Jim Rapp
Illinois is one of just 12 states that still has a state estate tax. Thirty-eight other states do not have a state estate tax. To keep Illinois competitive, we need to eliminate this tax. The estate tax is imposed on a decedent’s estate before distribution to heirs. The amount of the tax is calculated after…
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Hello …. Hello? … Hellllllooo! … Anyone there? We’ve all gotten “butt” calls. And probably made a few. I remember one. The guy’s butt was at a bar. After a few too many, his butt called as he was evaluating potential conquests with his barhopping buddies. Sure, I listened for a while after trying…
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British-American musician Slash of Guns N’ Roses’ fame once remarked, “I don’t think there’s ever a chance of a reunion.” Looking back now some 70 years, what was the chance of a reunion of two folks after a life’s journey together from kindergarten, through grade school, then high school, off to college, then law school,…
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For those who haven’t watched the latest edition of Muddy River Gems by Mark McDonald and Randy Phillips, you certainly should. The program shares the progress of the nearly $250 million construction of the new and expansive facilities at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy. This represents more than half of recent expenditures on construction…
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“And that’s the way it was …” From 1962 until 1981, those were the words I and millions of others heard. With those words broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite ended his CBS Evening News for those 19 years. A couple of years after his retirement, I was in an elevator at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. …
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For Bob Lansing, most others were either friend or foe. Those who were neither mattered little to him. I considered Bob among my lifelong friends. It was tragic to learn of his death on Sept. 1, the result of a vehicular accident. Bob went out in a dramatic fashion much as he lived his life. Bob…
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The Land of Lincoln distinguishes itself by being among the most unfriendly of the 50 states when it comes to taxes. Illinois has been ranked numero uno as the state with the highest tax burden. Death Taxes and Escaping Illinois Just one of those unfriendly taxes is the estate or death tax. The tax…
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Sometimes life’s greatest blessings come with living a little crazy. So it was that fifty years ago, at 1:30 p.m. on a balmy Thursday, Dec. 28, we—Martha, a cub Lifestyle Editor and columnist for The Belleville (IL) News-Democrat, and Jim, a second-year law student at Washington University in St. Louis—were married in Rock Island, IL.…
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Reforms in the criminal justice system undoubtedly were needed and probably still are. Passing the 764-page SAFE-T Act without the customary vetting of legislation might well not be what’s needed. Still, come Jan. 1, 2023, it’s the law. Muddy River News has published articles about the SAFE-T Act. For those wanting to know more, Sen.…
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Illinois voters are to decide Nov. 8 if our constitution should be amended. If approved, a workers’ rights provision would be added to the state’s Bill of Rights. I get both sides of collective bargaining. While my professional career often has involved management, that’s not always the case. In earlier days, I was an active member of the…
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Have a Computershare account? A good estate planning tip might be to either close the account or at least consider whether it should be updated. Computershare is a super-large, Australian stock transfer company, providing global services as a transfer agent and holder of stocks. It provides many other financial services as well. As an estate…
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I observed several months back that Quincy says “Hello” and Illinois says “Goodbye!” A key reason? The Illinois tax structure. Muddy River News is publishing real estate transfers. Take of look at where the sellers, many area homeowners, now claim residence. An example would be the Adams County transfers from Aug. 15-19. The sellers included people from Estes…
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Anne M. St. John died on July 29. It’s unlikely there will be named legacies honoring Anne. She is among the many self-effacing folks who made a true difference in our community, unconcerned about personal recognition. A quote from Timothy (1 Timothy 6:7) welcomed Anne to her celebration of life held Saturday, August 20: “For we…
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The City of Quincy deserves kudos. I’m here to pass them along. My usual route to and from work takes me from Sixth and Jefferson Streets north to my office. For weeks, I kept hitting the same darn road depression (not a pothole) when heading home on Sixth south of Washington Street — well, unless…
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City officials are again faced with the challenge of finding an essential air service provider. Cape Air, the current provider, notified the U.S. Department of Transportation in May of its intent to end passenger air service in Quincy. Cape Air was awarded a four-year $10.8 million subsidy starting December 1, 2021, to provide service to St. Louis and…
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PAMPLONA, Spain — Nothing says July in America more than the Fourth. In Spain, it’s the running of the bulls. Bull runs, or encierros, are held all over Spain. The most famous is in Pamplona. Grandson Benjamin St. John and I were in Pamplona considering whether we might give the sport a try.…
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That year went fast. A common theme over the last few months has been when people ask how long Muddy River News has been around and I say “we’re in our first year” the response is usually this: “Wow. Really? Seems like it’s been around longer than that.” Yes, yes it does. Probably because most…
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One year ago today, I spent most of the day in the basement of Tower Pizza and Mexican. For the record, I waited until Happy Hour to begin imbibing. Also, for the record, I imbibed heavily later on. That basement is also a room where private parties are held and it was where I was…
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One of my daughters came home from school years ago. She was clearly upset. Door slammed. Book bag thrown to the floor. A kick at it. As she turned toward me, I inquired what was wrong. Her upset then turned to me and my (may I suggest “imaginary”?) failures as a parent. I patiently took…
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