***So, Tom Cross wants to know what you think about Recall, Pay Raises and the Cubs.  Yes, the Cubs.  My God, what about IMPEACHMENT, Tom?!?!?  Give him a call at: (217) 782-1331.  Tell him to introduce Articles of Impeachment Today!


***So, $50M in damage to Dallman 1 & nobody gets relieved of duty.  "It just happed."  Of course, the reports indicate that better maintenance could've taken place, better training could've been in place, different procedures could've avoided this situation.  SO, WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE TO SEE THAT THESE THINGS HAPPENED? 

Did Jay Bartlett ask for maintenance money and was turned down?  Did Bartlett ask his engineers if the Westinghouse recs were appropriate?  Remember, the CWLP guys said they didn't need any outside opinion on the pump house because they have great engineers on staff...

THESE ARE THE RECS FROM THE OUTSIDE INVESTIGATORS:

The accident might have been averted if some or all had been in place:

  Timely advice and recommendations from the turbine-generator vendor regarding the long-standing, sticking throttle valve problems, suggested solutions to the problems, and warnings of the risks associated with the sticking throttle valves;

  A reliable means for addressing the long-standing history of high temp oxidation ('blue blush'), as it related to the sticky valve problems;

  A plant initiative to eliminate the practice of using hydraulic jacks and pinch bars during startup, as condoned and validated by vendor example, to dislodge stuck valves.  This may have created and sustained a tolerance for operating with sticking valves and a lack of sensitivity to the associated risks.

  A rigorous program to accurately verify complete valve closure during weekly exercising of the valves, plus maintenance procedures in place to aggressively deal with sticky valves.

In other words, CWLP screwed up the maintenance, the training and the operations.  Sure, nobody to blame here...$50 million dollars and they haven't said yet how much of that will be covered by insurance...

You can read the consultant report here.  I wouldn't worry about the CWLP report-who can trust them anymore...

***Roeper writes about Sox pitcher Floyd almost throwing a no-hitter the other night.  It's funny that he takes to task all of the people who still believe it is a jinx to even speak of a no-hitter while it is in progress.  He scoffs at the idea that mentioning the no-hitter will screw things up.  The Sox announcer went against the jinx and babbled on and on about - "Good for you", says Roeper, "No such thing as a jinx."  Um, wouldn't it have been better to write a column pointing out how stupid superstitions are IF Floyd had actually thrown a no-hitter.  Instead, all the babbling and the blown no-hitter reinforce the idea of a jinx...

***WiMax is still out there and now given a great deal of more life.  Chicago could be one of the first major cities to see WiMax in action.

***So, Sen. Durbin, we should close Guantanamo Bay immediately and let the terrorists we hold there go home to their loving families.  OR, we could let them go, as you demand, and they can return to the battle and try to kill US Soldiers & Iraqi military and civililians.  Great plan, Dick.

***For the 2nd time in a couple of weeks, the NYT editorializes that we need HIGHER gas prices.  'Yeah, that's the ticket!'

***Interesting decision in Wheeling about political signsand the 1st Amendment.  Could have implications in Springfield where a similar provision is on the books.

***At least IL House members aren't so egotistical as to pass ANOTHER pay increase.  Surely, Emil will vote to kill the pay raises, right?

***Listen live at WMAY.com!