Deutsch
Italian Italiano
Polish Polski
Greek Ελληνικά

Are these *perfect* translations?  If we know Google Translate at all, we know the answer is going to be no.  But they're going to be 'good enough'.

Fortunately for all of us taxpayers: The bill got pulled.  Because sanity prevailed.  Good on you, Representative Wheeler.

Representative Patti Bellock Convenes Power GOP Women Lunch

How 'bout this for a power lunch?

State Representative Patti Bellock convenes a birthday get-together with Representative Renee Kosel, Representative Sandy Pihos and former Reps Patty Lindner, Beth Coulson, JoAnn Osmond and Suzie Bassi.

Here's hoping the solved all the State's problems.  God knows they probably could have.

Say "No" To SB 16 And To Cuts To Suburban School Funding

State Representative Ron Sandack and the House Republicans down in Springfield have launched a petition that urges taxpayers all across Illinois to stand up and join them in fighting back against Senator Andy Manar's SB16 and the devastating cuts it would make to schools in the suburbs.

You can sign the petition here.

In May of 2014 the Illinois Senate approved a bill that would divert millions in General State Aid for Education away from hundreds of Illinois school districts and toward other districts. SB16 does not fix problems with the current funding formula for school aid; it simply redistributes money and creates a new list of “winners” and “losers.” 

We think education funding reform should be comprehensive, thoughtful, bipartisan and done with all stakeholders at the table. We also think that all Illinois children deserve an opportunity for optimal success post high school. 

If you agree, please add your name to the petition below, and take the added step of sharing it with your friends.

 Let’s get SB16 off the table and have a true and meaningful discussion for how state education dollars should be spent.