Sleeping Truck Drivers and Fatal Accidents are another gift from Capitalism

A Semi-Truck accident from 2014 is back in the news and it highlights the problem of sleeping truck drivers but not the underlying cause.

Last January 27th in the Chicagoland area, a truck driver Renato Velasquez fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a State Police Crusier and an IDOT assistance truck which had stopped on I-88 near Route 59 to aid a stranded motorist. The IDOT worker Vincent Petrella was killed and the State Trooper Douglas Balder was severely injured.

Velasquez' trial has begun and he is being charged with operating a commercial motor vehicle while fatigued or impaired and making a false report of his record and duty status.

Prosecutors stated Velasquez frequently, falsified his in-cab log books to indicate he was abiding by federal rules that require truck drivers to sleep for 10 consecutive hours after driving for 11 hours.

In Illinois, the only change to Highway Traffic Laws passed recently was State Senator Jim Oberweis speed limit increase, which he pushed through in order that his delivery truck drivers could go 70+mph to make him more money on his Dairy Empire. Safety of truck drivers and everyone else in Illinois be damned.

Truck Drivers are rountinely given timetables which require them to either: 1) Speed or 2) Eschew Sleep in order to get their loads on schedule.

A quick perusal will find dozens of news stories of sleeping truck drivers and several spectacular crashes caught on video. The underlying cause for all of them is the Capitalist System which has placed Profit over every other concern.

Do not fret though because the system is safe. After these accidents happen Capitalism will never be charged, will never be questioned, the individual truck driver will be punished for Capitalism's systemic flaws and disregard for the safety and well-being of those affected.

Jim Oberweis the next Senator of Illinois... or Flordia!

Republican Jim Oberweis, another Plutocrat who made his fortune off of legerdemain, is running to oppose Dick Durbin for the US Senate. Oberweis will have to win the Primary this March 18th in order to face Senator Durbin in November.

Oberweis is currently an Illinois State Senator having previously run for the US Senate, US House, Illinois Governor and finally winning office in 2012.

Thus far, the only policies State Senator Oberweis has backed is increasing the speed limits on Illinois Highways so his milk and dairy products can reach their destinations faster; accidents, damage to streets and traffic deaths be damned those costs will be borne by society and Illinois Taxpayers, and Pension Theft from Illinois Teachers.

Oberweis voted to steal Teacher Pensions and violate the contracts signed by other Illinois Public employees. Oberweis called the Pension Theft a "step in the right direction" but was worried, "There is no guarantee that the money saved by these reforms will actually be used to pay down debt, instead of being used for new programs." Paying down the debt means transferring taxpayer money to Corporations via pay-to-play tax incentives and special water and power rates for businesses.

Well, now the interesting thing about Oberweis being so worried about Illinois debt is the Oberweis' primary residence is in Bonita Springs, Florida, which coincidentally is where Jim has spent (some? most? all?) the terrible Chicago winter.

This winter in Chicago has been the coldest, when measured by sub-zero degree days, and the second snowiest behind only the infamous blizzard of 1979.

Ah the best of both worlds! Jim's current wife, Julie is a native of Florida and is registered to vote there and she's also registered to vote in Kane County Illinois! In fact in 2010, she voted in both states.

But, it's not Voter Fraud because Julie Oberweis registered to vote in Florida as a precursor to taking a homestead tax exemption for the couple's "primary residence" a $1.3 Million dollar mansion, most likely the one Jim Oberweis spent the better part of this winter relaxing in and soaking up the Florida sun.

Oberweis surfaced in Chicago yesterday (the high was 54 degrees), 4 days before the Republican Primary to give an interview to right-wing toxic talk radio station WLS 890, in which he said, "I never saw the beach, was not there. I did play golf with my wife though."

Awww... Oberweis is going to win the Republican Primary and surely he's just what we need in the US Senate; another Plutocrat Vulture Millionaire who can ensure the poor are punished, the needy are shamed, the hungry are humiliated, and the sick are denied care.

Jim Oberweis uses his Government position to make money for his Business

Illinois State Senator Jim Oberweis is mad that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has not raised the speed limit in and around Chicago to 70mph.

Oberweis said he was upset that IDOT, which had the authority to draw up the speed limit map, left unchanged the 55-mph speed limit across virtually all of the Chicago region

"It's just clear that they (IDOT) are disregarding the will of the people." Oberweis said, adding that the interstates are designed to handle vehicles traveling 70 mph and speed limits were set at that level before the federal government imposed a national 55-mph limit in 1974. That limit was scrapped in 1995, and states across the U.S. have been raising highway speed limits since then.

Of course, Oberweis has a massive dairy production and retail corporation which relies heavily upon the Illinois infrastructure for the distribution of his product. Oberweis also distributes to Wisconsin and Indiana.

Oberweis said he will try to bring his push for 70-mph Chicago-area speed limits to the legislature and may settle on a 65-mph limit.

And the damage to roadways, necessary improvements and construction well those costs will be borne by the taxpayer.

Of course, earlier this month Oberweis voted to steal Teacher Pensions and violate the contracts signed by other Illinois Public employees. Oberweis called the Pension Theft a "step in the right direction" but was worried, "There is no guarantee that the money saved by these reforms will actually be used to pay down debt, instead of being used for new programs." Paying down the debt means transferring taxpayer money to Corporations.

When it comes to making him money Oberweis will use all the power of his Government position to advance his private corporation. Jim Oberweis is planning a run for the U.S. Senate so that he can make taxpayers from across the Nation pay to maintain his Corporation.

This is just another example of American Capitalism, Profits are Privatized and Costs are Socialized.