Alex Keown

Member For

25 weeks 2 days

Contact:

Red County Editor -
DuPage County, IL
siralexjk@aol.com

BIOGRAPHY

Alex Keown spent seven years covering state and local politics for daily newspapers in eastern North Carolina. He cut his teeth reporting on municipal and county government at The Daily Southerner before quickly moving on to start a new political beat at The Wilson Daily Times.

A one man political desk, he covered topics ranging from elections of state and local officials, county board of elections procedures, the federal tobacco buyout, and legislative issues affecting the counties served by The Wilson Daily Times. Alex wrote articles about ongoing issues as well, including investigating the corruption of former Rep. Frank Balance, D-NC, and highlighting the political battle over state contracts for retread tires. Alex left journalism and North Carolina in the summer of 2007 to move to DuPage County, Illinois to try his hand at corporate writing. Following the 2008 presidential election, Alex contacted the DuPage County Republican Party to volunteer his media skills. He currently serves the party as its Media Specialist, writing articles and press releases about the successes of the party and the conservative movement in the Chicago suburbs.

COMMENTARIES

Roskam and Kirk to discuss cost of health care bill

By Alex Keown | 11/21/09

On Monday U.S. Reps. Mark Kirk and Peter Roskam will discuss the latest report from the Illinois Policy Institute that outlines the negative impact the health care bill passed by the House will have on Illinois. The House version of the bill costs $1.055 trillion, The Senate now debates their plan at a cost of $849 billion. According to the IPI the bill will cost more than 169,000 Illinois jobs over 10 years - a more than 20 percent increase... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »ILLINOIS |

Bill Brady announces education plans for the state

By Alex Keown | 11/20/09

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady announced his education plans for the state of Illinois. Below is an excerpt: My plan to reform education in Illinois starts with a clean break from the rigid educational structure of today with the elimination of the State Board of Education. Doing so will give local school officials, teachers and parents a greater voice in the operation of their local schools. I will restructure our... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »ILLINOIS |

Republican Lieutenant Gov. candidates forum held in Lombard tomorrow

By Alex Keown | 11/20/09

The TAPROOT Foundation will host a forum for Republican candidates for lieutenant governor Saturday morning in the north meeting room of the Old Country Buffet at 551 East Roosevelt Road in Lombard. Candidates attending are Brad Cole, Dennis Cook, Jason Plummer, Don Tracy, and Randy White. Matt Murphy has sent a letter to be read. The program runs from 8:30 am- 10 am. No RSVP is required, but attendees will need to purchase an all-you-can-eat... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »ILLINOIS |

Senate to Burris: Tisk tisk

By Alex Keown | 11/20/09

Today the Senate Ethics Committee lightly scolded Ill. Sen. Roland Burris for his ties to ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The panel said Burris acted "inappropriately" in his calls to secure the seat formerly held by President Barack Obama. They also said he was "less than candid" about his negotiations with Blago's people. Other than that rubbing their fingers together and saying "shame, shame" the matter is... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »ILLINOIS |

DuPage residents likely to see water bills increase

By Alex Keown | 11/19/09

Radogno, Pankau side with Democrats in support of video gambling measure

By Alex Keown | 11/18/09

Gubernatorial campaign poll shows outsider candidate in second place

By Alex Keown | 11/18/09

Internal polling by Republican outsider Adam Andrzejewski shows the Elmhurst Republican tied for second among the Republican contenders for governor. According to Adam's poll he and Bill Brady are tied for second place with 11 percent. They trail former Attorney General Jim Ryan by 19 points. The poll shows they hold a slim lead over former GOP chairman Andy McKenna and Sen. Kirk Dillard. DuPage County Chairman Bob Schillerstrom and Dan Proft... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »ILLINOIS |

A Great Lakes Gitmo

By Alex Keown | 11/17/09

In his latest newsletter U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk reiterated plans to require the federal government to issue an impact statement regarding potential targets, including O'Hare Airport and the Willis Towers, if detainees at Guantanomo Bay are relocated to a prison in Thomson, Illinois. "Potential national and local security risks greatly outweigh any prospective economic benefits for states under consideration for such transfers," Kirk... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »ILLINOIS |

Here's some of the things you will find in Pelosi's health care bill

By Alex Keown | 11/17/09

Americans for Prosperity put together a brief sampling of some of the ridiculous elements one will find in the nearly 2,000 page health care bill. Prison terms and/or gigantic fines for individuals who do not obey the federal government’s mandate to sign up for one of the (expensive) federally approved health insurance plans and do not pay the resulting tax penalty. See S ection 7203, which would create the misdemeanor... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »ILLINOIS |

Illinois Congressional Republicans fight proposal to bring terrorists to Thomson

By Alex Keown | 11/17/09

'Since Friday's announcement that President Barack Obama was eyeing a north western Illinois prison to house Guantonomo detainees, Republican lawmakers have been pointing out the flaws in the idea. Upon his election Obama promised to close down the controversial prison in Cba that houses suspected terrorists captured in the War on Terror. On Monday Republican members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, including Peter Roskam and Judy... read more »