Dies Cinerum: Ash Wednesday - It is in God's Hands.

We can, perhaps, conceive of a world in which God corrected the results of this abuse of free will by His creatures at every moment: so that a wooden beam became soft as grass when it was used as a weapon, and the air refused to obey me if I attempted to set up in it the sound waves that carry lies or insults. But such a world would be one in which wrong actions were impossible, and in which, therefore, freedom of the will would be void; nay, if the principle were carried out to its logical conclusion, evil thoughts would be impossible, for the cerebral matter which we use in thinking would refuse its task when we attempted to frame them.

Clive Staples Lewis

"Evil is threefold, viz., metaphysical evil, moral, and physical, the retributive consequence of moral guilt. Its existence subserves the perfection of the whole; the universe would be less perfect if it contained no evil. Thus fire could not exist without the corruption of what it consumes; the lion must slay the ass in order to live, and if there were no wrong doing, there would be no sphere for patience and justice. God is said (as in Isaiah 45) to be the author of evil in the sense that the corruption of material objects in nature is ordained by Him, as a means for carrying out the design of the universe; and on the other hand, the evil which exists as a consequence of the breach of Divine laws is in the same sense due to Divine appointment; the universe would be less perfect if its laws could be broken with impunity. Thus evil, in one aspect, i.e. as counter-balancing the deordination of sin, has the nature of good. But the evil of sin, though permitted by God, is in no sense due to him; its cause is the abuse of free will by angels and men. It should be observed that the universal perfection to which evil in some form is necessary, is the perfection of this universe, not of any universe: metaphysical evil, that is to say, and indirectly, moral evil as well, is included in the design of the universe which is partially known to us; but we cannot say without denying the Divine omnipotence, that another equally perfect universe could not be created in which evil would have no place."

Catholic Encyclopedia

The Democratic governor on Tuesday quietly invited death penalty opponents to a private bill-signing ceremony scheduled for late Wednesday morning in his Springfield office. Quinn's office confirmed that the governor has an event at the Capitol on Wednesday to announce his decision on the death penalty measure.

Chicago Tribune

"It's all good." Urban Dictionary

Is it?

On the other hand, I have and continue to sin - cause pain. I cause pain with my thoughts words and deeds. I neglect or I act in a way that hurts others. By hurting myself, I also hurt others. This is my season. Lent arrived today. From the time that I receive the Ashes in the Catholic ritual, following Quinquagesima Sunday (just the other day, at Sacred Heart Church)which means fifty days before Easter and Resurrection of Christ, I will attempt to remember that I am not bullet proof.

All of this means nothing to the 'It's all good' devotees. It means much to a sinner like me. Memento Mori is spoken when the priest, probably Father Tony Brackin later today at St. Odilo's in Berwyn, places the ashes on my fore head - 'Remember you must die.' That is an imperative verb followed by a deponent infinitive - active in meaning and passive in form which means that it is going to happen. Like in the DMV on Pulaski at 147th Street - 'Mr. Hickey you will be called.'

I sit there waiting with my check, my ID and my proofs of residence ( Gas and Light Bill) and understand that I will be called, baring a computer malfunction, tornado, act of war, or I decide to light up a Marlboro in the Illinois Secretary of State's facility and enjoy mellow flavor of fine rich Virginia tobacco. Then, I can expect to be taken out and summarily given the bum's rush.

I believe in Heaven and I believe in Hell and what I do to balance my actions, thoughts, and words accordingly will determine God's Bum's Rush.

It Ain't All Good; Most of It Is. Behave accordingly.

Governor Quinn Bears Down on Hoosier and Chedderhead Business Poachers

Governor Pat Quinn took the ball up the middle and scored on both Wisconsin's and Indiana's Businesses Poachers.

The tax-increase is beyond a pain-in-the-Blago and was beyond necessary. Pat Quinn can make the necessary cuts and will cut the political ties that bind tax-happy PACs that depend upon Progressive doctrine - the group think ninnies all howling about the death penalty that has been dormant for more than a decade; the cosemetic holocaust harpies demanding that a woman's right to choose the death of an unborn child should never carry a personal financial cost - much less any moral thought; the redistribution of wealth labor fakirs who squeal that having an unskilled job should require greater taxes in order to keep workers enthralled and unskilled; the in the tank media that claim public sector unions should never be reevaluated by elected officials - but that's just me and most of my tax-paying neighbors.

Pat Quinn can and I believe that he will go down in Illinois history as a great governor. He will be wildly unpopular on WTTW, NPR and in the salons held by brie-eating academics an pie-chart pirates. However, Illinois tax-payers will come to appreciate and revere Governor Pat Quinn and the only adult in Illinois Democratic leadership House Speaker Mike Madigan.

Governor Pat Quinn's answer to the business poachers can be summed up in one word-Infrastructure. Illinois has got it and the boarder states ain't -

The corporate tax rate is not an obstacle for companies to locate and invest in Illinois. Frankly, our state's unstable finances have stood in the way of business investment. Businesses crave stable economic environments, which is why I supported and signed into law unprecedented limits on state spending, real budget reforms and the revenues we need to meet our obligations. We are putting our financial house in order, which will only make Illinois a stronger competitor.

With these reforms, we will be able to take greater advantage of our state's existing advantages: a strategic location that has made us the hub of the nation's rail network and the aviation gateway to the world; an unmatched transportation infrastructure that makes us the distribution center of North America; unparalleled intellectual resources through our world-class universities and research institutions; and a long-standing place as one of the world's top financial centers. And Illinois' commitment to green energy and high-speed rail is making us a world leader in the 21st century economy.

Our efforts to forge strong business partnerships have paid off, as companies continue to locate, grow and create jobs in Illinois. Boeing is manufacturing in Metro East; Nippon Sharyo recently left Wisconsin to expand its rail-car manufacturing in Illinois; and online innovator Groupon is staying in its hometown of Chicago, even as it catapults onto the global stage.

Illinois has 78 consulates, 44 foreign trade commissions, 26 foreign chambers of commerce and more than 1,500 subsidiaries of foreign companies. We are the nation's sixth largest exporter, and the Midwest's gateway to the world. Illinois is competing globally.

Illinois is America's crossroads. Witness the appointment of Gus Behnke* to the Illinois Capital Development Board last December as an example of toughminded leadership. Illinois water(harbors/docks/barge navigation)air, trucking, and rail systems are in place. CDP will take steps to strengthen that. Illinois is in tough shape. Governor Pat Quinn can get it back into shape, but it will cost him plenty - for a while. He will get attacked by PACs that assumed his pliability and willingness to go-along. Pat Quinn has integrity and integrity means past assumptions get a long hard look.


*

SPRINGFIELD – December 29, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today named Gus Behnke as the acting executive director of the Capital Development Board (CDB). Behnke will replace Executive Director Jim Riemer, who is retiring effective Dec. 31.

“I would like to thank Jim for his many years of service at the Capital Development Board, especially in these last two years as we have put people to work all over the state on projects through the Illinois Jobs Now! construction program,” said Governor Quinn. “Gus Behnke will help us maintain that progress as we continue to create jobs for Illinois workers while providing badly-needed state infrastructure improvements.”

Gevan J. “Gus” Behnke has been with CDB since January 1979 and has been the agency’s chief fiscal officer for the past 22 years. Behnke is a Bloomington native and has a bachelor’s degree in physics and math from Valparaiso University. He also holds a master’s degree in nuclear physics from Purdue University, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from Illinois State University. (Gevan Behnke Background)

Riemer has served as the CDB executive director since April 2008. He joined the CDB in 1987 and was named deputy director of the Construction Administration Division in 2003. Riemer also served as the agency’s statewide labor coordinator, and developed and promoted a positive labor/management relationship with the state’s 21 building and construction trades councils.

Prior to joining the CDB, Riemer spent 15 years working as a journeyman ironworker. He is a recipient of the Purple Heart after being wounded in action in Vietnam.

The Capital Development Board is the construction management arm of Illinois state government. With approximately 120 employees throughout the state, CDB oversees the design and construction of college and university facilities, public safety centers, museums and historic sites, state recreation areas, health centers, office buildings and prisons. In addition, CDB is responsible for repair and renovation projects at more than 8,400 state-owned properties, as well as the removal of environmental hazards and the upgrading of facilities to meet accessibility standards. The CDB also spearheads the state’s “Green Building” initiative to incorporate energy-saving, environmentally-friendly design elements in most state construction projects.